#13 SCF Baseball Prepares for Polk State

Bradenton, Fla - After a strong start to Suncoast Conference play, the #13 SCF baseball team (18-7, 3-0 Suncoast) will go to the next three-game series of Suncoast Conference play as they face Polk State (15-11, 1-2 Suncoast). The Manatees will open game one at Robert C. Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, March 6 at 2 pm. Game two will take place at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven Monday night, March 8 at 6 pm before returning to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 10 at 6 pm.

Game one was originally scheduled to start at 1 pm, but was pushed back due to the upcoming downfall of possible heavy rain.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off sweeping South Florida State College to open Suncoast Conference play winning by scores of 10-9, 7-2 and 10-0 (8).

Fresh Batch of Wins in the Oven:

Sophomore Daniel Batcher has been in a strong vibe his last four starts. Currently he is 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts. In the final game against South Florida State, Batcher threw seven and a third scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.

Tuck it to Bed:

Sophomore Tucker Mitchell has been hitting a hot bat as of late. Mitchell is batting .387 with a home run and 18 RBI. Against South Florida State, he was 4-for-10 with a home run and six RBI. In fact, his lone home run so far was his first collegiate home run of his career and was the game winner to win game one of conferences play.

Jack Attack:

Like his classmate, sophomore Jack Anderson has also been hitting hot lately. Anderson is currently batting .337 with two home runs and 18 RBI. He was 4-for-13 with three RBI against South Florida State.

Wild Thing:

While he has yet to get his first start of his career, sophomore David Barrett has played a key role in relief. Barrett had one of his best outings in the opening conference game against South Florida State as he threw four and a third scoreless innings of relief with a career-high seven strikeouts. Currently he is 3-1 with a 3.98 ERA and 28 strikeouts.

Another wild card that has shown promise is freshman Jake Jackson. Jackson was 4-for-9 against South Florida State with one RBI. Currently he is batting .387 with a home run and 12 RBI.

1-2 Punch Returns:

Sophomore Owen Ayers and freshman Harrison Long recently returned to the top of the lineup after battling with injuries. Ayers is batting .345 with four home runs and 20 RBI, while Long is batting .319 with four home runs and 22 RBI. Ayers was 4-for-15 against South Florida State with two RBI, while Long was 3-for-12.

Back on the Mound:

Sophomore Cole Ayers is set to make his return to the mound for game one of the series against Polk State after battling a grueling arm injury. Ayers has not pitched since February 6. He is currently 1-0 with a 6.92 ERA and 17 strikeouts.

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are coming off of opening Suncoast Conference going 1-2 against #20 Florida Southwestern State. They would lose the first two games before upsetting FSW in game three winning by a score of 6-5.

Freshman Jack Duffy leads the Eagles offense batting .256 with three home runs, 18 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Classmate Dimerson Nuñez is batting .372 with 45 hits, eight RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Freshman Thomas Ireland is currently leading the pitchers with a 3-1 record, 2.54 ERA and 40 strikeouts.

Series History:

SCF is currently 32-23 against the Eagles. Last season, the Manatees swept Polk State as the final series before COVID-19 shut down the rest of the season.

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-college-of-florida-baseball-21-6006c9046d2f825a1c98e005

SCF Sports Network Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/