NCF Baseball (14-7, 0-0) will open Sun Conference play by traveling to Ave Maria (5-6, 2-2) for a pair of doubleheaders Friday and Saturday.
The Mighty Banyans and Gyrenes will play at 3 and 6 p.m. EST Friday and Noon and 3 p.m. Saturday.
IMPORTANT LINKS
LIVESTREAM
LIVE STATS
INSIDE THE SERIES (NCF vs. Ave Maria)
Overall Record:Â (9-10-0)
At Home:Â (5-8-0)
On The Road:Â (4-2-0)
OF NOTE
- The Mighty Banyans 14-7 mark in non-conference play is its best in school history.
- Last weekend, the Banyans suffered its first series loss of the season as it dropped two out of three to the Fort Lauderdale Eagles at IMG Academy to fall to 14-7 on the season. The Eagles took Game 1, a nine-inning affair 10-8, Saturday and the two teams split a seven-inning doubleheader Sunday, with the Banyans taking the first contest 7-2 and falling in the rubber match 5-3.
- After falling behind 2-0 early in Saturday's series opener, NCF bounced back to take a 4-2 lead as Patrick Fink slugged a solo home run in the bottom of the second, Luka Dodig hit a game-tying RBI single and Fernando Espinal hit a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the  fifth. The Eagles responded with four runs in the top of the seventh to move back in front 6-4, but the Mighty Banyans would reclaim the lead once more as in the bottom of the eighth, Brecken Fair hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 6-5 and Fink delivered a two-run go-ahead single to make it 7-6. Needing three outs to secure the victory, NCF was unable to close out the Eagles as Rolando Lujo ripped a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth to put Fort Lauderdale up 10-7. A sac-fly from Avery Bishop in the bottom of the ninth made it 10-8, but it was too little too late as Lujo's grand slam would serve as the game-winner for the Eagles.
- It was all Mighty Banyans in Game 2 of Sunday's seven-inning doubleheader as NCF plated five in the top of the first highlighted by a two-run home run from Andrew Merchant and then added two more in the bottom of the second as Espinal hit an RBI double and Miguel Pena hit an RBI single. Fort Lauderdale would only get two of the runs scored by NCF back as Mighty Banyans ace Ryan Swartz once again cruised as he pitched a complete game in which he allowed just two earned runs, four hits and two walks while striking out three. With the win, Swartz moved to 5-0 on the season.
- The Banyans struck first blood in the series finale as Merchant lifted his second two-run home run of the day in the top of the second to make it 2-0. NCF's 2-0 lead would stand until the top of the fourth, where the Eagles struck for three runs to take the lead and in the top of the fifth, a two-run home run from Jon Pinciotti made it 5-2. An RBI single from NCF's Brodie Whitlock cut the Fort Lauderdale lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth and in the bottom of the seventh, Merchant stepped to the plate as the go-ahead run with two out, but he struck out to end the game as the Eagles secured the series victory.
Up Next: March 20-21 - at Webber - Babson Park, Fla.
