No. 1 Tampa Set to Welcome SSC Rival, No. 16 Florida Southern
TAMPA, Fla. - Riding a 22-game winning streak, the No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team is set to welcome its longtime rival, No. 16 Florida Southern College, for a three-game Sunshine State Conference series beginning Friday at the UT Baseball Field.
Tampa, now 29-1 on the season and a perfect 9-0 in the SSC, has already swept league series over Barry, Rollins and Saint Leo. Just three wins shy of reaching the program's longest winning streak, the Spartans have also won 19 straight games at home.
As a team, the Spartans are hitting .338 as a team, with junior Stephen Dezzi leading the way with a .414 average and 28 RBI. Nick Tindall is second on the team with a .363 clip, while leading the squad with six home runs. In total, UT has eight starters hitting over .300.
On the mound, Tampa is led by ace Trey Oest, who leads the nation in wins with a perfect 7-0 record. The sophomore transfer from Virginia owns a 2.47 ERA with one complete game shutout. In 51.0 innings, Oest has 44 strikeouts as opposing hitters are batting just .215 against the righty. UT's staff also features David Heintz, who is 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA. Preston Packrall leads the team with a 1.53 ERA while Kevin McNorton has a team-leading six saves and 3.15 ERA.
Head coach Joe Urso is also closing in on another milestone as he needs just four wins to reach 600 for his career. Already the winningest coach in program history, Urso now owns a career record of 596-177-1.
Florida Southern sports an overall record of 21-9, and 4-2 SSC record. The Moccasins are coming off an 18-5 non-conference win over Saint Leo on Tuesday, and previously took two of three in a series at NCAA South Region opponent Palm Beach Atlantic. In SSC play, FSC has notched a sweep of Barry and dropped two of three to then-No. 13 Lynn.
At the plate, the Mocs are led by the duo of Scottie Withrow and Chris Dennis, who are hitting .375 and .372 respectively. Trey Vavra leads the team with five home runs and 33 RBI.
The Mocs bring an excellent pitching staff, which boasts a 3.11 team ERA. Clay Chapman serves as the ace, bringing a 3-2 record with 2.81 ERA. In 51.1 innings, Chapman has registered 55 punchouts. Ben Richardson (5-2, 3.64 ERA) serves as the number two starter as a total of 11 Moccasin pitcher own a sub-4.00 ERA.
Due to its recent success in the all-time series, Tampa now holds a slim 77-75 edge in the all-time series. The Spartans took two of three in Lakeland last season, and has now won five straight series over the Mocs. During that span, UT owns an 11-4 record against Florida Southern.
Tickets will be available at the gate for $5. UT faculty, staff and students will be admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.
A live video webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.tv for each game of the series. Additionally, UT will offer live stats through www.Tampa.StatBroadcast.com. Fans may also follow mobile live stats through www.TampaStats.com.
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