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PENSACOLA, Fla. - Winners of eight in a row, the 11th ranked UWF Baseball Team will look to test their mettle as they travel to Union University for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday. First pitch in Friday's double-header will begin at 1 p.m. with a single-game on Saturday at 1 p.m. as well.
West Florida (20-5, 19-5 in the Gulf South Conference) is coming off a three-game sweep at Valdosta State. The Argos scored 33 runs in the series, the most they've recorded in a three-game series in 2021, which was boosted by a season-high 15 runs in game three to secure the sweep. In their eight-game win streak, West Florida has registered 64 runs which has added to their season run differential of +85, the best in the GSC.
Dylan Menhennett led the way offensively in Valdosta as the senior tallied two home runs (both in game one), two doubles and a triple in the series.
Jason Roberts batted in five runs over the three games, with
Adam Imwalle continuing to rake as the second baseman totaled six hits and four RBI's in two games.
Justin Dunnam, a grad student, had his best weekend of the season, adding five runs on eight hits with a home run and a triple.
On the mound, West Florida received solid pitching performances from starters
Evan Floyd and
Tyler Dowdy, while relievers
Sean Means and
Josh Pahlad threw heat out of the 'pen. Means recorded six strikeouts in three innings of relief in game two, while Pahlad book ended the series with two strikeouts each in game one and game three.
The Mississippi Man: Menhennett, a senior from Biloxi, Mississippi, has been on a tear recently which has skyrocketed him up to among the GSC leaders in nearly every offensive category. He ranks eighth in batting average (.388), sixth in slugging percentage (.653), second in runs scored (27), fourth in hits (38), tied for fourth in home runs (6), and fourth in at-bats (98). Additionally, the centerfielder is first among all regulars on UWF in batting average, runs scored, batting average, hits, home runs and total bases. Dylan also has two multi-homer games in his last four games, as he hit two against Christian Brothers on March 20th and two against Valdosta State on March 26th.
Freshmen Making An Impact: Through 25 games this season, West Florida has relied on three freshmen to provide a boost to both the lineup and the pitching staff. On the mound, the Argos have received key performances from starter,
Tyler Dowdy, who has excelled in the number two and three role in 2021. Dowdy, a native of Plant City, Florida, has accumulated a 3.16 earned run average which is the lowest among freshman in the GSC. Dowdy has thrown 37 innings in seven starts, while holding a 2-1 record with 10 walks and 23 strikeouts. Tyler was named the GSC freshman of the week twice already this season.
Roberts, the primary designated hitter, has been a key cog in the Argonauts line-up since being inserted as a starter on March 5th. Jason ranks fourth on the team in batting average (.368), seventh in hits (21), third in doubles (5), third in homers (3), third in RBI's (19), fifth in total bases (35) and third in slugging percentage (.614). Roberts also is ninth in the conference in slugging, which is tops among freshmen. Along with those two,
Kyle D'Amour has also played 11 games this season, primarily at second base and shortstop. He recorded his first career extra-base hit in the sweep of Valdosta State, as he drove in three runs in the double-header while tallying two hits and scoring two runs.
Best Offense In The GSC: The Argos have flexed their offensive muscle recently, pushing them to the top of the GSC in multiple categories. Following last weekend's sweep, UWF ranks first in the conference in batting average (.318), runs scored (181), hits (276), RBI's (162), total bases (401) and on-base percentage (.396). In addition, West Florida is fourth in doubles (44), second in triples (6), fifth in home runs (23), second in slugging (.462) and fifth in walks (94).
Grown Man Strength: Over the weekend, two redshirt juniors in
Cullan O'Shea and
Miller Hancock along with seniors,
Adam Imwalle and
Justin Dunnam, did damage at the plate. O'Shea, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, tallied four hits which included two doubles and two RBI's. Hancock, a redshirt junior from Maben, Mississippi, was also on fire at the plate as the shortstop had seven hits, three RBI's and scored four runs in the series. Meanwhile, Imwalle and Dunnam, both redshirt seniors, launched home runs in game one of the series as UWF hit a total of five in the match-up. Imwalle, a native of Sarasota, Florida, is batting a team-high .526 on the season while slugging .842 and having an on-base of .548. He also has three home runs since being inserted into the starting line-up on March 5th.
Dunnam, a native of Saraland, Alabama, has found a rhythm at the plate as of late, as he has seen his batting average rise to .346 which is fifth-best on the squad. Also, Dunnam carries a statistical line of 27 hits, five doubles, 19 RBI's and a team-high two triples. O'Shea paces UWF with 24 RBI's and is second in total bases (52) and home runs (4), while Hancock is batting .329 with 28 hits, third most on the team. The shortstop also has five doubles and two triples.
Throwing Gas Out Of The Bullpen: UWF's relievers have been great in 2021 at limiting runs and getting strikeouts in key moments. In the series sweep over VSU, West Florida reliever's accounted for 17 strikeouts over the three games. Led by Means and Pahlad who combined for 10 strikeouts while only allowing two runs in 4.2 innings, the bullpen allowed for the Argonauts to maintain a healthy lead over the Blazers. On the year, Means paces all relievers with 24 strikeouts in 19 innings while he holds a team-low 1.86 ERA with Pahlad just behind him as the junior has 23 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. Roberts also pitched a crucial five innings in game three of the series, as the freshman tallied a career-high five strikeouts in the outing.
Attendance Update: Tickets for this weekend's series at Union must be purchased ahead of time or at the gate using a smart phone. Fans that do not sit in the stands must be 20 feet behind the fence and dugouts down the line. Additionally, masks are required if you are going inside a building, but they are not required outside. For more information, please visit
https://uuathletics.com/sports/2020/11/18/online-ticketing.aspx.
Argos In The Rankings: This week, UWF rose to number 11 in the latest edition of the Collegiate Baseball Poll while they stayed at number 13 in the NCBWA National Poll. Additionally, the Argos were tabbed in the number three spot in the latest South Region Rankings, behind Tampa and GSC Foe, Lee, who tied for the top spot. Both teams were featured in the top five of the NCBWA national poll with the two teams coming in at three and four, respectively. Lindenwood took the top spot with Colorado Mesa and Central Missouri rounding out the top five. Tampa placed first in the collegiate baseball poll.
Shorter University was the only other GSC team of note as the Hawks received votes in the NCBWA national poll. SU and Rollins closed out the top five in the region.
Scouting Union: Union (9-15, 7-14 in the GSC) is led by coach Jim Pitt who is in his second season with the program. The Bulldogs come into the weekend match-up in ninth place in the conference, with their offense being 11th in the conference in batting average (.260) and their pitching staff holding a 7.40 ERA, which is 12th in the GSC. Brett Netterville leads the UU offense as he holds a .330 batting average and a .905 OPS. Josh Bozoian is the big bat in the line-up with three home runs and five doubles, while the senior outfielder is also hitting .287.
Walker Adkisson is the top arm among the starters as the Savannah, Tennessee native holds a 3.49 ERA with 15 walks and 22 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched. Luke Williamson paces the starting pitchers with 31 strikeouts in his seven starts.
Series History: Since 2013, the Argonauts are 17-4 against Union which includes an 8-4 record in Jackson, Tennessee. UWF took two of three the last time the teams played, as they scored 11 runs in the final two games of the series in 2019.
For the latest on the UWF Baseball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball.
