DETROIT -- After just playing 11 games in 10 days down in Florida, the Wayne State University baseball team (9-10 overall) will head back to The Sunshine State for a four-game weekend series. The Warriors will be at No. 20 Florida Southern (19-5 overall) on Friday through Sunday with Saturday's action being a doubleheader.
Coming in at 19-5 overall, Florida Southern is a member of the vaunted 11-team Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Already 7-2 in league play, the Mocs are 14-1 at home and have won three of their last four games. At the forefront of it all is first-year head coach and 24-year veteran Rick O'Dette. Prior to FSC, O'Dette spent seven seasons at fellow SSC member Saint Leo University and before that, 17 campaigns at the now closed Saint Joseph's College (Ind.). In those 24+ years at the helm, he's amassed an overall record of 696-530-4 (.568 winning percentage).
O'Dette is four victories away from 700 while WSU head coach
Ryan Kelley is seven shy of 500 (493-314-1, .611 winning percentage).
This season, starting on offense, Florida Southern is hitting .320 as a team with four regulars above the .300 mark. That quartet includes Grant Thoroman (.447, 42-for-94), Rohsean Riley (.417, 35-for-84), Mikey Scott (.382, 39-for-102), and Noah Rabin (.338, 26-for-77). Extra-base hit wise, at the top is Thoroman for doubles (12), Riley for triples (4), and both Scott and Ahmad Fitts for home runs (5). Thoroman has driven in a team-high 33 RBI to go with 65 total bases while the Mocs have wreaked havoc on the base paths to the tune of 104 stolen bases in 124 attempts. Three players have at least 20 stolen bases including Jevin Relaford (27-of-28), Thoroman (24-of-27) and Scott (21-of-27).
On the mound, FSC comes in with a team ERA of 4.04 through 211.2 innings pitched. Sachem Ramos has been the most consistent starter with a 2.98 ERA and 4-1 record in seven appearances, all starts. Ramos has gone the distance once with 47 strikeouts, 15 walks and a .235 batting average against. Out of the bullpen, BJ Rivera has also played in seven contests while carrying a 2.84 ERA in 19 frames. Rivera has punched out 12 batters with six free passes and .243 opponent batting average.
Switching gears to Wayne State, the Warriors are 9-10 overall and went 5-6 in Florida, but took three of their last four in a pair of doubleheaders against Minnesota Duluth. At the plate, WSU (.302 average) also has four everyday players surpassing the .300 mark so far. Those four are
Bennett Hitzelberger (.389, 28-for-72),
Mason McGuire (.367, 18-for-49),
Reagan Paulina (.333, 18-for-54), and
Owen Tuccinardi (.319, 15-for-47). Hitzelberger and Paulina are each responsible for six doubles, Tuccinardi has a pair of triples, and
Logan Van Sicklen has slugged four bombs. Hitzelberger has racked up 18 RBI and 36 total bases. McGuire has more stolen bases than any other Warrior with six in seven attempts.
The Wayne State pitching staff has struggled a bit with a 6.83 ERA, but with a couple of bright spots in
Gabe Nazelli and
Macio Miller. Becoming a full-time pitcher for the first time, Nazelli has a 3-0 record, 3.60 ERA, 15 innings pitched, 16 strikeouts, nine walks, and .200 batting average against. Miller has notched a 2-1 mark, 4.05 ERA, 20 frames of work, 20 punchouts, 10 free passes, and .316 opponent clip.
