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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University baseball team (38-11, 18-6 SSC) earned its highest-ever seed in the NCAA South Region tournament, entering the 2015 tournament as the No. 2 seed. Head coach Greg Brown's ball club will face Sunshine State Conference rival Lynn University (34-13-1, 14-9-1 SSC) on Thursday at noon ET, opening the tournament on the grounds of the No. 1 seed and host team, West Alabama.
 
The Sharks come into the tournament with big aspirations, looking to reach the College World Series for the first time in program history. NSU boasts a 9-3 record against teams in the NCAA South Region tournament, highlighted by sweeps over Tampa and Albany State. The offense leads the SSC in home runs with 68, while the pitching staff leads the SSC in strikeouts with 409, 31 higher than the next highest of 378. Justin Garcia (Jr., Hialeah, Fla.), the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and NCBWA South Region Player of Year, has paced the NSU offense, launching 24 home runs on the year, breaking the school record of 17. Ryan Castellanos (Jr., Davie, Fla.), Alex Mateo (Jr., Hialeah, Fla.) and Zachary Westcott (R-Sr., Weston, Fla.) lead the way on the pitching side, recording a combined 22 wins.
 
Bracket
 
This year's bracket is organized into a matchup between West Alabama and Albany State in the No. 1 vs. No. 6 game, followed by a miniature SSC tournament with a battle between No. 2 NSU and No. 5 Lynn, trailed by a clash between No. 3 Tampa and No. 4 Florida Tech. The tournament is a four-day double elimination style tournament.
 
Opponents
 
No. 1 West Alabama (40-9, 26-6 GSC): West Alabama won the Gulf South Conference regular season and tournament titles, and jumped from the third seed in the initial NCAA South Region poll to the host team in a matter of three weeks. West Alabama has won 29 of their last 30, but have yet to play a team that is in the 2015 South Region Tournament. The Tigers are led by Fernando Gonzalez on the mound (10-1, 2.07 ERA, 4 CG, 91 K's, 91.1 IP) and Tainer Rainey at the plate (17 HR, 58 RBI, .827 SLG % and .490 OBP). Rainey is also the closer for the Tigers, tallying nine saves and a 1.03 ERA.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
No. 3 Tampa (35-13, 16-8 SSC): Tampa comes into the regional after being dethroned as the Sunshine State Conference champions for the first time since Barry won the conference in 2011. The Sharks swept the Spartans earlier in the year, marking the first time that Tampa has suffered that fate since 2011. The Spartans feature a deep lineup, with a team average of .337, the second-highest in the SSC. Tampa rolls out three left handed starters in Michael Calkins, Chase Sparkman and Brad Hencke, with Dylan Barrow coming out of the bullpen.
 
No. 4 Florida Tech (36-11, 13-9 SSC): Florida Tech arrives in Livingston, Ala. as the four seed in the tournament. The Panthers started the year 17-0, but finished the year going 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Panthers will lean on the Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year Scotty Ward, and the top-hitting lineup in the SSC with a .341 average. The lineup features a slew of names on the All-SSC First and Second Team, lead by catcher Austin Allen (.422 AVG, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 24 2B, .473 OBP). This marks the fourth time in eight years that FIT is in the South Region tournament. NSU took two of three games from the Panthers earlier this year.
 
No. 5 Lynn (34-13-1, 14-9-1 SSC): The ever-so-familiar Fighting Knights of Lynn University are in the tournament for the sixth since 2006, including winning the national title in 2009. The Blue and White sit in the middle of the pack in the Sunshine State Conference in both hitting and pitching. As a team, Lynn is hitting .318, led by All-SSC First Team selection John Borup at .384 with a .476 OBP. On the mound, the Fighting Knights have a team ERA of 4.65. The Lynn staff is highlighted by Max Watt, Travis Connelly, Jimmy O'Neill, and Kyle Carter, with Billy Mendek coming out of the bullpen. Those five have combined for a 25-11 record and 241 K's. Lynn is the only team in the SSC to win a series over the Sharks this year.
 
No. 6 Albany State (20-32, 12-5 SIAC): The Golden Rams of Albany State enter the South Region tournament after defeating the Stillman Tigers in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Sharks made quick work of the Golden Rams earlier this year, sweeping the three-game series. NSU combined to score 36 runs over the three-game span. The Golden Rams will keep pitchers in the South Region tournament in check, featuring three players with at least 17 stolen bases.
 
NSU's History In NCAA South Region Tourney
 
This is NSU's third trip to the NCAA South Region tournament in a matter of five years. The Sharks earned the fifth seed in the 2011 regional, which was an eight-team regional. The 2011 team went 2-2 in postseason play, defeating Stillman and Harding, while dropping two contests to SSC rival Barry. NSU earned its second postseason bid in 2012, being named the fifth seed for a second year in a row. Just like in 2011, the Sharks went 2-2 in the 2012 tournament beating the defending National Champions West Florida in its first game and knocking out Lynn in its third game. The 2012 team lost to Stillman and Delta State to end their postseason run. Andrew Durden was named to the All-South Region Tournament team in 2011, while Areo Regoli was named All Tournament in 2012.
 
Be sure to follow along with the team on Twitter (@NSU_Baseball) and tune in to each game following the links on the schedule page.