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PENSACOLA, Fla. - After traveling for their first road series of 2021, the UWF Baseball team will be back at home for a three-game set against Christian Brothers on Saturday and Sunday at Jim Spooner Field.  Saturday's double-header will begin with a first pitch at 1 p.m. while Sunday's single game will also start at 1 p.m.

West Florida (14-5, 13-5 in the GSC) comes into the match-up following a series win at Gulf South Conference foe, Auburn Montgomery.  After dropping the first contest, the Argos responded by winning both ends of the Saturday double-header by finals of 8-4 and 5-2.  With the victories, UWF has won seven of their last eight games while they have outscored their opponents, 62-19, in the process.

Cullan O'Shea, the Argo first baseman, had an enormous weekend in the series win over AUM.  Opening the scoring of each game of the double-header with a home run, O'Shea finished the series with three runs scored on two hits, while also walking five times over the series.  Matthew Estrada added three hits, including one home run, and two RBI's in the series, Adam Imwalle knocked five hits in the series, with Dylan Menhennett also totaling three hits in the three-game set.

Along with the offense, UWF once again received great performances on the mound from starter, Evan Floyd, and reliever, Sean Means.  Floyd started game two of the series and added to his impressive beginning of the 2021 season, throwing six innings while allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts.  Means, a native of Naples, Florida, had his best performance of the campaign in a crucial relief outing.  Coming out of the 'pen in the rubber match of the series, Means threw 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while fanning five batters to lower his season ERA to 2.77 and earn his second victory of 2021.

Power Surge: After hitting only five runs in their first 12 games of the season, UWF has clobbered 10 round-trippers in their last seven contests.  With three multi-homer games, the Argos now rank sixth in the GSC in home runs.  Paced by O'Shea's three, which includes the two in the series against AUM, West Florida has four different players who have two or more homers on the year with Imwalle, Menhennett and Jason Roberts being the other Argonauts to hit more than one.

Imwalle's Quick Impact: Making his season debut on March 5th against Mississippi College, Imwalle has become a force offensively.  Leading the team in batting average (.565), slugging percentage (.913) and on-base percentage (.565), the second baseman has also been perfect on the diamond with 16 putouts and nine assists.  A native of Sarasota, Florida,  Adam has tallied seven runs on 13 hits, with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI's in only 23 at-bats while starting six games this year.

Hit Kings: Through 19 games, UWF has the top offense in the GSC, holding a .309 team batting average.  Of the four players who have started all 19 games for the Argos, each has a batting average over .294 while all four have 20 or more hits on the season.  Besides Imwalle, three other Argos in Sam Clement, Jason Roberts and Joey Wozniak, have batting averages over .320 in 36 at-bats or fewer.  West Florida ranks second in the league in total hits (202), fifth in runs scored (128), sixth in doubles (33), tied for fourth in RBI's (112), second in total bases (286) and third in on-base percentage (.390).

A One, Two Punch: Trotting out starters, Ryan Brewer and Evan Floyd, in game's one and two of a series has paid off for UWF Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat.  Through six starts for each of the two hurlers, both Brewer and Floyd rank in the top 10 of the GSC in ERA and innings pitched.  Brewer, a native of Apopka, Florida, has excelled as the number one starter for UWF, boasting a 2.70 ERA in 36.2 innings, with 28 strikeouts and only nine walks, while holding opposing batters to a .245 batting average.  Holding a record of 4-1, Brewer has pitched at least at five innings in each of his starts.  He totaled a career-high 8.2 innings against Alabama Huntsville on February 27th, the most innings thrown in a single outing by an Argo pitcher in 2021.

Meanwhile, Floyd has been outstanding for UWF in six starts.  Carrying a league-best 1.32 ERA going into this weekend's series, the right-hander leads the Argonauts in strikeouts (37), opposing batting average (.164), and complete games (1).  He also ranks in the top 10 of the conference in several categories including opposing batting average, innings pitched, strikeouts, strikeouts looking, wins, hits allowed and runs allowed.  In his last home start, Floyd recorded the best outing of the season by an Argo, throwing seven innings in a  complete-game shutout, allowing only three hits while fanning 10 batters and walking none, earning him the GSC pitcher of the week.

Pitching & Defense Is The Name Of The Game: Coming into the game with the lowest ERA by a team as well as the best fielding percentage by a squad in the GSC, UWF has focused on the details in 2021.  Ranking first in the league with a 3.30 team ERA, UWF also ranks first in runs allowed (68), earned runs allowed (59), and is second in walks allowed (53).  The Argonauts also rank third in the GSC in doubles and home runs allowed (22 and 9).  West Florida has received consistency out of the bullpen as well from Means and closer, Brendon Case.  Means, a redshirt Freshman, has held opponents to a .211 batting average while boasting a 2.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings of work.  Case, a redshirt sophomore, holds a 3.18 ERA while tallying a GSC and NCAA Division II-high four saves.

Along with the pitching, UWF also has a .971 fielding percentage as a team as eight Argos have a fielding percentage of .983 or better.

Argos In The Rankings: With their 14-5 record, the national pundits and national polls have noticed the Argonauts.  Checking in at the number 13 spot in both the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Rankings, UWF is in their highest position nationally since the end of the regular season in 2019.  Additionally, West Florida is third in the South Region Rankings behind 2019 National Champion, Tampa, and GSC foe, Lee.  Tampa is the second ranked team nationally according to the NCBWA, and the top team according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, while Lee is seventh in both polls.

Angelo State is the number one team in the NCBWA national rankings.

Attendance Update: University of West Florida athletics is now putting the 25 percent reduced capacity limit for both Jim Spooner Field and the UWF Softball Complex at 800 people. Visiting teams are required to provide a guest pass list. Gates will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch and concessions will be available both days. Tickets are $10 for reserved seating, $7 for general admission, $5 for student/military/senior and free for UWF students and children ages 6 and under. Tailgating in the parking lot is not allowed and trailers or RV's should park in the lower lot. As a reminder, pets are not allowed.

Face coverings and at least six feet of social distancing will be required by spectators and staff at Jim Spooner Field.  All other COVID-19 visitor compliance guidelines must be followed. 

Bark At The Park: Come bring your furry friends as UWF is also hosting Bark at the Park this weekend. Treats and activities will be available for dogs in attendance, and dogs must be kept on a leash at all times during the event.

Scouting Christian Brothers:  CBU (2-13), is led by coach Lee Parks who is in his fifth season with the program.  2021 has been tough for the Buccaneers as they hold a .204 team batting average (lowest in the GSC) as well as a 6.38 team ERA (11th in the conference).  After being swept in their first three series of the season, Christian Brothers has rebounded to win a contest in each of their last two series, with both coming in the first game of the series.  Reid Voss and J.D Goodspeed have been two bright spots on offense, with both holding an average over .305, with Voss coming into this weekend with a .353 batting average. Goodspeed leads all Buccaneers with 18 hits in 15 games, with five of those hits being doubles.

Three different CBU players are tied for the team lead in runs scored with six.  Jonathan Baldelli paces the pitching staff for CBU as the junior leads the starting staff in ERA (3.94), wins (2), innings pitched (32.1) and opposing batting average (.265).

Series History:   All-time, the Argos are 22-1 against the Buccaneers, with UWF winning the last 21 decisions of the series.  Additionally, West Florida is 15-0 against CBU at Jim Spooner Field, which includes a sweep the last time the two teams met in February of 2019.  Estrada, Imwalle and Menhennett contributed six RBI's in the series, with the trio also tallying 10 hits 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.