STU BASEBALL IMPROVES TO 20-5 WITH 2ND STRAIGHT SHUTOUT

3/13/2012 10:02:00 AM

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The St. Thomas baseball team is off to one of its strongest starts in school history with a 20-5 record, an .800 winning percentage, through the first 25 games of the 2012 season. With their most recent win, a 5-0 shutout of NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic on Monday night, the Bobcats have won 11 of their last 13 games. With the win, the Bobcats also improved to an impressive 9-2 against NCAA opponents.

The 5-0 win over NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic marked the second consecutive shutout and the third shutout in the last nine games by the STU pitching staff. Opponents are batting a mere .256 against the Bobcats who have allowed just nine home runs in the 25 games. Freshman ace Emilio Ogando (1.84 ERA with three hits allowed over last 13 innings) and senior closer Dane Stone (eight saves and an 1.69 ERA) have put up dominant numbers.

The STU offense, led by seniors Joel Capote and Victor Madrazo , has been equally as potent with a team batting average of .380 and an average of over eight runs per game. Capote is hitting an incredible .510 with five home runs from the leadoff spot. Madrazo is hitting .401 and leads the team with 30 RBI.

The Bobcats now must gear up for the second half of their season and the bulk of conference play. First up is a three-game home series beginning Friday vs. Warner, followed by conference series against USC Beaufort, Webber International, Southeastern, Embry-Riddle and Florida Memorial. The remaining non-conference schedule includes a home game vs. Barry, a road trips to Palm Beach Atlantic and a visit to Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables to take on the 11^th ranked NCAA Division I University of Miami.

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