WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Tuesday, April 7 at 5 p.m.: Polk State College (25-18) at South Florida State College (18-24)

Thursday, April 9 at 3 p.m.: Polk State (25-18, 12-12 Citrus Conference) at Miami Dade College (23-14-1, 15-8-1 Citrus Conference)

Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.: Miami Dade College (23-14-1, 15-8-1 Citrus Conference) at Polk State (25-18, 12-12 Citrus Conference)

PREVIEW

• With three Citrus Conference series left, Polk State is 1.5 games back of fifth place in the conference. The top five teams advance to the FCSAA Tournament. Miami Dade College is in third place.

• Polk State picked up its first shutout win of the season with a 5-0 victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against Santa Fe College. Ronald Causby gave the Eagles six shutout innings of three-hit baseball on the mound. Aiden Dolan retired the final three hitters to seal the win.

• Polk State is one of just two teams in the FCSAA with three different pitchers who have multiple saves. Hayden Porter leads the team with four saves while Dolan and Anthony Schatz each have two. State College of Florida is the only other school with three different players who have at least two saves.

• Jack Muller and Hayden Testerman are tied for the team lead for Polk State and each rank seventh in the FCSAA with 13 doubles. Marvin Montengero is one behind with 12 doubles. Montenegro ranks ninth in the FCSAA with a team-leading 42 RBIs.

• Polk State and South Florida State College split the first two meetings between the teams this year. The Eagles won 5-4 in Auburndale on Jan. 24. The Panthers shut out the Eagles 9-0 at Bing Tyus Yard on Feb. 17.

• Miami Dade College's Willy Mendez is a player to watch. For the year, he's hitting .372 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs. Polk State won two of the three meetings with the Sharks last season.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 9 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.: No. 14 Miami Dade College (21-14, 13-11 Citrus Conference) at Polk State College (18-22, 10-14 Citrus Conference)

PREVIEW

• With doubleheader sweeps of No. 20 Daytona State College and St. Petersburg College last week, Polk State is now just three games back of Daytona State and Miami Dade College for fifth place in the Citrus Conference. The four-game winning streak is the longest for the Eagles in conference since the FCSAA realigned in 2023.

• Kirsten Aldridge homered twice in the first game of last week's doubleheader against Daytona State College, giving her nine bombs for the season. She now ranks seventh in the FCSAA in that category and is one homer shy of becoming the first Polk State player to hit 10 home runs in a season since 2014.

• After a bit of a slow start, Emma Kaylor is finding her groove at the plate. Kaylor homered in three straight games last week, including a grand slam in a 6-5 win over Daytona State. Kaylor is now tied with Makenzie Foster and Lacey Osborne for third on the team with four homers this season.

• Polk State picked up its first Citrus Conference shutout last week, topping St. Petersburg College, 2-0. Avery Wende went 6.1 innings of shutout ball. Wende is 3-1 and has a 1.60 ERA over her last five starts. 

• Miami Dade swept Polk State in the doubleheader when the teams met in South Florida on March 3. The Eagles did win both games last season when the Sharks concluded the regular season in Winter Haven. 

• Miami Dade's Caroline Mito leads the nation with a .567 batting average this season. In the doubleheader against Polk State last month, Mito went 4-for-7 over the two games with five RBIs and three runs scored.