SCF Baseball Sets for SPC

The SCF baseball team (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast) will now set their sights with St. Pete College (12-13, 2-4) for the next series in Suncoast Conference play. The series will begin at Wynn Field Friday night, March 13 at 6 pm. Game two will head to Clearwater Saturday afternoon, March 14 at 1 pm at Jack Russell Stadium before returning to Wynn Field Monday night, March 16 at 6 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees completed their second series of Suncoast play against Polk State, sweeping the series by scores of 5-0 (3/7), 14-2 (7) (3/9) and 5-0 (3/12). Following the result, the Manatees are currently in first place in the Suncoast.

Coronavirus:
As far as any updates with the Corona Virus on the campus, everything is still running it's normal operations including college activities.

21 to 300:
For head coach Tim Hill II, he is on another path to success as he goes for his 300th career win as head coach for the Manatees. Hill II is 21 wins away from reaching the milestone and has been head coach since the 2012-13 school year.

Hill II earned his first win as head coach on January 26, 2013 after defeating Chipola College 11-3. On March 20, 2015, he earned his 100th career win before earning his 200th on March 9, 2018 and his 250th on April 3, 2019.

Big Pitches:
On the mound, sophomores Jake Smith and Cole Ayers have been the main benefactors in the starting rotation.

Smith enters the series against SPC 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA and 59 strikeouts. In the series finale against Polk State, the upcoming Miami transfer threw a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. In fact, during that game, Smith held a no-hitter until it was broken in the sixth inning.

Ayers is currently 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 47 strikeouts. In the second game against Polk State, Ayers gave up two runs in five innings with eight strikeouts.

Freshman Daniel Batcher had one of his best games in the opening game against Polk State, throwing eight shutout innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts. Despite having a 4.36 ERA, Batcher is 2-2 with 35 strikeouts. Batcher was named the NJCAA Region 8 Baseball Pitcher of the Week as a result.

Hot Bats:
The bats from the Manatees have also been on a hot streak recently, predominantly from sophomore John Malcom and Jamarcus Lyons.

Malcom is currently batting .330 with a team-leading five home runs, 25 RBI and 18 walks. Against Polk State, Malcom finished the series 4-for-11 (.366) with a home run and four RBI.

Lyons is batting .333 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Lyons was 6-for-13 (.462) with a home run and three RBI against Polk State.

Freshmen Owen Ayers and Cameron Lee have also been swinging a hot bat as of late. Ayers is currently batting .344 with two home runs and 17 RBI, while primarily for his speed Lee is batting .222 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Lee finished 2-for-9 (.222) with a home run and four RBI against Polk State, while Ayers was 5-for-12 (.417) with two RBI. In fact, the home run Lee had was his first collegiate grand slam.

Suncoast Standings:

1. SCF (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast)

2. Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast)

3. Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast)

4. St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast)

5. South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast)

6. Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast)

Scouting SPC:
The Titans began Suncoast play losing the series to Hillsborough 2-1. In their series against South Florida State, the Titans claimed it winning game one (6-0) and game three (5-4).

Freshmen Gabriel Rincones and Chris Williams lead the Titans offensively. Rincones is batting a team-leading .432 with four home runs and 28 RBI, while Williams is batting .311 with four home runs and 21 RBI.

Freshman Channing Young is the Titans leading winner on the mound going 3-2 with a 5.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

Series History (2012-present):
Overall, the Manatees are 32-12 against the Titans. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2 overall with the sweep in the second series.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
SPC: @spcbaseball

Livestats link: http://gc.com/team-5a6aaa261d80b62ddd940749

#24 FGCU WBB vs UNF: A-SUN Semifinals Recap

Seniors Keri Jewett-Giles and Nasrin Ulel combined for 42 points to lead the No. 24 FGCU women's basketball team (30-3) to a 73-57 win over North Florida (16-15) in the A-SUN Championship semifinals on Wednesday inside Alico Arena.

"There's definitely a lot of bright spots," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said, "(such as) the way we came out in the second half, moved the ball and knocked down shots. We were getting open threes and had them spread out and got layups, which helped us extend the lead. Give North Florida credit. They kept fighting and kept coming at us. I thought we lost our defensive intensity and weren't running our offense (after that). Hopefully there's a lesson to be learned about finishing the game the way we want to."

With the win, the Eagles advance to the A-SUN Championship game for the ninth-consecutive season, which extends a conference record. They will face Liberty (20-11), who defeated North Alabama 90-87 in overtime to set up a rematch of last year's title tilt, at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The game is open to fans and tickets can be purchased online at FGCUtickets.com.

The triumph also gives FGCU its fourth 30-win season over the past six years and allows the Eagles a chance to tie Florida International's all-time A-SUN record with four straight conference tournament championships. As of now, the Green and Blue are just one of four to win three straight, and they improved the program's all-time conference tournament record to 24-2 (.923). On top of that, FGCU is now 48-13 (.787) all-time in the month of March (3-0 this year), and they are 27-3 against North Florida with six straight wins in the series, including 16-0 inside Alico Arena and 4-0 in the postseason.

As a team, FGCU racked up 11 more 3-pointers against North Florida to push its nation-best total to 397, which puts them three shy of becoming just the fourth team in NCAA Division I women's basketball history with at least 400 in a season. The 2017-18 version of the Eagles currently holds the all-time record with 431 with the 2014-15 Sacramento State (424) and 2017-18 DePaul (422) squads ranking­ second and third.

Offensively, the duo of  Jewett-Giles and Ulel produced FGCU's 14th and 15th all-time 20-plus point performances in A-SUN Championship play in Wednesday night's win.

Jewett-Giles, who had a game-high 22 points along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals, racked up her 70th career double-digit scoring performance, and it was the 19th time she's scored 20-or-more, which includes 12 this year alone.

Ulel, meanwhile, had 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She finished 7-for-14 from the field, including 4-for-6 from long distance, for her sixth 20-plus point performance of the season. It was also her 20th double-digit scoring game of the season, and she also added a bit more history to her performance by moving into 10th place on the A-SUN's all-time 3-point field goals list with 229, surpassing Stetson's Brianti Saunders (227, 2013-17).

Grad student Ashli O'Neal also produced offensively by recording her second double-digit performance of the tournament with 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting. She is averaging 16.5 PPG over her first two A-SUN tournament games.

Senior Tytionia Adderly, meanwhile, continued her solid all-around play. While finishing with six points and three steals, she also had her fourth-straight double-digit rebound performance with a game-high 14, which ties her own program record for most in an A-SUN tournament game. She has eight of FGCU's 11 all-time double-digit rebounding efforts in the postseason event. If that isn't enough, she had seven assists vs North Florida, which is tied for the third-most in program history in conference tournament play.

Furthermore, Adderly pushed her career rebounding total to 1,185, which is just 15 shy of making her the second player in A-SUN history with 1,200 in a career. Georgia Southern's Phylette Blake (1,242, 1985-89) holds the all-time record. On Wednesday, the senior also pushed her career double-digit rebounding game total to 55, which includes a career-high 16 this year alone.

Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, combining for just nine points through the game's first five minutes. With the game knotted at five apiece, Jewett-Giles spurred a 10-0 run by forcing a steal and finishing a fast break layup, and Ulel added five points during the stretch. Jewett-Giles then closed the quarter with a second-chance jumper off the glass just before time expired to give FGCU a 17-7 lead.

A three-point play from Jewett-Giles pushed the lead to as many as 19 in the second quarter before FGCU settled on a 38-22 lead at the break. O'Neal then buried a 3-pointer to cap a 15-2 run for the Eagles to open the second half and, following back-to-back 3-pointers from Adderly and Ulel, FGCU held a 59-29 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

From there, things got interesting as the Green and Blue scored just seven points over the next 10 minutes, while Janesha Green's layup pulled the visitors within as few as 13 with 4:20 left in the fourth. O'Neal stemmed the tide, however, with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and Jewett-Giles added a layup on the next possession to essentially seal the game.

SCF Baseball Sweeps Polk State

The SCF baseball team (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast) were able to pull away with a sweep as they shutout Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast) for the second time by a score of 4-0 in Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night. With the sweep, the Manatees are now 31-23 against the Eagles (2012-present).

For the Manatees, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent sophomore Jake Curry to counter.

For the first three innings of the game, it was a pitcher duel between Smith and Curry with Smith having the upper hand with three strikeouts.

Curry would eventually be the first to buckle at the top of the fourth as the Manatees got on the board first. After a two-out double by freshman Owen Ayers, classmate Jacob Steinberg would send a single to left to bring in Ayers for the first run of the game. After classmate Richard Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, sophomore Remy Patry would send a single of his own to center to bring in Steinberg to make it 2-0 SCF.

Meanwhile with Smith on the mound, the upcoming Miami transfer was pulling a little magic of his own as he was taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a single by sophomore Drew Howard stopped it. Smith was still able to brush it off to get out of the inning.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would bring another run in as sophomore Rook Ellington brought in Patry with a single  before scoring on a wild pitch for the final run of the game to make it 4-0 SCF before Smith was able to pull away with four strikeouts for the win and the sweep in the final two innings.

Smith would earn the win after a one-hit shutout with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Smith is now 5-1 on the season.

Curry would be hit with the loss after giving up two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings. Curry is now 1-2 on the season.

Patry and classmate Jamarcus Lyons were each 2-for-4. Patry added an RBI and a run scored.

Ellington, Steinberg, Ayers and sophomore John Malcom had the Manatees' remaining four hits in the game.

Howard was 1-for-3 with the Eagles only hit.

Notes:
The sweep over Polk State was their fourth sweep under the Hill II Era.

Additionally with the win, Hill II earned his 279th career win and is 21 shy of reaching 300 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast) claimed the series over Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast) winning the third game by a score of 6-1. The Hawks will face Polk State next, while the Buccaneers face South Florida State.

St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast) claimed the series over South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast) winning the third game by a score of 5-4. The Panthers will shy away from Suncoast play briefly as they welcome NJCAA DIII Region 3 Erie CC (6-2).

Updated Suncoast Standings:

1. SCF (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast)

2. Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast)

3. Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast)

4. St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast)

5. South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast)

6. Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast)

Up Next:

The Manatees will face St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast) for their next series of Suncoast Conference play.

Kopp Leads SCF to Double Walk-Off Sweep

Freshman Kristin Kopp's powerful bat helped the SCF softball team (20-12) wrap up non-conference play Wednesday as they swept Lincoln Land Community College (3-5) in walk-off fashion by scores of 5-4 and 8-7 in their first ever matchup. Both games ended in the eighth inning.

Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while LLCC head coach Rachel Wisner sent sophomore Jacey Nall to counter.

The Loggers would be the first to score at the top of the first after sophomore Abigail Walters scored when classmate Brooke Webber reached on an error, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom half, thanks to a three run shot by Kopp brought in classmates Lauren Lightbody and Lauren Hutcherson to make it 3-1 SCF. It was Kopp's second home run of the season.

Two innings later, the Manatees would extend their lead to 4-1 after freshman Maddie Koczersut sent Lightbody home with a single.

At the top of the sixth, the Loggers would soon tie the game at 4-4 after a two-RBI double by freshman Katie Schaake and two RBI singles by Walters and freshman Kayla Settles. This signaled the end for LoCastro as Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound to close the sixth inning in success.

After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game went into extra innings with freshman Makenna Byers placed at second per the International Tiebreaker rule. Despite that, Hulme was able to breeze through the inning with two strikeouts, giving the Manatees an opportunity to go for the win.

With sophomore Makayla Benavidez placed on second to pinch run for classmate Madelyn Graham, who was the last out in the bottom of the seventh, LoCastro would send Benavidez to third with a sacrifice bunt before freshman Emily Hughes sent Benavidez home with a sacrifice fly to left for the win.

LoCastro and Nall would each earn a no-decision. LoCastro gave up all four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with one walk in five and a third innings, while Nall gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two innings. LoCastro was also 1-for-3 in the game.

Hulme would earn her seventh win of the season after throwing two and two-thirds innings of relief with six strikeouts. Hulme is now 7-4 on the year.

Schaake would be dubbed with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits in five and two-thirds innings of relief. She was also 3-for-4 with one RBI.

Sophomore Courtney Keller also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with a run.

Lightbody and Hutcherson each were 2-for-4 with a run scored. Kopp finished game one 1-for-3 with the home run and three RBI, while freshman Lilly Salazar had the Manatees' final hit as she finished 1-for-3.

Aside from Schaake and Keller, Walters also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Game Two:
Schuerman sent Hulme to the mound to start game two, while Wisner sent sophomore Megan Behl.

In a turn of events, the Loggers would be the first on the board in the first two innings after an RBI single by Settles in the first inning and an RBI single by freshman Rebecca Littrel and two-RBI triple by sophomore Shaye Virgin in the second made it 4-0 LLCC.

After the Loggers added one more at the top of the fourth after a Virgin RBI single, Schuerman pulled Hulme and sent freshman Samantha Hampton to the mound for relief in success.

After a scoreless fifth, the Loggers would have freshman Braylee Finck went to the mound before the Manatees would finally get on the board in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a two-out walk drawn by Hampton before Hughes doubled to left to send Hampton home. After freshman Carly Bogart hit a single to left, classmate Madi Schaefer sent Hughes home with a double to center to make it 5-2 still in favor of LLCC.

At the top of the seventh, the Loggers would add two more runs after Virgin scored on a fielding error off of a fly ball by Settles before freshman Mackenzie Owens sent Settles home with a single.

In the bottom of the seventh, it was now or never for the Manatees as they went all in to at least tie the game. After the Manatees loaded the bases from a leadoff single by Koczersut and back-to-back walks by Lightbody and Hutcherson. Kopp would show her power once again, like in the first game, as she towered a grand slam to right to make it 7-6, still in favor of LLCC. It was Kopp's third home run of the season and her second of the series. The Loggers would then put Schaake in the game to pitch.

Hampton would then draw a walk before Hughes and Bogart hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Schaefer. On a full count, Schaefer was able to draw a walk and tie the game at 7-7 before going into extra innings with the Texas Tiebreaker in effect once again.

Even with sophomore Mackenzie Wagner placed on the second after being the last batter out, Hampton had no trouble breezing through to give the Manatees their opportunity. Lightbody would be the one to seal the deal as the Tampa native who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hutcherson before scoring the game-winner on a passed ball for the win.

Hulme and Behl were both dubbed with no decisions. Hulme gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three and two-thirds, while Behl threw five scoreless innings with two walks.

Hampton would earn the win after giving up two unearned runs on two hits with four strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of relief. She is now 4-3 on the year.

Schaake would be dubbed with her second straight loss after giving up one run on two hits with two walks in one and a third.

Hughes would lead the Manatees in the hit column as she finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen and 3-for-7 overall with two RBI.

Bogart (2-for-3, one walk) and Koczersut (2-for-5, one run scored) each had two hits. Koczersut would finish the series 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs.

Kopp would finish 1-for-4 with the grand slam and 2-for-7 in the series with two home runs and seven RBI.

Schaefer and Salazar would have the team's final two hits. Schaefer (1-for-2) added two RBI and a walk.

Littrel led the Loggers in batting as she went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Virgin was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Virgin was the only Logger with a multi-RBI game.

Notes:
The two wins for Schuerman put her at 198 in her career and needs two to reach 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.

Up Next:
With non-conference set aside, the Manatees can now focus on conference play as they travel to Clearwater to take on St. Pete (21-11) Tuesday afternoon, March 17 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over Polk State

The SCF baseball team (15-11, 4-1 Suncoast) claimed another series in Suncoast Conference play as they blew out Polk State (12-13, 1-4 Suncoast) 14-2 in seven innings. With the win, the Manatees are now 31-23 against the Eagles.

"The guys played great and to do that on our home field with an important conference game is nice to see," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We have had a lot of adversity this season with some tough injuries and late inning losses and these guys have hung in there and I think the adversity will pay off in the long run. We still have 25 more of these games to go, but it's nice for them and I did tell them to enjoy this one and come back ready for work tomorrow in practice, so it was good to see the guys play well all faces of the game."

"I told the guys to take care of the field because this was a big game," continued Hill II. "We take care of business at home and start pulling away from these guys (Polk State). If we slip up, then they get closer, so it's like a two-game swing and they challenged themselves on the field and they did well."

"It's feels good to go 2-0 in conference because we are one of the best," said sophomore Jamarcus Lyons. "It feels good to beat teams easily. I think we should be ready to come out Wednesday to get a sweep, play hard and have a good game Wednesday."

"It feels good to come up 2-0 against Polk State," said freshman Cameron Lee on the win. "It was a good start for us."

"It feels great and the team has been playing great all-around and we have been playing really good defense," said sophomore Cole Ayers. "We also have been swinging the bat really good and when I get to step onto the mound and pitch in a series knowing that my defense is playing really good and were swinging the bat hot, it's pretty easy to go out there and pitch like you know how."

Hill sent Cole Ayers to the mound, Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent sophomore Kyle Gamble to counter.

After a scoreless first inning, the Manatees would be the first to strike beginning with a leadoff walk by freshman Richard Rodriguez. After sophomore Remy Patry drew a walk, classmate Rook Ellington would send a single to right to bring in Rodriguez for a 1-0 SCF lead. It did not stop there for the Manatees with Lyons at the plate as the UCF transfer send a bomb to left on a full count for a 4-0 SCF lead. It was Lyons' fourth home run of the season.

"Before that at-bat, I thought about if he (Gamble) was going to throw a fastball, I was going to put it over the fence," said Lyons on the home run. "I saw the fastball on the full count, which I was expecting, and I just let hands do the work with my strength and let the ball fly."

The Eagles would then get on the board at the top of the third with two runs after freshman George Davis scored on a wild pitch before freshman Rohsean Riley hit an RBI single to make it 4-2 SCF, but the Manatees would respond back starting with a leadoff double by sophomore John Malcom before freshman Owen Ayers drove him in with a double of his own. One batter later, freshman Jacob Steinberg would pop a single to left to bring in Ayers for a 6-2 SCF lead before Lee reached on a fielder's choice, while Steinberg scored on an error to make it 7-2 SCF.

While the Manatees kept the lead, Cole Ayers continued to play his part on the mound through the first four innings with five strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fourth, Owen Ayers would send a single to left to bring in sophomore Aaron McKeithan for an 8-2 lead before Cole Ayers closed the top of the fifth inning with three more strikeouts. In the bottom of the fifth, Ellington would send a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Steinberg for a 9-2 lead before the end of the fifth.

Sophomore Toni Rossi would then enter the game for Cole Ayers at the top of the sixth before the Manatees put the onslaught in the bottom half beginning with a one-out walk by Malcom. One batter later, Rodriguez would draw a walk before Steinberg sent a single to left to bring in Malcom. After Patry drew a walk to load the bases, Lee would bring the mercy rule in effect with his first collegiate grand slam and his second home run of the season before Rossi ended the game in the seventh.

"While it being a 1-0 count, I honestly wanted to get the head out and that's what I did," said Lee on his first collegiate grand slam.

"It was good to see Cam put the finishing touches on the game with the grand slam," said Hill on Lee. "It was good to see him square the ball up. He does some good things for us and gets on base and it's nice to see him drive the ball like he did. He's a strong kid."

"Compared to the first game, we had fun but it was more of a relaxed day," said Lyons on the win. "We didn't score as many runs in the first game but (Daniel) Batcher pulled it off by throwing eight innings and Jake Mattos coming in to close the door. Today the bats were hot and the pitching was amazing, so it always feels good to win and today was one of those days where there was a lot more than others."

Cole Ayers would earn his third win of the season after throwing five innings, giving up two runs on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Ayers is now 3-2 on the year.

"I felt really good out there," said Ayers on his performance. "I knew that when we turned that double play in the first and only threw 12 pitches, I knew it was going to be a good day and cruise through it while the bats were starting to pick up to give our team some confidence so I know that I can go out there and throw the ball out over the plate to make plays."

Rossi threw two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit and striking out four.

Gamble would be hit with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with four walks in one and a third innings. Gamble would go to 2-2 on the season.

Sophomore Carter Slentz gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds of relief, while freshman Jacob Heath gave up five runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.

Lee and Lyons would be the leaders for the Manatees offense as they both went 2-for-4 with a home run. Lee added four RBI, a run and a walk, while Lyons added three RBI and a run.

Steinberg had the most hits out of the team as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.

McKeithan (2-for-4, one run), Owen Ayers (2-for-4, two RBI and one run scored) and Patry (2-for-2, two walks and two runs scored) each had two hits.

Ellington (1-for-4, two RBI) and Malcom (1-for-2, two walks and a run) had the Manatees' final two hits.

Freshman Jakob Hines was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Hillsborough (14-13, 3-2 Suncoast) defeated Florida Southwestern (16-10, 3-2 Suncoast) 8-4 to tie the series at 1-1. Both teams will play in their rubber match Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 3:30 pm at Hillsborough.

South Florida (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast) tied the series as they defeated St. Pete (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast) 10-0 via mercy rule. Both teams will play in their rubber match Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 6 pm at St. Pete.

Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. SCF (15-11, 4-1 Suncoast)
2. FSW (16-10, 3-2 Suncoast)
3. HCC (14-13, 3-2 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
5. SPC (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-13, 1-4 Suncoast)

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to sweep Polk State at Bing Tyus Yard in Avon Park Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm. Sophomore Jake Smith has been given the nod to pitch game three.

SCF Tennis Falls to Broward

The SCF tennis team (2-6, 0-4 Region 8) dropped a heartbreaker at the SCF Tennis Complex as they fell 7-2 to Broward (2-0, 2-0 Region 8).

In doubles play, sophomore Sara Ramirez-Goncalves and freshman Karla Menendez won the Manatees only double point at #1 doubles by a score of 8-6. The Seahawks remained ahead 2-1.

Heading into singles play, freshman Allie Beck would be the first to fall at #6 singles as she lost a 6-0 pair decision to sophomore Bar Shimoni before redshirt freshman Mackenzie Vraspir to sophomore Giulia Leali 6-1, 6-2 at #5 singles.

Sophomore Brie Botsford would fall 6-3, 6-2 to freshman Polina Khotko at #4 singles for the Seahawks win.

Finishing up the last three matches, Menendez would fall 6-2, 6-4 to freshman Ajda Bukovec at #2 singles, but soon freshman Martina Shakhnazarova would give the Manatees their second point at #3 singles over freshman Lizaveta Krasouskaya with a 6-2 pair decision.

Ramirez-Goncalves would be the last Manatee to fall at #1 singles to freshman Isabella Elena Perez Flores in a 6-4 pair decision.

Up Next:
The Manatees remain at home as they welcome Hillsborough to the SCF Tennis Complex Thursday afternoon, March 12 at 3 pm.

SCF Softball Welcomes Final Great Lakes Team

The SCF softball team (18-12) return home for one final home series before Suncoast Conference play as they welcome Lincoln Land CC (3-3) to the SCF Softball Complex Wednesday night, March 11 at 4 and 6 pm. This will be the first ever matchup for both teams.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees came off of being swept by Seminole State losing by scores of 2-0 and 6-4 on the road. Seminole State was listed as #10 in the NJCAA National Poll.

Six players have at least 10 RBI in their regime: sophomore Madi LoCastro (13) and freshmen Samantha Hampton (10), Emily Hughes (13), Kristin Kopp (15), Lauren Hutcherson (17) and Maddie Koczersut (22). Hutcherson leads the team with a .382 batting average, while Koczersut leads the team with four home runs and 16 walks.

Freshmen Lauren Lightbody and Lilly Salazar continue their dominance in speed. Lightbody is batting .379 with a team-leading 33 hits and 12 stolen bases, while Salazar is batting .313 with 26 hits and 11 stolen bases.

Meanwhile, sophomore Ashlee Zientek is 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 53 strikeouts. Zientek pitched in game two of the series against Seminole State, throwing five innings of relief with two strikeouts.

Freshman Ally Hulme is 6-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite giving up three runs in one inning in game two against Seminole State.

As far as coaching, head coach Mandy Schuerman is only four wins away from reaching 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.

Upcoming Feature Story:
So far on my part, I have done four feature stories for the SCF athletics and for the next upcoming feature story, I have chosen to do one on the quartet of a reunion. This one will tell the story LoCastro, Hughes, Koczersut and Madi Schaefer as I will talk with them about their combined story of them playing in high school (Lakewood Ranch) to reuniting and playing in college together at SCF.

Scouting Lincoln Land:
Lincoln Land Community College hails from Springfield, Illinois and represent NJCAA DII Region 24 (Mid-West Athletic Conference). They are known as the Loggers and are led by Rachel Wisner. Wisner, a alum of the college, enters her first season as head coach after spending the last season as assistant coach under the wing of John Marsaglia, who retired after 10 seasons with the Loggers.

The Loggers opened their season with a doubleheader against NJCAA Region 16 St. Charles CC winning by scores of 4-3 and 8-2 in Missouri. The Loggers flew to Florida, assumingly Friday, and opened their trip against Lake Sumter Sunday where they split with the Lakehawks winning game one 4-0 before losing game two 8-1 before being swept by #10 Seminole State College of Florida Monday afternoon, March 9 losing by scores of 12-1 and 10-2 both via mercy rule.

Sophomore Jacey Nall finished last season 10-9 last season with a 4.65 ERA and 80 strikeouts. Currently, Nall is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts. In her last start, Nall threw five scoreless innings against LSSC with five strikeouts.

At the plate, freshman Rebecca Littrel is batting .625 with 10 hits and three RBI. Against LSSC, she went 5-for-8 with one RBI and two stolen bases.

SCF Fun Fact:
Since 2012, the SCF softball team is currently 45-7 against JUCOs that are not from Florida.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats are provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
LLCC: @Loggersoftball

Livestats: https://gc.com/t/spring-2019/state-college-of-florida-softball-5c4617fc03d69700218c16d3

SCF Softball Falls in Doubleheader

The SCF softball team (18-12) fell in a doubleheader to #10 Seminole State (26-1, 4-1 Southern) by score of 2-0 and 6-4. With the losses, the Manatees are now 7-15 against the Raiders.

Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound while Seminole head coach Courtney Miller sent Marissa Adame to counter.

The Raiders would get their two runs in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Liz Cutlip and classmate Logan Keith scoring on a field error. The Manatees were able to produce any run support.

LoCastro would be hit with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with one strikeout in six innings. LoCastro is now 4-3 on the year.

Adame would end up with her 10th win of the season after a shutout with one walk and six strikeouts.

Freshmen Maddie Koczersut, Emily Hughes and Kristin Kopp had the Manatees lone three hits.

Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound while Miller sent sophomore Samantha Guider to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the first after freshman Lauren Hutcherson popped a fly ball to first to reach on a fielding error before Koczersut scored, but the Raiders would answer back in the bottom of the second after RBI singles by sophomores Kelly Dwyer and Amy Lee and freshman Haley Pippin. This signaled the end for Hulme as sophomore Ashlee Zientek would come in to finish the inning.

The Raiders would add two more runs in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 after two run blast by Dwyer. It was her first home run of the season.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees brought in their second run after LoCastro grounded out to bring in freshman Lauren Lightbody, but the Raiders would add one of their own after an RBI double by sophomore Allie Carroll to make it 6-2 Seminole State.

The Manatees would take one final crack at the top of the seventh. After one out singles by sophomore Makayla Benavidez, Koczersut and Hughes to load the bases, Lightbody would send a double to right to bring in Benavidez and Koczersut, but it was they could produce in the loss.

Hulme would be dubbed with her fourth loss after giving up three run on six hits with one walk in one innings. Hulme is now 6-4 on the year.

Zientek gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings of relief.

Guider would get her sixth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Guider is now 6-1 on the year.

Benavidez would have the Manatees only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run.

Lightbody finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. She was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.

Koczersut, Hughes, Hutcherson, Kopp and freshman Lilly Salazar had the teams remaining five hits.

Up Next:
The Manatees return to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Lincoln Land CC (2-0) Wednesday night, March 11 at 4 and 6 pm.

FGCU WBB vs Lipscomb: A-SUN Conference Tournament Quarterfinals Recap

Redshirt senior Davion Wingate poured in a single-game record 38 points, while classmate Ashli O'Neal had a season-high 21 points as the No. 24 FGCU women's basketball team (29-3) routed Lipscomb (7-23) 105-71 in an A-SUN quarterfinal matchup inside Alico Arena on Saturday night in front of 1,710 fans.

With the win, the top-seeded Eagles advance to Wednesday's semifinal against fifth-seeded North Florida, who knocked off Jacksonville in overtime on Saturday for their first A-SUN tournament win in 10 years. No. 2 North Alabama and No. 3 Liberty will meet in the other semifinal. The Green and Blue are now 23-2 all-time in the A-SUN tournament.

"Obviously, the first quarter, we came out with good energy. We shared the ball, took good shots and shot an exceptional percentage," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Davion really got us going. She was aggressive and finding good opportunities from the start. And then Ashli, in that first half, came off the bench and immediately started knocking down shots and doing good things for us. It's a great start to the tournament. I like the way we came out. Now we're going to going to have to prepare for a really good team and compete again."

Wingate finished 13-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-7 from 3-point range while adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal. It was her third 30-point outing of the season, and her 38 points eclipsed the program's previous Division I era single-game scoring record of 36 set by Rosemarie Julien and senior Nasrin Ulel. Furthermore, the team's 105 points ties an A-SUN tournament single-game team record that was coincidentally set by the Eagles two years ago against Lipscomb.

O'Neal tallied her season-high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a 4-for-5 finish from long distance. She added a pair of steals and rebounds over 20 minutes and topped her previous season-high of 20 set against Saint Francis. Ulel added 10 points, five assists and two rebounds, while nine others also scored.

On the glass, senior Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 12 rebounds while adding seven points, four assists, two steals and a block. It was her third straight game in double-figure rebounds, and she needed just 15 minutes of play to accomplish it. Overall, she pushed her career total to 1,171, which is 72 shy of eclipsing Georgia Southern product Phylette Blake's all-time A-SUN record of 1,242 from 1985-89). Ulel, meanwhile, now sits at 225 career made 3-pointers after her two against Lipscomb. She needs two more to move into a tie for 10th-place in A-SUN history.

As a team, FGCU finished 36-for-75 (.480) from the field, including a 16-for-37 (.432) performance from 3-point range. With those 16, the Eagles have now made 386 this year, which gives them the second-most in a single-season in program history and moves them into a tie with the 2016 Sacramento State squad for fifth-most in a single-season in NCAA Division I history. Only three teams have ever made 400 in a season, including the 2017-18 version of the Green and Blue, who hold the all-time record with 431.

Adderly, who poured in a career-high seven 3-pointers in the last meeting against Lipscomb, drained a left-wing 3-pointer just over a minute into the game to open the scoring. The Eagles continued to pour it on, jumping out to a 16-0 lead to open the game in a run that featured buckets from four different players along with four points, two rebounds and an assist from Wingate.

After Lipscomb's Taylor Clark drove the left side for a layup with 4:33 left in the opening quarter for her team's first points of the game, the Eagles scored the next 14 points with five more from Wingate. By the time the dust settled, FGCU led 30-2 and eventually held a 31-point advantage at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Wingate put on a show by scoring 18 of her 29 first-half points on 6-for-6 shooting. She made all four of her 3-point attempts in the quarter, including one from straightaway as time expired. She also assisted on two of the five other field goals for the Eagles in the frame and converted a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays.

The visiting Bisons, featuring a young and up-and-coming roster, didn't back down in the second half despite the score as they outscored FGCU 49-40 over the final 20 minutes. Lipscomb's Jalyn Holcomb, who became the first player in program history to be named the A-SUN's Freshman of the Year, finished with a team-high 15 points.

FGCU is now 28-0 all-time against Lipscomb, including three wins in the A-SUN tournament, and every win has been by double-digits.

Tickets for Wednesday's quarterfinal can be purchased online here, or by stopping by the FGCU ticket office Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A-SUN Quarterfinal Results
No. 5 North Florida 77, No. 4 Jacksonville 67 (OT)
No. 2 North Alabama 70, No. 7 Stetson 60
No. 3 Liberty 91, No. 6 Kennesaw State 86
No. 1 FGCU 105, No. 8 Lipscomb 71

A-SUN Semifinal Matchups
Wednesday, March 11
No. 1 FGCU vs No. 5 North Florida, 7 p.m.
No. 2 North Alabama vs No. 3 Liberty, 7 p.m.

Bracket Updates:
Two teams have punched in their tickets so far for the national tournament: Boise State (MWC) and Southeast Missouri State (OVC).

SCF BVB Sets for Eckerd and St. Pete

The SCF beach volleyball team (3-0) will now set for another road trip as they head to the North Shore Beach in St. Pete for another tri-match. The Manatees will go against NCAA DII Eckerd College (3-1) at 1 pm and St. Pete (3-3) at 3 pm Tuesday afternoon, March 17. The match will be dubbed as an exhibition matchup between SCF and Eckerd.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of competing in a tri-match at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares where they defeated NJCAA Region 4 Bryant and Stratton 3-2 and host Lake Sumter 4-1.

The freshmen duo of Bailey Sikkema and Lisa Jaunet and the duo of sophomore Lakeesha Esseboom and freshman Brooke Henry are currently 3-0 as pairs. Both pairs earned two wins against B&S and LSSC.

The duo of sophomore Sydney Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai are 2-1 this season where the split in tri-match winning against B&S and losing to LSSC.

Scouting Eckerd:
Eckerd is led by head coach Michelle Piantadosi-Lima, who enters her eighth season as head coach and the 10th head coach in program history. The Tritons finished last season 2-22 overall and went 1-5 in the AVCA Small College Championship in Tavares.

The Tritons opened their season at the hosted event, the Eckerd College Battle at the Bay where they went 3-1 Splitting day one winning 3-2 against Florida Southern and losing 5-0 to Tampa before sweeping day two defeating Tennessee-Martin and Jacksonville both by a score of 3-2.

The duos of junior Paula Hoffmann and freshman Anna Jungjohann (No. 1 Pair) and sophomore Ivey Andrews and junior Payton Meader (No. 4 Pair) are both 3-1 so far.

Prior to playing SCF, the Tritons will host and face Tusculum University in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 2 and 4 pm.

Scouting SPC:
The Titans are led by indoor head coach Scott White and are coming off of starting the season at the Stetson Spring Fling Invitational in Deland where they split the first day losing 4-1 to #7 Stetson and winning 3-2 against NCAA DII St. Leo before being swept on day two losing 4-1 to #16 Georgia State and 5-0 to #18 Florida Atlantic.

The Titans would then play in St. Leo, Florida and defeat the University of Tennessee-Martin and host St. Leo both by a score of 3-2 on March 4

The duo of sophomore Roberta Ribeiro and freshman Petra Neciporuka are 5-1 on the season at the #1 spot.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFVolleyball
SPC: @spcnews
Eckerd: @ECTritonsVBall

SCF Baseball Claims First Game Over Polk State

The SCF baseball team (14-11, 3-1 Suncoast) pulled away with another moment of victory in Suncoast play as they shutout Polk State (12-12, 1-3 Suncoast) 5-0. With the win, the Manatees are now 30-23 against the Eagles.

Head coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Daniel Batcher to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent freshman Scott Curran to counter.

For the first two innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Batcher and Curran as both pitcher had a combined five strikeouts. But then, Curran would be the first to buckle at the top of the third. After back-to-back singles by sophomores Rook Ellington and Jamarcus Lyons, classmate John Malcom would send a shot to right for his fifth home run of the season.

At the top of the fourth, the Eagles already made their first pitching change as Corbeil sent freshman Cole Kramer to the mound before the Manatees added their final runs. After a one-out single by Ellington, Malcom was able to send a double to right to bring in Ellington for a 4-0 SCF lead. Following that, sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in Malcom with a single to short for a 5-0 SCF lead.

From there, Batcher finished off four innings before sophomore Jake Mattos got the final strikeout for the game and seal the deal for SCF.

Batcher would earn his second win of the season after eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Batcher is 2-2 on the year. Mattos threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.

Curran earned his first loss of the season, putting him at 0-1, after giving up three runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings.

Kramer gave up the final two runs on six hits with two strikeouts in four innings of relief, while sophomore Tyler Germanowski threw two scoreless innings with a walk and two strikeouts.

Malcom finished 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. He was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.

Ellington, Lyons and freshman Owen Ayers were each 2-for-4. Ellington added two runs, while Lyons added one run and Ayers added a walk.

McKeithan finished 1-for-5 with the Manatees' final RBI, while freshmen Jacob Steinberg and Richard Rodriguez had the team remaining two hits.

Freshmen Dimerson Nunez was 2-for-4 for the Eagles and was the only one with a multi-hit game. Meanwhile, classmate Rohsean Riley and sophomore Dalton Boyd had the Eagles' lone two hits.

Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast) 15-5 to open the series.

St. Pete (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast) defeated South Florida State (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast) 6-0.

Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (14-11, 3-1 Suncoast)
3. SPC (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast)
4. HCC (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast)
5. SFSC (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-12, 1-3 Suncoast)

Up Next:
Game two between SCF and Polk State will commence Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm at Wynn Field.

SCF Baseball Sets Sights With Polk State

The SCF baseball team (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast) are set for their second series of Suncoast Conference play as they face Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast). The series will begin Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 1 pm at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. The second game will be at Wynn Field Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm before wrapping up the third game back at Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees opened Suncoast play winning the series against South Florida State College winning game one 20-0 in seven innings and game two 2-1 in 11 innings before losing the final game 4-3.

Sophomore John Malcom continues to lead the Manatees offensively as he is batting .326 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 16 walks. In the whole series against South Florida State, Malcom finished 3-for-9 with two RBI and five walks.

Freshman Owen Ayers is batting a team-leading .347 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Ayers was 2-for-10 with two RBI against SFSC.

On the mound, sophomore Jake Smith and Cole Ayers lead the way in pitching.

Smith is currently 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Smith pitched seven scoreless innings in the second game against South Florida State with a career-high 13 strikeouts for a no-decision.

Cole Ayers is 2-2 this season with a 2.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts. In the first game against SFSC, Ayers pitched a seven inning shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts.

In the Lyons Den:
Sophomore Jamarcus Lyons showed his full power in the series against South Florida State. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI. Currently, Lyons is batting .323 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Scouting Polk State:
The Eagles opened Suncoast play against Florida Southwestern where they dropped the series winning game two by a score of 4-3. They lost game one 9-5 and the deciding game three 2-1.

Sophomore Nick Wells is batting .277 with a home run and 15 RBI, while classmate Ty Crittenberger has two home runs and 14 RBI while batting .297.

On the mound, the freshman Andrew Long is 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Sophomore Alex Goff leads the team with five saves while having a 0.71 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

Series History:
Overall, the Manatees are 29-23 against the Eagles. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2.

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-varsity-5e26db014cf88f41b4aaf1c1

Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
Polk: @PolkStBaseball

SCF Baseball Falls in Series Finale vs SFSC

Despite winning the series, the SCF baseball team (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast) dropped the finale to South Florida State (14-11, 1-2 Suncoast) 4-3. With the loss, the Manatees are now 23-13 against the Panthers.

For the finale, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Justin Wrobleski to the mound while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Tyler Tipton to counter.

The Manatees were off to a good start at the top of the first as sophomore Jamarcus Lyons would send a two-run blast to left for a 2-0 SCF lead. It was Lyons' third home run of the season. The Panthers would respond back and get their first run of the game after an RBI groundout by sophomore Trey Fields.

At the top of the second, the Manatees were able to extend their lead to 3-1 after an RBI double by freshman Jacob Steinberg, but soon the Panthers would come alive in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a bases clearing double by sophomore Leo Alfonzo.

The Manatees tired to find a way to tie the game, but were unable to as the Panthers took the finale.

Wrobleski would be dubbed with the loss after giving up four runs on two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Wrobleski would go to 2-2 on the year.

Freshman David Barrett threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.

Tipton would go to 2-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Steinberg would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Lyons would finish 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Lyons was the only Manatee in the game with multiple RBI. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI.

Ellington and sophomores John Malcom and Aaron McKeithan had the Manatees' final three hits.

Alfonzo and sophomore Zeddric Burnham had the teams only two hits.

Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast) took the series finale against Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast) as they won 2-1 in the third game.

Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast) claimed the series over St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast) winning the final game 9-3. The Hawks will be back in action against FSW, while the Titans face SFSC.

Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast)
3. Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (14-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
5. Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
6. St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast)

Up Next:
The Manatees would prepare themselves for their next Suncoast series as they face Polk State starting Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 1 pm at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. The second game will be at Wynn Field Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm before the third game heads back to Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm.

SCF Softball Rematches with Seminole State

The SCF softball team (18-10) return on the road as they travel to Sanford to take on #10 Seminole State College of Florida (22-1) at the Raider Softball Field Saturday afternoon, March 7 at noon and 2 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of wrapping up their eight-game homestead with a split against Eastern Florida State losing game one 7-4 before winning game two 11-8.

Schuerman to 200:
Head coach Mandy Schuerman remains in tact to reach 200 career wins with the Manatees as she needs only four to do so.

Schuerman joined SCF fall 2014 with her first win as head coach being on January 30, 2015 against Illinois Central (7-0). This would then follow with her 100th win being on January 27, 2018 against Lake Sumter (8-5) before claiming her 150th career win March 2, 2019 against Central Florida (6-0).

The Squad:
At the plate, six players have at least 10 RBI. Freshmen Maddie Koczersut leads the squad batting .371 with four home runs and 22 RBI, while also leading the team with 15 walks. Koczersut was 2-for-3 in the second game against EFSC with an RBI and a walk.

Another player that actually showed some power recently is classmate Emily Hughes. Despite batting .223, Hughes has three home runs and 15 RBI. Hughes was 2-for-7 against EFSC with two RBI and a walk.

As far as speed, freshmen Lilly Salazar and Lauren Lightbody lead the way. Salazar is batting .301 with five RBI, while Lightbody is batting .379 with seven RBI. Both have 11 stolen bases each.

On the mound, it's the trio of sophomore Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro and freshman Ally Hulme that take the path.

Zientek is currently 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA, two saves and 51 strikeouts, while at the plate she is batting .366 with seven RBI. In her last appearance, Zientek pitched a complete game against EFSC, giving up eight runs striking out eight, while going 1-for-8 with a run scored.

Predominately as a hybrid player, LoCastro is currently 4-2 with a 2.71 ERA and 31 strikeouts while batting .222 with a home run and 12 RBI. LoCastro pitched in game one against EFSC where she had a no-decision after throwing six innings with two strikeouts.

Hulme is 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite getting her third loss against EFSC after throwing four innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Freshman Samantha Hampton and Kristin Kopp have also made their way around joining LoCastro as a couple of hybrid players.

Hampton is currently 3-2 on the mound with a 5.25 ERA and 13 strikeouts, but is batting .231 with 10 RBI. Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI against EFSC. In her last appearance on the mound against Kalamazoo Valley, Hampton gave up two runs and struck out three batters in 3.2 innings.

Kopp is batting .262 with a home run and 15 RBI. She has made one appearance on the mound against Oakland where she threw two innings and struck out three batters for her first win.

Starsky and Hutch:
Freshman Lauren Hutcherson had one of her best series games this season as she went a combined 5-for-7 with a home run and seven RBI against Eastern Florida. Currently, Hutcherson is batting .417 with a home run and 17 RBI. In fact, the home run in the first game against Eastern Florida was her first collegiate home run of the season.

Scouting Seminole State:
The Raiders, who are ranked #10 in the nation, are coming off of a sweep over Polk State winning by scores of 12-4 and 11-0 (5).

Freshman Logan Keith leads the team overall offensively batting .472 with 34 hits, three home runs, 21 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Classmate Liz Cutlip is batting .478 with 32 hits, a home run and a team-leading 28 RBI.

Sophomores Marissa Adame and Samantha Guider lead the way for the Raiders on the mound. Adame is 9-0 with a 1.32 ERA, two saves and 42 strikeouts, while Guider is 5-1 with 1.78 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Guider has the Raiders only loss so far this season.

Series History:
The Manatees played the Raiders on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Showcase (2/1) losing by a score of 7-1. Overall the Manatees are 7-13 against the Raiders with their last win being on Feb 3, 2018 where they won 4-2 as part of the split.

Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-softball-5e19088f09b01f1f2300011a

Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
Seminole: @SeminoleStateSB

SCF Baseball Claims Series Over South Florida State

The SCF baseball team (13-10, 2-0 Suncoast) claimed the first series of Suncoast Conference play as they defeated South Florida State (13-11, 0-2 Suncoast) 2-1 in 11 innings at Wynn Field. With the win, the Manatees are now 23-12 against the Panthers.

For the game, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Connor Gleeson to counter.

For the first four innings, it was a pitchers duel between Smith and Gleeson as both pitchers led a combined 15 strikeouts (Smith: 10, Gleeson: 5) until the fifth inning when Smith got two more 'Ks' before Gleeson buckled to give the Manatees the lead after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in classmate Rook Ellington. This would signal the end for Gleeson as Hitt would then send in freshman Blayne Huter to finish the fifth.

For the next two innings, the Manatees held on to a 1-0 lead with Smith finishing the seventh inning with a final strikeout before Hill called in sophomore Jakob Mattos to come in relief at the top of the eighth, but would give up the tying run after sophomore Zeddric Burnham scored on fielding error. The game would then go into extra innings after.

After sophomore Toni Rossi threw a scoreless top half of the 11th, the Manatees would go for the win in walk-off fashion in the bottom half as sophomore John Malcom would bring in Ellington after scoring on a fielding error to win the game.

Smith would be left with a no-decision after throwing seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out 13 batters, while Mattos gave up one unearned run in two hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout.

Rossi was credited with the win after two scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three walks and five strikeouts. Rossi is now 2-0 on the year.

Gleeson would earn a no-decision for the Panthers after giving up one run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Sophomore Jack Keeler would be dubbed with the loss after giving up one unearned run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one and a third inning. Keeler is now 0-2 on the year.

Ellington, Malcom, McKeithan and freshmen Cameron Lee, Owen Ayers and Richard Rodriguez and sophomore Remi Patry each had a hit for the Manatees.

Sophomore Casey Asman had the Panthers lone multi-hit game as he went 3-for-3 with two walks. Classmate Shane Magrann had the Panthers' fourth hit as he went 1-for-4.

Up Next:
The Manatees look to sweep the first series as they return to Panther Field in Avon Park Friday night, March 7 at 6 pm.

Hutcherson's Seven RBI Help SCF SB Split With EFSC

The SCF softball team (18-10) wrapped up their eight-game homestead at the SCF Softball Complex as they split with Eastern Florida State (12-9, 4-1 Southern) losing game one 7-4 in 10 innings before winning game two 11-8. With the split, the Manatees are now 9-3 against the Titans (2012-present).

Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while EFSC head coach Jim Beitia sent sophomore Katelyn Wilfert to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Lauren Hutcherson to bring in classmate Lauren Lightbody.

At the top of the third, the Titans would respond back with a solo home run off the bat of freshman Gabriela Garcia. It was Garcia's third home run of the season.

With the score still tied 1-1, it was a really a pitcher's dual between LoCastro and Wilfert until the top of the fifth when Garcia hit her fourth home run of the season (second of the game) to give the Titans a 2-1 lead, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom of the sixth after Hutcherson hit her first collegiate home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2.

At the top of the seventh, freshman Ally Hulme would come in for relief for LoCastro and was able to get out of the inning with three straight outs. After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game would go to extra innings.

At the top of the ninth, with the international rule in effect, the Titans would take the lead after sophomore Jaidyn Ahl reached base on a fielding error to bring in sophomore Meritxell Blesa to make it 3-2 EFSC, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half after freshman Emily Hughes brought in classmate Lilly Salazar, who was placed on second, to tie the game at 3-3.

The Titans would get a big response from Wilfert at the top of the 10th as she hit a two-run blast to left for her sixth home run of the season before Ahl hit a two-RBI double to make it 7-3 EFSC. The Manatees would add one final run after sophomore Makayla Benavidez brought in freshman Kristin Kopp with an RBI groundout, but it was that could be produced as the Titans took the first game.

Wilfert would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a 10th inning complete game, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Wilfert is now 8-5 on the year.

LoCastro would earn a no-decision after giving up two runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.

Hulme would be dubbed with the loss after giving up five runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings of relief. Hulme is now 6-3 on the season.

Hutcherson would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk. Hughes and sophomore Madelyn Graham would have the teams other two hits. Hughes was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Garcia was 2-for-5 with two home runs, two RBI and runs for the Titans, while Ahl lead the team in hitting going 3-for-5 with two RBI.

Game Two:
Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman sent sophomore Ashlee Zientek to pitch game two, while Beitia sent sophomore McKinleigh Millard.

It would be the Titans that would score first in the first inning after an RBI double by sophomore Victoria Perez and an RBI single by sophomore Sarah Goldsmith for a 2-0 EFSC lead, but the Manatees decided to put a big offensive rally together in the bottom half. After freshman Maddie Koczersut began the inning with a leadoff single, classmate Lilly Salazar would reach base on a fielding error before Lightbody loaded the bases with a single. This would be a big turning point for Hutcherson as the Lake City native would send a single to center and bring in Koczersut and Salazar to tie the game at 2-2.

With runners in scoring position, freshman Samantha Hampton would give the Manatees a 4-3 lead with a single to center to bring in Lightbody and Hutcherson. After Kopp drew a walk, Graham laid down a sacrifice bunt and Zientek struck out, Hughes would hit a hard ball and reach base on an error while Hampton scored. The Manatees would bat around as Koczersut would send a single to left to bring in Kopp before Hughes scored after Salazar reached base on an error for a 7-2 SCF lead.

After the Titans scored at the top of the second after an RBI double by sophomore Sarah Thomas, the bats went quiet in the third before the Titans responded again with two runs after Blesa scored on a fielding error and Garcia laid out a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5 SCF.

The Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the fifth that started with a leadoff single by Graham before stealing second base. After Zientek flew out, Hughes would send a single to center and bring in Graham for a 8-5 SCF lead. After Koczersut and Salazar drew walks to load the bases, the show became all about Hutcherson as she cleared the bases with a double for a 11-5 SCF.

The Titans would add three final runs after a bases loaded walk by sophomore Madison Neuhaus and Perez reach base on a fielding error to bring in Thomas and Garcia, but the Manatees would able to pull themselves together and claim game two.

Zientek would earn the win after throwing a complete game, giving up eight runs (three earned) on nine hits with four walks and a tied career-high eight strikeouts while going 1-for-4 at the plate. Zientek is now 4-3 on the year.

Millard would be dubbed with the loss after a six inning complete game, giving up all 11 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with six walks and a strikeout. Millard is now 4-2 on the year.

Hutcherson was the hero of game two and the overall series as she finished game two 3-for-4 with five RBI. In the series, Hutcherson finished 5-for-7 with a home run, one walk and seven RBI.

Koczersut was 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs, a walk and a stolen base, while Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks.

Lightbody (1-for-3, two runs and one walk), Graham (1-for-2, one run, one walk and a stolen base) and Hughes (1-for-4, one RBI, two runs and a stolen base) had the teams final three hits.

Thomas would lead the Titans going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. She was the only Titan in game two with a multi-hit game.

Notes:
The second win against EFSC was Schuerman's 196th career win with the Manatees and needs four to reach 200 career wins.

Up Next:
The Manatees go back on the road for a brief moment as they travel to Sanford to take on #10 Seminole State College (22-1) in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 7 at noon and 2 pm.

FGCU Baseball vs #22 Pepperdine Recap

The FGCU baseball team (5-7) handed No. 22 Pepperdine (10-2) its second loss of the season, as they defeated the visiting Waves by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday night at Swanson Stadium. The win is the Eagles' first over a ranked opponent since they downed No. 5 Florida 7-2 in Gainesville last season.

"This is a good club, which is what I've been saying the whole time," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We haven't pressed the panic button. We've had years that things have started off slowly. But we were ready to play tonight. Swanson Stadium is a special place and our players know that. This was a big win for us and we're really excited to see where we can go from here."

Though Pepperdine led through the opening innings, it was freshman Kyle Machado's first career homer that handed the home team its first lead in the bottom of the fifth. That shot, coupled with another run from senior Cameron Krzeminski, boosted FGCU to its victory.

Both teams got on the board in the opening frame. The Waves were the first to do so in their half, pushing a run across on a sac fly. In the bottom of the inning, the Eagles loaded up the bases and scored when Machado was hit by a pitch, bringing in junior Brian Ellis to knot things up at 1-1.

In the next inning, the Waves regained their lead after an Eagle miscue allowed a run to come in and put the team back up 2-1. FGCU later managed to load up the bases in an attempt to respond, but the Waves yanked their starter and the new arm was able to close out the frame, stranding all three runners.

An RBI single and an RBI double added to the visiting team's lead in the fourth. With one away and runners on second and third, the Eagles pulled junior starter Gus Carter in favor of senior Hunter McGarry. The reliever killed the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

Once again the Eagles were able to respond in their half of the inning, as they put up a three-spot to tie things back up. Ellis kicked off the scoring by sending junior Brandon Dorsey in with an outfield single. Seniors Alex Brait and Richie Garcia also tallied RBI, as they plated senior Elijah Eusebio and Ellis to finish out the spree.

Following a one-two-three inning against McGarry, Machado handed the Eagles the lead when he crushed his home run over the wall in left center in the bottom of the fifth.

After a few quiet innings, the Waves got things going in the top of the seventh and loaded up the bases. With just one out on the board, the Eagles were forced into their bullpen, optioning for senior Sebastian Gruszecki. McGarry finished his three-frame outing lined up for the win as he allowed one hit and fanned three during his stay on the mound. Upon entering the game, Gruszecki took a Wave down swinging and forced a groundout to prevent the visiting team from pushing any of its runners across.

The Eagles carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning, where they added another run to their lead. Krzeminski led things off with an infield single and, after stealing a bag, came around to score when Dorsey knocked one up the middle.

Pepperdine took another crack at the home team's lead in the eighth and managed to load up the bases once again. Despite the scoring opportunity, the Waves were only able to bring in one run as Gruszecki and the Eagles battled back to minimize the damage and hold on to their lead. Pepperdine's only other loss this season was an 8-2 decision at the hands of No. 6 UCLA.

McGarry earned his second win of the season, improving to 2-1 overall. Gruszecki was awarded the save, marking his second of 2020 and the fourth of his career. With the victory, the Eagles improve to 22-50-1 over ranked opponents all-time, which includes a 6-16-1 mark at Swanson Stadium.

SCF Wraps Up Eight Game Homestead vs Eastern Florida

The SCF softball team (17-9) will wrap up their eight game homestead at the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Eastern Florida State (11-8, 4-1 Southern) Wednesday night, March 4 at 4 and 6 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of a split against NJCAA Region 12 Kalamazoo Valley where the fell 3-2 in the first game before winning 2-1 in the second. Currently in their eight game homestead, the Manatees are 6-1 so far.

Freshman Ally Hulme and sophomore Ashlee Zientek are so far the main pitcher for the Manatees.

Hulme is currently 6-2 with a 3.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts. In her last start, Hulme pitched a five inning shutout against Oakland CC with one walk and five strikeouts.

In her last appearance, Zientek pitched 3.1 innings of relief with four walks and four strikeouts against Kalamazoo Valley, while also going 3-for-5 with a triple. Currently, the upcoming Ursuline College transfer is 3-3 with a 2.55 ERA and 43 strikeouts, while at the plate she is batting .424 with 14 hits and seven RBI.

Sophomore Madi LoCastro has been trying to bring back herself as a hybrid player. On the mound, LoCastro is currently 4-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 29 strikeouts, while at the plate she is batting .237 with a home run and 12 RBI. LoCastro was 0-for-6 at the plate against Kalamazoo Valley, but threw a one run, two hit complete game with five strikeouts.

On the basepath, freshmen Lauren Lightbody and Lilly Salazar are showing that speed kills. Lightbody is batting .431 with a team-leading 31 hits and seven RBI, while Salazar is batting .362 with 25 hits (second on the team) and five RBI. Both players each have 11 stolen bases. In the series against Kalamazoo Valley, both were 1-for-6 with a stolen base. Salazar added an RBI in the second game.

As far as power, freshmen Maddie Koczersut and Emily Hughes show that. Koczersut is currently batting .375 with four home runs and 21, while Hughes three home runs and 11 RBI despite batting .219. Koczersut played in both games against Kalamazoo Valley going 2-for-3 with four walks, while Hughes was 1-for-6 in the series.

*Personal Opinion: Every time Koczersut is up to the plate, she'll predominantly draw at least one walk per game and she leads the team with 14 walks.

Five Away:
After the split with Kalamazoo Valley, head coach Mandy Schuerman is now five wins away from reaching 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees. She has 195 in her career.

Scouting Eastern Florida:
The Titans are coming off of sweeping Lincoln Trail College (NJCAA Region 24) winning by scores of 10-0 and 9-1, both by mercy rule. They have already started Southern Conference play with their only loss against Broward College (13-10). The Titans roster is a majority of sophomores.

Sophomores Katelyn Wilfert and Madison Neuhaus both have five home runs with Wilfert leading the team in RBI (27) and Neuhaus with a leading batting average (.362). Wilfert is also 7-6 on the season with 1.45 ERA and 58 strikeouts. Wilfert was 3-for-5 against Lincoln Trail with two home runs and four RBI, while Neuhaus was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

Series History (2012-present):
The Manatees hold a 8-2 overall record against the Titans. Last season, both team split in the regular with the Manatees winning at EFSC before the Titans defeated won at SCF. Both teams met in the FCSAA State Tournament with the Manatees on top and eliminating EFSC from the tournament.

Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-softball-5e19088f09b01f1f2300011a

Twitter Pages:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
EFSC: @efscTitans

2nd Herd Readies for State Tourney

After a hard fought game Tuesday, the SCF basketball team (21-11) now readies themselves for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament at the Radier Arena in Niceville, hosted by Northwest Florida State. The Manatees will have their first game against #10 Tallahassee Community College (25-5) Wednesday night, March 4 at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees came off of winning the Suncoast Conference Tournament after defeating St. Pete College 90-75 in the semifinals before defeating Polk State in the finals by a score of 92-74. It was the second consecutive season that the Manatees made it to the state tournament and the third in 2010s era.

Tournament Breakdown:
The tournament is single elimination with the top two teams in their respected conferences:
#1 FSW (29-1)- Suncoast
SCF (21-11)- Suncoast
 #10 Tallahassee (25-5)- Panhandle
RV Gulf Coast State (21-7)- Panhandle
#18 Central Florida (24-6)- Mid-Florida
Eastern Florida (21-10)- Mid-Florida
RV Indian River State (22-7)- Southern
Broward (17-9)- Southern

The winner between SCF and #10 TCC will play the winner between RV Indian River or Eastern Florida in the semifinals. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas as a representative for NJCAA Region 8.

#1 FSW is the highest seed in the tournament and ranked #1 in the nation, but say for example, they lose in the semifinals of the tournament against CCF or Broward, then what would happen? Well regardless if they win or lose the tournament, FSW will end up in the national tournament as an at-large bid. In fact, #10 Tallahassee and #18 Central Florida could be listed as at-large bids too based on their rankings.

Defending the NJCAA National Championship this year is Vincennes (24-4) from NJCAA Region 4/Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC). Vincennes, who is currently ranked #12 in the nation and then ranked #8 in the nation, won the 2019 NJCAA National Championship after defeating NJCAA Region 5/North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) Ranger (now #3) 87-77.

Bracket Layout:
All four games will be on Wednesday in order:

Game One: #18 Central Florida vs Broward @ 2 pm EST/1 pm CST.
Game Two: #1 FSW vs RV Gulf Coast @ 4 pm EST/3 pm CST
Game Three: #10 TCC vs SCF @ 7 pm EST/6 pm CST
Game Four: RV Indian River State vs Eastern Florida @ 9 pm EST/8 pm CST

Suncoast Awards:
Prior to the tournament, the Suncoast Conference presented the yearly awards and team accolades for the players this season.

Suncoast Player of the Year:
The Suncoast Player of the year this year was presented to FSW's sophomore Keon Ellis. Ellis is averaging 18 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Ellis had 12 points and five rebounds in their final conference game vs Polk State.

Suncoast Coach of the Year:
FSW would take Suncoast Coach of the Year as it was won by Eric Murphy. Murphy enters his second season as head coach for the Buccaneers. This was the second straight season Murphy has won Coach of the Year.

All-Suncoast First Team:
Three Manatees were named to the All-Suncoast First team: sophomores D'Moi Hodge and Isiah Dasher and freshman Marshall Kearing. This will be the second straight season that Hodge and Dasher were named to the All-Suncoast First Team.

Hodge is averaging 25.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. The native of Tortola, British Virgin Islands had 36 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and four steals against Polk State in the championship. Hodge has broken and set two program scoring records for the Manatees as he holds the single season record (794) and career record (1,392). Both records were held by James Life until this year.

Dasher is averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 per game. Dasher nearly had a double-double against Polk State as he finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

In addition, Dasher is 21 points away from joining Hodge on becoming the second Manatee to reach 1,000 points in a career.

Kearing is averaging 11.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Against Polk State, Kearing nearly had a double-double as he finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

Other members that joined Hodge, Dasher and Kearing included the following by teams:
Keon Ellis- Florida Southwestern

Tekorian Smith- Polk State

Jermaine Marshall- Florida Southwestern

Michael Cole- Hillsborough

Clarence Jackson- Polk State

Jalen Finch- Florida Southwestern

Kobie Johnson- St. Petersburg

Bryan Williams- St. Petersburg

De'Lazarus Keys- Florida Southwestern

All-Suncoast Second Team:
Joining the All-Suncoast Second Team is freshman Jordan Clark. Clark is averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Clark had nine points, three rebounds and two assists against Polk State.

Other members that joined Clark included the following by teams:
Berrick JeanLouis- Florida Southwestern

Malcolm Stevenson- Polk State

Derrick White Jr.- Hillsborough

Tommie Lewis- Polk State

Teddy Bayi Ba Mandeng- St. Petersburg

Simeon Kirkland- Florida Southwestern

Kerry Richardson- Polk State

Ralph Bissainthe- Florida Southwestern

Damon Davis- St. Petersburg

Terry Roberts- Florida Southwestern

Bernat Vanaclocha Sanchez- Polk State

Big Helps:
Other players that have made a big help on both ends of the floor include sophomores Max Bell-Ramos, Remy Robert II and Christnoff Scarborough.

Bell-Ramos is currently averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Bell-Ramos had six points and five rebounds against Polk State.

Mainly the 3-point specialist, Robert II is averaging 3.9 points and one rebound per game. Robert II contributed with two points, two rebounds and a block against Polk State.

Scarborough is averaging 5.1 points and four rebounds per game despite having only three points against Polk State.

Scouting Tallahassee :
Led by Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year Zach Settembre, The Eagles, who are ranked #10 in the NJCAA Top 25 Poll, were crowned the Panhandle Regular Season Champion after going 9-3 in their conference, thus becoming the #1 team in the Panhandle Conference. In their last season game, the Titans fell to RV Gulf Coast State 108-107 in triple overtime in their last conference game of the season.

Freshman El Ellis leads the team offensively for the Eagles. Ellis is averaging 14.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. Ellis had 21 points and six assists against GCSC before being named Panhandle Player of the Year and a member of the All-Panhandle First Team.

Sophomores Tariq Silver and DeAndre Gholston also play key roles offensively. Silver is averaging 12.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while Gholston is averaging 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Against GCSC, Silver had 23 points and eight rebounds while Gholston had 17 points and seven rebounds. Both Silver was named Panhandle Newcomer of the Year and a member of the All-Panhandle First Team while Gholston was named to the All-Panhandle Second Team.

Sophomores Eric Hester, Kailex Stephens, Jordan Guest and Rifen Miguel also play big roles and were named on both Panhandle Conference Teams (Hester: First Team; Stephens, Guest and Miguel: Second Team).

Hester is averaging 9.4 points and two assists per game despite only scoring five points with two assists against GCSC.

Stephens averages eight points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Stephens had eight points and seven rebounds against GCSC.

Guest is averaging 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Guest had 18 points and six rebounds against GCSC.

Miguel averages 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game despite not playing against GCSC.

Series History (2012-present):
The Manatees are 0-4 against the Eagles. Last time both teams met was on December 13, 2014 where the Manatees fell 87-60 in Tallahassee.

How to Keep Up:
The game will be featured livestream on Emerald Coast TV YouTube page. The game is free to watch for all fans. Fans can also stay up to date with both teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCF_Basketball
TCC: @TCCEagles

Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoal4TkWkrxNaqaANYXAb3A

SCF Softball Splits with Kalamazoo Valley

The SCF softball team (17-9) were able to survive with a split against Kalamazoo Valley (1-5) in two close games losing game one 3-2 before winning game two 2-1. With the split, the Manatees are now 5-1 against the Cougars.

"We really have to work on our timely hitting," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "Both games we didn't do well executing that portion of it. We must get better."

"I think for both of the games we definitely didn't hit as well as our ability to," said sophomore Madi LoCastro. "And that came back to hurt us the first game, but we pulled threw in the second game and was able to capitalize on the win."

Game One:
For game one, Schuerman sent freshman Samantha Hampton to the mound, while KVCC head coach Morgan VanderBor sent sophomore Ariana Rowe to counter.

While the first two innings was a pitcher's battle, the Cougars would strike first at the top of the third after freshman Jayme Koning reached first on an error while classmate Mykenzie Domeier scored. At the top of the fourth, the Cougars would add another run after sophomore Kayla Yore drew a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0 KVCC.

At the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would avoid being shut out as freshman Lauren Lightbody would score on a passed ball, but the Cougars would answer back after Koning hit a leadoff solo shot to center for a 3-1 KVCC lead at the top of the seventh.

The Manatees would try to mount a comeback after loading the bases with freshman Lauren Hutcherson sending sophomore Makayla Benavidez home before freshman Kristin Kopp popped out to end the game.

Rowe would get her first win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up two unearned runs on five hits with seven walks and four strikeouts. Rowe is now 1-1 on the year.

Hampton would go to 3-3 on the year after the loss giving up two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings.

Sophomore Ashlee Zientek gave up one run on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts in three and a third innings, while going 2-for-2 with a triple. She was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game.

Lightbody, Hutcherson and Benavidez had the remaining Manatees three hits. Lightbody and Benavidez also added a stolen base each.

Freshman Olivia Fee was the only Cougar with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3. Koning and Yore had the Cougars lone two RBI.

Game Two:
Hoping to bounce back, Schuerman sent LoCastro to the mound, while VanderBor sent Fee to counter.

After the first two innings were a pitchers battle yet again, Fee would buckle first in the bottom of the third. After a one-out single by freshman Maddie Koczersut before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lightbody, classmate Lilly Salazar would send a single to right, with the infield in, and bring Koczersut home before stealing second. This was then followed by an RBI single by Hutcherson to send Salazar home for a 2-0 SCF lead.

The Cougars would then get on the board at the top of the fifth after an RBI single by sophomore Morgan Lenox, but the Manatees were able to hold on to the lead with strong defense for the win.

LoCastro would come out with her third win of the season, putting her at 3-2 on the year, after throwing a two-hit complete game, giving up one unearned run with five strikeouts.

"It feels good to get the win," said LoCastro on her game. "I definitely felt like I could control and be able to keep it as a close game and we could get the win."

Fee would be dubbed with her second loss after throwing five innings, giving up both runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Fee was also 1-for-3 at the plate.

Koczersut was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game in game two as she finished 2-for-3.

Salazar and Hutcherson each had one hit and one RBI. Salazar added a stolen base on her part.

Zientek went 1-for-3 and finished 3-for-5 on the series. Freshman Emily Hughes went 1-for-3 in game two.

Koning and Lenox had the Cougars' other two hits.

Notes:
Schuerman's one win in the series put her at 195 career wins as head coach for the Manatees and needs five to reach 200 career wins.

Other Suncoast Scores:
St. Pete (17-7) swept North Idaho (2-4) 9-1 (5) and 9-6 at home March 1. The Titans will welcome Oakland CC Tuesday afternoon, March 3 at 4 and 6 pm.

#3 Florida Southwestern (17-2) split with #2 Central Florida (24-1) winning game one 12-8 before losing game two 7-5 February 28. The Buccaneers will be back in action against Kalamazoo Valley Tuesday afternoon, March 3 at 4 and 6 pm.

Hillsborough (11-11) split with Pasco-Hernando (10-6) February 22 losing game one 11-10 before winning game two 5-1. The Hawks will welcome Lake Sumter (14-12) Tuesday night, March 3 at 5 and 7 pm.

Polk State (6-12) dropped their doubleheader to #10 Seminole State (22-1) 18-5 and 14-6, both via mercy rule. The Eagles will face Daytona State (5-13) Tuesday afternoon, March 3 at 3 and 5 pm.

South Florida State (7-15) dropped a doubleheader to Santa Fe (14-12) losing by scores of 12-4 (6) and 8-0 (5). The Panthers will welcome Santa Fe for a rematch Thursday afternoon, March 5 at 4 and 6 pm.

Up Next:
The Manatees will wrap up their eight-game homestead as they welcome Eastern Florida State (11-8, 4-1 Southern) Wednesday afternoon, March 4 at 4 and 6 pm.

Lyons Pulls Two Big Flies Over South Florida State

Sophomore Jamarcus Lyons pulled off one of his best offensive games as the SCF baseball team (12-10 Suncoast) opened Suncoast Conference play blowing out South Florida State (13-10, 0-1 Suncoast) 20-0 via mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees are now 22-12 against the Panthers and will play the second at Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 4 at 6 pm.

Head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Cole Ayers to the mound, while SFSC head coach Rick Hitt sent freshman Alex Marshall to counter.

The Manatees would open the flood gates at the top of the first after sophomore Rook Ellington hit a single to right before Lyons sent a two-run shot to left for a 2-0 lead for his first home run of the season.

Meanwhile during the first two innings, Cole Ayers was pounding at the strike zone as he pulled off with four strikeouts.

At the top of the third, sophomore John Malcom pulled a double to left to send Lyons home for a 3-0 SCF lead, but the top of the fourth stood no limits for the Manatees offense beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Richard Rodriguez before sophomore Remi Patry and freshman Cameron Lee load the bases after reaching base on fielding errors. This would signal the end for Marshall as Hitt would send sophomore Trey Fields the mound.

With Fields on the mound, Rodriguez would take advantage of a wild pitch and score while Patry and Lee advance to scoring position. On a 1-1 count, Ellington would send Patry and Lee home with a single to right to make it 6-0 SCF. After Lyons reached first on a fielder's choice and sophomore Aaron McKeithan loaded the bases after being hit a pitch, Malcom would draw to reload the bases and send Ellington home. Following Malcom's walk, freshman Owen Ayers would line a single to center to bring in Lyons and McKeithan to make it 9-0 SCF. The team batted around as Patry would load the bases again after drawing a walk before Lee brought in Malcom and Owen Ayers with a pop fly single to left for a 10-0 SCF lead.

Two innings later, the Manatees decided to add nine final runs to their score at the top of the seventh beginning with a leadoff walk by Lee. After Ellington hit a single to center, Lyons proved his power once again as the transfer from UCF shot a 3-run blast to left for his second home run of the season and the game. This would signal the end for Fields as Hitt brought in freshman Myles Caba to pitch.

After McKeithan flew out, and Malcom, Owen Ayers and sophomore AJ Fritz drew walks to load the bases, Rodriguez woul draw a walk to send Malcom home before Hitt sent freshman Nico Saladino to the mound. After the pitching change, Patry would send a single to left to bring in Malcom before Lee sent Owen Ayers and Fritz home for a 18-0 SCF.

After Ellington reached first on fielder's choice with Lee being called out at second while Patry reached third before scoring on a fielding error. With one final push, Lyons would send Ellington home on a double to make it 20-0 SCF before Cole Ayers struck out three batters to seal the deal for the win.

Cole Ayers would get his second win of the season after throwing seven shutout innings, giving up six hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts. Ayers is now 2-2 on the season.

Marshall would be dubbed with the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He is now 2-1 on the year.

Lyons was the offensive hero for the Manatees as he finished 3-for-6 with two home runs, six RBI, four runs and a stolen base. In fact, he is the second Manatee this season with a multi-home run game (First: John Malcom).

Ellington would also finish 3-for-6 with two RBI and four runs, while Lee finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs and a walk.

Malcom, Owen Ayers, Rodriguez and Patry each had one hit and two RBI. Malcom added three walks and two runs, while Owen Ayers added two walks and two runs and Rodriguez and Patry each added a walk and two runs.

Sophomore Casey Asman was the only Panther with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3.

SCF Baseball Readies for Suncoast Play

With non-conference out of session, the SCF baseball team (11-10) can focus on Suncoast Conference play as they open their series against South Florida State College (13-9). The first game will begin at Panther Field in Avon Park Monday night, March 2 at 6 pm. The second game will then travel back to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 4 at 6 pm before the third game is wrapped up back at Panther Field Friday night, March 6 at 6 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees recently competed this past weekend at home where they split Friday and Saturday winning 16-3 against the University of Tampa JV Team Friday before losing to Pasco-Hernando 14-7 Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore John Malcom is leading .325 with a team-leading 25 hits, four home runs and 19 RBI. Malcom was 2-for-5 on the weekend with three walks, an RBI and two runs.

Sophomore Remi Patry follows Malcom on the RBI with 15 and batting .269 with a home run, while freshman Owen Ayers is batting a team-leading .353 with two home runs and 13 RBI. Patry was 3-for-10 on the weekend with four RBI and two runs, while Ayers was 3-for-6 with three RBI, four runs and three walks.

A players that's been hot on the base path is freshman Cameron Lee. Despite batting .220, Lee leads the team in walks (13) and stolen bases (14). On the weekend, Lee was 2-for-7 with a home run, two RBI, four walks and four stolen bases. In fact, the native of Frankfurt, Illinois hit his first collegiate home run of the season against UT JV.

Sophomore Jake Smith has been the lead man on the mound as he is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Smith threw two scoreless innings in the game against UT JV with six strikeouts.

Despite getting the loss to Pasco-Hernando with eight strikeouts in four innings, sophomore Justin Wrobleski is 2-1 with a 1.54 ERA and 20 strikeouts.

As far as being in relief, freshman David Barrett has made nine appearances with a 0.95 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Barrett threw two and two-thirds innings against PHSC, giving up four unearned runs and striking out two batters.

Scouting South Florida State:
The Panthers are coming off of a weekend in defeat as they fell to Daytona State (3-1) Friday on the road before losing Saturday to NJCAA Region 12 Kalamazoo Valley (8-4).

Sophomore Mike Bessell is their lead offensive player batting .338 with 19 RBI. Bessell was 4-for-7 with three RBI on the weekend.

Classmate Casey Asman is batting .300 with a home run and 15 RBI despite going 0-for-6 on the weekend with two walks.

On the mound, sophomore Dylan Kelley is 3-2 with a 3.97 ERA and 32 strikeouts. In his last appearance, Kelley threw three innings and gave up five runs on five hits with three strikeouts in a loss to Kalamazoo Valley.

Series History (2012-present):
Overall, the Manatees are 21-12 against the Panthers. Last season, the Manatees took the series 5-1 with the loss coming on April 18 by a score of 3-2.

Livestats will be available via GameChanger and fans can keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCFBaseball
SFSC: @SFSCAthletics

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-varsity-5e26db014cf88f41b4aaf1c1