The Rollins baseball team (27-19-1, 7-10 SSC) has won three in a
row and will look to take its momentum into a three-game Sunshine
State Conference series against two-time defending NCAA Division II
national champion Tampa (34-7-1, 13-5).' The Tars defeated
Embry-Riddle 13-6 on Tuesday, and in order to keep their
post-season hopes alive they will need to keep it up against the
first place Spartans.' Rollins bumped Lynn from the top spot in the
conference a week ago, and the Tars will look to play the spoiler
once again.
ROLLINS BASEBALL ON THE AIR: The Citizens Bank
of Florida Tars Sports Network is scheduled to air live audio of
all 54 games of the 2008 Rollins baseball schedule live on www.RollinsSports.tv. Fans can
also follow the games online with live stats on the Tars' home on
the Web, www.RollinsSports.com.
IN THE RANKINGS: The Spartans are in the top
five of three separate Division II national polls (Collegiate
Baseball Newspaper, Ping! Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball
Writers Association), and they also topped the NCAA and NCBWA South
Region polls again this week.' Tampa also stands atop the SSC
standings, while Rollins is currently in seventh place.
LAST TIME OUT: Jesse More went 4-4 with four
runs scored and reached base all six times in the Rollins baseball
team's 13-6 win against NAIA opponent Embry-Riddle on Tuesday night
at Alfond Stadium.' Marty Cornish (3-2) pitched four perfect
innings out of the bullpen to earn the win, striking out five
batters along the way.
SCOUTING THE TARS: Third baseman Gene Howard
(.405 AVG, 4 HR, 47 R) is battling for an SSC batting title in his
senior season.' Right fielder Jesse More (.315 AVG, 25 R) has found
success after his move to the leadoff spot, moving Corey Whiting
(.356 AVG, 5 HR, 53 R) down to the six spot.' Shortstop Ryan Luker
(.367 AVG, 3 HR, 48 R), left fielder Mike Crane (.370 AVG, 5 HR, 45
RBI), and designated hitter Bryan Bennett (.391 AVG, 3 HR, 42 RBI)
have held down the 3-4-5 spots in the lineup.' Mario Lombardo (8-1,
2.35 ERA) leads the Tars rotation, with Marc Hewett (6-4, 5.15 ERA)
and Matt White (4-1, 5.27 ERA) taking the other two spots.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS: Joshua Bowman (4-0, 2.08
ERA) leads the top pitching staff in the SSC, with Kevin Ferguson
(5-2, 3.71 ERA) and Scott Chapman (7-4, 4.67 ERA) holding down the
other rotation spots.' Anthony Perez (1.23 ERA, 14 SV) is one of
the nation's top closers and leads Division II in saves, and he
forms an excellent one-two punch in the bullpen with Rick Hudson
(2.93 ERA).' Outfielder Paul Cruz (.379 AVG, 43 R) and shortstop
Jesus Barroso (.346 AVG, 42 R) form a dangerous top-of-the-lineup
combo for Tampa, with big hitters Jose Jimenez (.274 AVG, 5 HR, 31
RBI), Nolan Brannon (.377 AVG, 3 HR, 39 RBI), and Steven
Broschofsky (.325 AVG, 5 HR, 27 RBI) following.' Outfielders Ryan
Williams (.376 AVG, 14 SB) and Junior Mejia (.311 AVG, 34 R, 13 SB)
are also dangerous at the plate and on the bases.
LAST MEETING: Rollins battled Tampa to a 7-7
tie before rain cut the game short in the seventh inning at the UT
Baseball Field on February 26.' Gene Howard led the Rollins lineup,
hitting 3-4 with a homerun, two runs, and two RBI.' Danny Clark
allowed six runs in three and one third innings in the start, and
Robbie Pagano finished the game for the Tars, pitching the final
two and two thirds innings with one run allowed.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Tars will'start the final
week of the 2008 regular season with a mid-week game at
Embry-Riddle on April 29.' Rollins will then head to St. Petersburg
to face Eckerd in the final weekend of the season for a three-game
set with the Tritons on May 2-3.
TARS TIDBITS: After Saturday's doubleheader
sweep of Lynn, the Tars picked up win number 1,600 in the modern
era of Rollins baseball history ' entering this week Gene Howard
was leading the Sunshine State Conference in batting average at
.409; the last Rollins player to win the SSC batting title was
Jason Cloar in 2003 (.414) ' Howard also leads the SSC in hits
(76); his career high in hits was in 2006 when he tallied 86 '
Eugene Martinez is now 9-12 as a pinch hitter with two homeruns,
two doubles, and 12 RBI ' Robbie Pagano has appeared in 22 games
this year out of the bullpen, the most for a Rollins reliever since
Howard's 27 games in 2004 ' Jesse More has batted leadoff in the
last three games; More has started in the leadoff spot six times in
his three years with Rollins, and the Tars have won five of the six
games ' Mike Crane leads Rollins with 45 RBI and he has a shot to
be the first Tar to reach 50 RBI since Ryan Hanigan in 2001;
Hanigan is currently playing for the Louisville Bats, the
Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate in the International
League.
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