CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State University Baseball Team kicks off their 2025 campaign with a trip to South Florida this weekend facing three different opponents.
 
Tomorrow night, the Statesmen will open up their season against the Sailfish from Palm Beach Atlantic University at 5:00 p.m., (CDT) in West Palm Beach, Fla. On Saturday afternoon, DSU will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to play in a double header against the Sharks from Nova Southeastern University starting a 12:00 p.m., (CDT). The Statesmen will finish off the weekend with a trip to Boca Raton, Fla., to take on the Fighting Knights from Lynn University
 
Scouting the Statesmen

• Delta State enters this season selected third in the Preseason GSC Coaches' Poll, and fifth in the National Baseball Writers Association South Region Poll. The Statesmen finished their 2024 campaign with a 33-24 overall record and a 19-11 Gulf South Conference record. The Statesmen made it to the NCAA South Regional for the 37th time in program history.
• The Statesmen lineup will consist of a few veterans in Dylan Coleman, Wes Warnock, Brett Burrell and Brendan McCauley. Coleman, who received preseason NCBWA All-American honors this afternoon, led the Statesmen offensively with a .398 batting average, .697 slugging percentage, and 58 RBI, all of which ranked second in the conference. Warnock returns after batting .330 with 10 doubles and 26 rbis in 47 games played in the 2024 season. Burrell posted a .328 average with a .433 on-base percentage and 28 runs driven in.
• On the Mound DSU returns the duo of Logan Eldridge and Drake Fontenot as starters from a year ago. Eldridge led the pitching staff with a 3.86 ERA in 79.1 innings pitched, while Fontenot recorded a 5.85 ERA in 80.0 innings pitched. The duo combined for 129 strikeouts.

Scouting the Sailfish

• Palm Beach Atlantic enters the season picked tenth in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Sailfish are coming off a 21-25 overall record in 2025 and 17-13 in league play. The 17 conference wins are the most under 13-year head coach Kent Bottenfield. 
• The Sailfish return their top two hitters in Matthew Faranda and Ben Green. Faranda led all Sailfish hitters in the 2024 season with a .368 batting average with 15 doubles and an OPS of .888.
• On the mound, the Sailfish return senior starting pitcher Derek Langfelder. The Wyckhoff, N.J., native had a 3.84 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 12 starts holding a 4-2 record in 68 innings pitched. Langfelder held his opponents to a .238 batting average

Scouting the Sharks

• Nova Southeastern enters this season tied for second in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, third in the NCBWA South Region Poll, and ranked 22^nd in the NCBWA Preseason Poll. In 2024, the Sharks finished with a 28-18 record and in third place in the Sunshine State Conference.
• The Sharks return two NCBWA Preseason All-South region honorees in Justin Wachs and Boris Pena. Wachs led the Sharks in hits (59) and runs (45), while finishing tied for second in home runs (7), second in runs batted in (35), batting average (0.353). and total bases (93), and third in doubles (9). Pena hit a team-high nine home runs, while driving in 38 runs and collecting 96 total bases. Pena finished third on the team in batting average (0.346), hits (56) and doubles (11).
• On the mound, the Sharks are returning their top reliever in Keyler Gonzalez. Gonzalez held a 2.51 era with a 2-1 record in 18 appearances for NSU with two saves, while striking out 36 hitters and held opponents to a .196 batting average

Scouting the Fighting Knights

• Lynn enters the 2025 campaign picked sixth in the Sunshine State Conference and are receiving votes in the NCBWA South Region Poll. In 2024, Lynn finished the season with a 23-27 overall record and a 9-21 SSC record.
• This season, Lynn will be returning All-SSC standouts Shawn Dougherty, Cole Fowler, David Judge, and Leon Paulino. Paulino (12), Dougherty (8) and Fowler (7) led Lynn in home runs a year ago while each hit over .300 and posted an OPS north of .900. While Judge battled injuries in 2024, he hit .360 with nine homers and a team-high 1.025 OPS in 2023.
• On the mound for the Fighting Knights with a core group of returning pitchers, including senior right-handers Nathan Shane, Hunter Shew, Bryce Pratt and Austin Barnao. Shane held a 3-5 record in 15 starts in the 2024 season with a 4.60 ERA with 45 strikeouts. Shew had 11 appearances in relief for the Fighting Knights where hey had a save and 18 strikeouts with a 3-0 record. Pratt posted a 3-1 record with a 1.54 ERA and 17 strikeouts. Barnao appeared in 13 games for the Fighting Knights with a 2-2 record and 27 strikeouts.