JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UNF Baseball has gotten a major power surge this season from an unlikely source.
Freshman shortstop Alex Lodise, a former Bartram Trail Bear, has been knocking the cover off the ball and he's just getting started.
Lodise was a home run hitter before he even put on an Ospreys uniform.
According to UNF Spinnaker sports reporter Jacob Justice, Lodise belted 24 homers his senior year at Bartram Trail.
Lodise committed to UNF mostly because it gave him the opportunity to play close to home so his parents could be at most of his games.
He had to compete to earn the starting shortstop job and says earning the starting spot gave him a lot more confidence, which he believes has translated to his approach at the plate.
Lodise says he's seeing the ball better than he ever has and his stats this season, 9 home runs and 23 RBIs, back that up.
"I did not expect to have nine home runs and be hitting this well. I was always a defensive guy and my job was to be a defensive lockdown at short and if I hit, I hit. And something clicked and I've been walking more and hitting better and playing defense good too recently and just trying to help the team really," Lodise said.
Lodise spent part of his childhood in Trenton, New Jersey so it's no surprise he's a huge Yankees fan.
When asked who his favorite major league player is, Lodise didn't hesitate to say Derek Jeter.
Lodise says it would be a dream to one day put on the pinstripes.