Congratulations to Dakota Julylia on earning ASUN Conference All-Freshman Team honors during the 2016 Spring season. Former-Rocket Julylia has been a solid everyday infielder for the Dolphins as he complimented his defensive value with a .294 batting average and 20 RBI’s in 51 games. Best of luck to Dakota and the rest of the Dolphins as they enter conference tournament play this week.
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MACON, Ga. – The Jacksonville University baseball team placed three members on the All-Atlantic Sun First Team, one on the Second Team, and three on the All-Freshman squad. Nathan Disch, JJ Gould, and Austin Hays were named to the First Team, Spencer Stockton to the Second Team, and Mike Cassala, Mike Schappell, and Dakota Julylia were among 13 honorees on the All-Freshman Team. All selections were made by the league’s coaches.
Disch, a junior starting pitcher Appleton, Wis., pitched to an ERA of 3.32, good for sixth-lowest in the A-Sun. He went 5-3 in 13 starts with one complete game. Disch tallied 58 strikeouts (11th in A-Sun) in a team-high 81.1 innings, fifth-most in the A-Sun. Opponents hit just .238 off Disch, who allowed 70 hits on the season.
Gould was a consistent presence in the Dolphins’ three-hole and led the team with 18 doubles. He hit at a .335 average, homered nine times, drove in 36 runs, and went 9-11 in stolen bases. The Sarasota, Fla., native led JU with a .443 on-base percentage and his 29 walks tied Sam Armstrong for the team lead. The starting senior shortstop made 124 assists and helped turned 32 of the team’s 49 double plays.
Hays, a unanimous selection hailing from Port Orange, Fla., led the conference with 14 home runs. His 16 doubles and two triples in his 73 hits led to a .631 slugging percentage. Hays led Jacksonville with a .341 average, 40 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. The junior was flawless in right field, with no errors, seven assists, and 128 put-outs.
Spencer Stockton, a sophomore from Wellington, Fla., pitched to a 2.88 ERA, good for third-lowest amongst qualified starters in the A-Sun. He went 5-4 in 14 appearances and 12 starts, and led the team with two complete games. He worked 72 frames, gave up 23 earned runs, and struck out 43 batters. Opponents hit .254 off Stockton.
Cassala, a Bold City native, tied the JU single-season record with 12 saves. The closer made 20 relief appearances and complied a 3.68 ERA. He worked 22 innings and tallied 14 strikeouts. He also made 16 starts at catcher. Cassala hit .296 and totaled nine RBI with one double, triple, and home run.
Schappell was a key member of Jacksonville’s highly-successful bullpen. The Miami, Fla., native, went 5-2 and sported a 1.93 ERA and made one save. He worked 42 innings and allowed 27 hits and nine earned runs. The opposition only hit .181 off Schappell, who fanned 29 batters and walked 13.
Julylia ended the season on a tear, and raised his clip to .294. The everyday second baseman started 49 games and totaled 50 hits with seven doubles and 20 RBI. The Lake Worth, Fla., native carried a .348 on-base percentage, and fielded at a .968 rate.
Jacksonville begins the 2016 Atlantic Sun Championship as the third seed and plays fourth-seeded Lipscomb Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.