FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 16 Nova Southeastern Sharks baseball team will take the field for the first time in the 2020 season on Friday night at the NSU Baseball Complex. Friday will also mark the first game under first-year head coach Laz Gutierrez, as the Sharks face No. 7 North Greenville at 7:00 p.m.
 
Coming off a 34-17 season in which the Sharks finished in a three-way tie for the best league record in the Sunshine State Conference, NSU was picked by the SSC coaches at second in the preseason predicted order of finish – behind only reigning National Champion Tampa. In addition, the Sharks were tabbed in a tie for third (with West Florida) in the preseason South Region standings by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) – coming in at 16th nationally in both their poll and from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
 
Hogging all the individual attention right now is multi-talented sophomore Duncan Pastore, who will play both third and will be a rotation starter for NSU this season – earning NCBWA first team All-Region honors and All-American honorable mention after winning SSC Freshman of the Year in 2019. Pastore batted .344 in his debut season, with six doubles, 12 walks, 26 runs and 13 RBI in just 33 games. On the bump, he went 4-0 with a starter-leading 2.51 ERA, 33 strikeouts and a .211 average against. Also back for the Sharks, senior designated hitter Andrew Labosky batted a team-high .360 a year ago, smacking a team-high 12 doubles with 36 runs and 25 RBI, reaching base at a .474 clip – and was named NCBWA preseason second team All-Region. Junior Bryan Diaz returns as an anchor for the outfield after appearing in 42 games and batting .348 with nine doubles, two triples and a pair of homers. The Sharks also get the benefit of returning starters at key positions in center field (Nathan Chevalier, 34 starts), second base (Daniel Irisarri, 42 starts) and shortstop (Brandon Chinea, 43 starts). Ray Sanchez has been a solid addition to fill the absence at first base, coming out of Palm Beach State with 23 extra base hits, 55 RBI and 45 runs. The outfield hole left by Christian Demby's graduation will be filled by FIU transfer Junior Adan Fernandez – a former Freshman All-American who started 78 of 94 games in two seasons for the Panthers, showing a penchant for the extra base hit with 15 dingers, seven doubles, 44 RBI and 43 runs. Fernandez was named among South Region Newcomers to Watch by CBN.
 
On the mound Pastore will be joined by nine pitchers with experience from a year ago. Among the top starters during his 2019 rookie season, sophomore southpaw Nathan Campbell earned a team-high six wins in 13 starts, tossing 64.1 innings with 42 strikeouts – the quality of his season belied by his final 5.18 ERA. CBN South Region Player to Watch, senior right-hander JP Williams will get plenty of work in his second NSU season after finishing 4-1 with a 3.58 ERA in a team-high 18 relief appearances, striking out 43 with just 11 walks in 37.2 innings. Senior lefty Matt Ornelas is coming off a 3-1 season with a 5.61 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 43 innings. NSU also welcome 10 new arms to the staff, highlighted by Flanagan High School star Jeremy Cook, who posted a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings of relief at Miami. Junior Jacob Bove has also proven himself coming out of Sacramento City College.
 
The Crusaders are facing the Sharks for the third consecutive season and reached the NCAA Southeast Super Regional to close out a 45-11 record. NGU won both the regular season and tournament Championships in Conference Carolinas and swept through the Regional with wins over Mount Olive and Lincoln Memorial. When NSU traveled to Tigerville, S.C. last year, the Crusaders won the series 2-1, taking the first two contests 17-1, 10-1, before NSU picked up the 11-8 win in the finale.
 
The Crusaders are looking to reload with only four position starters returning and one starting pitcher back on the bump. NGU is led by NBCWA preseason first-team All-American catcher John Michael Faile, who went .391 with 13 home runs last year, pacing the team with 70 RBI for first-team Conference Carolinas and All-Region honors, ending as a second team All-American. Outfielder Josh Senter returns for a 2019 that featured 35 runs and 28 RBI off 11 doubles, a triple and six home runs. Lex Tuten is also back after batting .295 with nine doubles 25 runs and 18 RBI. Transfers from South Carolina (Jordan Holladay) and UNC Wilmington (Douglas Angeli) are expected to see the field early.
 
The only starter back for NGU is senior Ethan Garner, who finished with a 6-1 record and 4.50 ERA, striking out 50 in 58 innings for the Crusaders. NGU returns three quality relievers in Grayson Hickert (0-0, 1.35 ERA, 20 IP in 18 App.,15 SO), Brock Robinson (2-2, 2.28 ERA, 23.2 IP in 19 App., 25 SO) and Jared Lembke (4-0, 4.01 ERA, 24.2 IP in 18 App., 25 SO). NGU is looking to get a boost from Christian Ryder, who made 20 appearances in three years at Georgia.
 
NSU leads the series with a 5-4 margin, the series wins skewed to the home team. NGU's Garner took the loss in last year's finale, giving up six runs in three innings of the start. First pitch between the Sharks and Crusaders is set for 6:00 p.m. at the NSU Baseball Complex.
 
Fans can follow live via Nova Southeastern live stats and watch the game broadcasted live via the SSC Digital Network.
 
A three-game weekend will continue for NSU on Saturday February 1, as the Sharks follow up against Tusculum and close out the weekend with a local matchup against St. Thomas on Sunday, February 2.