FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University's baseball team (15-11, 5-4 SSC) will host the Saint Leo University Lions (18-10, 3-3 SSC) in a vital Sunshine State Conference series, as the Sharks look to maintain position among the top three in the conference. Game one will be played on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Sharks will look to ride their momentum into this weekend, after taking down the No. 6 Southern New Hampshire Penmen in a midweek matchup last week and cruising past the No. 1 Tampa Spartans this past weekend, taking two-of-three from the defending national champions. Alex Mateo is ready to set the tone for the series, just like he did against the Spartans when he tossed 8.1 innings to earn himself the Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Week. Matt Hardy and Julian Loret de Mola will take the mound for the Sharks in the doubleheader, with Hardy tossing the first game and Loret de Mola pitching the series finale.
 
At the plate, Sebastian Diaz has done an excellent job in the two-hole, as he is riding a five-game hitting streak. Andres Visbal has emerged as another threat in the deep NSU lineup, hitting safely in his last four games. Brandon Gomez and Daniel Zardon look to continue to provide the pop in the middle of the order, while Michael Hernandez will hit right behind Gomez and Zardon, providing a dangerous 3-4-5 for the Sharks.
 
The Sharks are 23-9 against the Saint Leo Lions in SSC games since officially joining the conference in 2005, with an 8-2-1 record in their 11 series meetings. The Sharks have won 15 of 18 games between the two teams at the NSU Baseball Complex during that time, and each of the last 12, dating back to 2009. The last time the Lions came to NSU Baseball Complex, the Sharks as a team, and Alex Fernandez '14 individually, set doubles records for a single game and a single series. In a 22-3 rout in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader, Fernandez had four of the team's 10 doubles, and five of 15 during a series in which the Sharks totaled 31 runs on 41 hits for a .418 team average, drawing nine walks and wearing nine pitches, for a .488 on-base percentage, along with a .602 slugging percentage, thanks in part to the first home run of Andrew Liberty's career.
 
You can follow along with the Sharks on Twitter at @NSU_Baseball and tune in to watch the games live right here.