AUBURN, Ala. – Isaiah Barkett and Jonathan Gonzalez led the way as Stetson rolled to an 11-2 victory over NC State in the opening round of the NCAA Auburn Regional Friday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
The Hatters (41-20) exploded for seven runs in the first inning, marking their biggest opening frame of the season, and never looked back, posting their highest scoring performance in a Regional game since the Regional finals in 2018. The win was also Stetson's first in a Regional opener since 2018 and their third all-time over NC State, the both coming in 2011.
"Today's a great day for Hatter Baseball and Hatter Nation," Head Coach Steve Trimper said. "We came out today and got a great team win. Our guys played extremely hard… there are a lot of good things to talk about."
Senior southpaw Jonathan Gonzalez turned in a strong outing on the mound, tossing six shutout innings. He scattered five hits, issued three walks, and struck out four to earn his 10th win of the season.
Barkett sparked the Hatters' offense with a 3-for-4 performance that included three doubles, two walks, and four RBIs. His first-inning two-run double highlighted a 11-batter frame that also featured a two-run single from Evan Griffis, who finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs. Sophomore catcher Salvador Alvarez chipped in with a hit, a walk, and two RBIs as well.
"Today was special," Barkett said. "This is my home now, and I get to play baseball with my best friends every single day… So this plan to be here and play them (NC State), it was meant to be. The way the guys rallied behind me today was awesome."
Stetson added a run in the fifth on Alvarez's RBI single, then made it 9-0 in the eighth when Barkett scored on a groundout by Lorenzo Meola. The Wolfpack finally broke through with two runs in the bottom half of the eighth, but the Hatters responded in the ninth as Barkett laced his third double of the game, this one bringing home Griffis and Landon Russell to make it 11-2.
"If you look up and down that lineup, there are a lot of hits from our seven, eight and nine guys," Trimper said. "There's a lot of experience on this team from last year. We came into this thing with a little bit of experience playing a great ball club. NC State is coming off a College World Series appearance… It's a great win for our program, a great team win for these guys who have poured all their blood, sweat and tears to lead this team both on and off the field."
With the win, Stetson advances to the winner's bracket and will face the winner of Auburn vs. Central Connecticut State. First pitch is set for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. CT / 9:00 p.m. ET