Baseball Opens Florida Trip with Three Games vs. #1 Nova Southeastern and Post University
Links: Live Stats | Video (Nova Southeastern links)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team begins its eight-game swing through the Sunshine State with three games on Monday and Tuesday beginning with a 6 p.m. first pitch with top-ranked Nova Southeastern – the defending national champions – at 6 p.m. from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tomorrow, the Warriors return to divisional play when Merrimack will plays Post University for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
The Basics
Date/Time (Nova Southeastern): 3/13 | 6 p.m.
Date/Time (Post): 3/14 | 11 a.m. / 2 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (3-4 | #1 Nova Southeastern (15-6) | Post (2-7-1)
Location (Nova Southeastern): NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Location (Post): Santaluces Athletic Complex | Lantana, Fla.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack split a two-game series last weekend at Molloy, winning the first game by a 12-5 final before a 8-2 loss in the second contest
- Senior right-hander Perry Kulaga (Lincroft, N.J.) tossed a seven-inning effort and allowed just one unearned run while striking out eight Lions
- Every Warrior posted at least one hit in the game and all but one member of the starting lineup recording a RBI. Redshirt-junior outfielder Tyler Lyne (Agawam, Mass.) notched a bases-clearing triple as part of a seven-run ninth inning
- Junior and clean-up hitter Matt Nicholson (Rockland, Mass.) recorded a pair of home runs on the weekend, both of which went to straightaway centerfield
Series History vs. Nova/Post:
- Monday will be the first time Merrimack and Nova Southeastern have matched up since the 2008 season and just the second time overall. Nova won that game, 8-5
- Tuesday marks the first meetings between Merrimack and Post University, a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
The Sharks:
- Nova Southeastern won its first national championship last season in Cary, N.C. and did not lose a game in the Division II NCAA Baseball Championship. Nova claimed the title with an 8-6 win over Millersville
- The tilt against Merrimack comes after a three-game series with No. 3 USC Aiken. The Sharks then play No. 11 Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday followed by three games with seventh-ranked Tampa
- Jeremy Vasquez leads the unit with a .507 batting average, nine home runs and 31 RBI on the year
The Eagles:
- Post owns a 2-7-1 record through 10 games, including a 6-6 tie against Southern Connecticut. The Eagles play the Owls again on Monday before facing the Warriors on Tuesday
- Post already has two triumphs over Northeast-10 Conference opponents, knocking off Le Moyne and Stonehill
- Alex Wright is hitting .433 for Post, the lone Eagle with an average over .300. He has 13 hits in 30 at-bats, five of which have gone for extra bases
Up Next
Merrimack concludes its Florida swing with five games against regional opponents beginning on Thursday with a doubleheader against Adelphi. First pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m.
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