ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As is usual at the beginning on March, Eckerd athletics faces yet another busy week full of action in the coming week. Men and women's basketball both travel to compete in the NCAA South Regional. Tennis, softball, baseball, and sailing all compete at home during the week while women's golf and beach volleyball also play on the road.
TENNIS
Women's
Monday: vs. Southwest Minnesota State | 9:00 AM | Bullard Courts
Tuesday (Whiteout): vs. Walsh (Ohio) | 3:00 PM | Bullard Courts
Wednesday: vs. Winona State (Minn.) | 7:00 PM | Lakeland, Fla.
Sunday (Senior Day): vs. West Chester (Pa.) | 10:00 AM | Bullard Courts
Men's
Tuesday (Whiteout): vs. Walsh (Ohio) | 3:00 PM | Bullard Courts
Sunday (Senior Day): vs. West Chester (Pa.) | 10:00 AM | Bullard Courts
- Eckerd takes to the courts after several days off returning to a busy week with four matches. The women will play at home on Monday against Southwest Minnesota State, Tuesday against Walsh, and Sunday against West Chester. They will also travel on Wednesday to Lakeland to play Winona State on a neutral court. The men have two contests at home on Tuesday and Sunday against Walsh and West Chester.
- Before the matches on Sunday Eckerd will honor its four seniors: Connor Masella, Robert Vazquez, Laurence Bourgault, and Isabella Wong.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Monday/Tuesday: Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational | Golden Bear GC | Windermere, Fla.
- The Tritons head to Windermere for the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational on Monday and Tuesday. Eckerd last played two weeks ago at the Lady Moc Classic with Sarah Greene leading the way for Eckerd.
SOFTBALL
Monday: vs. Southwest Minnesota State | 6:00 PM | Turley Athletic Complex | Live Stats | Live Video
Thursday (Whiteout): vs. Lander (SC) | 5:00 PM (DH) | Turley Athletic Complex | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday: at No. 17 Palm Beach Atlantic | 3:00 PM (DH) |Simpson Field | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday: at No. 17 Palm Beach Atlantic | 12:00 PM (DH) | Simpson Field | Live Stats | Live Video
- Eckerd (7-11, 1-5 SSC) went 3-1 over the weekend with a doubleheader win over Tiffin (Ohio) and a split with Southwest Minnesota State. Eckerd will finish the three-game series with Southwest Minnesota State tonight and will host Lander (S.C.) in a doubleheader on Thursday before traveling to Palm Beach Atlantic for a three-game SSC series on Saturday and Sunday.
- Four Tritons are hitting over .300. Nikole Van Gennep leads the way with a .350 average and has reached base safely in her last 15 games. Crystal Garcia (.345), Kaleigh Floyd (.319), and Dana Paul (.313) round out the .300 hitters. Paul went 5-for-8 with six walks and five RBIs over the four-game weekend.
- Van Gennep leads Eckerd in the circle as well with a 2.61 ERA over 67 innings pitched and 39 strikeouts. She gave up just two runs over the weekend. Madison Saltzman earned her first career win over the weekend as well with a near-perfect outing in relief.
- Lander (14-4) enters off two wins over Francis Marion. Chandler Carey leads the offense with 15 RBIs and four doubles. McKenzi Ferguson leads the Bearcats in the circle with a 1.62 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 69.1 innings.
- No. 17 Palm Beach Atlantic (13-2, 6-0 SSC) rides a 10-game winning streak entering the week. Eight Sailfish are hitting over .300 with three hitting over .400. Edmilly Molina leads the team with 14 RBIs. Three Sailfish split time equally in the circle with a team ERA of 1.93. Ashton Adkins leads the team with 33 strikeouts.
BASEBALL
Tuesday: vs Cedarville (Ohio) | 5:00 PM | Kissimmee, Fla. | Osceola Heritage Park | Live Stats
Friday: vs Lynn | 6:00 PM | Turley Athletic Complex | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday: vs Lynn | 1:00 PM (DH) | Turley Athletic Complex | Live Stats | Live Video
- Eckerd (7-8, 2-4 SSC) snapped a six-game losing streak with a series win over Florida Tech over the weekend. Eckerd will travel to Kissimmee on Tuesday for a single game with Cedarville and will host Lynn for a three-game SSC series on Friday and Saturday.
- Six Tritons are hitting over .300 on the season: Sam Cochrane (.434), Garrett Hiott (.358), Chase Achuff (.345), Keith Leavitt, Jr. (.327), Shane LeMaster (.316), and Mitch Calandra (.305). The six combined for a .458 batting average over the three-game series with FIT.
- Nick Alonzo and Dillon McCollough lead Eckerd on the mound with 2.25 and 4.18 ERA's. McCollough leads the team with 34 strikeouts on the season with a career-high 12 strikeouts over the weekend.
- Cedarville (3-5) enters the week off a loss to Florida Southern and will play throughout the week in Kissimmee. Four Yellow Jackets are hitting over .300 with Mathew Bierman leading the way with eight RBIs.
- Lynn (8-9, 1-5 SSC) enters the week off a series loss to Rollins and will play two games during the week before coming to St. Petersburg. The Fighting Knights are led by Patrick Dorrian with seven homeruns and 19 RBIs. Rigo Beltran leads the team on the mound with 32 strikeouts over 27.2 innings.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Friday: vs. Embry-Riddle | 7:30 PM (CST) | Jackson, Tenn. | Live Stats | Live Video
- Eckerd (22-7) travels to Jackson, Tennessee, for the NCAA South Regional and will face familiar SSC foe Embry-Riddle on Friday night. Eckerd is making its third trip to the national tournament in the past four years.
- Chelsea Johnson and Ada Yalcin led Eckerd last week over two games in the SSC Tournament. Both Johnson and Yalcin scored career-highs during the week with Yalcin scoring 22 against Florida Tech and Johnson scoring 20 versus Embry-Riddle.
- Abby Whiteye led the Tritons on the boards last week averaging eight rebound per game over the two contests.
- Embry-Riddle (23-7) enters the contest after losing to Florida Southern in the SSC Tournament Championship. The Eagles have three players scoring in double figures with Tara Fields leading the way averaging 15.4 points per game. Nicole Tucker averages 5.8 rebounds per game.
- Eckerd has faced Embry-Riddle three times this season, the most recent coming just two days ago in the SSC semifinals. The teams split the regular-season series with each team winning on the road. The latest matchup on Saturday, Embry-Riddle won 61-53 as Eckerd fell victim to a slow start and could not recover.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday: vs. Valdosta State (Ga.) | 7:30 PM | Atlanta, Ga. | Live Stats and Live Video TBD
- Eckerd (24-6) went 3-0 last week to win the SSC Tournament Championship after defeating Barry, 96-71, in the finals for the crown. Eckerd will head to the NCAA South Regional in Atlanta on Saturday where the Tritons will play Valdosta State (Ga.). Eckerd is making its 14th appearance in the National Tournament and third straight appearance.
- Eckerd is led by two All-SSC first team members, Drushaun McLaurn and Trevon Young, as well as the SSC Tournament MVP Marco Behori. McLaurn averaged 16.5 points last week while recording a double-double in the championship game. Young averaged 16.3 points per game and 10 rebounds per game last week. Behori averaged 16.3 points over the three games while shooting at a 69.2 percent clip from 3-point range.
- The team ranks sixth in the country in rebound margin with a plus-9.4 average. The trio of Young, McLaurn, and Behori lead the team averaging 9.7, 6.9, and, 5.8 per game.
- Valdosta State (26-4) lost in the semifinals of the Gulf South conference tournament. Beau Justice leads the Blazers averaging 20.3 points per game. KJ James leads the team on the boards averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.
- Eckerd last faced Valdosta State in 2007. The Tritons played them twice during that season winning 81-78 on November 24 at home and 71-56 on December 1 at Valdosta State.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Saturday: vs. Mercer | 12:00 PM | Deland, Fla.
Saturday: vs. Texas A&M- Kingsville |2:00 PM | Deland, Fla.
- Eckerd (4-3) went a perfect 4-0 at the annual Battle on the Bay tournament over the weekend and will play two matches on Saturday in Deland, Florida, against Mercer and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Playing out of the No. 1 draw, Kaitlyn Sibson and Paula Hoffmann didn't drop a set all weekend.
SAILING
Coed
Saturday/Sunday: South Points #3 | Jacksonville, Fla.
Saturday/Sunday: Charleston Intersectional | Charleston, S.C.
Saturday/Sunday: Rudkin Team Race | Doyle Sailing Center
- Eckerd is coming off a successful weekend where the team placed second in the South Points #2 and third in the Eckerd Intersectional. The Tritons look to continue the strong performances as they compete in three regattas the Charleston Intersectional in South Carolina, South Points #3 in Jacksonville, and host the Rudkin Team Race.
