The Eastern Florida State College baseball team will host the State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota at Bruce Bochy Field on Thursday, April 2, 2026, starting at 5 p.m. The game is the first of a three-game Citrus Conference series. EFSC comes into the matchup with an 8-13 conference record after a recent series win against Indian River State College. The Titans are hitting .295 this season, led by junior Andrew Prieto, who is batting .386 in 30 games. Sophomore Bryce Jackson adds .322 with 33 RBI and two home runs.
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota enters the series with a 13-8 conference record, sitting third in the standings. The Manatees are hitting .322 this season, tied for fourth in the state, and received votes in the latest NJCAA Division I National Poll. Senior Dominic Woodward leads the team offensively, though specific stats for him were not provided in the latest report. The series will be a key opportunity for both teams to solidify their positions in the conference race.
Bruce Bochy Field, located on the EFSC campus in Melbourne, has been a consistent venue for the Titans' home games this season. The stadium has a capacity of 2,500 and has hosted several high-profile matchups in the Citrus Conference. Attendance has been steadily increasing, with last week's game against Indian River drawing over 1,200 fans. The Thursday game is expected to be another sellout, with tickets available for purchase online through the EFSC athletics website.
This series marks the first of three consecutive matchups between EFSC and Manatee-Sarasota this season. The teams have a history of competitive games, with the Manatees holding a slight edge in their last meeting in February. Head coach for EFSC, Jason Smith, emphasized the importance of the series in a recent press conference, stating, 'This is a chance for our team to prove we can compete with the best in the conference.' The outcome of the series could significantly impact the Titans' playoff hopes later in the season.