Midway through their season, the University of Memphis baseball team sits at 18-16 overall and 3-6 in the American Athletic Conference after a hot 12-2 start.
Despite the skid, the Tigers are staying positive and looking at the second half of the season as a fresh start.
Their first test comes on Friday evening when they welcome the University of Central Florida (20-14, 8-1 AAC) to FedExPark at 6:30 p.m.
Memphis head coach Daron Schoenrock wants to get his team healthy, and he said he's happy to be back at home to get some rest for his team's tired legs.
"Our guys are so beat up," Schoenrock said. "It was a real big challenge playing two great road opponents in Louisville and Houston, and then here comes UCF, who is always athletic and happens to be first in the conference."
Friday night will most likely be a pitching duel. Schoenrock said the Knights plan to throw lefty ace Eric Skoglund, but he plans to counter with Tigers' ace, junior left-hander Caleb Wallingford.
Wallingford has posted a 1.29 ERA in 48.2 innings of work, notching a 4-2 record on the year. His UCF counterpart, Skoglund, enters the game with a 1.83 ERA and 5-0 record.
The Knights season has been an inverse of the Tigers' year. They lost nine out of 10 games early in the season before going on a recent tear, winning 11 of their last 13.
Schoenrock said it should be a good series, and both teams have posted very similar statistics. He said UCF brings more power to the table offensively, but the Tigers try to grind out innings and capitalize on mistakes.
One problem for the U of M has been slow starts. Schoenrock would like to see his guys jump out on their opponents earlier in the game.
"We've missed some opportunities early in the game," the 10th-year coach said. "We play much better in the second half of ballgames."
The Tigers have been banged up on the infield, and senior infielder Zach Willis has been limited over the past several games. Schoenrock said the addition of Willis back into the lineup should give the Tigers a boost on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
The Blue and Gray are ranked eighth in the American with a lot of baseball left to be played. Schoenrock said the American is looking like one of the best conferences in college baseball and could be a three or four bid league to the College World Series.
The U of M plans to dedicate their indoor facility to longtime Memphis baseball supporter W.S. "Babe" Howard. The ceremony is set for 1 p.m. on the south side of FedExPark.
In addition to Friday's game, the two teams will clash on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's game is slated for 2 p.m., and Sunday's first pitch will be at 11:30 a.m.
