DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The top two teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Eastern Division Baseball standings battle it out this weekend, as Bethune-Cookman is set to host Florida A&M to Jackie Robinson Ballpark for a huge weekend series between the two "Sunshine State" schools in Daytona Beach, Florida. First pitch of the first game is set for Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m.
 
Florida A&M arrives to Jackie Robinson Ballpark sitting atop the SWAC East standings by one game at 6-0 in the league, while Bethune-Cookman is just behind the Rattlers in second place sporting a 5-1 mark.
 
AT A GLANCE
Records: Bethune-Cookman 14-11 (5-1 SWAC) | Florida A&M 12-13 (6-0 SWAC)
Rankings: Bethune-Cookman is unranked. Florida A&M is unranked.
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BETHUNE-COOKMAN VS. FAMU PROBABLE STARTERS
FRIDAY, MARCH 31 (7 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
RHP Nolan Santos (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
Florida A&M
RHP Hunter Viets (3-0, 1.80 ERA)
 
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 (6 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
RHP Marcos Gamboa (0-1, 6.75 ERA)
Florida A&M        
RHP Caleb Granger (3-1, 3.45 ERA)
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 1 (1 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
LHP Daniel Gaviria (2-2, 4.15 ERA)
Florida A&M
LHP Tre Simmons (1-2, 8.49 ERA)
 
Bethune-Cookman-Florida A&M Series History

• Since 1983, Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against Florida A&M by a 101-70 margin. At home, the Wildcats hold a 55-28 edge in the series, while FAMU leads 40-34 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
• Over the course of the last 10 meetings between the two sides, the Rattlers have taken six games from the Maroon and Gold. BCU won the second series between the two teams last season in Tallahassee by winning two-of-three games.
• The longest winning streak for BCU against FAMU was 13 games (3/11/2012 – 3/2/2014), with the largest margin of victory for the Cats being an 18-0 decision back on March 20, 2010.
• Since joining the SWAC, FAMU owns a 4-2 edge in the series.

 
Bethune-Cookman Leadoffs

• The Bethune-Cookman pitching staff has the second-lowest earned run average with a 5.47 ERA across 25 games.
• Hylan Hall, a transfer from Washington State, is currently sitting eighth in the SWAC for batting average, with the Ocoee, Florida native carrying a .383 average into the weekend.
• Luis Tuero is currently fifth in the conference for hits (34), while teammates Garret Chun and Robert Moya are in top 10 for doubles. Chun has 10, while Moya has posted nine on the campaign.
• Colton Olasin is a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases for the Cats, while Boris Peña and Jeremiah Guzman are both 2-for-2 in that area.
• The Cats enter the weekend having won six of their last eight games.
• Olasin and catcher Irvin Escobar are statistically the toughest players to strike out for an opposing pitcher.
• The Wildcats are 9-0 in games this season where they score first.
• Tuero enters the weekend having reached base safely in 12 consecutive games, followed by Peña with 11 games consecutively.

 
Last Time Out for Bethune-Cookman
Bethune-Cookman dropped a 9-3 decision to South Florida in midweek baseball action Jackie Robinson Ballpark, as the visiting Bulls scored eight runs across three late innings to end the Wildcats five-game winning streak. USF scored eight runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, respectfully, to break open what was a 1-1 ballgame after five complete. Right fielder Daniel Cantu walked to lead off the sixth inning, before Travis Sankovich posted a hit to move Cantu in scoring position at second base with one out. A passed ball from Bethune-Cookman catcher Irvin Escobar allowed both runners to advance a base, setting the stage for Marcus Brodil to collect an RBI sacrifice fly to left that brought in Cantu. USF led 2-1 heading into the seventh inning. The Bulls scored four runs in the seventh, widening their lead at 6-1. Cantu's two-run scoring double to right field off Bethune-Cookman relief pitcher Santiago Gomez pushed across both Eric Snow and John Montes, respectively. First baseman Rafael Betancourt followed with a single off Gabriel Perez, who entered moments before in replacing Gomez on the hill for the Wildcats, to make it 5-1 as Drew Brutcher scored. Sankovich registered his second hit of the evening with a two-out RBI single to third that scored Cantu. The Bulls' lead stretched to 9-1 in the top of the eighth off the end of a three-run scoring double down the line in right from Cantu – his third hit of the game, as USF's Brutcher, Snow and Montes each scored on the play. BCU chipped into the lead in the home-half of the eighth with a two-run home run from pinch hitter Jason Hodges – his first homer of the season and the team's 13th overall, bringing the Wildcats to within 9-3. USF scored in the top of the first inning when Brutcher's sacrifice fly to deep center allowed leadoff hitter Montes to score from third, after he began the game with a ground-rule double. The homestanding Cats tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning, as the Maroon and Gold used a Hylan Hall double to center field to score Luis Tuero. BCU looked to score additional runs before a lineout into a double play caught Hall off the bag at second to end the frame with runners on the corners. USF starting pitcher Lawson Gailey grabbed the win to earn his first victory of the season and improve his record at 1-2. He went five innings on the bump, allowing one run on three hits, two walks and collecting three strikeouts. The loss went to BCU's Gomez, dropping his record for the campaign at 0-2 in working 3.1 innings and giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits. BCU was paced offensively by Tuero turning in a 2-for-4 night at the plate and scoring two runs.
 
Notes & Stats on Florida A&M

• Florida A&M enters the weekend series winners in six of their last eight games, with just two losses coming against Troy in midweek action.
• Last weekend, the Rattlers run-ruled SWAC opposition Alabama A&M in two games, scoring a three-day combined 45 runs across the weekend.
• The Rattlers are led offensively by Janmikell Bastardo with a .405 average at the plate, followed by Ty Hanchey (.365) and Adam Haidermota (.362).
• Four FAMU players have at least five or more home runs on the campaign, including a team-leading seven from Jared Weber. Sebastian Greico and Bastardo each have six homers, respectively.
• Hunter Viets, the 2023 Preseason SWAC Pitcher of the Year, serves as the FAMU ace of the pitching staff, owning a perfect 3-0 record entering the weekend, and a 1.80 ERA. Viets also has 38 strikeouts against just six walks allowed.
• FAMU has swept both conference series from opponents Alabama A&M and Mississippi Valley State, respectfully, this season.

 
Up Next
After wrapping up a 12-game homestand that concludes with Florida A&M, BCU hit the road for a month – or 16 games to be exact, beginning with a visit to third-ranked Florida Gators on Tuesday, April 4, at 6 p.m. Following the midweek matchup, the Wildcats travel to Huntsville, Alabama for a three-game SWAC series with Alabama A&M beginning Thursday, April 6, at 1 p.m.
 
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