Defending A-Sun champ pays visit to UNF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Last year's Atlantic Sun Conference regular season champion Florida Gulf Coast will pay a visit to Harmon Stadium this weekend to take on a University of North Florida baseball team that is coming off an epic win against Troy on Wednesday.

UNF will host its first conference series at home this season beginning with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The final game will be at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

After making an inspired comeback but falling just short in an 8-7 loss to Troy on Tuesday night, the Ospreys came back on Wednesday to win a thrilling 10-9, 12-inning battle. Troy diminished a 6-0 UNF lead and took a 9-8 advantage in the top of the 12th, but redshirt freshman Andrew Karmeris, who earned the win on the mound in relief, scored the tying run when junior TJ Thompson drove him in on a single up the middle. Junior Justin Preckajlo followed it with a walk-off single that drove in junior David Eldredge.

UNF had season highs of 19 hits, three sacrifices and 36 putouts in the game. The game duration was just 17 minutes off the longest game in UNF history, which was against Indiana in the Kennel Club Classic on March 13, 2007.

FGCU split a two-game mid-week series with Penn State in Fort Myers, Fla., taking the first game on Tuesday, 12-11, in 14 innings and dropping the game on Wednesday, 18-16. The Eagles are 3-0 in conference play with a three-game sweep of Campbell last weekend in Fort Myers. Steven Wickens leads FGCU in the average column, hitting .431 and has also scored a team-best 19 runs. Tim Roberson is the team's RBI leader with 25.

What: Baseball vs. Florida Gulf Coast

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. doubleheader; Sunday, 1 p.m.

Where: Harmon Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for UNF faculty/staff, $3 for youth (13-17), $3 for senior citizens (65+), $3 for Osprey Club members, free for ages 12 and under

Live Video (Sunday): Click here

Radio (Sunday): WBOB-AM 1320 in Jacksonville

Live Stats: Click here

UNF's Record: 6-9, 1-2 Atlantic Sun Conference

FGCU's Record: 9-6, 3-0 Atlantic Sun Conference

Probable Pitching Matchups: Saturday Game One: UNF - RHP Ty Pryor (2-2, 3.72 ERA, 19 K) vs. FGCU - Derek Shaw (2-1, 2.84 ERA, 22 K); Saturday Game Two: UNF - RHP Phil Rorabaugh (0-2, 3.78 ERA, 15 K) vs. FGCU - Chris Sale (1-1, 5.60 ERA, 22 K); Sunday: UNF - RHP John Frawley (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 11 K) vs. FGCU - Richie Erath (1-1, 4.00 ERA, 15 K)

Series History: Tied, 2-2

Last Series Result: FGCU won, 2-1 (3/1/08-3/2/08); UNF won game one, 5-4; FGCU won games two and three, 4-3 and 8-0

Who's Hot: Preckajlo had a breakout game against Troy on Wednesday, blasting a season- high five hits and two RBIs. Coming into the game, he was just 1-for-8.

Senior Brian Wilson also exploded at the plate against Troy on Wednesday, tallying a career- high five hits, which included a double. He also scored two runs.

In UNF's last five games, junior Preston Hale has been at the top of the average column, hitting .409 (9-for-22) and recording a .480 on-base percentage. He currently leads the team with 26 hits and is tied for the team lead with five doubles.

Notables: The Ospreys are 2-2 against in- state opponents this season ... this weekend's series is the second-straight conference series against an in- state opponent ... UNF has averaged eight runs in its last three games ... although the Eagles have a better A-Sun record, the Ospreys outrank FGCU in the conference in pitching and fielding ... UNF has never faced FGCU in Jacksonville ... brothers Tucker and Ty Pryor ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in strikeouts for the Ospreys ... Tucker leads the team with 20, followed by Ty's 19 ... despite a .200 batting average, Thompson has found a way to reach base; he has a conference- leading 14 walks and has a .393 on-base percentage ... Ty is tied for the A-Sun lead with 11 batters struck out looking ... Saturday will be the first time this season the Ospreys playing in a doubleheader against one team ... UNF went 8-10 in doubleheaders last season.

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