Written By: Joe Zollo
Spring has rolled around in Florida, and the smell of the freshly cut grass and the crack of the bat means it’s time for another Knights vs. Gators baseball matchup. The first game will be played on February 28 at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium in Gainesville; the second game will be played two hours south at Jay Bergman Field on the UCF campus.
Last year, the Gators swept the Knights by winning both games, and their pitching staff even threw a shutout in game two. Bad news for the Knights is that the Gators are not getting any worse. They have been ranked in the top 5 for D1 Baseball since 2014 and went to the 2016 College World Series as the #1 seed, this year they are ranked #2 in the D1 National Baseball Rankings.
Luckily the Knights are playing under a new head coach, Greg Lovelady, who had previously coached at Wright State College. In his three-year tenure, Lovelady led Wright State to a winning season every year with two D1 playoff berths.
Even though both playoff appearances resulted in first-round exits, Lovelady is very familiar with winning and plans to bring that culture to the Knights for the 2017 season, and especially for these upcoming games against the Gators.
So far, Lovelady’s winning culture has translated well with the Knights. The Knights are sitting at 5-0 and have been winning most of their games in tremendous fashion. The Gators, on the other hand, are 4-1 and have been in some close games in the early part of this season. The Gators only loss came against the Jacksonville University Dolphins, and it was a 9th inning comeback by the Dolphins. The Gators were up 2-0 in the 9th, but then the Dolphins scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to win it on a walk-off single.
With the Gators not being as hot as usual this early in the season, it may be just what the Knights want and need. Beating the Gators will not only prove that the Knights are a legit contender this season, but it will also be a huge moral boost for the team. Anytime a team beats a nationally ranked team, especially when they are ranked #2 in the nation, the whole team gains confidence in themselves.
You can listen to the February 28th Knights vs. Gators game on iHeartRadio and 96.9 The Game and catch their March 1st game at Jay Bergman Field or on UCFKnights.tv.
Last year, the Gators swept the Knights by winning both games, and their pitching staff even threw a shutout in game two. Bad news for the Knights is that the Gators are not getting any worse. They have been ranked in the top 5 for D1 Baseball since 2014 and went to the 2016 College World Series as the #1 seed, this year they are ranked #2 in the D1 National Baseball Rankings.
Luckily the Knights are playing under a new head coach, Greg Lovelady, who had previously coached at Wright State College. In his three-year tenure, Lovelady led Wright State to a winning season every year with two D1 playoff berths.
Even though both playoff appearances resulted in first-round exits, Lovelady is very familiar with winning and plans to bring that culture to the Knights for the 2017 season, and especially for these upcoming games against the Gators.
So far, Lovelady’s winning culture has translated well with the Knights. The Knights are sitting at 5-0 and have been winning most of their games in tremendous fashion. The Gators, on the other hand, are 4-1 and have been in some close games in the early part of this season. The Gators only loss came against the Jacksonville University Dolphins, and it was a 9th inning comeback by the Dolphins. The Gators were up 2-0 in the 9th, but then the Dolphins scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to win it on a walk-off single.
With the Gators not being as hot as usual this early in the season, it may be just what the Knights want and need. Beating the Gators will not only prove that the Knights are a legit contender this season, but it will also be a huge moral boost for the team. Anytime a team beats a nationally ranked team, especially when they are ranked #2 in the nation, the whole team gains confidence in themselves.
You can listen to the February 28th Knights vs. Gators game on iHeartRadio and 96.9 The Game and catch their March 1st game at Jay Bergman Field or on UCFKnights.tv.