LIVE STATS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (8-2) will play its final doubleheader before the Sunshine State Conference season begins against the Saint Rose Golden Knights (0-0) Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Sharks enter the weekend as the 29th ranked team in the nation, their highest ranking of the young season. The Sharks are the second-highest nationally ranked team in the SSC. NSU has had a dominant start to the season, with the only losses coming against defending SSC champion Barry and West Alabama. Both losses have been avenged, as the Sharks defeated West Alabama, 9-3, and Barry, 10-8, within the last week.
Their 10-8 victory over Barry earlier this week was arguably the biggest and most dramatic of the season. The Bucs, who have played NSU nine times in just over one calendar year, led by five runs entering the seventh inning. Over the seventh and eighth frames, the Sharks evened the score due to clutch hitting from the middle lineup. With the scoreboard reading 8-8,
Sean Tighe (Sr., Hobe Sound, Fla.), a starter in 2011 who’s transitioned to the closer role, shut down the Bucs in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the frame, the Sharks picked up two quick outs before placing a runner on first base. That set up
Areo Regoli’s (Sr., Homestead, Fla.) walk-off home run to left field.
Regoli’s home run was his sixth in the first ten games of a season in which he has already earned one SSC Player of the Week award. Although the homer was the highlight of the night, it would not have been possible without the consistent offense from the hitters in the six, seven and eight holes.
Alex Marrero (Jr., Miami, Fla.),
Ray Navarro (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and
Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) combined for seven of the Sharks’ 11 hits and six of the team’s 10 RBI.
That steady flow of offense can be expected to be on display this weekend. The Sharks average 8.1 runs per game and have been winning by an average scoring margin of 5.2 runs. Last season, the Sharks entered their doubleheader against Saint Rose averaging three runs less per game, but still posted 26 runs over two games against the Golden Knights.
After starting off against NSU last season, Saint Rose went on to finish 17-28 in 2011. The Golden Knights return 15 of their 17 pitchers this season and will start their season Saturday. They will serve as the first of four Northeast 10 opponents in 2012. Last season, the Sharks went 5-0 against those same opponents.
The Sharks began the season unranked and needed almost an entire month of play to prove they belonged among the nation’s elite teams. Back-to-back wins Saturday will help the Sharks move into the top-25 for the first time this year.
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