Featured Image: Justin Nedrow

As the regular season came to a close on Sunday, all focus shifted to the upcoming ASUN Conference Baseball Championship. The Ospreys will first face the Stetson Hatters, an opponent they have seen success against this season. Can UNF continue this trend with a trip to the next round on the line?

In a season of ups and downs alike, the Ospreys stayed strong and secured the no. 2 seed in the ASUN South Division. Teams from their respective divisions will face off this weekend, with the final four remaining teams traveling to Jacksonville to face off against each other in a double-elimination tournament at UNF’s Harmon Stadium.

Over the course of seven meetings against the Hatters this season, the Ospreys have won five of them. Don’t let this record fool you, though. These have been tightly-contested games. In those five wins, UNF won by an average of less than three runs per game. 

Stetson enters the series with a 26-21 record, going 10-8 in ASUN play. Despite a loss against UNF this past Sunday, the Hatters still have a win against no. 9 Florida not too far in the rear-view. Put simply, this team is capable of great things, and the Ospreys will likely have their hands full this weekend. 

The added motivation of hosting the next round should help spur UNF in their championship endeavors. The opportunity to win a championship on your home turf is very enticing, but they will need to stave off an uber-talented Stetson squad to have a shot. 

The best-of-three series kicks off on Friday at 6 p.m. and continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. If game three is needed, it will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets will be needed for entry and can be purchased through UNF. Capacity is limited to 500 fans, though, so don’t wait too long to get your tickets! All games will also be streamed on ESPN+ for those who can’t make it to Harmon Stadium. Follow along with Spinnaker for the latest on UNF baseball.

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