Baseball Game Preview: Gulf Coast Sharks vs. Island Coast Gators

Gulf Coast and Island Coast are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. Gulf Coast will challenge Island Coast at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Gulf Coast is headed into the game having just suffered their closest loss since April 30, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Barron Collier by a score of 4-2.

Colton Schlief

Hits Against

03/17/25 vs Venice	6
03/03/25 vs IMG Academy Black	6
02/11/25 vs Estero	4
03/11/25 @ Nova	3
03/21/25 @ Barron Collier	1
+ 1 more games

Gulf Coast got a good showing from Colton Schlief, who tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Schlief is becoming a predictor of Gulf Coast's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 3-1 (and 5-7 when he doesn't).

Even though they lost, Gulf Coast hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. This was only their first loss (out of three games) when they post two or more strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Island Coast was able to grind out a solid victory over Naples on Wednesday, taking the game 8-3.

Bobby Wilenius tossed a big game, tossing six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in May of 2024.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Austin Schoolcraft, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jayven Torres, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Gulf Coast has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-8 record this season. Island Coast's record now sits at 13-4.