Tampa Prepared To Host Florida Tech

TAMPA, Fla. – The seventh-ranked University of Tampa baseball team is back from a four-game road trip and are set to host the Florida Tech Panthers at the UT Baseball Field. The Spartans will enter the series with a 22-6 record and are 7-2 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Panthers are 19-11 and 4-5 in SSC play.

UT will look to get back on track after dropping three of the four games on the road. In a midweek game at Valdosta State, Tampa fell 7-6 after the Blazers scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Against Embry-Riddle, Tampa won game one 14-10 before dropping the final two games to the Eagles in walk-off fashion.

Offensively, the Spartans are led by Kevin Santa, who leads the team with a .441 batting average and ranks second on the team with 27 RBI. Casey Scoggins is second on the team with a .407 batting average and is tied for the team lead with 46 hits. Scoggins leads the nation with nine triples on the season. Laz Rivera is tied with Scoggins with 46 hits and ranks 7th in Division II with 15 doubles.

Florida Tech is coming off an SSC series against the 17th ranked Lynn Fighting Knights. The Panthers offense exploded in the first two games, winning 13-1 and 20-5. Lynn took the final game 4-2.

Daniel Szpik leads FIT with a .408 batting average and 49 hits. He also has recorded 10 doubles, three triples, and five home runs. Drew Beyer leads the pitching staff out of the bullpen as he has made 10 appearances, including one start. In 32.2 innings pitched, he has totaled a 2.20 ERA, allowing 24 hits and striking out 42 batters. Ty Cohen leads the team with five wins on the season in nine games started.

UT leads the all-time series between the two programs 94-28. The two teams met last year five times with the Spartans taking all five games. The two met in the NCAA South Region Tournament Championship game a year ago, with Tampa winning the game 5-4 in 10 innings, after Scoggins gunned down the tying run at home plate.

The game on Friday is set to being at 6:00 pm and the doubleheader on Saturday is slated for a 1:00 pm start time.

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