PENSACOLA, Fla. – No. 16/25 UWF baseball travels to Valdosta State for a three-game GSC weekend series Saturday and Sunday.
 
The Argos (15-8, 8-1 GSC) and Blazers (13-10, 4-4 GSC) open the series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT. The teams conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT.
 
"They've got a very good ballclub. They've got team speed, great arms on the mound. It's going to be a tough road test for us," said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "Haven't had a lot of success over there, but we've got to figure it out. I like the confidence of this team. Looking forward to the challenge."
 
UWF went 7-2 on its nine-game homestand Mar. 1-13. The solid stretch at Jim Spooner Field featured four wins over top 20 teams (No. 20 Mississippi College and No. 4 North Georgia). UWF returns to Pensacola Mar. 20 to take on Wisconsin-Whitewater at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
 
ARGOS EARN SERIES SPLIT VS. NO. 4 UNG
 
* Daniel Floyd earned his fourth win and Tony Kucera picked up his first save as No. 16 UWF baseball downed No. 4 North Georgia 7-3 to earn a series split at Jim Spooner Field Wednesday.
* Floyd (4-0) was brilliant over five innings. He allowed a tally in the first but stranded a pair of baserunners to cap the damage. He then posted four straight scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one. He earned his fourth victory in his first start of the season.
* Tony Kucera entered the game with two aboard in relief of Josh Pahlad in the ninth. He earned the save by getting a strikeout and inducing a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. The save was the first of his two-year Argo career. The win snapped a six-game losing streak vs. UNG for the UWF program.
 
UWF RANKED IN NATIONAL TOP 25 IN TWO POLLS
 
* UWF baseball rose one spot in the latest iteration of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Top 25 this week. The Argos are now No. 16 nationally.
* UWF is also ranked in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25. UWF baseball entered the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Div. II Top 25 Tuesday. The Argos checked in tied for 25th with Angelo State.
* The team also remained No. 3 in the latest South Region poll released by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
 
UWF REMAINS AT THE TOP OF THE GULF SOUTH

* The Argos are still the top team in the GSC with a current record of 8-1. Delta State stands in second at 9-2 followed by Ala. Huntsville (5-3) in third and Lee (4-3) in fourth.
* UWF leads the GSC in runs scored with 158. West Florida is second in the conference in team batting average (.305). The team is second in ERA (3.26) and second in fielding percentage (.972). UWF is the only team in the conference to be in the top three in batting average, ERA, and fielding percentage currently.
* Matt Sullivan and Robert Lopez tied for second in the conference in doubles with eight. Mike Farnell is tied for third with seven.
* Trevor Payne is tied for sixth with 21 RBIs. Sullivan and Matthew Jones are second in the conference in runs scored (24).
* Tony Kucera ranks fourth in the conference with a 1.71 ERA. Andrew Vaccacio is fifth with a 1.99 ERA. Kucera is second in the conference with four saves. Josh Pahlad has moved into second in the GSC with three saves.
 
SCOUTING VALDOSTA STATE
 
* VSU is 13-10 this season and 4-4 in the GSC. The team is 6-3 at home, 4-6 away and 3-1 on neutral fields.
* The Blazers have lost three of their last four games. Most recently, the team dropped an 8-1 decision at Albany State Mar. 13.
* Cooper Cain provided an early season highlight for the team by earning the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Pitcher of the Week Award Feb. 28. Cain is 2-2 this year with a 4.11 ERA.
* Valdosta State is led offensively by Logan Stephens, who is hitting .407. DJ King is hitting .371 with 12 RBIs.
* The Blazers lead the conference in stolen bases (41) and stolen base attempts (54). The team is third with a collective ERA of 3.38.
* The Argos are 24-21 vs. Valdosta State since 2006. UWF is 10-14 in Valdosta vs. the Blazers in that span.
 
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