PENSACOLA, Fla. --- The University of West Florida baseball team looks to take on two opponents this week for a four-game homestand. The Argos will play a single non-conference game against Spring Hill before taking on Shorter in a three-game conference series.
 
The Argos are scheduled to take on Spring Hill on Wednesday, March 27 at 6:00 p.m. This will be the second of four contests scheduled for this season. The team will have a quick turnaround for weekend play against Shorter. The Argos will open with a single game on Friday, March 29 at 5:00 p.m. and a Saturday doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
 
Recap Against Delta State
UWF got their first conference series loss over Delta State. UWF split Saturday's twinbill but fell in the series finale in extra innings.
 
Sitting at a tie 1-1 series, the Argos forced extra innings in game three. UWF got on the board in the top half of the 10^th but Delta State answered with a tie-game run in the bottom half. Now in the 11^th frame, the Statesmen hit a two-run walk-off home run to take the series.
 
Darrien McDowell hit a solo home run in the series over the Statesmen to bring his career number to 24. He is one away from tying the career home run UWF record. The record is currently set by Cullan O'Shea (2020-22) at 25 homers.
 
Kade Manderscheid remains undefeated on the mound at 6-0. He captured his sixth win after uplifting the Argos to a 4-1 victory over the Statesmen.
 
About UWF
McDowell leads the UWF offense with a .406 average. He leads in hits (43), doubles (8), home runs (10) and RBI (38). Additionally, he leads the group with a .764 slugging percentage and a .511 on base percentage.
 
Trent Jeffcoat follows McDowell with a .313 average. He's racked 35 hits and leads UWF with a pair of triples. Jeffcoat is 12-for-12 in stolen bases – a team high.
 
Brett Rowell and Jadon Fryman sit together at a .310 average each. They've tallied a pair of home runs each.
 
Manderscheid leads the pitched squad with a 2.03 ERA. His 40 strikeouts is a team high. In 44.1 innings pitched over the course of eight appearances, Manderscheid has thrown a miraculously low number of four walks.
 
About Spring Hill Badgers
Spring Hill holds a 19-11 record and are 14-4 SIAC. They are number two in the SIAC standings.
 
The Badgers are coming off a three-game conference series sweep over Clark Atlanta.
 
The team is led offensively by redshirt senior, Ethan Valdez with a .388 average. In 30 consecutive starts, Valdez has a current team-high of 38 hits. He has the second most RBI on the team with 26.
 
Hunter Nick follows with a .346 average. He totals 27 hits and six doubles.
 
Michael Racobaldo leads the pitching squad with a 3.97 ERA. He totals 34 IP over eight starts. He's thrown 35 strikeouts and has allowed 15 earned runs on 38 hits.
 
About Shorter Hawks
The Hawks are eighth in the GSC standings with a 15-12, 7-11 GSC record.
 
The latest conference series was against Mississippi College (March 23-24). The Hawks took a 2-1 series win with two games ending in double digits scores for Shorter.
 
The Hawks are led offensively by Jacob Pajer. The senior out of Dunwoody, Georgia looks at a .358 average. Pajer's tallied 38 hits, 10 doubles, and three home runs at the plate. He records 35 RBI to lead the team. He is the only player to record over a .300 average on the team.
 
Seth Crowe lead the pitching squad with a 4.56 ERA over eight appearances and six starts. He's thrown two complete games. He is 6-0 on the mound in 49.1 innings pitched. He's thrown 28 strikeouts and has allowed 25 earned runs on 60 hits.
 
Pitcher Tanner Folds returns with the Hawks. Folds is the defensive GSC Freshman of the Year and All-GSC First Team member. In the 2023 season, he earned three first team all-region honors by the NCBWA, ABCA and the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association. For this sophomore season, Folds records a current 8.64 ERA and is 1-2 on the mound.
 
Argo vs. Badger History
The Argo and Badgers have met with each other once in the 2024 season. UWF took an 8-4 victory on the road.
 
The Argos have seen four losses to the Badgers since 2007.
 
The longest winning streak was eight games that ran from 2015 to 2017. Currently, UWF is on a six-game winning streak over the Badgers since 2022.
 
Argo vs. Hawk History
The Argos are 23-6 overall against the Hawks and 16-4 at home.
 
UWF are on a five-game winning streak (2022-present).
 
Last season, UWF swept the Hawks in a 9-2, 7-1 and 13-8 victory.