JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a tough 10-1 loss to Florida State, the North Florida Ospreys are set to return home for their final non-conference weekend series of the season against Alabama State. The Ospreys, currently 6-4 on weekends this season, will look to bounce back and improve upon their lone non-conference series win over Brown. The two teams have never faced each other before.
Last Time Out The Ospreys were defeated by Florida State in Tallahassee on March 4. After falling behind early, North Florida managed to score one run in the second inning, but the Seminoles shut them down the rest of the way for a 10-1 victory. The loss marked the Ospreys’ second midweek defeat of the season and their sixth overall. Despite the result, Mitchell Collins and Aaron Potter turned in strong performances against one of the nation’s toughest teams.
Scouting Alabama State The Alabama State Hornets come into the series with a 5-9 record, having lost their last two games. Their notable victories this season include wins at the Andre Dawson Classic in Vero Beach, Fla., where they defeated Missouri 10-2, and also earned wins over Grambling State and Jackson State. Juan Cruz leads the Hornets offensively with a .400 batting average, four home runs, 13 runs, and 17 RBIs. On the mound, Jafet Martinez and Esaid Pena have been solid, each making at least three starts and pitching over 16 innings.
Ospreys’ Offensive Hot Streak North Florida’s offense has been impressive so far this season, with three players hitting above .380. Connor Moore leads the team with a .386 average and 17 hits. Jabin Bates, despite missing the last two games, boasts a .382 average and was named ASUN Player of the Week earlier this season. Drew Leinenbach has been a consistent on-base threat with a .381 average and shares the team lead in stolen bases.
Freshman Bryson Treichel Shines Freshman pitcher Bryson Treichel has quickly established himself as one of the best arms in the ASUN. Treichel has yet to allow a run this season. He earned attention with his performances against Notre Dame, where he tossed three scoreless innings with five strikeouts, and against Brown, where he pitched six shutout innings, coming within four outs of a no-hitter. In his most recent outing against Ball State, Treichel threw five scoreless innings.
Series History This will be the first-ever meeting between North Florida and Alabama State.
Starting Pitchers
- Friday: LHP Jorhan LaBoy vs RHP Will Ross
- Saturday: RHP Jafet Martinez vs RHP Bryson Treichel
- Sunday: TBD vs TBD
The series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m., continues Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and concludes Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
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