JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball hits the road this weekend for a pivotal cross-town showdown, traveling to Town Center Parkway to face rival North Florida Ospreys in a high-stakes ASUN series.
The 904 matchup carries plenty of history, as the two programs will meet for the 104th time on Friday night. Jacksonville holds a 55-48 edge in the all-time series, though UNF claimed all three games earlier in the season.
Series Schedule
Game 1 – Friday, May 1
Time: 7:00 PM | ESPN+
Game 2 – Saturday, May 2
Time: 6:00 PM | ESPN+
Game 3 – Sunday, May 3
Time: 1:00 PM | ESPN+
Scouting the Ospreys
North Florida enters the weekend at 24-19 overall and 15-6 in ASUN play, a mark that has kept the Ospreys atop the conference standings for much of the season.
UNF is coming off its first series loss of the year, dropping two of three to FGCU, including a 13-3 run-rule defeat in the finale.
On the mound, Dakota Stone has been one of the league's best, ranking second in the ASUN in both ERA (2.65) and strikeouts (76) while holding a 5-2 record. The left-hander has been especially sharp of late, getting past the seventh inning in each of his last two starts while allowing just three earned runs and striking out 14. He was named a semifinalist for the CBF's National Pitcher of the Year.
As a staff, the Ospreys have limited damage, surrendering a conference-low 26 home runs.
Offensively, UNF features a balanced lineup with four hitters batting above .300. Boone Hosey ranks second in the ASUN with a .481 on-base percentage, while Carter White's 40 RBIs places him among the conference leaders.
Earlier Meeting
The Ospreys swept the earlier meeting between the two sides in Jacksonville, though the series was closer than the final results may suggest.
Jacksonville was able to generate motion on the base paths, drawing 12 walks across the first two games alone. Ultimately, the offense was unable to come through with timely hitting.
North Florida capitalized early, building large leads in both Saturday and Sunday's contests, and held off multiple late pushes from the Dolphins to secure the sweep.
Despite the results, Jacksonville showed flashes throughout the series, putting the tying run on base late in game one and mounting a four-run inning in the finale, signs of an offense that was close to breaking through.
Dolphins Trending Up
Since that weekend, Jacksonville has been one of the hottest teams in the conference.
The Dolphins responded immediately with a ranked win at Florida and have not looked back, going 13-2 over their last 15 games. Jacksonville enters the weekend riding an eight-game win streak, with four ASUN series victories in that span, including two sweeps, and three ranked wins overall.
During the stretch, the Dolphins have found balance on both sides, posting a 3.09 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP while averaging 6.2 runs and 9.6 hits per game. The run has also been highlighted by individual recognition, with Jacksonville earning two ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors and one Player of the Week award.
Now sitting at 25-18 overall and 12-9 in ASUN play, Jacksonville enters the weekend three games back of North Florida in the Graphite Division standings, setting the stage for a pivotal series with major implications down the stretch.
