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PENSACOLA, Fla.- The UWF Baseball Team will host Gulf South Conference foe, Shorter, as they close their early-season home stand this Saturday and Sunday at Jim Spooner Field.  First pitch on Saturday is set for 5 p.m. with Sunday's double-header beginning at 1 p.m.

West Florida (3-0, 3-0 in the GSC) comes off a series sweep over West Alabama, scoring 22 runs while only allowing the Tigers to manage five of their own.  The Argos pitching staff finished with a 1.38 earned run average through three games, striking out 28 batters against seven walks over the weekend, and allowing a .191 opposing batting average.

Meanwhile, the batters were just as strong as the pitching staff for the Argonauts.  Overall, the team hit .302 with 29 hits, five doubles, two triples, two home runs and 17 runs batted in.  The team also drew 15 walks in the series.

Dominant Pitching Leads West Florida: Seven different hurlers saw action this weekend for the Argos, with four of those seven not allowing a run during their appearance.  R-Junior, Ryan Brewer, got the opening night start.  The Apopka, Florida native threw five innings, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned), with two walks and five strikeouts.  Josh Pahlad threw four scoreless innings in relief as he struck out six in a 8-2 victory, earning a save on the night.

Evan Floyd got the call in game one on Sunday, throwing five innings of his own and finishing the game with two runs allowed, and striking out six batters to earn the win.  Hunter Lucas went three innings before Brendon Case came in for the top of the ninth where he struck out two batters and earned a save.  Dowdy, a freshman from Plant City, Florida, had the best start of the weekend in game two of the double-header.  Dowdy threw seven scoreless innings, only allowing two hits, while striking out five to earn the win.  After giving up a hit in the top of the third, the 6'2 right-hander would retire the last 15 batters he faced before giving way to Alex Knight in the 8th inning, who also threw a scoreless frame of his own.

Big Hitting Argonauts: Doubles, triples and home runs were the name of the game for UWF this weekend.  Three different players connected on a double for the hosts as Hancock and Menhennett both had a pair of two-baggers. Copley had the other double.  Hancock, a native of Maben, Mississippi, and first baseman, Cullan O'Shea, had a triple while Menhennett and Bryant Harris Jr. each had home-runs in both ends of the double-header.

Argos In The NCBWA Rankings: West Florida checks in at 20th nationally, and third in the south region, in the initial NCBWA rankings.  The Argos finished last season tied for fourth at the end of the 2020 season.  Tampa and Barry are the other two south region teams in the top 25, with both the Spartans and Buccaneers, ranking first and second, respectively in the region.  GSC member, Alabama Huntsville, comes in at 24th nationally and fourth in the south region, with Delta State and Valdosta State, ranked fifth and sixth, being the only other Gulf South Conference teams in the top 10 of the South region.

Limited Home Attendance In January:  In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, University of West Florida Athletics will limit attendance for the 2021 home baseball and softball seasons to immediate family members of UWF Student-Athletes and Coaches.  Visiting teams will be permitted a pre-approved guest pass list.  Face coverings and at least six feet of social distancing will be required by spectators and staff at both the UWF Softball Complex and Jim Spooner Field.  All other COVID-19 visitor compliance guidelines must be followed.  Additionally, there will not be any concessions available for sale during the first two weekends of baseball and softball.

Scouting Shorter: The Hawks come into the game, fresh off a series win at GSC perennial power, Delta State.  The Hawks are led by reigning GSC player and pitcher of the week, Kaleeq Brannigan and Jonathan Pintaro.  Brannigan a senior from Kennesaw, Georgia, went 8-13 this weekend which included a 5-5 night, with one double, two home runs and three RBI's in the first game of a double-header.  Pintaro, meanwhile was named GSC pitcher of the week after throwing a nine-inning, complete game with nine strikeouts and holding the Statesmen to a .069 batting average in a 3-0 victory in the first game of the series.  Shorter is coached by former major league player, Wes Timmons, who is in his fifth season with the program.

Series History: The Argos are 16-3 all-time against the Hawks, with the teams last playing against each in March of 2019.  That series was played in Pensacola, Florida at Jim Spooner Field. Current Argonauts; Matt Estrada, Dylan Menhennett and Adam Imwalle, each had RBI's in the three-game set.

For the latest information on the UWF Baseball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball.