MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference season continues for the Falcons this week with a three-game slate against West Florida, Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13.
 
After a tough week on the road, the Falcons dropped out of the NCBWA South Region rankings this week but are still receiving votes.
 
UM's weekend opponent, West Florida, hit a rough patch last week as well with a series loss to Union. The Argonauts fell two spots in the region poll from No. 4 to No. 6.

Montevallo enters with a 21-17 overall record and a 12-9 record inside the Gulf South Conference. The Falcons return home with an 11-6 mark at Kermit A. Johnson Field and Bob Riesener Stadium this year.
 
The Argonauts bring a 23-14 record and 14-7 mark in GSC play to Montevallo this weekend. West Florida is 8-8 on the road this season.
 
Montevallo currently sits in sixth place in the GSC standings with just three weeks remaining while UWF is in fourth.

Head Coach Chandler Rose will roll out starting pitchers  Adiel Melendez, Gino Cozzi and Logan Samuels against the Argonauts, all with over nine starts under their belt this season.
 
The weekend series is also Alumni Weekend and will feature a special dedication to Dr. Harry C. Hamilton on Friday, April 12 at 4 p.m.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Game 1
WHO: Montevallo 21-17 (12-9 GSC) | West Florida 23-14 (14-7 GSC)
WHEN: Friday, Apr. 12, 5 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, AL
Game 2
WHO: Montevallo 21-17 (12-9 GSC) | West Florida 23-14 (14-7 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, April 13, 12 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, AL
Game 3
WHO: Montevallo 21-17 (12-9 GSC) | West Florida 23-14 (14-7 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, April 13, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, AL
 
So Far This Season…
 
With three weeks to go in the regular season, the Falcons face three GSC series, first with West Florida.
Montevallo is looking to bounce back and snap a five-game losing streak – the longest of the year. Before dropping five straight the Falcons rattled off eight straight GSC wins from Mar. 10 to Mar. 29. The series loss to Valdosta to end the win streak was just the second conference series loss of the year and first at home. The ensuing road sweep at Shorter marked the first three-game sweep of the year and the first three-game sweep since 2021.
 
Around the GSC the UM's recent stretch has seen team fall out of the top-five on the bump and at the dish with a 5.66 team ERA and a .297 batting average. Montevallo still remains one of the top scoring teams in the league, though, with the fourth most runs scored (274) and fourth-most homers (43). Montevallo continues to lead the league in hit-by-pitch with 91 on the year.
 
Overall, this year runs are hard to come by, but last week's series saw the Falcons fall from fifth to eighth in runs allowed around the GSC. Strikeouts remain a bright spot for UM hurlers, however, with a league-second-best 294 this season.
 
Scouting West Florida:

West Florida remains a top-four team in the GSC standings but enters the weekend series with Montevallo following a series loss to Union. The Argonauts have lost two of their last three GSC series. UWF opened conference play strong with series wins over UAH, Mississippi College and CBU but dropped matchups with Delta state (2-1) and Union (2-1).
 
UWF is top-five at the plate and on the mound this year with a .305 batting average and a league-leading 4.30 ERA.
 
Series History Against West Florida:
 
The Falcons are 18-24 against the Argos since 2006 but lead the series 13-9 at home. UWF has taken the last four matchups over UM, all in 2023. The Falcons took a 4-3 win over West Florida to open the series in Pensacola last year but dropped the next two. Additionally, UM fell to the Argos in the GSC tournament and the NCAA South Region tournament. UWF last made the trip to Montevallo in 2022, in which the Falcons swept the series.  
 
Player Highlights Montevallo:
 
Connor Crowson leads the Falcons with a .364 batting average as he has 52 hits on the season including seven long balls and 35 RBI.
 
Ethan Huddleston is tied for the team lead in homers with seven homers and has a team-high .610 slugging percentage. Evan Liddie is the top base stealer for UM and is 12^th in the league with 11 swipes on the year.
 
Gino Cozzi is seventh in the conference with five victories, first with the third-fewest hits allowed and is ninth with 49 punchouts. Cozzi holds his batters to league-best .212 batting average. Logan Samuels leads the GSC with 56 K's on the year In the back of the bullpen, Chris Foster and Connor Phelan have combined for eight saves this season and have only allowed 17 earned runs combined. The Falcons have a GSC-leading 12 K's as a team.
 
Player Highlights West Florida:
 
West Florida boasts the top pitching staff in the GSC, led by Kade Manderscheid with a 2.53 ERA and 7-1 record. He also had 53 punchouts.
 
Darrien McDowell leads the Argos at the plate with a .420 batting average, 14 doubles and a league-leading 14 homers.