FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Projected to be one of the top NCAA Division II baseball series' of the weekend, the No. 8 Nova Southeastern University Sharks (13-3) are set to take on the No. 14 Saint Leo University Lions (17-1), marking the opening to the Sunshine State Conference schedule for both sides. The series will begin on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Thomas B. Southard Stadium on the campus of SLU, concluding with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
The Sharks charge into the series with a full head of steam, coming off of a no-hitter against Felician College and a three-game sweep of Albany State, outscoring their opponents 45-3 over the past four games.
Mario Urdaneta (Sr., Ocala, Fla.) is riding a ten game hitting streak, while his teammate
Alexander Fernandez (Sr., Davie, Fla.) has caught fire at the plate, tallying eight hits in his last 13 at bats. Nick McNeil (Jr., Clearwater, Fla.) has emerged as a threat in the already deep NSU lineup, possessing a lethal combination of power and speed.
NSU's pitching staff, which has allowed just ten runs in its last five games, will go up against a Saint Leo offense that features three players hitting over .400 and four players with four or more home runs. Dylan Harris, the reigning Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year, leads the Lions' offensive attack, hitting .452 in 73 at-bats. Saint Leo currently leads NCAA Division II in home runs with 29.
Friday night's pitching matchup is a rematch of 2014's Friday night game between the two teams, as
Roberto Baroniel (Sr., Miami, Fla.) will take on Saint Leo's Michael Dunnigan. Baroniel defeated Dunnigan in 2014, throwing a complete game against the Lions, winning by a score of 5-3. NSU's offense chased Dunnigan out of the game, peppering him for 11 hits and five runs in 5.1 innings of work. Urdaneta,
Andres Visbal (So., Miami, Fla.),
Yandy Viera (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.) and
Kavan Thompson (Jr., Melbourne, Fla.) each recorded an RBI in the game.
Game two of the series will feature of a pair of pitchers with a 1.50 ERA each, with
Alex Mateo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) will dual against Saint Leo's Liam O'Sullivan. Against Albany State, Mateo faced the minimum amount of hitters (21) on his way to a two-hit complete game shutout of the Golden Rams. Mateo has surrendered just one earned run in his last 18 innings pitched. For the Lions, O'Sullivan was tagged for four runs in just 2.1 innings of work against the Sharks in 2014, taking the loss in game three of the series.
The series finale will see
Ryan Castellanos (Jr., Davie, Fla.) on the mound for the Sharks, taking on Saint Leo's left-handed utility player, Jordan Taylor. Castellanos has tossed two complete games so far this year against Delta State and Albany State. Castellanos is fifth in the SSC in innings pitched and is tied for fifth in strikeouts with Baroniel, fanning 28 batters in 2015. For the Lions, Taylor is currently 2-0 in four starts, defeating Tusculum and McKendree.
Be sure to tune in to each game, following the links on the
schedule page.
