Stetson is the third seed in the Auburn Regional, and here is a deep dive on the Hatters ahead of their matchup with No. 2 NC State on Friday.
Stetson's Season Summary
Stetson finished with a 40-20 overall record and a 24-6 record in the ASUN Conference. Stetson finished first in the Graphite Division in the ASUN. Stetson was later named the ASUN Co-Champions with FGCU after the game was rained out in the 7th inning, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.
Stetson's Team Stats
RPI Ranking: 63rd
Home Game Record: 20-8
Away Game Record: 14-10
Team ERA: 4.22 (18th Nationally)
Fielding Percentage: 0.977 (29th Nationally)
Stetson's Key Players
Jonathan Gonzalez (RHP)
ASUN Pitcher of the Year
9-2 Record, 2.26 ERA, 101 Strikeouts
Allowed 64 hits and 23 runs
Ty Van Dyke (RHP)
ASUN Relief Pitcher of the Year
7-0 Record, 1.45 ERA, & 65 Strikeouts
28 Hits and 7 Runs Allowed
65 Strikeouts (2nd Best on Team)
Lorenzo Meola (SS)
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year
.311 BA, 11 HR (Leads Team), 41 RBIs (Tied 1st on Team), 44 R, 64 H
Two-way player
.980 fielding percentage
0.925 OPS
Jordan Taylor (OF)
Won Co-MVP of ASUN Tournament
.308 BA, 7 HR (2nd Best on Team), 41 RBIs (Tied 1st on Team)
45 Runs and 70 Hits
.489 SLG (2nd Best on Team)
16 Doubles (1st on Team)
Isaiah Barkett (3B)
.380 BA (Leads Team), 2 HR, 27 RBIs, 53 Runs, and 79 Hits
30 Stolen Bases (Leads Team) & .450 OBP (Leads Team)
Juan De La Cruz (2B)
.302 BA, 4 HR, 37 RBIs, 44 Run and 51 Hits
28 Stolen Bases & .411 OBP (2nd Best on Team)
Stetson Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Strong pitching with ASUN Pitcher of the Year Gonzalez and ASUN Relief Pitcher of the Year Van Dyke.
Tied for 18th nationally in stolen bases at 128 on the season.
Strong defense led by ASUN DPOTY Lorenzo Meola.
Weaknesses
Depth: Only 5 batters with a BA of .300 or above.
Inexperienced pitchers: Behind Gonzalez and Van Dyke, there next 3 best pitchers are sophomores.
Lack of experience: Outside of the 2024 season, Stetson hasn't made a regional since the 2018 season.
Keys to the Game for Stetson vs. NC State
Gonzalez must have a dominant performance to slow down NC State batting.
Van Dyke needs to be a lock down closer.
Stealing as many bases as possible, doing so could stress NC State's defense and force unwanted errors.
Error free defense will be key.
Stetson's Season Summary
Stetson finished with a 40-20 overall record and a 24-6 record in the ASUN Conference. Stetson finished first in the Graphite Division in the ASUN. Stetson was later named the ASUN Co-Champions with FGCU after the game was rained out in the 7th inning, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.
Stetson's Team Stats
RPI Ranking: 63rd
Home Game Record: 20-8
Away Game Record: 14-10
Team ERA: 4.22 (18th Nationally)
Fielding Percentage: 0.977 (29th Nationally)
Stetson's Key Players
Jonathan Gonzalez (RHP)
ASUN Pitcher of the Year
9-2 Record, 2.26 ERA, 101 Strikeouts
Allowed 64 hits and 23 runs
Ty Van Dyke (RHP)
ASUN Relief Pitcher of the Year
7-0 Record, 1.45 ERA, & 65 Strikeouts
28 Hits and 7 Runs Allowed
65 Strikeouts (2nd Best on Team)
Lorenzo Meola (SS)
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year
.311 BA, 11 HR (Leads Team), 41 RBIs (Tied 1st on Team), 44 R, 64 H
Two-way player
.980 fielding percentage
0.925 OPS
Jordan Taylor (OF)
Won Co-MVP of ASUN Tournament
.308 BA, 7 HR (2nd Best on Team), 41 RBIs (Tied 1st on Team)
45 Runs and 70 Hits
.489 SLG (2nd Best on Team)
16 Doubles (1st on Team)
Isaiah Barkett (3B)
.380 BA (Leads Team), 2 HR, 27 RBIs, 53 Runs, and 79 Hits
30 Stolen Bases (Leads Team) & .450 OBP (Leads Team)
Juan De La Cruz (2B)
.302 BA, 4 HR, 37 RBIs, 44 Run and 51 Hits
28 Stolen Bases & .411 OBP (2nd Best on Team)
Stetson Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Strong pitching with ASUN Pitcher of the Year Gonzalez and ASUN Relief Pitcher of the Year Van Dyke.
Tied for 18th nationally in stolen bases at 128 on the season.
Strong defense led by ASUN DPOTY Lorenzo Meola.
Weaknesses
Depth: Only 5 batters with a BA of .300 or above.
Inexperienced pitchers: Behind Gonzalez and Van Dyke, there next 3 best pitchers are sophomores.
Lack of experience: Outside of the 2024 season, Stetson hasn't made a regional since the 2018 season.
Keys to the Game for Stetson vs. NC State
Gonzalez must have a dominant performance to slow down NC State batting.
Van Dyke needs to be a lock down closer.
Stealing as many bases as possible, doing so could stress NC State's defense and force unwanted errors.
Error free defense will be key.
