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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The No. 12 Nova Southeastern baseball team (29-8, 9-5 SSC) will host the No. 7 Lynn Fighting Knights (30-11, 12-4 SSC), who own the best record in the Sunshine State Conference, for a weekend series at the NSU Baseball Complex. The series will begin with a game Friday at 6 p.m. and will conclude with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Sharks enter the weekend after wrapping up their out-of-conference schedule in a win against Florida Tech this past Tuesday, 5-2. With the victory, the Sharks only need one victory this weekend to seal its eighth-straight 30-win season.
More importantly, the Sharks will attempt to put a damper on Lynn’s record en route to the team’s first SSC Championship. If Lynn wins, they will host Saint Leo to end the season. A series win over the Sharks will place the Knights as the overwhelming favorite to win the conference, as SLU is one game out of last place in the conference with a 4-11 record.
If NSU can win the series, it will bring the team one step closer to the ultimate goal. They would move ahead of Lynn in the loss column, but would likely remain in second place behind No. 2 Tampa. The Spartans travel to last-place Eckerd this weekend, a team they have beaten 26 straight times.
The Sharks have a steep uphill climb in order to win their first SSC Championship. They will have to defeat the conference’s best team and the NCAA South Region’s best team in consecutive weeks. If that wasn’t enough, they could still lose the title with an upset to Rollins on senior-day weekend. With nonconference play finished, the Sharks will be able to fully prepare for each opponent one week at a time.
On the bright side, the Sharks have virtually nowhere to go but up. A .784 winning percentage has all but cemented the Sharks’ place among the top-six teams in the NCAA South Region. The Sharks were named sixth in the first regional poll, one spot ahead of Alabama Huntsville. NSU has a big advantage over the Chargers, with 11 less losses in regional play. The Sharks need to place in the top-seven in the region in order to return to the NCAA South Regional Tournament.
This weekend’s series will likely display a steady flow of offense from two strong hitting teams. The Sharks and Knights are the two top teams in the SSC in batting average, on-base percentage and total bases.
Carlos Asuaje (So., Weston, Fla.) and
Areo Regoli (Sr., Homestead, Fla.) will see their main competition for SSC Player of the Year in Anthony Boza. Boza is only other player outside of Asuaje to bat over .400 in the SSC and the only other player outside of Regoli to slug over .700.
On the mound, the series will pit two teams with very similar numbers. The Sharks and Fighting Nights are separated by 0.22 in ERA and .005 in opposing batting average. On Friday night, the Sharks are projected to pitch
Zachary Westcott (So., Weston, Fla.), the SSC leader in wins at eight. In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, NSU will likely throw
Cody Stiles (Jr., Coral Springs, Fla.), the SSC leader in opposing batting average at .181.
The biggest question of the weekend will be who the Sharks start in the seven-inning game on Saturday. The Sharks have not solidified their third starter and have a variety of options, including
Mike Gonzalez (Jr., Miami, Fla.),
Mauricio Rodriguez (Sr., Miami, Fla.),
Roberto Baroniel (Fr., Miami, Fla.) or any other of the Sharks’ quality relievers. The Sharks’ pitching staff is deep, which was proven this past Tuesday when
Shane Hill (Jr., Miami, Fla.), who had only pitched in two innings this season, recorded a win and allowed one run against Florida Tech.
The final wrinkle in this weekend’s storyline is a battle between coaches who are very familiar with the other’s style of play. NSU head coach Greg Brown played collegiate baseball at Lynn for current head coach Rudy Garbalosa. In his second year, Brown is seeking his first series-win over his former head coach.
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