Tampa to Play Florida Southern in Top Five SSC Opener

TAMPA, Fla. – The number-one University of Tampa baseball team faces off against number-five Florida Southern to begin Sunshine State Conference play for the two elite programs.

The Matchup: No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans vs. No. 5 Florida Southern College Moccasins

Dates/Times: Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. (Doubleheader)

Location: University of Tampa Baseball Field | 601 North Blvd. | Tampa, Fla.

About the Spartans: The No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans are 6-3 (0-0 SSC) in 2020 and have won five of the last six games. The bats have come alive for Tampa to begin the season as the team averages 9.3 runs per game. The Spartans scored 32 runs in the last three game series at Carson-Newman (Feb. 14-16) and 39 runs in the three game series home versus Post University (Feb. 7-9). In nine games played UT has homered 11 times with a team-high three by catcher Josh Rulli and outfielder Jose Cadenas. Despite a 4.73 combined team ERA, the Spartans pitching has been ruthless in punchout numbers as the team averages 11.4 strikeouts per game and has a 4.5 K/BB ratio. Starting left-handed pitcher Brandon Knarr leads the Spartans in strikeouts with 24 in 16.2 innings pitched. Knarr has a 2-1 record in three starts this season. Tampa first baseman Dan Sullivan was named the Sunshine State Conference Baseball Player of the Week for the week of 2/10-2/16 as he recorded seven hits and eight runs batted in versus Carson-Newman.

About the Mocs: The No. 5 Florida Southern Mocs have a 8-2 (0-0 SSC) overall record including a season-opening sweep over twenty second-ranked West Florida. The Mocs are tied for first in the nation in homers with 21. Outfielder Zach Diewert leads the team with four and six others have hit at least two home runs. Through 10 games played the Mocs have a .306 batting average and an impressive .396 on-base percentage. Pitching has been sound for Southern as they have a combined team ERA of 3.61 allowing 3.5 runs per game. Staring right-handed pitcher J.J. Niekro has been phenomenal. Niekro is 3-0 in three starts allowing only three runs (two earned). He has pitched at least six innings in each start. Southern's pitchers average 7 K/9. One thing to note, runners have struggled against the Mocs as they have only allowed two stolen bases thus far this season.

Series History: In 205 career games dating back to 1961, the Mocs lead the Spartans narrowly 104-101 in the all-time series. Tampa leads Florida Southern at home 48-43 and has won the last two games. Tampa won the series 2-1 with two of the three games played decided by just one run. The two teams are 5-5 in the last ten meetings and Tampa leads 11-9 in the last twenty matchups. Arguably the top two programs in NCAA Division II, the teams have a combined 17 national championships, including nine for the Mocs and eight for the Spartans.

Tickets: Tickets for are $5 for adults, senior citizens, and coaches. Children under 12 will be admitted free. UT students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

Promotions: This will serve as alumni weekend for Tampa baseball, with events planned for former Spartan team members Friday. Saturday marks the annual Greek Week Games for UT Greek Life. Fraternities and Sororities will earn points towards Greek Week festivities for attendance at the games and participation in mini-game events between innings. 

Game Coverage: Fans may watch live at TampaSpartans.tv (on-demand available June 7). Live stats are also available through TampaStats.com.

Follow UT Athletics: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.TampaSpartans.com.

Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.