BSB Week 3: Raiders Set for Busy Week with Road Test, Home Opener on Deck
LINKS: Coastal-AB Live Stream | NWF Live Stream | NWF Game Changer
NICEVILLE, Fla. — Shadow or no shadow, Northwest Florida State baseball is moving forward as the Raiders prepare for a packed week of action. Northwest Florida heads to Bay Minette, Alabama, on Tuesday to face Coastal Alabama-South before returning home for its 2026 home opener Friday and Saturday against Motlow State.
The Raiders are coming off a challenging week at the Visit PCB JUCO Classic, where they dropped three of four games after opening the tournament with a one-run win over No. 12 John A. Logan. Northwest Florida suffered two one-run losses and an extra-inning defeat during the event but now looks to reset and regain momentum with five games on tap this week, including four at home.
Who, When, Where
Northwest Florida opens the week Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in Bay Minette, Ala., with a single nine-inning contest against Coastal Alabama-South. The matchup was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was moved up due to expected weather.
Following Tuesday's road game, the Raiders return home for the first time this season to host Motlow State in a pair of seven-inning doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
Thursday, February 3
• 1:00 p.m. — No. 20 Northwest Florida vs. Coastal Alabama-South
Friday, February 6
• 12:00 p.m. (DH) — No. 20 Northwest Florida vs. Motlow State
• 3:00 p.m. (DH) — No. 20 Northwest Florida vs. Motlow State
Saturday, February 7
• 12:00 p.m. (DH) — No. 20 Northwest Florida vs. Motlow State
• 3:00 p.m. (DH) — No. 20 Northwest Florida vs. Motlow State
Last Week
Northwest Florida traveled to Panama City last week to compete in the Perfect Game Visit PCB JUCO Classic, finishing the week 1–3. The Raiders opened the event with a dramatic 7–6 victory over No. 12 John A. Logan before falling in extra innings to No. 8 Florence-Darlington (5–1), followed by one-run losses to Indian River (7–6) and Eastern Florida (4–3).
Despite the results, several Raiders turned in strong individual performances. Orlando Fernandez led the team with six hits on the week, adding two extra-base hits, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk. Anthony Quigley paced the offense with a team-high seven RBIs and two home runs, highlighted by a first-inning grand slam in Thursday's opener.
On the mound, Brooks Mueller and Bradley Garrett were dominant in Thursday's loss to Florence-Darlington, combining for 7.0 innings of two-hit, one-run baseball while striking out 12 hitters, six apiece. Alex Kruse provided solid relief on Friday, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while Anthony St. Vincent earned the save in the win over John A. Logan, allowing one hit with no runs and one strikeout.
Additional Notes
• Hunter Tarchalski and Orlando Fernandez have been red-hot at the plate through the first two weeks. Tarchalski is batting .667 with 12 hits, one home run, and four RBIs, while Fernandez is hitting .478 with 11 hits, five extra-base hits, two home runs, and eight RBIs.
• Anthony Quigley is another hot bat for the Raiders right now, batting .333 on the year with six hits, a pair of home runs and nine RBIs.
• Brooks Mueller has yet to allow a run in two appearances, totaling 4.2 innings with nine strikeouts and just five hits allowed.
• Northwest Florida's offense ranks among the NJCAA leaders, sitting fourth in hits (72), 13th in doubles (10), sixth in triples (3), fifth in home runs (8), 11th in RBIs (43), ninth in extra-base hits (21), sixth in total bases (112), 18th in walks (28), and ninth in stolen bases (15).
• The Raiders' 4–0 start marked the program's best season-opening stretch in Doug Martin's 18 years as head coach.