The 2017 baseball season started for real on Friday night at Melching Field as the Stetson Hatters blitzed visiting NJIT 13-2 in the ASUN opener for both teams.
 
Stetson improved to 11-17 overall with the win while dropping the Highlanders to 3-19 on the year.
 
The Hatters played as close to a perfect game as they have all year, piling up 13 runs behind 20 hits while making no errors on defense. Junior Brooks Wilson (2-2) enjoyed the support, but didn't need it all as he limited NJIT to one run on two hits over his eight innings of work with 13 strikeouts.
 
"Most of my stuff was good, but my breaking pitches started getting even better later in the game as I got more comfortable," Wilson said. "I struggled a little in the strike zone early, but as the guys kept scoring runs, I was able to relax some."
 
The Hatters scored in each of the first five innings against NJIT pitching. Highlanders starter Andres Fernandez (0-2) lasted just one inning, allowing six runs on five hits. Reliever Chris Gibbons fared little better, allowing five runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings of work.
 
"It is nice to get a win to start conference play and I thought our guys played really well," Hatters coach Steve Trimper said. "It seems that we are building on some of the things we have been working on. We want them to be aggressive and they were jumping on pitches that were up in the zone. We are able to capitalize on some of their mistakes and really broke it open early in the game."
 
One of the primary run-producers in the game for Stetson was sophomore Jack Gonzalez. In the first three innings he had a sacrifice fly, a two-run single and, in the third, a three-run triple, giving him six RBI in the game.
 
"I knew I had to get the job done in the first and get that run in," Gonzalez said. "When I came up in the second we were in the same situation with the bases loaded and no outs and he threw me a good pitch to hit and I put a good swing on it."
 
The third inning triple was blasted to left center and seemed to hang in the air forever before coming down against the fence.
 
"I took a glance that way and wasn't sure what was going on but when I saw it drop I picked up Coach Trimper at third and made it in. I have never had a night like that, but I'm glad I was able to do it tonight."
 
NJIT junior left-hander Justin Chin came on to pitch for the Highlanders in the fourth inning and limited Stetson to just two runs the rest of the way. One of those two runs was a solo homer by shortstop Jorge Arenas in the eighth inning, capping a four-hit night for the freshman.
 
Overall, the Hatters tied their season high with 20 hits to score a season-best 13 runs. Besides Arenas and Gonzalez, Stetson got two hits and three runs from Jacob Koos, three hits and two runs from Andrew MacNeil with two hits from Mike Spooner and three hits and two RBI from Austin Hale.
 
NJIT had just four hits in the game. The Highlanders scored their only run against Wilson thanks to a wild pitch on a strikeout, followed by a walk and a two-out single by Matthew Cocciadiferro. NJIT got two more hits in the ninth off freshman reliever Mitchell Senger. Michael Anastasia reached on a one-out double and then scored on a single to center by Tom Brady.
 
"The thing I told the guys is that we can't be happy with anything less than going 3-0 this weekend," Wilson said. "If we play like we need to, then we will be in good shape going into next weekend against Gulf Coast."
 
The Hatters will try to make it 2-0 on the weekend on Saturday when Jack Perkins (2-3, 2.86), the defending ASUN pitcher of the week, goes to the mound at 2 p.m. to square off against NJIT junior left-hander Brian Sondergard (0-2, 9.00).

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.