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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (14-4) will play one more out-of-conference game before returning to Sunshine State Conference play, as the Sharks face the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (11-8) on the road Wednesday at 6 p.m.
NSU begins this week’s slate of games after finishing a perfect 3-0 last week. In that span, the Sharks defeated three northeast teams by an average margin of 12.3 runs per game. The most high profile win of the week came Saturday against No. 20 Franklin Pierce, who the Sharks defeated, 12-1.
Zachary Westcott (So., Weston, Fla.) improved his record to 5-0 in five appearances while
Carlos Asuaje (So., Weston, Fla.) went 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.
Despite the perfect record last week, the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Coaches Poll did not place NSU back in the national top-25. The Sharks enter their game against PBA ranked 29th in the nation, the sixth highest ranking for a South Region team. However, College Baseball Lineup has been more impressed by NSU’s recent play. They ranked the Sharks for the first time all season, placing them 16th in the nation.
Although the national polls serve as great recognition for success, they do not have an impact on the postseason. The Sharks can make their second straight NCAA South Regional appearance with a regular season SSC Championship or an at large bid, based upon the team’s regional record. Entering this week, the Sharks hold an 8-3 record in the South Region. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association currently ranks the Sharks fifth in their unofficial South Region poll.
PBA, an independent member of NCAA Division-II, is a regional opponent and a competitive foe for NSU. Last season, the Sailfish won the series by taking three out of five games. The series came down to run production for the Sharks, as they won both games in which they scored more than six runs. However, the Sharks lost all of their games against PBA by two or less runs when scoring six or less times. This season, the Sharks have averaged 9.2 runs per game.
The Sailfish will enter the game with an 11-8 record. They started the year with a 3-2 upset over now-15th ranked Lynn. However, since then they have lost to Lynn twice and have dropped games against Flagler and Valdosta State. Almost half of the team’s wins have come against NAIA opponents.
The Sharks lost crucial out-of-conference games in 2011, making a bid to the South Regional Tournament less than a sure thing until the final weekend of the season. The Sharks lost seasons series’ against West Alabama, PBA, and Florida Tech. NSU has already taken their series against West Alabama in 2012, correcting last year’s results against PBA begins with the team’s first of four games against the Sailfish Wednesday.
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