University of North Florida
Lipscomb
Ospreys face Lipscomb in
A-Sun Series of the Week
4/9/2009 5:42:27 PM | Baseball
UNF has never lost a series to Bisons
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team will have a shot at moving to as high as second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference this weekend when it travels to Nashville to take on Lipscomb.
The series will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time on Friday and will conclude with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. UNF has won its last three A-Sun series and has claimed victories in seven of its last eight conference games.
The Ospreys had a tough showing in their midweek games, dropping a 7-3 contest to UCF on Tuesday at Harmon Stadium and falling No. 25 Florida State 14-6 on Wednesday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. UNF hit just .227 for both games.
Freshman TJ Gavlik and sophomore Sam Perry led the Ospreys with two RBI each. Junior Kevin Martin racked up his team- leading seventh home run of the season on Wednesday against FSU.
UNF took two of three last weekend from East Tennessee State in Jacksonville. The Ospreys swept ETSU in a doubleheader last Saturday to extend their conference win streak to seven games before dropping a single game on Sunday.
Junior Kevin Martin finished with nine RBIs for the series, while the Ospreys combined for seven home runs, which included five in their 15-3 seven-inning win over the Buccaneers in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Senior RHP John Frawley recorded his third-straight complete- game victory in the first game on Saturday.
Lipscomb has lost nine straight games. The Bisons dropped both of their midweek games to Austin Peay and Tennessee and were swept last weekend in their A-Sun series against Kennesaw State.
Despite Lipscomb's team ERA of 6.24, its weekend rotation of Rex Brothers, Josh Smith and Brandon McClurg have a combined 3.33 ERA. Justin Sanders leads the Bisons' lineup with a .352 batting average, 27 RBI and five home runs.
What: Baseball at Lipscomb
When: Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. (DH)
Where: Dugan Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
Live Video: Click here
UNF's Record: 14-20, 8-7 Atlantic Sun Conference
Lipscomb's Record: 13-19, 8-4 Atlantic Sun Conference
Probable Pitching Matchups: Friday - UNF: RHP John Frawley (4-1, 3.63 ERA, 34 K) vs. Lipscomb: LHP Rex Brothers (4-2, 2.59 ERA, 71 K); Saturday Game One - UNF: RHP Phil Rorabaugh (1-3, 4.62 ERA, 35 K) vs. Lipscomb: RHP Brandon McClurg (2-3, 4.71 ERA, 25 K); Saturday Game Two - UNF: TBA vs. Lipscomb: RHP Josh Smith (3-2, 3.04 ERA, 52 K)
Series History: UNF leads, 6-3
Last Series Result: UNF won, 2-1, in Jacksonville - Lipscomb 10, UNF 7 (March 8, 2008); UNF 13, Lipscomb 6 (March 8, 2008); UNF 9, Lipscomb 7 (March 9, 2008)
Who's Hot: Senior Brian Wilson has been on fire in his last five games, hitting .476 (10- for-21) with three doubles, six runs scored and three RBI. He went 4-for-5 last Saturday in UNF's win over ETSU in game two of a doubleheader.
Notables: UNF has never lost a series to Lipscomb ... the Ospreys are 2-1 all-time against Lipscomb in Nashville, winning the lone series in 2007 ... UNF has won seven of its last eight A-Sun games, which includes three straight series victories ... UNF holds a 4-2 advantage over teams from Tennessee this season ... the Ospreys won their series with Belmont, 2-1, on March 20 and 21 and took two of three last weekend against ETSU ... Martin was named to the College Baseball Foundation Week 7 National All-Star Lineup on Wednesday after racking up 18 RBI in one week ... Martin is second in the A-Sun with 25 RBI in conference games ... Frawley has recorded three- straight complete game victories ... the last two lasted less than nine innings, with the first coming in a rain- shortened 13-3 win over Campbell on March 27 and the latter coming in a 15-3, seven-inning win over ETSU on April 4 ... Frawley allowed a total of just six runs in those starts and racked up 19 strikeouts.
