Baseball team begins conference season Wednesday
The Eastern Florida State College baseball team opens the Southern Conference this week against the defending conference champion and No. 19-ranked Miami Dade College.
The Titans enter the conference season 7-8 on the season and will travel to Miami Dade Wednesday for a 2 p.m. game before hosting the Sharks Friday night at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.
"We have to keep the ball in the strike zone, I think our pitching staff is really good, the only time we really get into trouble is when we put guys on base for free," Eastern Florida State College baseball coach Jason Arnold said. "If we continue to fill the strike zone like we have the majority of the 15 games so far, we are going to be in the game."
So far this season 12 of the 15 games have been decided by three runs or less and the team has won two of the other three games this season.
"We just have to find a way to keep it close and rely on the experience that the guys have gained by playing in so many close games," Arnold said.
Jackson Woodward will get the start in the opener Wednesday at Miami Dade. The freshman from Titusville has made two starts this season and struck out 25 in 18.2 innings without allowing an earned run.
On Friday night at Bruce Bochy Field, redshirt freshman Chase Victor will start Game 2 of the series which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Victor comes into the series 2-0 on the season with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 15 in 16 innings of work.
In the final game of the series, freshman Andrew Walters will take the ball. The Palm Bay native has started four times this season and has a 2.12 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 17 innings.
"They are the guys that have stepped up the most, they have earned it," Arnold said.
Miami Dade comes into the series 11-1 on the season and has won 10 straight games and is hitting .326 as a team which is tops in the state.
The series begins Wednesday at Miami Dade and then comes to Bruce Bochy Field Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. Admission to games at Bruce Bochy Field is free.