Baseball season is fully underway for the Osprey community, with UNF already 14 games into the 2023 campaign.

As the new season continues to progress, Harmon Stadium has seen a variety of new faces competing for the program, with UNF currently having nine freshmen on the roster.

One of these is infielder Alex Lodise, who has been a home run machine. He’s been able to hit from anywhere, already knocking six home runs in his first season of college baseball.

With a number like that, it seems like Lodise has fit right in with the pace of the college game. When asked about what the biggest adjustment has been between the high school and collegiate game, he pointed to the stress of scheduling and the frequency of games.

“So far, the biggest difference has been playing the three game series and playing weekends, and just having to go three days in a row,” Lodise said. “[It’s a lot of] back to back, nine innings, and just having to be focused and keep your body in shape to play those games.”

Lodise has stayed focused indeed, with the true freshman hitting a .750 slugging percentage as of Tuesday’s game vs UCF.

Excellence at bat has been a skill that Lodise has honed for many years, boasting 24 home runs as a senior at Bartram Trail High School while also touting a PG grade — of nine.

As a highly touted recruit and a St. John’s native coming out of Bartram Trail, Lodise credited the support of his family and the closeness to home as what made UNF stand out.

“I think one of the main things for me was it being close to home,” Lodise said. “It being so close to home is just so much more convenient for me and my family, and they can come to all the games, and they can enjoy the experience with me.”

Lodise’s hometown hero aspirations have played out well for both himself and the team as a whole, with the Ospreys boasting a .571 win percentage as of Tuesday’s game.

When asked about how new players such as himself have impacted the team’s success, Lodise believes that having these young players on the roster has changed the culture of the team as a whole.

“I think it’s changed the entire complexion of the team,” said Lodise. “Half of our players are new guys and a lot of our pitching staff is new transfers, and I think it just brings a different culture and a different type of energy to our team.”

Lodise and the new and improved Osprey lineup will hope to continue their success in the coming weeks, with a three-game series against Fairfield being played this weekend and a huge game against the University of Florida on Tuesday.

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