WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATSFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University's baseball team will open the 2015 season playing host to the Stillman College Tigers, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.
The series finale will be held Sunday at 12 p.m. The Sharks begin the year as the eighth-ranked team in the preseason NCBWA South Region poll, ahead of the visiting Tigers, who received votes in the poll. NSU will look to get back to the NCAA South Region Tournament, after reaching the tournament in 2011 and 2012.
Coming off of a 29-17 2014 campaign, the Sharks return one of the deepest pitching staffs in the Sunshine State Conference and South Region. The staff, led by
Roberto Baroniel (Sr., Miami, Fla.), will welcome transfers
Alex Mateo (Jr., Miami, Fla.) and
Ryan Castellanos (Jr., Davie, Fla.), who will solidify the weekend rotation. Relieving the starting pitching will be a stellar bullpen, featuring the likes of
Zachary Westcott (R-Sr., Weston, Fla.),
Devin Raftery (R-Jr., Deltona, Fla.) and
Ronald Patella (R-Jr., Davie, Fla.).
The Sharks pitching staff will be complemented by an offense that has added speed at the top of the lineup and juice to the middle of the order. Senior transfer
Roche Woodard (Sr., Tampa, Fla.) will bat first, boasting a lethal combination of speed and power. He will be followed by NCBWA All-South Region First and Second Team selections
Alexander Fernandez (Sr., Davie, Fla.) and
Mario Urdaneta (Sr., Ocala, Fla.), respectively. Junior transfer
Justin Garcia (Hialeah, Fla.) will provide the power, after hitting 13 home runs at State College of Florida in 201. He will be followed by the switch-hitting
Andres Visbal (So., Miami, Fla.), who has the potential to be one of the top RBI producers in the league after driving in 32 runs as a freshman.
Handling the defensive duties at shortstop will be sophomore transfer
Dylan Woods (New Symrna Beach, Fla.). He will be joined by veteran infielders
Casey Gibson (R-Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.) and
Kavan Thompson (Jr., Melbourne, Fla.). Behind the plate for the Sharks will be a combination of
Michael Hernandez (So., Pembroke Pines, Fla.),
Yandy Viera (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.) and
Ryan Woodrey (R-Sr., Lighthouse Point, Fla.). This group will look to handle the plethora of arms that the 2015 pitching staff will feature.
NSU will have a tough battle this weekend, welcoming a Stillman team that has been to the NCAA South Region Tournament seven of the last eight years. The Tigers, a favorite to win the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and get back to regionals, will feature one NCBWA All-South Region First-Team selection and three Second-Team selections. They are led by their senior shortstop, Fernando Tanaka, who was voted the SIAC Player of the Year in 2014.
NSUSharks.com will feature live video and stats for the 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and the single game Sunday at noon.
