The Eastern Florida State College baseball team will open a Citrus Conference series with Indian River State College on Thursday. The Titans, who are 6-12 in conference play, will travel to Indian River State College for the first game of a three-game series at 5 p.m. Indian River State College is 8-10 in the conference and has lost two straight games heading into the series.
Niko Benestad leads the Titans with a .380 batting average. Andy Schroeder has eight home runs and 32 RBIs for Indian River. Javi Miranda is scheduled to start the first game for EFSC. Miranda pitched six shutout innings against Polk State College earlier this season, allowing just three hits.
EFSC's Andrew Prieto is hitting .379 with two home runs. Bryce Jackson is hitting .324 and has driven in a team-leading 31 runs. The teams will return to Bruce Bochy Field on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
The series is part of the Titans' effort to improve their conference standings. Indian River State College has struggled in recent games, losing to Palm Beach State and Polk State in their last two outings. EFSC coach Brian Dill expects a competitive series. 'Indian River is a strong team,' Dill said. 'We have to be ready to play every game.'
The teams will meet again on Saturday at Bruce Bochy Field. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. The series concludes on Sunday with a single game. Tickets are available for all three games.