Midweek Preview: Starting the Second Half of ‘23 at USF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNF baseball plays the final game of a four-game road stint and the first of 10-straight games inside the Sunshine State when the Ospreys head to Tampa to take on USF Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m. It's the first of two meetings between the in-state non-conference foes as North Florida hosts South Florida Tuesday, April 18.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Tuesday, April 4
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Opponent: USF
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com

Starting Pitchers
Tuesday
UNF | RHP Avery Love
USF | RHP Lawson Gailey

All-Time Series: UNF leads, 13-10

North Florida has won five-straight games against USF
UNF 3-2 over its last five games at USF
Last year North Florida swept its two games with the Bulls
Aidan Sweatt hit a walk-off solo home run just over the outstretched arm of Jackson Mayo, giving UNF a 2-1 win March 2
April 5 UNF exploded for a 13-10 win, with Sweatt homering again as he went back-to-back with Brock Edge

Last Time Out
RICHMOND, Ky. - Trailing 6-3 late in the game, UNF (15-13, 4-5 ASUN) scored two in the eighth to get within one, but EKU (12-16, 3-6 ASUN) was able to retire the final four Ospreys that stepped to the plate as North Florida was edged in the rubber game at Eastern Kentucky, 6-5, Sunday, April 2.

Last Time vs. USF
TAMPA, Fla. - Just over a month ago, North Florida baseball defeated USF in Jacksonville, 2-1, in a pitcher's duel. Tuesday in Tampa the Ospreys defeated the Bulls once again, this time by the way of 13 runs on a season-high 20 hits in a 13-10 victory against South Florida (18-11) April 5.

Green Light Means Go

Austin Brinling is first in the league with 15 stolen bags, converting every attempt
Aidan Sweatt isn't far behind, swiping 11 bases in 13 attempts
North Florida paces the league with 50 stolen bases, good for 35th nationally
UNF is already only 22 stolen bases from setting the UNF DI-era single season team record set with 71 in 2013

Notables

UNF has 48 homers this year, already nine more than all of last season
UNF ranks second in the league in home runs, RBI, total bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and first in stolen bases
Alex Lodise scored five runs in a win against Fairfield two weekends ago, the most runs by a UNF freshman in a single game in at least the DI era
Lodise set the UNF single seasons freshman
Lodise had five hits Saturday, tying the UNF DI era program record
The Ospreys hit three grand slams last weekend, two coming from Jakob Runnels and the other from Austin Brinling
UNF has hit four grand slams in the last five games
UNF won every non-conference regular season weekend series for the first time in the DI era.
UNF starts the second half of the regular season this week
Cade Reich had reached safely in 23-straight games
Austin Brinling leads the league in stolen bases with 15, converting every attempt

Scouting USF

USF is coming off a weekend series win at UCF in the War on I-4
The Bulls took the first two games in pitcher's duel action, although UCF salvaged one in a Sunday slugfest
South Florida is two seasons removed from its Austin Super Regional appearance in 2021
Billy Mohl is in his sixth seasons at the helm
Drew Brutcher was one of 51 DI players named to the 2023 Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List
USF was tabbed seventh of nine teams in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
The USF defense has a knack of turning two, spinning 26 which is good for fifth in the nation
Daniel Cantu and John Montes have six homers apiece, good for the team lead
USF doesn't run much, stealing just 10 bags while teams have taken 32 against the Bulls
USF has permitted 38 homers, while hitting 25 as an offense

MORE UNF NOTES

Walk-Off Dubs Hit Different

UNF has won via walk-off five times this year, with three coming last week
March 25 Alex Lodise hit the first grand slam of his career with a towering big fly on a hanging breaking ball, sending UNF to a 16-6 mercy rule win
One day later, Aidan Sweatt and Austin Brinling combined for three ninth inning RBI to give North Florida an 8-7 walk-off to clinch the series
Former UCF Knight, Jakob Runnels, mashed a walk-off three-run home run with two outs in the ninth, giving North Florida a 4-2 win against UCF March 21
In the first game of the year, Runnels hit a walk-off pinch hit RBI single in a 3-2 10-inning win against Murray State
Drew Leinenbach put down a walk-off squeeze bunt in a 6-5 10-inning win against Fordham March 4

17 Ks

UNF pitchers combined to fan 17 batters and leave 16 UCF runners stranded in the 4-2 win Tuesday, March 21
North Florida's 17-strikeout performance tied the program single game record.
It's the third time in UNF history North Florida has reached that mark, with the most recent coming in a game at No. 7 Florida State in March of 2019

Walk, Then Run

UNF averaged eight walks per game during the weekend series against Austin Peay
North Florida walked at least seven times per contest, including nine times Sunday
The Ospreys took advantage of those opportunities on the bases by stealing 13 bags, including five apiece against Austin Peay March 17 and 19

Hot Start for Halstead

Righty Stephen Halstead ranks tied for third in the nation for saves with six as of Sunday, April 2
Halstead has turned in a 2.16 ERA per 12 appearances, fanning nearly one batter per inning

Run Up the Roundtrippers

UNF hit 18 home runs through the first eight games, setting a North Florida record for at least the DI-era.
North Florida has posted 12 multi-home run games, including three five-home run games, good for tied for the UNF DI-era record. The Ospreys have had 13 different players homer at least once this season.

Weekend Winning

UNF has won five of seven weekend series of the season, taking two of three from Murray State, Villanova, Fairfield and Stetson while sweeping a four-game set with Fordham.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Austin Brinling

Brock Edge

Stephen Halstead

Drew Leinenbach

Alex Lodise

Avery Love

Cade Reich

Jakob Runnels

Aidan Sweatt

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