Florida Tech Baseball Opens Season This Weekend
By Space Coast Daily // January 31, 2014
Panthers host North Alabama in 3 game set
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — The 2014 baseball campaign will begin for the Florida Tech Panthers this weekend as they host the Lions of North Alabama.
The three game series kicks off Saturday with a double header, and will conclude with a third game Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers return to the field after going 32-19 in 2013. The squad advanced to the NCAA South Regional before being eliminated by eventual National Champion Tampa. The Panthers and Lions meet for the first time in program history to open the 2014 season.
Head coach Greg Berkemeier begins his seventh season as helm of the Panthers program. Berkemeier has amassed a 194-120-1 overall record in six previous seasons. The Panthers were selected by Sunshine State Conference head coaches to finish second in conference play.
Sophomore Austin Allen returns for the Panthers after a historic freshman season. Allen was named to three different All-Region Teams from American Baseball Coaches Association\Rawlings, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Daktronics. Allen also was named SSC Freshman of the Year, and was First Team All-SSC.
The NCBWA also named Allen to their Preseason All-South Region Second Team for the upcoming season. Junior pitcher Scotty Ward also returns for the Panthers after being named All-SSC Second Team last season.
SERIES STARTS SATURDAY
The Lions out of the Gulf South Conference recorded a 28-21-1 overall record in 2013. North Alabama welcomes back 15 players from last year’s squad including six regular starters. The Lions also bring back four players that earned post-season honors including Josh Carpenter, Dylan Boston, Jake Ward, and Cade Medley.
Mike Kheen starts his sixth season as head coach of the Lions, and has a career record of 165-97-1. The Lions were selected to finish fifth this season in the Gulf South Conference by GSC head coaches.
Game one gets underway Saturday at 12 p.m. at Seminick-Hall field with game two scheduled for 3 p.m. The series will finish up with a 12 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
After this weekend’s opening series, the Panthers will face SSC foe Florida Southern in a non-conference game on Tuesday Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. in the confines of Seminick-Hall Field.
Live stats and audio will be available at FloridaTechSports.com/live
