JU baseball team has found a way to tie Stetson for ASUN lead despite injuries, illnesses

The Jacksonville University baseball team has gone through a series of injuries this season that have cost them their top returning offensive player (Blake DeLamielleure), one of the nation's best relief pitchers (Chris Lotito) and one of their most promising finds in the transfer portal (versatile infielder Tyrell Brewer).

In addition, the 2023 ASUN freshman of the year and consensus freshman All-American pitcher Evan Chrest has been ineffective and several key players were lost for the most recent ASUN series against North Alabama because of a stomach virus.

But as usual for a Chris Hayes-coached team, the Dolphins shake off adversity and find ways to win.

After beating North Alabama 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday with a walk-off single by Episcopal graduate Clayton Hodges (driving in Bartram Trail graduate and sophomore second baseman Justin Nadeau), JU is tied with Stetson for first place in the ASUN and is the only team to have won every three-game conference series.

The Dolphins (15-16, 9-3) battled back from their most lopsided ASUN loss of the season on Friday (9-1) to beat the Lions in the next two games to stay deadlocked with the Hatters in terms of won-loss record. But JU currently holds a head-to-head tiebreaker with Stetson by taking a three-game set in March two games to one.

Losing Blake DeLamielleure was an early blow

"We've had a ton of adversity," Hayes said. "We haven't had our entire lineup healthy and we're still trying to figure out some roles. But it's the group as a whole. There are a lot of really good leaders on this team and we've had some moments we've played pretty well to get to this point, despite all the adversity we've faced."

The most devastating loss was DeLamielleure, a senior who led JU with a .302 average and 15 doubles last season. He injured his hip running the bases in the second game of the season against Cincinnati and underwent surgery on April 5. He will miss the rest of the season.

Lotito, who led the ASUN with 14 saves last season, hasn't pitched since March 23 because of a shoulder injury. Brewer, who was on track to be the team's everyday third baseman, hit .344 in his first nine games before suffering a broken hand.

Justin Nadeau has emerged as JU’s offensive leader

In all three cases, the Dolphins have had players step up.

Redshirt freshman right-hander Isaac Williams (2-1), a Fleming Island graduate, has a 1.88 ERA and five saves in 14 appearances.

Junior Aidan Masters, redshirt freshman Tanner Zellem (a Bolles graduate), freshman Jackson Westmoreland and junior Tyler Hinrikus have been JU's third basemen by committee since Brewer went out. In conference play they have combined to hit .275 with seven runs, 10 RBI and only one error in the field.

Hodges, a redshirt sophomore, is also progressing. He's hitting .269 but has gone 10 for 29 (.345) in his last nine games. His game-winning single on Sunday is his second walk-off hit of the season.

But no one has carried a load like Nadeau, who leads JU with a .404 average and 44 hits, and is second on the team in OPS (1.032), runs (34), RBI (22) and stolen bases (10 of 11).

Nadeau is also second in the ASUN in hitting and sixth in runs. He's made only one error in the field.

Both Nadeau and Hayes said there was no special emphasis placed on carrying more of the offensive load — despite the fact that he's hitting 110 points higher, has scored only two fewer runs and has eight fewer RBI than his 2023 totals with 23 regular season games remaining.

"I feel like I've matured at the plate," Nadeau said. "Each day I'm working on my routine, trying to be consistent ... the same person showing up at the ballpark. I'm blessed to have this role but I'm not thinking that far into it. I'm only trying to be the player I am, show up every day and have fun."

Nadeau has become a student of hitting

Hayes said Nadeau would have the same expectations of himself whether DeLamielleure was healthy or not.

"He's a little more focused, not with just making contact but trying to do some damage," Hayes said. "He's being more selective and getting better pitches to hit. Going into this year, it was going to be Blake and Justin and some other guys. It was going to be their team and they were going to take the brunt of the offensive production. I hate it for Blake. We wish he was healthy. But Justin has done a great job of picking up those pieces."

Nadeau said he's become more of a student of the game, studying pitchers' tendencies and relying on scouting reports from hitting coach Colby Bortles that he said "are amazing."

"I'm going to go up there and compete and put the ball in play and try to be a hard out," he said. "If it means hitting with some pop or just getting on base, that's my role."

He's also been at his best in conference games. Nadeau is hitting .435 in ASUN games (20 of 46), with 21 runs scored.

Players are getting healthy, just in time

The Dolphins may start getting players back soon, realizing Hayes' vision of the type of team he built before the season began. Outfielder Abdriel Delgado (.273), shortstop Cade Hentz and catcher Nick DeLisi missed recent games with the stomach virus and hopes are that Brewer will be available at some point.

Chrest, who was 8-2 with a 2.68 ERA last season, is coming off his best outing of a difficult season on Sunday against North Alabama. He did not give up an earned run for the first time this season and struck out five batters in 4.2 innings. He still walked four and threw 99 pitches.

The Dolphins are on the road for their next four games, a weekend series at Austin Peay (April 12-14) and a single game at Florida (April 16) — 27 days after JU beat the Gators 7-6.

They return home April 19-21 for the River City Rumble series against North Florida (16-13, 6-6).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Justin Nadeau among JU players carrying the load to top of the ASUN