JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The date is March 30th: The Dolphins are 12-16 and 2-7 in ASUN play, dropping 15 of their last 18 games. Jacksonville University's baseball team had just been swept at home by its rival and outscored 27-12.
The writing on the wall was apparent: change or risk missing the postseason for the first time under head coach Chris Hayes.
However, the season didn't start that way. In fact, the Dolphins opened as one of the hottest teams in the nation, starting 9-1 with players headlining statistical categories across the country. In their first nine wins, the Dolphins outscored opponents 96-29, averaged a 7.4-run margin of victory, and hadn't given up more than seven runs in a single game.
Derek Bermudez led the way for Jacksonville at the plate, ranking among the nation's Division I leaders with 21 runs batted in during the first two weeks. Roger Vergara also began his JU career on fire, posting a .432 average through the first ten games, with 16 hits and nine RBIs. The team was untouchable, on the mound and at the plate.
That was until UNC-Wilmington came to town. Against the Seahawks, in the bottom of the third inning, Jonah Shields was hit by a fastball and broke his hand, ending his season.
The standout preseason All-ASUN centerfielder was batting .408 with a .952 OPS, nine RBIs, and 11 runs scored. Over his 14 games, Shields had been the anchor of the Dolphins' lineup and losing him proved more costly than anyone could have imagined. His injury was part of a larger issue, as Jacksonville was already dealing with multiple key absences across the roster. Shields joined a list of Cade Hentz, Anthony Cordero, Garrett Corbett, JJ Gardner, and Clayton Hodges, who were unable to contribute this season due to injury, and it finally caused a collapse.
After Shields' exit from the lineup, Jacksonville lost six straight and 12 of its next 15 games. They dropped their next five series, three in conference play, and found themselves in last place with the fewest wins (two) in the ASUN after three series. As low as a team could get, the Dolphins needed to reverse their fortunes or risk missing postseason play entirely, a reality that was very apparent inside John Sessions Stadium's locker room.
After being swept by their rival, Jacksonville traveled south to face the hottest team in college baseball at the time: the Florida Gators. Historically, the Dolphins had struggled in Gainesville, holding a record of just 17-45 (27.4%). To make matters tougher, the Gators were coming off a 4-0 week, including a sweep of No. 4 Arkansas and a midweek win over No. 10 Florida State. Florida also boasted an 8-0 midweek record and was 11-0 against other in-state opponents. The chances seemed unlikely for the Dolphins to compete with the #21 ranked Gators, until… The 'Phins swamped 'em 4-3, and everything changed.
Sammy Mummau got the day started for the Dolphins, cutting into the Gators' early lead with a two-out RBI single down the left-field line that brought a runner home from second. In the top of the eighth, after the first two batters struck out swinging, the Dolphins loaded the bases thanks to two hit-by-pitches and a full-count walk by Mummau.
Vergara then broke through, tying the game with a single through the right side that scored two runs. Suddenly, the Dolphins and Gators were locked at 3-3 in the eighth. A passed ball allowed Cade Walter to cross the plate with the go-ahead run. In the ninth, the Gators threatened with a runner in scoring position, but former Florida Gator Mummau sealed the win, throwing out Cole Stanford at first to secure the final out and put the Dolphins back in the win column.
It felt almost surreal for the Dolphins to return to their winning ways this night against the Gators, but this breakthrough was the spark they needed- and it quickly caught fire.
Over the next two weeks, Jacksonville secured its first two conference series wins of the season, each by narrow margins, against Stetson and FGCU, the preseason favorites in the ASUN's Graphite Division.
The Dolphins' skipper praised his team after the Stetson series, saying Saturday that he was proud of the team. Head coach Chris Hayes stated that it was a "quality performance by everybody" and that it's nice to "get on a little bit of a streak on the good side." The April 2nd victory marked the first multi-game win streak for the Dolphins since February 22nd.
Against Stetson and FGCU, the Dolphins' pitching carried both weekend series. The two most reliable arms for the Dolphins all year have been Alex Walsh and Brendan Holland, and that continued.
Walsh delivered a quality start on Friday against Stetson, tossing six innings and striking out eight, while also earning the win. The lefty has been a steady force for Hayes and pitching coach Casey Kulina, currently ranking T-2 in the conference in wins (six) and seventh in innings pitched (56.0).
On Saturday against FGCU, Brendan Holland turned in a season-best seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven to secure the series and earn ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors.
Bermudez also had his best ASUN series against the Eagles, going 5-for-12 (.417) with six runs batted in. At the plate, Bermudez has rebounded nicely since his average dipped earlier in the season to its lowest point. Since that series in Fort Myers, Bermudez has raised his batting average from .255 to .286.
Rejuvenated, the Dolphins, winners of five of their last seven, started to believe again. However, Jacksonville was set to face off in another midweek game against a ranked opponent, this time in Orlando against #21 UCF.
Down by a run heading into the eighth and after several scoreless innings, Sam Grunberg stepped up for the Dolphins, launching a 1-0 pitch nearly 400 feet to left field and tied the game at three.
Two shutout innings from Austin Williamson and Dominic Pieto sent the game to extras. In the 10th, after a leadoff single by Vergara, Grunberg delivered once more, driving in the go-ahead run to put the Dolphins up 4-3. Jacksonville held on to topple its second ranked opponent in as many midweek matchups, and confidence continued to build.
Later that week, the Dolphins earned their first conference sweep of the season against West Georgia, and the program's first conference sweep since taking three from the Wolves last year.
One of the clutch performers for the Dolphins hasdbeen Abdriel Delgado, who delivered his best outing against West Georgia on Sunday, notching four hits, three runs scored, and three RBIs. Down 7-5, Delgado tied the game with a line-drive double down the right-field line. In extras, Logan Baratta delivered the decisive blow, a walk-off hit. He ripped a double that scored Archer Ogbourne from first to give Jacksonville a 9-8 win.
Grunberg earned ASUN honors that week, collecting 11 hits in just four games and 20 at-bats, good for a .550 average, while driving in seven runs. He has been just as impactful in big moments, delivering timely hits throughout the stretch while raising his average from .244 to .283, as he put together a nine-game hit streak.
And just when it felt like the turnaround had peaked, the Dolphins returned to Gainesville... and did it again.
Falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, Jacksonville once again showed resilience. Blake Edmonds and Mummau helped ignite a third-inning rally, while Bermudez and Grunberg delivered key RBI hits to even the score. From there, Ben Baker-Livingston settled in, tossing six innings and allowing just one earned run to keep the Dolphins in control.
In the seventh, the Dolphins took the lead for good. Mummau, facing his former team once again, delivered an RBI double before coming around to score, extending the advantage. Jacksonville added insurance in the eighth and held off a late push from #21 Florida to secure a 7-5 win, marking the first time in program history the Dolphins had defeated the Gators twice on the road in the same season.
The 'Phins were resilient, facing deficits in all their last five games, and coming back stronger each time. Facing deficits of 3-1 to UCF, 7-1, 5-2, and 7-2 to West Georgia in all three games, and down to UF 3-0, the Dolphins were able to outscore opponents 41-6 to end those games and were 5-0.
Jacksonville had some debts to repay with Queens and did so convincingly, outscoring the Royals 22-5 over three games. Walsh's dominant shutout performance on Friday, with six innings, just one hit allowed, and eight strikeouts, earned him an ASUN Pitcher of the Week honor, the third straight week the Dolphins were mentioned in ASUN honors.
After seven straight victories and four straight ASUN series wins, Hayes spoke about how his team reached that point after being 2-7 a month earlier. He emphasized the "belief they have in each other" and stated that the team became closer after the spell in March, saying his team "came together and got closer" and was able to put that behind them.
What once seemed like a lost season has transformed into one of the hottest runs in college baseball. A team that recently sat at the bottom of the ASUN standings now looks primed for an NCAA tournament push.
