GAINESVILLE, Fla.  – Embarking on its first NCAA Regional appearance since 2011, the Jacksonville University baseball team begins its national postseason campaign in the Gainesville, Fla. region of the 64-team tournament. The No. 2 seeded Dolphins (39-19, 14-6 ASUN, No. 21 RPI) are set for a Friday evening showdown with former ASUN Conference rival No. 3 seed Florida Atlantic (40-17-1, 19-8-1 C-USA, No. 33 RPI). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium, with regional host No. 1 seed Florida and No. 4 seed Columbia kicking off the weekend action at Noon.

The 2018 NCAA Tournament features the nation's top 64 teams, who are broken up into 16 regionals with a double-elimination format, taking place from Friday, June 1-Monday June 4. The winners of each regional will advance to a Super Regional, where they will compete in a best 2-of-3 series, with the winner heading on to the 2018 College World Series. Each contest of the 2018 NCAA Baseball Tournament will be broadcast on one of ESPN's family of networks.

Regional Notes
Live Stats
Audio: 1010XL | Mixlr.com
Broadcaster: "Voice of the Dolphins" Scott Manze
Video (ESPN3)
Broadcasters: Steve Lenox (Play-By-Play) and Nick Belmonte (Color)
Tickets
Bracket
Tournament Central

Series Records

NCAA Regional Appearances: 1968, 1972, 1976, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2018
JU in NCAA Tournament: 11-28 (15th NCAA Regional appearance)
Gainesville Regional Appearances: 1991, 2009, 2011, 2018
JU in Gainesville Regional: 2-6 (wins over Bethune-Cookman in 2009 & Manhattan in 2011)
JU vs. Florida Atlantic: FAU leads 20-18

• Friday's contest will be the first meeting between the two since 2006, the Owls' final season as a member of the ASUN Conference. The Sunshine State foes first played in 1976, and met annually from 1998-2006. They shared league membership beginning in 1999, when JU joined the ASUN from the Sun Belt.

Probable Starting Pitchers

RHP Chris Gau (8-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. RHP Blake Sanderson (1-1, 4.85 ERA)

ASUN Championship Wrap-Up

Entering as the No. 2 seed in the 2018 ASUN Championship, Jacksonville won its first two contests of the week, defeating No. 5 seed Lipscomb and No. 4 seed North Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, to advance to Friday's winner's bracket semifinal. In arguably the conference's game of the season, the Dolphins went toe-to-toe with league Regular Season Champion and future NCAA Regional host No. 1 Stetson, who held a 6-3 advantage heading into the ninth inning. The 'Phins then proceeded to plate five runs en-route to an 8-6 lead in their final opportunity to do so of the game, causing ASUN Player of the Year Brooks Wilson to blow his first save of 2018. The Hatters responded with three runs of their own, advancing to the Championship final on a walk-off single. JU was then subject to playing the Ospreys in an elimination nightcap, falling to its cross-town rivals, 6-2. Making his first career start in the affair, senior Matt Meyer pitched a career-best 5.0 innings, striking out four and walking a pair. First baseman Angel Camacho, shortstop Scott Dubrule and outfielder Ruben Someillan each received All-Tournament Team Honors, with all three batting at least .350 with five hits over four contests.

On-Deck Circle

• Jacksonville is appearing in its 15th NCAA regional and eighth as a member of the ASUN Conference, tied for the second-most appearances in league history.
• 10 different 'Phins have launched a home run so far this season, the most since 2015. Chris Lehane, Connor Stephens, John Cassala, Cory Garrastazu and Duncan Hunter each launched their first-career big-flies, while Jacob Southern and Evan Fernandez have set season-highs in the category.
• Jacksonville led all schools in the ASUN Conference in walks (254), batting average (.292), hits (573), on-base percentage (.385), runs (354), sacrifice bunts (47) and scoring (6.1)
• Rookie reliever Chris Mauloni emerged as the number to call out of the pen in save situations this season. The River City product picked up a pair of saves in the first two games of the 2018 ASUN Championship becoming just the 26th player in NCAA history to eclipse 20 in a season. Mauloni is tied for the national in saves, and is on the chase for the ASUN record for saves in a season (20 - Brooks Wilson, Stetson, 2018).
• Mauloni became the first Dolphin since 2015 to receive an All-American honor on Thursday, when it was announced that the freshman was named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third-Team All-American. The Jacksonville native is the 43rd Dolphin to garner All-American honors, and the fifth to do so on a team put out by the nation's oldest baseball beat publication.
• Dubrule and Someillan both carry 11 game on-base streaks into regional play, while Camacho has hit safely in his last six contests.
• JU strung together two winning streaks of eight games or more in a season this year for the first time since 1994.
• Four members of the JU staff have previous NCAA Tournament experience. Head Coach Chris Hayes made regional appearances in 1994 and 1995, while a member of the Dolphins. Assistant Coach Mark Guerra was a member of the 1994 team. Assistant Head Coach Rich Wallace went to three consecutive regionals from 2000-2002 as a member of the UCF Knights, and made another as a member of the team's coaching staff in 2004. Volunteer Assistant Scott Wingo won a pair of National Championships at South Carolina in 2010 and 2011, taking home CWS Most Outstanding Player during the latter.
• Jacksonville saw eight 'Phins earn ASUN Postseason Honors on Tuesday, highlighted by 1B Camacho, 2B Lehane and SS Dubrule being selected as First-Team All-ASUN members.

Scouting the Owls

• Posting its second 40-win season in the last four campaigns, FAU is entering its fifth NCAA Regional appearance in 10 seasons under Head Coach John McCormack. The team previously took part in regionals in Coral Gables, Fla. (2016), Gainesville (2015 & 2010) and Chapel Hill, N.C. (2013)
• Entering the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Tournament in Biloxi, Miss. as the No. 3 seed, the Owls were victorious against FIU and in a pair of contests against Rice to advance to the Championship final, where they fell to No. 1 seed Southern Miss, 12-3. Infielder Tyler Frank, infielder/catcher Gunnar Lambert, infielder Jared DeSantolo, utility player Eric Rivera and pitcher Blake Sanderson were named to the conference's All-Tournament Team.
• Entering the weekend, FAU leads its conference and ranks 13th in the nation in home runs, firing off 72 long balls thus far. They also sit 15th nationally in home runs per-game (1.24), 20th in walks allowed per-nine innings (3.07) and 22nd in win-loss percentage (.698). Individually, C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Frank sits 14th in the country in runs (64) and 15th in walks (51). Closer Zach Schneider has racked up 15 saves on the season, good for the sixth most in the NCAA.
• The team saw four players earn First-Team All-CUSA honors, with Frank, Schneider, pitcher Jake Meidnik and outfielder Dave Miranda all taking a place on the squad. Finishing second in the conference in runs, walks and doubles (19), Frank earned Third-Team All-American honors according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.