I was hoping to limit my "Marquee Match-Up of the Week" previews to one a week going forward, but yet again, there are two spectacular series that will be going on this weekend in the land of Division II baseball. Below, I give some capsules on the biggest match-ups of the upcoming weekend and let you know which two will be highlighted in-depth a little later on tonight.
First, here are the two match-ups that will get some extra special treatment a little later this evening with in-depth previews as our "Marquee Match-Ups of the Week":
#7 (10-3) Emporia State vs (14-0) Washburn (3/13 @ ESU, 3/14 (DH) at WU, 3/15 @ ESU): This will be one of our "Marquee Match-Up of the Week" capsules a little later this evening, pitting a top 10 squad against a team that, so far, has played like a top 10 squad despite not breaking in to the rankings yet. The Ichabods have not faced a wealth of tough competition, but have beaten everyone they have had to go up against thus far. The Hornets were a favorite to make it to Cary when the season started, and despite losing three of four to Missouri Western earlier this season, they are still one of the top teams in the country and should prove that as the MIAA season goes on. ESU enters this game on a five-game winning streak after a three-game sweep of Central Oklahoma and a win over Colorado Mines earlier this week.
#16 (19-1) Florida Tech @ #17 (19-4) Saint Leo (3/13, 3/14 (DH)): Saint Leo will be in the middle of yet another huge match-up in the landscape of D-II baseball, and another one of our "Marquee Match-Ups of the Week," taking on an extremely impressive Florida Tech team this weekend. Saint Leo is going to be trying to rebound from the sweep they took at the hands of Nova Southeastern last weekend, and they are already on their way, having walloped a solid Slippery Rock team, 24-2, and beating Ohio Valley 10-1 earlier this week. Florida Tech, meanwhile, still has not been challenged much this year and are racking up quality victories, including taking two of three from Lynn last weekend. It will be a match-up of "unstoppable force against immovable object" in both directions, considering FIT is hitting a ridiculous .374 as a team and Saint Leo is batting at a .338 clip. The pitching squads, however, are both carrying a team ERA under 3, with FIT sitting at 2.02 and the Lions at 2.99.
Here are some other very important Division II match-ups that will be taking place this weekend:
#1 (17-4) Tampa @ (9-8) Florida Southern (3/13, 3/14 (DH)): Tampa will clearly be the favorites heading in to this series, but this is always a huge match-up in the Sunshine State Conference, and Florida Southern, despite their record, is still a team to be reckoned with. They have a win over Mount Olive, took Saint Leo to extra innings, lost a close game to ranked Flagler, and won over ranked Grand Valley State last week. This rivalry should play out to a 2-1 advantage one way or the other by the weekend's end.
#6 (12-1-1) Alabama-Huntsville @ (14-7) West Florida (3/14 (DH), 3/15): Much like the previous series highlighted, this is another series where UAH should be the favorite, but West Florida, despite their ranking, is still a very talented squad. The Argos have taken a doubleheader from Florida Southern, beat Flagler in a 9-0 romp, and took two of three from North Alabama earlier this year. UWF is always a contender in the region, and again I would anticipate this not being a sweep in either direction.
#11 (15-4) St. Mary's vs (10-8) Lubbock Christian (3/13 (DH), 3/14): The Rattlers have been one of the hottest teams in Division II as of late, winning 11 in a row, and will challenge that streak with a solid Lubbock Christian squad that is an up-and-comer in the region. Though the Chaps are only 10-8 so far on the year, this is a team that was 39-10 last season and found themselves right around the top 25 most of the season. It will be a telling series to see who will break out as the challengers to St. Mary's from the Heartland Conference, whether it be LCU, Arkansas-Fort Smith or St. Edward's.
#20 (16-6) USC Aiken vs (11-7) Francis Marion (3/14, 3/15 (DH)): The Pacers have been impressive since being swept by Armstrong State in mid-February, and are making their way back up the rankings. They are entering this series on a six-game winning streak and have scored at least 12 runs in three of their last four games. Francis Marion is struggling a little lately, having lost four of their last six, but it is still a team that can contend for the Peach Belt. If Aiken can pull off the sweep, they will set themselves up nicely in the region going forward, while Francis Marion will be hoping to get a jump on the second half of their season.
Come back later this evening for an in-depth preview for both the Florida Tech/Saint Leo series and the Emporia State/Washburn series!
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