FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the offensive-minded fan, this weekend's series between No. 1 Nova Southeastern and No. 19 Lynn will definitely be one to mark on the calendar. Not only is Lynn's ballpark commonly known for being a launching pad within the Sunshine State Conference, but pairing the league's two most prolific offenses only calls for plenty of runs.
Set to open their three-game set Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Boca Raton, Florida, both the Sharks and Fighting Knights enter the weekend among the SSC's top-two teams in runs per game, home runs and slugging –not to mention both currently sit atop the league standings following the first month of the season.
Nova Southeastern took care of business on opening weekend of SSC play with a road sweep of Eckerd by a combined 31-9 margin. Together, Jancarlos Cintron and
Kevin Suarez each hit .500 on the weekend, with first baseman
Jeremy Vasquez adding a pair of home runs and team-best six RBI's to raise his impressive season totals. Through 13 games, Vasquez ranks among the top-five in the SSC in six categories including: batting average (.442), home runs (5) and RBI's (17).
Meanwhile, Lynn earned a sweep of its own at home against previously-ranked Florida Southern to move into the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll. The Knights hung 14 runs on the Moccasins in two of the three games, and have now scored in double-digits in five of their last seven overall.
Third baseman Tyler Curtis enters the anticipated series with the Sharks on a tear, having gone 10-for-12 at the dish versus Florida Southern en route to earning SSC Player of the Week honors on Monday. Curtis reached base safely in his first 11 plate appearances of the series, registering six RBI's and seven runs scored in the process.
Expected Friday night starter for Lynn, Donovan Armas, has been outstanding on the mound thus far by posting a 3-0 record with a stingy 0.67 earned run average through four starts. The Sharks had an answer for the right-hander in 2016, though, tagging Armas for six earned runs in just four innings of work.
Potential NSU Series Starting Pitchers
Friday (2:30 PM)
Devin Meyer – 2-1, 19.1 IP, 3.26 ERA, 14 K, 9 BB, 20 H
Saturday (Game One, 11 AM)
Matt Hardy – 2-0, 14.0 IP, 1.93 ERA, 12 K, 2 BB, 14 H
Saturday (Game Two, 2 PM)
Joe DiBenedetto – 3-0, 21.0 IP, 3.43 ERA, 20 K, 5 BB, 14 H
For complete coverage of this weekend's action, log onto
NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_Baseball.
