JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Baseball returns to John Sessions Stadium this weekend to host cross-town rival North Florida in a pivotal three-game ASUN series, marking the Dolphins' first conference home set of the 2026 season.

The rivalry hit the century mark last season, and Friday night will be the 101st meeting between the two programs. Jacksonville holds a 55-45 edge in the all-time series, with the teams splitting last year's matchups at 3-3, each claiming a road series victory.

The Dolphins and Ospreys have met every season since 2000, making the River City Rumble a consistent staple of the ASUN schedule.

Series Schedule

Game 1 – Friday, Mar. 26
Time: 7:00 PM | ESPN+

Game 2 – Saturday, Mar. 27
Time: 7:00 PM | ESPN+

Game 3 – Sunday, Mar. 28
Time: 1:00 PM | ESPN+

On the Mound

Jacksonville will turn to its weekend rotation to open conference play, with left-hander Alex Walsh set to take the ball on Friday night.

Walsh enters the weekend with a 3.45 ERA across 31.1 innings, holding opponents to a .274 average. The senior has been a steady presence at the top of the rotation, highlighted by a six-inning, six-strikeout shutout performance against UAB earlier this season.

Most recently, Walsh punched out a season-high 10 batters against Queens, continuing to show swing-and-miss ability with his fastball-slider combination.

Right-hander Payton Waters is slated for Saturday's start. Waters has logged 20.2 innings across six appearances, striking out 14. The redshirt junior recently had one of his strongest outings of the year, tossing 6.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs against West Georgia.

Sunday's starter is to be determined.

North Florida will counter with Dakota Stone on Friday night. Stone owns a 3.67 ERA over 27.0 innings with 43 strikeouts, including a dominant 10-strikeout outing against Sacred Heart earlier this season. He most recently worked six innings, allowing two runs in a win over FGCU.

Trevor Nikolis is expected to start on Saturday. The right-hander carries a 3.66 ERA and has held opponents to a .227 batting average across 19.2 innings. Nikolis turned in his best outing of the season against Stetson, allowing just one run over seven innings.

Finding Production at the Plate

While Jacksonville's offense has cooled in recent games, the Dolphins continue to find production from the middle of the lineup.

Roger Vergara has been the team's most consistent bat, leading the squad with a .376 average while adding four home runs and 26 RBIs. He also scored the go-ahead run in Jacksonville's midweek win over Bethune-Cookman.

Cade Walter continues to provide power, pacing the Dolphins with seven home runs and a team-best .624 slugging percentage, while Derek Bermudez has driven in 24 runs with an OPS just under 1.000.

Sammy Mummau and Sam Grunberg have also contributed steady at-bats throughout the season, combining for 39 hits. Over the last two games, the two have surged to the top of the lineup due to their production at the plate. Jacksonville will look to turn those opportunities into more consistent run production as ASUN play begins at home.

Scouting the Ospreys

North Florida enters the weekend at 13-12 overall and 5-1 in ASUN play, holding the top conference record through the opening weeks of league competition.

The Ospreys are coming off a sweep of FGCU, beating the Eagles across three games and securing two walk-off victories. Matthew Farmer delivered the series-clinching swing with a two-run walk-off home run on Sunday.

Farmer ranks fifth in the ASUN with a .670 slugging percentage and is tied for third in the conference with eight home runs.

On the mound, North Florida has limited damage effectively, allowing just 16 home runs this season—fewest in the conference. The Ospreys have also shown pitching depth, with multiple arms contributing throughout the year.

What to Watch

With both teams entering the heart of ASUN play, the series presents an early opportunity to gain separation in conference play.

Jacksonville will look to lean on its starting pitching and create timely offense, while North Florida brings a balanced attack that has proven capable in late-game situations.

First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday at John Sessions Stadium.