FIT Ready For A Battle Against Florida Southern
By Florida Tech Athletic Communications // February 24, 2015
first contest against a Sunshine State Conference opponent
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Unscathed through its first dozen games of 2015, Florida Tech will put its undefeated record to the test as it travels to Lakeland, Florida for a midweek showdown with Florida Southern Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The contest is Florida Tech’s first against a Sunshine State Conference opponent, although it will not count towards the league standings.
The Panthers are fresh off yet another sweep of Northeast-10 competition, after beating Assumption in three straight at home this past weekend.
Sharp from top-to-bottom, the Panther pitching staff posted a collective 2.00 earned run average, as all three starters worked at least six innings in the series.
Part of its M.O. early on in the year, Florida Tech yielded a total of just three walks, giving it a SSC-low 17 over the course of 12 games.
The starting rotation of Scotty Ward, Ashton Fronsoe and Grant Willcoxon have combined for 11 of the team’s 12 victories thus far after the trio recorded a dozen in all of 2014.
Offensively, the Panthers added 28 more runs in their series with the Greyhounds, tacking four home runs onto their season total of 20.
Claiming three of those, catcher Austin Allen and first baseman Grant McKown are now tied for the team lead with five apiece.
Following an up-and-down 3-5 start to the year, Florida Southern enters Tuesday having reeled off four consecutive victories to climb back over .500.
Much like the Panthers did to Benedict a few weeks prior, the Mocs demolished fellow-SIAC opponent Albany State by a combined 55-14 margin on the road over the weekend.
Florida Tech must be wary of FSC’s Kyle Richards and Jhalan Jackson in its first meeting with the Mocs.
Richards is off to a sizzling .489 start at the plate, adding a team-high eight stolen bases to his name. Jackson, on the other hand, has connected on five round-trippers and is slugging an impressive .956.
FIT will send Ty Cohen to the mound Tuesday night. The freshman picked up his first collegiate win his last time out in the Panthers’ 14-1 win over Pace.
Cohen yielded one earned run in six solid innings, surrendering a pair of hits and striking out eight.
Live stats will available for the midweek matchup, courtesy of Florida Southern, at FloridaTechSports.com
