The math is simple for the Stetson Hatters baseball team – win this weekend's series at North Florida and host an ASUN Divisional Play-In Series at Melching Field.
 
Lose the series this weekend to the Ospreys, and return to Jacksonville for that Divisional Play-In series at Harmon Stadium in two weeks.
 
The Hatters and Ospreys will open their all-important series tonight at 6 p.m. at Harmon Stadium. All three games during the series will be video streamed through the UNF Athletics web site.
 
Stetson has struggled of late, dropping three straight games and four of the last five. The Hatters (23-18, 9-6) also lost two of three games against UNF (15-19, 9-6) three weeks ago. For Stetson, the series against UNF could also have bigger implications. If the Hatters sweep the Ospreys, and FGCU were to lose at least one game to Jacksonville, then Stetson would be the No. 1 seed in the South Division for the ASUN Divisional Play-In series.
 
But, the main focus for the weekend, as it has been every weekend this year, is winning the series. For Stetson, many questions will need to be answered for that to happen.
 
The primary question for the weekend is who will be on the mound. The Hatters will send freshman right-hander Jovan Gill (4-3, 3.94) to start on Friday. It will be just his second start in ASUN play following last Sunday's six innings of work against Jacksonville in a 5-2 loss.
 
Gill pitched in relief against UNF back on April 16, allowing a run on two hits over 1.2 innings of work.
 
The Ospreys will counter with redshirt junior right-hander Max McKinley (4-4, 5.16). McKinley allowed seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits in his 6.1 innings against Stetson on April 17.
 
After Gill, Stetson is undecided on starting pitchers for the rest of the weekend. Likewise, UNF has not announced starters for particular games, but plan to have sophomore left-hander Tony Roca (2-2, 3.95) and graduate left-hander Austin Bogart (3-2, 3.52) on the mound for the other two games.
 
Offensively, the Hatters continue to be led by graduates Hernen Sardinas and Andrew MacNeil. The duo both rank among the top hitters in the ASUN and are both coming off two-home run games against Florida on Tuesday night.
 
MacNeil continues to be the consummate table-setter, having reached base in 12 of 19 plate appearances during the past week. He led off each of the four games during the week by reaching base, something he has done at a 44.6 percent clip this year. He has now reached base to lead off a game 19 times this season.
 
During MacNeil's current seven-game hit-streak, which is the second longest of his season and career (he had an eight-game streak during the first two weeks of the season), he is hitting .467 (14-30) with four doubles, a triple and two homers. He has a .529 on-base percentage and is slugging .867 during the current streak.
 
MacNeil currently ranks first in the NCAA in runs scored this year with 53 and is 26th in times HBP (13), He ranks 5th in the ASUN in on-base percentage. He played in his 200th career game for Stetson on Tuesday in Gainesville and he enters play this weekend just two behind the school career record for times hit by pitch with 46.
 
Like MacNeil, Sardinas is swinging a hot bat of late. He had an 11-game hit-streak snapped last Sunday when had just one at bat (he walked twice and was hit by a pitch), but is hitting .403 over his last 13 games with a .465 on-base percentage and a .807 slugging percentage. He had five doubles and six home runs over that stretch, has scored nine runs and has driven in 18.
 
Sardinas enters play this weekend second in the ASUN in batting average (.364), fifth in on-base percentage (.449) and first in slugging (.642). He is tied for second in hits (55), second in doubles (16) and is third in home runs (8). He is also tied for first in RBI (43). He the active career doubles leader in Division I with 68, he is third in the NCAA in career total bases (411), 10th in career hits (246) and 16th in career RBI (147).
 
Saturday's game against UNF is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start while Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
 
The Hatters will be back at Melching Field on Tuesday night to host 10^th-ranked Florida. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start. Capacity limitations will remain in effect for the game against the Gators, with only 475 fans allowed in for the game.
 
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.