Spartans take on Cross-Road Rival this Weekend
WEEK 8
Tampa took two of three games over Embry-Riddle this past weekend in Daytona Beach. The Spartans also beat West Georgia in a midweek matchup last night. Tampa will now shift their focus to this upcoming weekend as their I-4 rival, Florida Southern, comes to town for a weekend series. The Spartans will also play a Monday night game against NAIA St. Thomas.
Florida Southern vs. #1 Tampa
Friday, March 22nd, 6:00 P.M.
(DH) Saturday, March 23rd, 1:00 P.M. & 4:00 P.M.
St. Thomas (Fla.) vs. #1 Tampa
Monday, March 25th, 5:30 P.M.
SSC Teams with National Rankings: #1 Tampa and #7 St. Leo
Tampa
- The Spartans improved their record to 23-2 after taking two of three this past weekend over Embry-Riddle, beating West Georgia and staying at the top of the NCBWA poll. The Spartans outscored their opponents 39-17 in those four games. Pitchers Alex Canney and Skylar Gonzalez continue to prove why they are the best one-two punch in the nation. Canney tossed a gem on Friday, pitching 7 innings, giving up 1 run and striking out 6 Eagles. Gonzalez followed in the rubber match against Embry-Riddle, pitching 6 innings, giving up 1 run, and striking out 4. The dynamic duo are set for a historic season, combining for an overall record of 13-0, 73 total innings, and only giving up a combined 12 earned runs while striking out 66 batters. The two continue to look to thrive in the big spotlight as they keep #1 Tampa at the top of the national rankings after being ranked first in the NCBWA poll for the fifth straight week. Canney and Gonzalez will start on the mound this weekend as the Spartans take on cross-road rival Florida Southern.
Florida Southern
- The Mocs have had a rough start to the season. Their current record is 9-13 and 3-3 in SSC action. They lost 5 straight games before winning last night over Florida Tech. The Mocs are currently 1-4 against Top 25 opponents. Florida Southern looks to turn things around as their next two series are against #1 Tampa and #7 St. Leo.
St. Thomas (Fla.)
- The Bobcats are the second NAIA school the Spartans will play this season after beating Southeastern earlier in the season. The Bobcats have a 12-15 record and 3-1 in the Sun conference. Despite their below .500 record, they have won 5 of their last 6 games and took 3 of 4 over #15 Ave Maria. The Bobcats take on Florida National tonight before taking on two SSC teams, Rollins on Sunday and #1 Tampa on Monday.
Live stats for all games this week can be found at Tampastats.com.
Live broadcasts for all games this week can be found at TampaSpartans.tv.