GAME DAY INFORMATION
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DATE: April 16, 2024
TIME: Tuesday: 6:30 PM
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LOCATION: Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Daytona Beach, Fla. |
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GAME DAY LINK
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LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
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THE LEAD
The Stetson University baseball team will take a break from home play and hit the road for an extended trip that will keep them away from DeLand until May 3. The Hatters won't have to travel far for the beginning of the trip as they take on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats for a cross county rivalry on Tuesday, April 16. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla. All the action will be streamed to CatEye Network on YouTube and live stats will be available at bcuathletics.com.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Stetson holds the lead in the Battle of Volusia as they enter the midweek match-up with a record of 78-26 over the Wildcats. While Stetson has dominated at home in the series with a 51-10 record, they hold an advantage of 27-16 on the road. Bethune-Cookman has won three of the last four meetings while Stetson last won in Daytona Beach in a 5-0 shutout on March 4, 2020. They last met on March 21, 2023 when the Wildcats won 13-5 in Daytona Beach. The series dates back to April 25, 1981 when the Hatters took a commanding 19-3 win in their inaugural meeting. Over their 104 previous meetings, the Hatters have scored a total of 906 runs, 8.71 per game.
SCOUTING THE HATTERS (24-12, 10-4 ASUN)
Stetson is 24-14 on the season, including a 10-4 record in ASUN conference play. The Hatters enter play Tuesday having dropped two of three to FGCU last weekend. On April 10, the Hatters defeated #16 UCF in the midweek, 5-3, their second win over a ranked opponent this season. Their win over FGCU on Saturday was a 12-2 run-rule victory, their fifth win by way of run rule this season and their eighth game surpassing 10 or more runs. In the win over #16 UCF, the Hatters erased a 3-0 deficit before putting up a four spot in the sixth inning.
Leading the Hatters over the past week has been Daniel Labrador, who went 5-for-10 with a home run and two doubles. Isaiah Barkett and Gio Cueto each started all four games and racked up four RBIs, the latter of the two leading the team on the season.
Aric McAtee picked up the win on Saturday, his first as a Hatter. The right-hander went six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits, allowing one walk and striking out three. Dylan Jacobs earned his first win of the season over UCF, going five innings, giving up one run on four hits, allowing two walks and striking out five.
Freshman Kyle Jones has now reached base in 23 straight games after going four for 14 with four walks last week. He is currently leading the team with a .352 batting average and .488 OB%. Jones has tallied 45 hits in 128 at-bats this season, 11 of which have been extra base hits.
Cueto reclaimed sole possession as the team-leader in RBIs with 30 on the year. The junior catcher is batting .291 with 13 extra base hits out of 34 total hits. He drove in three runs on a bases-clearing double in the win on Saturday.
Yohann Dessureault and Lorenzo Meola are tied with 27 RBIs as they have been inseperable in the middle infield. The former has started every game at second base and is batting .303 on the year with a team-leading eight home runs. Meola has only missed one game but has started every game played at shortstop, batting 2.94 with a team second-most 40 hits.
RHP John Modugno will get the starting nod for Tuesday's game as he is still seeking his first win as a Hatter.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS (21-8, 8-7 BIG12)
Bethune-Cookman tallied 14 runs on 13 hits Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats claimed the final game of a Southwestern Athletic Conference series at Alabama State with a 14-11 decision inside Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. They trailed 11-9 after seven, allowing five runs in the bottom of the seventh before responded with four runs of their own in the top of the eighth.
Leading the Wildcats on offense this season has been graduate outfielder Jose Gonzalez. He is batting .360 across 33 games with 45 hits and 29 runs batted in, both team highs. He went 2-for-4 with five RBIs in their last game, hitting a home run and a double.
Outfielders Sergio Rivera and Garrett Chun have played key roles in the offense as well. The former is batting .300 with a team-high 10 doubles and 17 stolen bases while reaching home 30 times. Chun has racked up 35 hits and drawn 26 walks to plate 26 runners this season, second most on the team.
Junior RHP Tanner Boccabello has led the team on the mound with a 4-1 record. He holds a 2.40 ERA while striking out 41 batters across 56.1 innings.
NEXT UP
Stetson will stay on the road as they head to Florence, Alabama for a three-game slate with the North Alabama Lions on Friday April 19 to Sunday April 21.
