JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For the third time in two seasons a Big East team comes to Harmon Stadium as the Ospreys take on the Villanova Wildcats Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, Feb. 26.

Game times are set for 6:05 p.m. Friday, 2:05 p.m. Saturday and 12:05 p.m. Sunday. Sunday's game was moved up from the originally slated time of 1:05 p.m.

The three-game set concludes an eight-game home stand to open the year.

GAME DETAILS
Dates: Friday, Feb. 24 | Saturday, Feb. 25 | Sunday, Feb. 26
Time: 6:05 p.m. | 2:05 p.m. | 12:05 p.m.
Location: Harmon Stadium
Opponent: Villanova
Watch: SWOOPLife Live
Live Stats: unfospreys.com
 
All-Time Series: First-ever meeting

Starting Pitchers 
Friday
UNF | LHP Peter Holden
NOVA | RHP Sal Fusco

Saturday
UNF | LHP Tony Roca
NOVA | RHP Devin Rivera

Sunday
UNF | RHP Avery Love
NOVA | TBD

First Game Magic

• Eric Fouraker came in as defensive substitution Wednesday and proceeded to single in his first at-bat. He went on to launch a two-run home run to left field in his next trip up, making him the second Osprey in five games to homer in their UNF debut, joining Alex Lodise.

Sunday Explosion

• UNF scored 17 runs on 20 hits Sunday against Murray State, earning a series win against the Racers. It was UNF's most hits since April of last year at USF, while the 17-run output was the most since March of last year against Boston College. 
• The Ospreys had three players hit their first-career home runs at UNF, with Cade Reich, Peyton Sybrandt and Cherokee Nichols doing so. 
• Austin Brinling slashed five hits, the most since 2021 ASUN Player of the Year Alex Kachler did so April 25, 2021 against Jacksonville. Reich wasn't too far behind, finishing a triple short of the cycle. 
• Nine different players scored at least one run, Nichols had four RBI and nine Ospreys tallied at least one hit. 
• As a team, UNF stole five bags, the most since April of last season when UNF swiped six against JU.

Newcomer Contributions

• 11 different Ospreys made their UNF debuts, with eight making their first-career starts. Peyton Sybrandt, Gabriel Esquivel, Alex Lodise, Finn Howell, Austin Brinling, Cherokee Nichols, Jakob Runnels and Avery Love all made their first-career starts. 
• Newcomers combined to post 16 RBI, with Lance Bolton earning his first-career victory in a relief effort Sunday.
• Lodise's Memorable Debut
• Freshman Alex Lodise had quite the UNF debut. The shortstop made a slick play in the field to end a scoring threat and responded with a solo home run to right center in the bottom of the inning, getting UNF on the board. 
• He was the first Osprey to homer in their UNF debut as true freshman since UNF great Tyler Marincov did in 2011.
• Season-Opening Dramatics
• Transfer Jakob Runnels delivered the pinch-hit walk-off RBI single down the left field line, scoring Cade Reich for the 3-2 win in the season opener Friday night. Runnels came through in his first-career at-bat at UNF, providing the Ospreys with their second walk-off win in the season opener in four seasons after winning via a balk-off in 2020 against VMI.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA

• Villanova is 0-3 after suffering a trio of big losses in Peoria, Ariz., last weekend. The Wildcats were outscored 29-7 by Washington State in two games, while being outscored 7-2 by UC Riverside in the another
• Nova's Friday night starter, Sal Fusco, joined the squad this season after four years at Umass-Lowell, playing in 49 games with 12 starts
• Saturday starter Devin Rivera is 2-6 with a 6.53 ERA over three season in Philly
• Villanova was selected seventh in the Big East preseason coaches poll after going 19-29-1 last year
• Villanova's roster features 17 returners and 16 newcomers
• Senior hurler Chic DeGaetano returns after a campaign that saw him go 4-0 over 51.1 innings

MORE UNF NOTES

At a Glance

• UNF's roster features 35 active players,with 18 newcomers. North Florida brings back four starters and 16 that have already earned letters.
• Brady Bogart joins in his first season on the staff, serving as an assistant and as the primary pitching coach.
• Kyle Brooks returns for his fifth season overall and 2nd in an assistant role.

Preseason Selection

• Junior infielder Aidan Sweatt was named to the ASUN Baseball Preseason All-Conference squad. Sweatt is UNF's first preseason-conference pick since future MLB Draft picks Brad Deppermann and Tanner Murphy were selected in 2019.
• Sweatt is the first UNF infielder to be tabbed to the preseason team since Alex Merritt was picked back in 2017. He is one of five infielders honored this season in the 14-team league.
• The junior is coming off a 2022 campaign that saw him earn Second Team All-ASUN honors. The middle infielder hit .329 with 70 hits, 32 runs, eight doubles, three home runs, 38 RBI and had eight stolen bags.
• As a freshman, Sweatt started all but one game, earning unanimous all-freshman honors after hitting .282 with 28 runs and 14 doubles. He is just one game shy of 100 games played for his career and two games started away from 100.

Veteran Lefties

• UNF returns two veteran lefties that are projected to earn significant innings as starters this season.
• Southpaw Peter Holden found a groove after being inserted into the weekend rotation last April. Holden finished the season with Second Team All-ASUN honors, working his way into the Friday night slot with solid outing after solid outing. He finished the season 4-3 with a 3.41 ERA, one complete game and 68.1 innings worked. He would also be named to the ASUN All-Academic Team.
• Local lefty Tony Roca returns with144 innings worked and 126 strikeouts in his fourth season in the Navy and Gray.

Home Grown
As has become the theme for UNF baseball, North Florida's active-35 man roster features 33 players from the Sunshine State. A number of them come from the 904 area or nearby counties. High schools such as Bishop Kenny, Clay, Bartram Trail, Creekside, Paxon, Fletcher, Ponte Vedra and more are featured on the UNF roster.

Sophomore 'Spreys
A number of freshmen during the 2022 season are now primed for their sophomore seasons after contributing significant time last year. Tyler Gerteisen and Drew Leinenbach saw ample time last year, while relievers Clayton Boroski and Scott Griesemer earned valuable experience during their freshman seasons.

Hold It Down Halstead
Righty reliever Stephen Halstead is back for his senior season. The Pensacola, Fla., native was named to the 2022 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He is one of the most effective bullpen arms in the league, turning in a 3.07 ERA, .245 opponents' batting average and 60 strikeouts across 40 appearances.

Schedule Notes

• 34 home games, 22 road games and 43 games in Florida
• UNF plays ASUN newcomers: Austin Peay (March 17-19) and Queens (April 28-30)
• Eight-game home stand to start the year, the longest since 1994 and tied for the longest in UNF history
• 19 games against in-state teams
• 26 non-conference games and 30 in ASUN play
• River City Rumble is set for May 18-20 at JU
• Four games against Power Five teams (Florida State, South Carolina, and Florida (two))
• Fourth-straight year playing at South Carolina
• UNF hosts FSU for the first time since 2010
• First time playing USC Upstate since 2018, the last year the Spartans played in the ASUN
• 12 games against first-time foes, made up of four three-game series (Murray State, Villanova, UCA and Queens)
• Five games marks the longest road stretch of the year (May 2-9)
• Nine-game homestand is the longest of the year (April 6-19)
• 30 ASUN games
• One doubleheader (March 4 vs. Fordham)