Friday, February 21
JACKSONVILLE
3:00 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
Akron
Jax State Hosts Akron At The Jim This Weekend
2/20/2025 1:17:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE - Jacksonville State wraps up the season-opening homestand with a three-game series with Akron on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The series begins on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. followed by 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday.
With the early-season weather playing havoc with the schedule, the Gamecocks were originally scheduled to face Georgia State this weekend, but with the forecast, a series between the Zips and UT Martin was scheduled for Martin, Tennessee. Due to the weather, the Zips will come to Jacksonville, while the UTM will visit Georgia State this weekend.
Gameday Info
Friday, Feb. 21 (3 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (0-0, 0.00 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Akron: Jared Schaeffer (0-0, 9.00 ERA), RHP, Jr.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Saturday, Feb. 22 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Karson Bonaparte (0-1, 5.40 ERA), RHP, Jr.
Akron: Jack Kelly (0-0, 9.00 ERA), RHP, Sr.
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, Feb. 23 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (1-0, 0.00 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Akron: Landon Vandergriff (0-0, 4.50 ERA), RHP, Fr.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORYLINES
• Jax State enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak after taking the final two games of the season-opening set with Oakland and rallying for a 12-6 win on Tuesday against Samford in the first midweek test. The Zips, who will play the first 12 games away from home, opened the 2025 season with a pair of wins over Radford.
• The weekend series with Akron will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the diamond. The Zips of Akron will become the eighth Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe that Jax State has faced. The Gamecocks have played 22 times previously against teams from the MAC, including a three-game series in 2024 against Kent State (1-2). Jax State has a 10-12 overall mark against the MAC, having played Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Western Michigan.
• Senior leftfielder Drew Collins has started the season hot, despite the frigid temps in February. Collins starts the weekend hitting .500 through five games, including three triples and a grand slam on Tuesday night. He finished the Samford game with a pair of triples and six RBI. As a team, the Gamecocks lead the nation in triples with seven through the first five games.
• The Gamecocks' pitching staff did not allow an Oakland run over the final 20 innings of the weekend, going back to the last two innings of the second game of the Opening Day double dip. Jax State's opening weekend pitching rotation allowed four total runs in 12.1 innings worked with just two earned runs by the Golden Grizzlies. The quartet struck out 16 and walked seven batter.
• Jax State, which posted 92 stolen bases as a club in 2024, were aggressive out of the 2025 gates on the base paths with 10-of-12 stolen bases in the season-opening weekend. Senior Drew Collins enters the weekend 20-for-20 in stolen bases as a Gamecock after going 17-for-17 in stolen bases last season and adding three in the first weekend of the 2025 season.
The series begins on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. followed by 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday.
With the early-season weather playing havoc with the schedule, the Gamecocks were originally scheduled to face Georgia State this weekend, but with the forecast, a series between the Zips and UT Martin was scheduled for Martin, Tennessee. Due to the weather, the Zips will come to Jacksonville, while the UTM will visit Georgia State this weekend.
Gameday Info
Friday, Feb. 21 (3 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (0-0, 0.00 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Akron: Jared Schaeffer (0-0, 9.00 ERA), RHP, Jr.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Saturday, Feb. 22 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Karson Bonaparte (0-1, 5.40 ERA), RHP, Jr.
Akron: Jack Kelly (0-0, 9.00 ERA), RHP, Sr.
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, Feb. 23 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (1-0, 0.00 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Akron: Landon Vandergriff (0-0, 4.50 ERA), RHP, Fr.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORYLINES
• Jax State enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak after taking the final two games of the season-opening set with Oakland and rallying for a 12-6 win on Tuesday against Samford in the first midweek test. The Zips, who will play the first 12 games away from home, opened the 2025 season with a pair of wins over Radford.
• The weekend series with Akron will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the diamond. The Zips of Akron will become the eighth Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe that Jax State has faced. The Gamecocks have played 22 times previously against teams from the MAC, including a three-game series in 2024 against Kent State (1-2). Jax State has a 10-12 overall mark against the MAC, having played Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Western Michigan.
• Senior leftfielder Drew Collins has started the season hot, despite the frigid temps in February. Collins starts the weekend hitting .500 through five games, including three triples and a grand slam on Tuesday night. He finished the Samford game with a pair of triples and six RBI. As a team, the Gamecocks lead the nation in triples with seven through the first five games.
• The Gamecocks' pitching staff did not allow an Oakland run over the final 20 innings of the weekend, going back to the last two innings of the second game of the Opening Day double dip. Jax State's opening weekend pitching rotation allowed four total runs in 12.1 innings worked with just two earned runs by the Golden Grizzlies. The quartet struck out 16 and walked seven batter.
• Jax State, which posted 92 stolen bases as a club in 2024, were aggressive out of the 2025 gates on the base paths with 10-of-12 stolen bases in the season-opening weekend. Senior Drew Collins enters the weekend 20-for-20 in stolen bases as a Gamecock after going 17-for-17 in stolen bases last season and adding three in the first weekend of the 2025 season.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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LHP
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OF
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LHP
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