Weekend Preview: Baseball Turns Attention to Weekend at UNA

Friday, May 5

Florence, Ala.

7 p.m. (EST)

University of North Florida

North Alabama

5/4/2023 11:43:00 AM | Baseball

Live Stats (Friday)Live Stats (Saturday)Live Stats (Sunday)ESPN+ (Friday)ESPN+ (Saturday)ESPN+ (Sunday)UNF Game Notes

Ospreys Play Lions For First Time Since 2019

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For the first time since 2019, North Florida and North Alabama meet as the Ospreys head to Florence, Ala., for an important series beginning Friday, May 5 and extending through Sunday, May 7.

All game times listed below and on the UNF website are listed in the eastern time zone.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Friday, May 5 | Saturday, May 6 | Sunday, May 7
Time: 7 p.m. (EST) | 4 p.m. (EST) | 2 p.m. (EST)
Location: Florence, Ala.
Opponent: North Alabama
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com

All-Time Series vs. UNA: Series tied, 1-1

UNF and UNA are meeting for the third time
The two teams have only played part of one series against each other despite North Alabama being in its fifth year as a league member
One of the games of the previous series in Alabama back in 2019 was canceled due to unplayable conditions
North Florida's Wes Weeks made for a historical day by belting three home runs in a 10-4 win April 18, 2019 at UNA

Last Time Out
ORLANDO, Fla. - Freshman Alex Lodise hit a three-run home run in the top of the first, but UCF (25-19) answered with its own offense as the Ospreys (22-23) were bested in a road-trip opening slugfest, 16-10, Tuesday, May 2.

Last Time vs. UNA
FLORENCE, Ala. - Tied 3-3 in the seventh, UNA (11-27) spurned one run in the seventh followed by a four spot in the eighth to take the game, 8-4, stunting UNF's winning streak at a season-best six games.

Marking Off More Milestones

Aidan Sweatt surpassed 100-career runs last weekend, reaching that total in just 143 games
The infielder is up to 176 hits and is hitting over .300 for the second-straight season
In 144 games played, Sweatt has made 143 starts

Lodise Knocks off Another Record

Alex Lodise moved past UNF Hall of Famer Donnie Dewees for the program single season freshman record in RBI last weekend
The freshman shortstop has 58 RBI on the year after going for eight last weekend
Lodise ranks tied for fifth in the nation among freshmen in home runs
He's also fourth in the nation in RBI among freshman
He set the UNF single season freshman runs scored record at UCF, scoring three to reach 48

Awesome in the ASUN

UNF has four players hitting above .300 during league play, paced by Cade Reich and Austin Brinling
Reich leads North Florida in hitting during conference play, hitting .394 with 11 runs, 28 hits, five runs, two doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI and seven steals
Brinling isn't far behind in the batting average column, hitting .385, although his table-setting numbers are through the roof. The outfielder has scored 24 runs, laced five doubles, driven in 14, walked 16 times and stolen seven bags.

Scouting UNA

North Alabama is 9-33 this season and in last place in the league standings with a 3-18 mark
The Lions went 12-41 last year and are coached by first-year head coach Jad Prachniak
Familiar name Kyle Machado is leading the Lions in almost every offensive category. The Punta Gorda, Fla., native is a transfer from FGCU and is hitting a team-high .311. He also paces UNF in runs (30), home runs (8), RBI (29), total bases (76) walks (23) and on-base percentage (.444)
UNA is hitting .249 as a team while its pitchers have permitted a .297 opponent's batting average
North Alabama has homered 34 times, although teams have belted 67 roundtrippers off UNA pitching
UNA's lone conference wins have come from a sweep of Bellarmine in Louisville April 14-16

MORE UNF NOTES

Halstead Hauls in More Honors

After being tabbed to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List at the start of the season, Halstead earned a spot on the midseason squad thanks to his effort of six saves and a 2.50 ERA thus far.
The righty is one of 18 hurlers from the preseason list to make the midseason squad, with the finalists being announced in early June.

Dominant Madonna

UNF baseball took a game in the road series at Liberty, the last series between the two teams as league foes
North Florida won game two, 8-3, behind a nine-inning complete game effort from righty Dominick Madonna
Madonna spun 128 pitches, 30 more than his previous career high, setting an innings pitched career high as well
It was the first complete game by a UNF righty since 2019. The last UNF righty to throw a nine-inning complete game was Nick Marchese in April of 2019.
Madonna has gone at least seven innings over each of his last three starts
The righty is 3-0 over five appearances during April, fanning 21 in 33.1 innings

Brooks Wallace Watch List

Alex Lodise was tabbed to the Brooks Wallace Watch List last week
The freshman phenom was also named ASUN Player of the Week April 3, the first UNF freshman to earn that distinction since Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist Donnie Dewees in 2013
Lodise joined former UNF assistant coach, Andrew Hannon, as Brooks Wallace Watch List selections

Touch 'em All

North Florida surpassed the 60 home run milestone
It's the first time the Ospreys have reached that marker in a season since 2015
UNF has 25 more home runs this season than all of last year
North Florida is 8 homers shy of setting the UNF DI-era single season record

Freshman Records

Alex Lodise has already set the UNF single season freshman home run record, belting 15, six better than the previous record
The shortstop is well on his way to more freshman records. He's first in runs (48), tied for fourth in doubles (11), tied for fourth in triples (2), first in RBI (58), tied for third in hits (60) tied for second in stolen bases (6).
Alex Lodise scored five runs in a win against Fairfield this season, the most runs by a UNF freshman in a single game in at least the DI era
Lodise set the UNF single season freshman home run record
With his two homer day Friday against Queens, Lodise set the UNF record for single season RBI among freshman
Lodise had five hits Saturday April 1, tying the UNF DI era program record

Green Light Means Go

Austin Brinling, Aidan Sweatt and Cade Reich are a combined 41-for-46 in stolen bases this season
As a team, UNF is 10 stolen bases shy of setting the UNF DI-era single season record

Walk-Off Dubs Hit Different

UNF has won via walk-off six times this season
The latest was one of the wildest as North Florida walked off on Florida State, 15-14, via a wild pitch in the bottom of the tenth
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