DELAND, Fla. – The Stetson Hatters kicked off their 2025 ASUN Championship title defense in dominant fashion Tuesday night, rolling past the Central Arkansas Bears with a 10-2 victory at home. 

ASUN Pitcher of the Year Jonathan Gonzalez bounced back from a shaky first inning to lead the Hatters (38-19) on the mound. Gonzalez struck out eight over five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks to notch his ninth win of the season. Senior reliever Ty Van Dyke was lights-out in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed. Along with Jake Gorelick and Zane Coppersmith, the pitching staff was especially effective in high-leverage moments, holding the Bears to just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

After falling behind 2-0 early, Stetson's offense erupted in the third inning with a six-run outburst. Sophomore Nelphie Lopez capped off the rally with an RBI double, after the Hatters piled on with RBI singles from Landon Moran and Jordan Taylor. Taylor, an All-Conference selection, finished the night 2-for-4 with a home run, walk, and three RBIs. Isaiah Barkett, another All-Conference honoree, also provided a spark for Stetson, going 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, while Lopez added a 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs.

Stetson added to its lead in the seventh when Taylor crushed a solo home run off Central Arkansas reliever Perry Titlow, extending the lead to 7-2. The Hatters capped the scoring in the eighth inning as Danny Perez and Barkett led off with singles and eventually came around to score, pushing the margin to 10-2.

With the win, Stetson advances to the next round of the ASUN Championship and will return to the diamond Thursday, awaiting the winner between FGCU and Lipscomb