Watson Takes the Hill As Saints Open Conference Play in Ocala
Gainesville, FL – The FCSAA #3 ranked Santa Fe Saints finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 13-4 record and will look to carry that momentum into Mid-Florida Conference play when they open up on the road Wednesday, March 4 in Ocala against the College of Central Florida at 3:00 PM.
March 3, 2015
Gainesville, FL – The FCSAA #3 ranked Santa Fe Saints finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 13-4 record and will look to carry that momentum into Mid-Florida Conference play when they open up on the road Wednesday, March 4 in Ocala against the College of Central Florida at 3:00 PM.
"The guys are really excited to begin the conference season after a solid 13-4 non-conference slate," said SF Coach Johnny Wiggs. "[Tom] Watson, [Trent] Johnson, and [Austin] Goss established themselves as our top three starters as they combined for an ERA of 1.64 in 77 innings with only 11 walks and 78 strikeouts. In the bullpen, Call Graham has been our go to guy late - pitching in 9 of the 17 games with a 0.00 ERA in 12.1 innings."
The Saints were equally as effective on offensive, albeit without hitting the long ball. Six players are hitting .328 or better, led by freshman Cole Parks.
"Offensively, we hit a solid .307," said Wiggs. "Even though we haven't hit for much power, we have found ways to score by being successful stealing 27 out of 33 attempts, bunting, and being opportunistic at the right time. Cole Parks has been a spark plug for us hitting .438 and finding ways to get on base. Matt Allen has been "Mr. Clutch" getting plenty of big hits, hitting .375, leading us in RBI, and also two walk off hits."
Wiggs knows to compete in the extremely tough Mid-Florida Conference, the Saints will have to take it up another level.
"For us to be successful in conference, offensively we will need to continue to get production up and down the order, play small ball, and get the occasional big inning," Wiggs commented. "On the mound we will need our three starters to keep pounding the zone the way they have and get deep into games."
The Saints will play 24 MFC games, battling each team four times. They will finish their three game series against the CF Patriots first on Friday in Gainesville at 3:00 PM, and then back in Ocala on Saturday at 1:00 PM. To follow along with live stats for this and every game, click here.
For complete schedules and more information on Saints Baseball, please visit www.santafesaints.com. To see game photos and other updates, follow Santa Fe College Athletics on Facebook.
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