March 24, 2015
 
Full Release and Game Notes in PDF Format
Live Stats
 
PENSACOLA, Fla.  –  The University of West Florida baseball team heads to Memphis, Tennessee this weekend to play Christian Brothers for a three-game conference series. Friday will feature a doubleheader between the Argos and Bucs beginning at noon and the series will wrap on Saturday with a single game starting at 1:00 p.m.
 
VS. CANCER FOUNDATION: Last Friday, the UWF baseball team showed its support of their fundraiser with the Vs. Cancer Foundation, as all players and coaches shaved their heads to raise awareness about pediatric cancer... So far, the team has raised $2,262, which will benefit national pediatric cancer research and kids currently undergoing treatment at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
 
HOT HAM: As of late, Kyle Hamner has emerged as one of the top bats for the UWF lineup, as the senior backstop currently rides a 14-game hitting streak... Over that streak, Hamner has hit .449 (22-for-49)... Hamner hit his first career home run against West Georgia in game one of last Saturday's doubleheader, which was part of a 8-for-18 week, where Hamner tallied three RBI and recorded 11 total bases... Hamner remains the player with the highest amount of at bats in NCAA Division I, II, or III without recording a strikeout, as Hamner has not struck out in any of his 84 at bats this season... No player in NCAA Division II has gone an entire season without striking out since 1994.
 
GSC SUCCESS: For five consecutive weekends to open the season, UWF has taken two-of-three from their league opposition... Two opponents, Valdosta State and Alabama Huntsville, were ranked No. 18 and No. 9 nationally, respectively, at the time... In conference play, UWF owns a league-best 3.39 GSC ERA... UWF is hitting .306 as a team in GSC action, led by Kyle Hamner who is hitting .408 and slugging .510... Jean Figueroa and Jimmy Redovian are hitting .381 and .364, respectively, in conference play... Jarrod Petree has a 0.73 ERA in GSC games as the redshirt junior has allowed just one earned run in 12.1 innings pitched over five appearances… The Argonauts currently sit in a tie for second in the conference with a 10-5 record and trail first-place West Alabama by two games.
 
LOB CITY: As a team, the West Florida bullpen has stranded 23 of 35 (67%) inherited runners, highlighted by Jarrod Petree who has stranded all 10 of his inherited runners this season... 67% is slightly better than the 2015 team's mark, as UWF stranded 61% of runners a season ago.
 
TOP ARMS: As a team, UWF owns a 2.84 ERA, which is the best in the conference by more than
half a run... The Argonauts pitching staff is highlighted by the bullpen, which features five players who own ERAs under 2.00... Josh McLaney, Jarrod Petree and freshmen Gray Dorsey, Garrett Peek, and Cole Crowder have thrown 56.2 innings combined, and collectively have posted a 1.11 ERA... The UWF bullpen as a whole owns a 2.21 ERA... Starters Walker O'Connor and JT Granat rank within NCAA Division II's top 50 with four victories each, while closer Steve McClellan, the GSC's save leader, is in the nation's top 10 with five saves on the season.
 
NATIONAL STAT LEADERS: UWF's 2.84 team ERA is good for 13th best in NCAA Division II... The Argonauts total of 24 sacrifice bunts is the 14th highest in the nation... UWF's five shutouts on the year is the second most in the country... UWF has the sixth best strikeout-to-walk ratio in DII, sitting at 3.75 on the year... UWF's 1.24 team WHIP is the 16th best in the country... West Florida's 2.30 walks allowed per nine innings is the fifth lowest total in DII.
 
SOUTH REGION STAT LEADERS: West Florida's 2.84 team ERA is the best in the South Region, and more than half a run better than 2015 defending national champions Tampa... UWF's 24 sac bunts is the fourth most in the region... UWF's five shutouts is the highest in the South Region... UWF's 3.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the best in the region... West Florida's 1.24 team WHIP is the third best in the South Region... The Argonauts have allowed just 2.30 walks per nine innings, which is the best average in the South Region... Steve McClellan's five saves is the most in the region.
 
SCOUTING CHRISTIAN BROTHERS: Last weekend, the Bucs recorded its first conference win of the season, beating Mississippi College 6-4 in game two of their three game series last weekend... Christian Brothers currently sits in last place in the GSC with a 1-14 conference record and a 7-19 overall record... As a team, CBU is hitting .237 while posting a 6.81 team ERA... Lucas Castleberry leads the team with a .351 batting average... Michael Halley leads the team with 15 RBI.
 
SERIES HISTORY: West Florida is 10-1 all-time against the Bucs and currently rides a nine-game winning streak when playing Christian Brothers... UWF has not lost to Christian Brothers since March 24, 2012 when the 2012 Argos fell in a 6-1 contest.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Last year's series featured a sweep of the Bucs, as UWF outscored CBU 16-3 for a three-game series in Pensacola... In UWF's 7-0 game three win, Alex Greene went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI... Chase Kiefer went 2-for-5 with an RBI... Kyle Hamner also recorded an RBI... Walker O'Connor threw a seven-inning complete game shutout against the Bucs in game two, while striking out seven.
 
Projected Starting Pitcher Matchups
Friday G1
UWF: Walker O'Connor – 3.05 ERA, 4-2, 38.1 IP, 45 H, 13 ER, 7 BB, 25 K, .285 B/AVG
CBU: Jack Parker -- 5.63 ERA, 1-5, 38.1 IP, 40 H, 24 ER, 27 BB, 42 K, .276 B/AVG
 
Friday G2
UWF: Brandon Nagem– 4.08 ERA, 3-1, 35.1 IP, 35 H, 16 ER, 10 BB, 41 K, .245 B/AVG
CBU: Peyton Sanderlin -- 6.08 ERA, 2-5, 40 IP, 46 H, 27 ER, 22 BB, 25 K, .309 B/AVG
 
Saturday
UWF: JT Granat – 3.51 ERA, 4-2, 33.1 IP, 32 H, 13 ER, 10 BB, 27 K, .260 B/AVG
VSU: Patrick Gurley -- 7.48 ERA, 1-3, 27.2 IP, 38 H, 23 ER, 9 BB, 15 K, .339 B/AVG
 
To stay updated on the UWF baseball team, follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit GoArgos.com.