SCF Softball Wraps Up Classic

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (3-1) officially wrapped up day two of the Adidas JUCO Kickoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex as they defeated St. John’s River State (1-1) 7-5 in game one before defeating Seminole State College of Florida (2-1) 3-1. With the wins, the Manatees are now 9-8 against the Vikings and 8-17 against the Raiders.

“It always feels good to win no matter what the situation,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “I liked our grit in both games. We have a lot that we are going to continue to work on, but overall I'm happy with the adjustments from day one to day two.”

SCF vs St. John’s River:

For game one, Schuerman sent sophomore Samantha Hampton to the mound, while SJR head coach Joe Pound sent sophomore Katie Benedict to counter.

After a scoreless first inning, the Vikings would score first in the bottom of the second after a two-RBI single by sophomore Ashley Kirkbride, but the Manatees then showed their offense at the top of the third. After sophomore Hannah Murrary was hit by a pitch to lead off before classmate Molly Starinsky came in to pinch run, freshman Jordan O’Brien would hit a single and move Starinsky to third before being caught stealing for the first out. Sophomore Mya Achenbach would then send a bunt single to bring in Starinsky for the Manatees first run of the game. Freshman Liv Siebert would get a bunt single of her own before classmate Presley O’Kimosh drew a walk to load the bases for freshman Gabi Nicholson. On a 1-1 count, the Tennessee native would send a double to left and bring in Achenbach and Siebert for a 3-2 SCF lead. 

The Vikings would tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third after an RBI double by freshman Alyssa Taylor. This signaled the end for Hampton as sophomore Gracie Mullett would come in to pitch and close out the fourth inning for both teams 

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would regain the lead after Nicholson brought in Siebert with an RBI groundout. At the top of the sixth, they were able to extend their lead with their final runs as sophomore Allie Bloski would begin with a leadoff walk. After Murrary was hit by a pitch and O’Brien drew a walk to load the bases, Achenbach would draw a walk of her own and bring in Bloski. O’Kimosh would then send bases-loaded two-RBI single to bring in Murray and O’Brien to make it 7-3 SCF before before called out trying to stretch a single to a double.

The Vikings would add two more runs in the last two innings, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees got the win.

Hampton would get her second win of the season after giving up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings. She is now 2-0 to start.

Mullett gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits with five strikeouts in four innings of relief.

Benedict would get the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings, while sophomore Savannah LePain gave up two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings of relief.

Nicholson would lead the way for the Manatees as she went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while O'Kimosh and Siebert each had two hits. O'Kimosh (2-for-3) added two RBI, while Siebert (2-for-4) added two runs. Achenbach also had a multi-RBI game as she went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.

O'Brien (1-for-3, one run and one walk) and freshman Sam Carlin (1-for-1) had the remaining two hits.

Taylor would lead the Vikings in hits as she went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, while sophomore Madison McAllister was 2-for-4 with two runs.

Sophomore Carly Bogart, a transfer from SCF, went 1-for-4 against her former team.

SCF vs Seminole State:

For game two, Schuerman sent Mullett back to the mound, while Seminole head coach Courtney Miller sent sophomore Jada Oleski to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first after Siebert hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Achenbach. One inning later, the Manatees would get their second run after Bloski hit an RBI double to center to bring in freshman Chantel Schurr to make it 2-0 SCF.

After holding the Raiders scoreless for the next three innings, the Raiders would then get their first run of the game at the top of the sixth after redshirt sophomore Shelby Williams reached on an error and brought in sophomore Taylor Thomas, but the Manatees would respond back with an insurance run in the bottom half after Nicholson would reach on a fielding error and bring in Siebert before sealing the win.

Mullett would end up throwing a complete game, giving up one unearned run on four hit with nine strikeouts. She is now 1-1 on the season.

"Both Gracie and Sam Hampton threw really well both days," said Schuerman on Mullett and Hampton. "I am so proud of the way they attacked the zone. I was extremely happy with their performances."

Oleski would be dubbed with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts in five innings.

Schurr would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run. Bloski and Siebert were each 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Nicholson (1-for-3) had the remaining hit.

Thomas would be the only Lady Raider with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run, while giving up on unearned run on two hits in one inning of relief.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#1 FSW (5-0) finished their second day of the JUCO Kickoff Classic by defeating both Marshalltown CC (12-4) and USC Union (17-3) via the five inning mercy rule. The Buccaneers will return to action with the FSW Invitational for their home opener against College of Southern Idaho in a doubleheader Thursday, February 3 as part of six straight games at home.

Polk State (0-2) would fall in their season opener as they lost to Seminole State (6-4, 11 innings) and Santa Fe (12-5) on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic. The Eagles will return to action with their home opener against Daytona State February 7 in a doubleheader.

St. Pete (2-2) wrapped up day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic with a sweep as they beat South Georgia State (9-1) and Eastern Florida State (12-7). The Lady Titans will return to action for day three of the classic with morning game against Parkland College Sunday morning, January 30 at 8:30 am.

Hillsborough (1-2) opened their season with three games. They would defeated USC Union 8-0 in five innings via the eight-run mercy rule before falling to Miami Dade (7-4) and St. John's River (16-8). The Hawks will be back in action as they travel to Gainesville to take on Santa Fe College Tuesday, February 1.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. #1 FSW (5-0)

2. SCF (3-1)

3. SPC (2-2)

4. HCC (1-2)

5. Polk State (0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees remain on neutral grounds for their next series as they will travel to Fort Myers for another doubleheader as they face College of Southern Idaho (3-2) and Miami Dade (1-2) Friday, February 4 at 11:15 am and 3:30 pm.

SCF SB Splits Day One of Season Opener

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (1-1) started their season opener with a split at the Adidas JUCO Kickoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater as they fell to RV Georgia Military College (2-1) 4-0 before defeating Abaraham Baldwin Agriculture (0-2) 4-1. With the split, the Manatees are now 0-2 against the Bulldogs and 3-0 against the Lady Stallions.

"We played very nervously, which was to be expected being as we don't have many returners and a young team overall," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We saw improvements from game one to game two and that's what we were looking for."

"First game we were shutout, but we were able to get two hits off of Georgia Military College, bug our pitch selection and offensive approach was a point of focus as we did not do a good job in the first game and utilized it in the second game."

SCF vs GMC:

For game one against Georgia Military, Schuerman sent sophomore Gracie Mullett to the mound, while GMC head coach Ashley Bunn sent sophomore Kinsley Goolsby to counter.

After the first three innings were a pitcher's dual, the Bulldogs would score first as sophomore Marlee Smith would get an RBI single and would be followed with bases-loaded walk by classmate Mankensie Sapp and sophomore Makckenzie Kilpatrick getting hit by a pitch to make it 3-0 GMC. The Bulldogs would get one more run at the top of the sixth after a Kilpatrick sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 GMC before sealing the deal.

Goolsby would get the win after a two-hit shutout with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Mullett would be credited with the loss after giving up three runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in three and two-thirds.

Hampton would give up one unearned run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two and a third of relief, while freshman Samantha Carlin would throw one scoreless inning of relief with one walk.

Sophomore Layla Barron and freshman Lilly Griffith would be the only Bulldogs with a multi-hit game against the Manatees as they both went 2-for-4. Barron added two runs, while Griffith added one walk.

Sophomore Mya Achenbach and freshman Presley O'Kimosh had the Manatees only lone hits, while freshmen Liv Siebert and Jordan O'Brien each added a stolen base.

SCF vs ABAC:

Hoping to make up for the loss, Schuerman sent Hampton to the mound for game two while ABAC head coach Jennifer Walls sent freshman Lindy Lowther to counter.

The Manatees, who were the away team, would score first at the top of the first after an RBI groundout by Siebert that sent Achenbach home. The Lady Stallions would return the favor in the bottom of the second as freshman Abby Plymel would hit an RBI groundout of her own to tie the game at 1-1.

While it remained a pitcher's dual between Hampton and Lowther for the next two innings, the Manatees would get the upper hand at the top of the fifth. After Siebert and O'Kimosh hit back-to-back singles and Nicholson hit into a fielder's choice before freshman Chantel Schurr drew a walk to load the bases, Mullett would draw a walk of her own and send Siebert home to give the Manatees the lead. Sophomore Allie Bloski would then extend the lead to 3-1 after a sacrifice fly brought in Nicholson.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would add one final run as O'Kimish scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1 SCF before the game ended.

Hampton would get the win after throwing a complete game, giving up one run on six hits with one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts. The Lithia native threw a total 9.2 innings with 12 strikeouts in two games.

"I was beyond nervous at the start of the game because it is my last first time starting for my final year," said Hampton on her game. "While there were a few issues with my pitches, I adjusted and ended up with one of my best pitching games and a team win at the end of the day."

"Sam pitched a great game today," said Schuerman on Hampton. "Of course, all of my pitchers threw well today since we only gave up one earned run on the day.

Lowther would get the loss after giving up three runs on four hits with eight walks and six strikeouts in four and two-thirds.

O'Kimosh and Gabi Nicholson each were 2-for-3. O'Kimosh added a run scored, while Nicholson added an RBI and a stolen base.

Achenbach (1-for-4, one run) and Siebert (1-for-4, one RBI and one run) had the remaining hits for the Manatees, while Schurr drew three walks.

"I was happy with Presley and Gabi in the second game," said Schuerman on O'Kimosh and Nicholson. "They were able to relax a little bit and settle in at the game, which is all you can ask for from your batters."

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural fell to Eastern Florida State 3-0 in an earlier game

Notes:

The season opener happened to coincidentally be on head coach Schuerman's birthday.

"I'll take a win any day," laughed Schuerman on winning the game on her birthday. "In the end, it was nice to get at least one win for my birthday."

"It felt amazing," said Hampton on Schuerman's birthday win. "I felt like it was the best gift we could give her after everything we have worked so had for this far."

This was win #215 for Schuerman as head coach for the Manatees.

Siebert, O'Kimosh, Nicholson, Schurr, Carlin, O'Brien and sophomores Molly Starinsky and Tori Copeland and freshmen Mikayla DeSantis, Renee Dixon and Rylee Trice all made their debuts for the team. Schurr, Starinsky and Copeland are all transfers that joined this season.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#1 FSW (3-0) opened their season at the JUCO Kickoff Classic in Clearwater as they defeated Northwest Florida State 5-2, East Georgia State 10-2 (5) and Parkland College(#9 NJCAA DII) 12-7. The Buccaneers will be back in action Saturday, January 29 as they play day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic against Marshalltown CC and USC Union.

Hillsborough will open their season on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic as they play USC Union, Miami Dade and St. John's River Saturday, January 29.

Polk State will open the season on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic as they face Seminole State College and Santa Fe.

St. Pete (0-2) opened their season at the JUCO Kickoff Classic as they fell to Gulf Coast State (4-2) and RV Pensacola State (5-2). The Lady Titans will return to action as they play Eastern Florida, Parkland College and Georgia Highlands on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic.

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up their part of day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic in Clearwater as they play St. John's River State (@4 pm) and Seminole State College (FL) (@6 pm*).

*Game times are not official

4th Herd Gets First Win for Conference

Bradenton, Fla - After a struggling start for Southern Conference play with only seven players to rotate, the SCF basketball team (12-10, 1-3 Southern) were able to get their first conference win of the season as they defeated Miami Dade (8-11, 0-4 Southern) by a nail-biting score of 69-67 at Hal Chasey Gymnasium.

"It feels good to get back on the winning column," said head coach Tom Parks. "I think regardless of our record over the last five games, I thought at times we played some very good stretches of basketball. In particular, the last three games we played really well, even with a lot of new things that we added in on the fly with very little practice time and a lot of film sessions and I just felt like our group locked in. I know it got ugly at the end, but it was nice to end up having more points on our side of the scoreboard."

"It felt good to get this win," said sophomore James "Pop" Weathers. "We have been harping the past couple of weeks to get our first dub in conference play this season and we started coming back from break while losing two straight against Seward and Pensacola and getting our first dub in conference is a big win for us because last week we had two close ones and we wanted those, so we felt good coming off of the FSW game and it was better than all."

"We came out hot and gave it to them (Miami Dade) in the first half, but I felt we kind of slowed the pace down in the second half, so we had to adjust our plays and while they scored more points, we just had to lock in on the last two minutes and that made it better for the win."

"It feels good to get our first win tonight," said sophomore Clarence Cummings III. "It was a team game and it just feels good after losing five straight games and winning always heals everything."

"It feels great after snapping the five-game losing streak we had with losing three in conference play," said freshman Cobey Harraway. "We definitely needed this win just to raise everyone's spirits and it just feels good to win, even if it was ugly towards the end of game. All that matters is we got the win at the end of the day."

In the first half, both teams were off to a slow start in the first two minutes until freshman Matthew Khoury scored the first points of the game with a mid-range shot from the corner before freshman Ronnail Tape hit the Manatees first points with a layup. After another Shark layup, Weathers would give the Manatees their first lead with a 3-point shot. A Weathers rebound lead to another 3-point shot hit by Cummings III for an 8-4 lead. The Sharks would tie the game at 11 apiece after a 3-point shot by freshman Speedy Carcamo before calling a timeout.

After the timeout, freshman Ametri Moss would hit a layup to give the Manatees back the lead before they went on a 9-2 run for two and a half minutes to make it 20-13 before extending their lead by as much as 17 thanks to 3-points shots by Harraway and freshman Jacari White before sophomore Darik Tannis-Harriet hit a buzzer-beating mid-range shot with three minutes left in the first half. After a few more adjustments to the formation, Harraway would hit one final 3-pointer to end the first half before the Manatees took the first half 39-25.

At the start of the second half, the Sharks started to make a comeback, slowly but surely, even while the Manatees got crucial buckets from Cummings III and Weathers. The Sharks would cut the Manatees lead from 17 points to single digits with less than 13 minutes left in the second half.

With three minutes left in the game and the Manatees up 66-62, the Sharks would then put pressure on the Manatees and take advantage with a few steals before taking their first lead of the second half by a score of 67-66, but a Moss layup would give the Manatees back their lead to 68-67.

The Sharks would try to get the lead back with a layup, but strong defense by White from a block and taking a charge would continue to keep the Manatees lead alive. The Sharks would then try three more attempts to get the lead with less than a minute left in the half, but to no avail as Cummings III would grab a crucial rebound on the defense end before Parks called a timeout with 34 seconds left.

After the timeout, Cummings III would attempt a 3-point shot to extend the lead to four, but it would not fall in, yet like a silent assassin, Harraway would grab a crucial offensive rebound and draw the foul to go to the free throw line with 15.3 seconds left. 

After Harraway made one of two free throws, the Sharks would go for one more final shot attempt to tie the game or get the win with 11 seconds left. Sophomore D'Monte Brown would go for the final shot, but it would not fall as the Manatees would secure the win.

"I wanted to hit both free throws towards the end of the game," said Harraway on the last 15 seconds of the game. "On the first attempt, I was definitely thinking about it too much and I let my foot slip a little bit and let the nerves get to me. I knew I had to make the second one for sure because it would have been tougher to see if we were up one instead of two or three."

Three Manatees scored in double figures and it was Cummings III that lead the way offensively as he finished with a season-high 20 points (5-for-13 FG, 2-for-3 3PT, 8-for-8 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block.

"Plain and simple, I just played basketball," said Cummings III on his game. "I don't want to say too much, it just play basketball and hopefully get the win."

"Clarence shows up every day and is somebody you can root for," said Parks on Cummings III. "I think a majority of the team look up to him as like a big brother type of role and he just shows up and I felt like we lost games this season because of our free throw shooting and to see him shoot a pretty good percentage of 14 of 19 (74%) and his eight of eight obviously goes a long way into that and it's nice to see him at his success. I thought he played well and took good shots while he was in a rhythm most of the time. I think him and Ronnail (Tape) had a height disadvantage every game, yet they just battle, so Clarence is someone who is playing out of a position at times, especially from a defensive standpoint, and can go out there and compete every day and he did that today."

Harraway would follow with 18 points (6-for-13 FG, 5-for-7 3PT, 1-for-2 FT), five rebounds and two assists.

"I felt good in the first half, but in the second half, I was kind of quiet a little bit and wasn't shooting as many looks as I got and couldn't get them to fall," said Harraway on his game. "Part of it was the fatigue and I didn't come out a single second in the second half, which was a mental lapse with it getting in my head and thinking about my shot too much instead of just letting it fly, but overall I thought I had a good game offensively and defensively with my rebounding."

"The thing about Cobey is he is just an everyday guy," said Parks on Harraway. "He shows up everyday and works. He doesn't complain when he doesn't get a certain amount of shots. He just plays basketball, whether the ball finds him or not, even if he misses shots or if he makes them. I thought he took some really good shots and his teammates found him and I thought he shot the ball with confidence."

Weathers would round out the order with 11 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

"I came into the game thinking of not trying to force anything and just take what the defense gives me," said Weathers on his game. "I just wanted to let the game come to me and no matter how many points I had, as long as we got the 'W', I'm ok with it."

White would add nine points (3-for-10 FG, 1-for-3 3PT, 2-for-3 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal, while freshman Ametri Moss had five points (2-for-8 FG, 1-for-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and two steals, Tape added four points (1-for-3 FG, 2-for-4 FT) and three rebounds and Tannis-Harriet added two points (1-for-1 FG), one rebound and one assist.

Notes:

With his 11 points, Weathers has 779 career points and 409 this season. He needs 221 to reach 1,000 points and 397 to hold the single season points held by D'Moi Hodge (805, 2018-20).

Other Southern Conference Scores:

#5 Indian River State (19-2, 4-0 Southern) defeated Hillsborough (8-10, 2-3 Southern) 74-64 in Tampa. The Hawks will face #15 Florida Southwestern (16-2, 3-0 Southern Wednesday night, January 26.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #5 Indian River State (19-2, 4-0)

2. #15 FSW (16-2, 3-0)

3. HCC (8-10, 2-3)

4. SCF (12-10, 1-3)

5. MDC (8-11, 0-4)

Up Next:

The Manatees are back on the road as they travel to Miami to take on Miami Dade Monday night, January 24 at 7 pm. This will be a makeup game from January 5.

SCF Softball Sweeps Webber in the Final Scrimmage

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team had a strong outing in their final scrimmage before the season starts as they swept Webber International University at home by scores of 7-1 and 7-2.

"Overall, we had great energy," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "It took us too long to adjust our hitting in the first game and need to button up routine mistake, but overall good team wins with many contributors."

"The team's overall performance was commendable," said freshman Chantel Schurr. "I believe that we all had each other's backs whether it came to tiny mistakes or even congratulating each other on good plays or hits."

"We started off rusty at first, but once we started a rally we were unstoppable," said freshman Gabi Nicholson. "We overall played a great game together."

"There was no doubt that I think everyone had first game jitters," said sophomore Remi Hebert. "After the third inning, I think everyone got them out of the way and finally relaxed when we played. The team's offense and defense today was really good and everyone was making good contact." 

Game one saw the Manatees finally wake their bats up in the bottom of the fourth after a two-run shot by Nicholson and 2-for-3 two-double game for Schurr.

"I just relaxed and really had fun at the plate and on the field," said Nicholson on her game. "I appreciate my coaches for allowing me to push to go to the next level."

"In all honesty, I believe I had some good at-bat performances," said Schurr on her game. "Instead of thinking and becoming overwhelmed, I simply played the game. As you can see, the bat finds the ball when you simply relax, and it's been a long time since I've just let go of my stress. It was great to fall in love with the simple joys of having fun."

Hebert would get the win after a three-hit complete game with seven strikeouts.

"On the mound today, my catcher (Presley O'Kimosh) was working really hard behind the plate for me and did a great job," said Herbert on her game. "The team's offense and defense made me pitch really relaxed and I knew they had my back. It's a great feeling when you're on the mound and you know your team is working behind you and has your back."

Game two came in clutch on the mound as sophomore Samantha Hampton would get the win, while classmate Gracie Mullett got the save. Schurr and Nicholson also had some big hit games as well as freshman Liv Siebert on the base paths.

"We really just came together as a team and started to have each others back," said Nicholson. "Even if one of us just struck out, then the next at-bat would help our teammates pick us up and that's what makes us true teammates with true teamwork."

"I believe that one of the turning points was our ability to string hits together," said Schurr. "In the hitting element of the game, I believe everyone did their job. Our defense could have been a little better tonight, but I believe we made up for our mistakes supported one another."

"The pitchers did a good job attacking the strike zone today," said Schuerman on her pitchers. "Our defense made mistakes, but were able to overcome them. I expect Remi, Sam and Gracie to be leaders on in the circle."

"I believe good things happen at the plate when you make pitch to pitch adjustments," said Schuerman on her batters.

Up Next:

The Manatees will officially open the season with the three-day Adidas JUCO Kickoff Classic in Clearwater. They will play two of the three days as they will open with Georgia Military (@3 pm) and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (@5 pm) on day one before facing St. John's River State (@4 pm) and Seminole State College (@6:30 pm) on day two.

*Side Note: This was the first interviews I did with Schuerman, Hebert, Nicholson and Schurr this season and the official first for Nicholson and Schurr for their SCF debuts.

SCF Softball Readies for Season Opener with Last Scrimmage

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team have put 2021 on the back burner and now set their sights on the 2022 season as they open with a scrimmage at the SCF Softball Complex. The Manatees will welcome Webber International University (NAIA) for a doubleheader Wednesday night, January 19 at 4 and 6 pm. It will be their last scrimmage before the season starts.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees came off finishing last season 17-18-1 overall with a 10-10 record in the Suncoast Conference. It was the first time in a long history that they had more losses than wins on their and the first time they had a tie on their record.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Mandy Schuerman. Schuerman enters her eighth season as head softball coach for the Manatees. While the 2021 season was the first bad season for Schuerman, the former Florida Gator did manage to reach a recent milestone of getting 200 wins as head coach. Currently, she is 214-129-1 in her career. The next win milestone for Schuerman is 300.

As far as from the rest of the coaching staff, longtime assistant coach Michelle Puls has moved up in the the ranks as she was named the head athletic director after Matt Ennis accepted a different role after 11.5 years with the Manatees. Tony Cummins will return as the associate head coach as well as DJ Bennett being a volunteer assistant coach.

Additionally, Schuerman was able to add a former alum to her coaching staff: Cheyenne "Shy" Nunez. Nunez played for Schuerman for two seasons (2018-19) where she broke and set the record for most stolen bases in a single season (38), while ending with 61 in her career. After transferring to USC Upstate before the pandemic ended the season, Nunez decided to part ways and transfer to USF in Tampa where she received her bachelor's degree in sociology before taking the position as an assistant coach.

Out With the Old, In With the New:

The team will be without 10 players as they have graduated and/or transferred: Lauren Hutcherson, Emily Hughes, Lilly Salazar, Ally Hulme, Kristin Kopp, Maddie Koczersut, Madi Schaefer, Kiersten Adams, Carly Bogart and Ciarra Morales. Hutcherson, Hughes, Hulme, Kopp Koczersut and Bogart were the only transfers that will be continuing playing softball.

Hutcherson was the main power hitter for the team after finishing her sophomore campaign batting .345 with six home runs and 36 RBI while maintaining a .895 fielding percentage. She will be transferring to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina with three years of eligibility remaining.

A primary contact hitter, Hughes finished batting .258 with two home runs and 14 RBI. She will be joining Hutcherson in South Carolina as she will be attending Newberry College (NCAA DII) in neighboring Newberry, South Carolina with three years of eligibility remaining. Hughes is the second player in program history to transfer to Newberry since Devon Morrison (2016-17)

Hulme, the lead ace pitcher, finished her sophomore campaign 10-6 with a 2.78 ERA and 117 strikeouts. She will be attending Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, Florida with three years of eligibility. Additionally, Hulme is the second Manatee to join FGCU softball since Erica Ward (2017-18).

Kopp will join fellow SCF alum Ashlee Zientek (2019-20) as she transfers to Ursuline College (NCAA DII) in Pepper Pike, Ohio with three years of eligibility remaining. Kopp finished her sophomore campaign batting .207 with two home runs and 10 RBI, while going 2-0 with a 5.17 ERA and eight strikeouts on the mound.

Koczersut will be transferring to Cumberland University (NAIA) with three years of eligibility. She finished her sophomore campaign batting .268 with three home runs and eight RBI.

Schaefer has transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) on an academic scholarship. She finished her sophomore campaign batting .158 with a home run and four RBI.

Bogart has decided to remain in the NJCAA as she will transfer to St. John's River State in Palatka with one year of eligibility remaining. Bogart finished her sophomore campaign with the Manatees as she batted .221 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Key Returners:

Schuerman was able to bring back six returners to her squad: Gracie Mullet, Remi Hebert, Mya Achenbach, Allie Bloski, Hannah Murray and Samantha Hampton.

Mullet, an outfielder/pitcher, finished her freshman year batting .253 with 10 RBI, while going 0-1 with an 11.38 ERA and five strikeouts on the mound.

Hebert, another outfielder/pitcher, finished batting .241 with two home runs and eight RBI while going 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA and 33 strikeouts on the mound.

Achenbach, an outfielder who also serves in the United States Air Force, is the only returner that made it on an all-conference team last season. After not starting the season until Suncoast Conference play, the Tower City, Pennsylvania native finished her freshman campaign batting .380 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 18 stolen bases while being named on the All-Suncoast Second Team.

Bloski was limited to two games and went 0-for-2.

Murray finished her freshman campaign batting .250 with two home runs and six RBI, while maintaining a .881 fielding percentage.

Hampton, a pitcher/designated player, is the only Manatee to return for a third year after finishing her redshirt year going 3-7 with a 4.89 ERA, one save and 25 strikeouts.

New Bloods:

To help the returners, Schuerman was able to land 13 new players on the squad: Jordan O'Brien, Presley O'Kimosh, Olivia "Liv" Seibert, Tori Copeland, Stephanie Snyder, Renee Dixon, Mikayla Desantis, Molly Starinsky, Gabi Nicholson, Rylee Trice, Chantel Schurr and Sam Carlin. O'Brien, Siebert, Snyder, Desantis, Carlin and Poole are all local products, while Copeland, Starinsky and Schurr joined the team as transfers. Additionally, freshman Haylie Poole joins the team as a pinch runner/utility player after redshirting with the indoor volleyball team.

Jordan O'Brien:

O'Brien is an infielder and local product that graduated from Venice High School. As a member of the Indians' varsity squad, she helped lead them to two strong seasons. While her junior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Brien's senior year proved to be the strongest as she finished with a .386 batting average with four home runs and 29 RBI, while helping the Indians to a 24-5 overall record with a 1-0 record in the FHSAA 6A District and to the regional finals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Presley O'Kimosh:

A catcher/utility player, O'Kimosh joins the team from East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Florida. For the last two seasons on Varsity, O'Kimosh helped lead the Indians to the FHSAA 6A District 11 tournament her senior year while batting .333 with a home run and 16 RBI.

Olivia "Liv" Seibert:

Seibert, an outfielder, joins her teammate, O'Brien, after graduating from Venice High School while playing the last two seasons on varsity. Like O'Brien, Seibert also helped the Indians to the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament with her senior year being her most productive as she batted .286 with a home run, 11 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

Tori Copeland:

Copeland, an infielder from Lakeland, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Warner University (NAIA) with one year of eligibility remaining.

As a member of the Lions, Copeland played in five games (two starts) while batting .250 with one RBI. Additionally she helped the Lions to a 30-18 record with a trip to the Sun Conference Tournament.

Prior to Warner, she played all four years at the varsity level for Lakeland High School. There she was team captain for three years and a one-time team offensive MVP for the Dreadnaughts. Her junior year was her most productive as she lead the Dreadnaughts in four categories: hits (31), runs (25), RBI (25) and triples (3) while maintaining a .914 fielding percentage.

Stephanie Snyder:

Snyder, another local product and utility player, joins the Manatees from Sarasota High School. As a member of the Sailors, she helped the them to a 12-10 overall record with a 5-1 record in the FHSAA 6A District while leading them to the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Renee Dixon:

Dixon, a first baseman, joins after graduating from St. Cloud High School. As a two-year member of varsity for the Bulldogs, she finished her senior year batting .250 with two home runs and 12 RBI, while leading them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 6A District 7 Tournament.

Mikayla Desantis:

Another local product, Desantis, a catcher/utility player, joins after graduating from Riverview Sarasota High School. As a three-year member on the varsity squad, Desantis' senior season was her best productive year as she batted .281 with a 25 hits, a home run, 12 RBI and 12 stolen bases, while helping the Rams them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 12 Tournament.

Molly Starinsky:

An outfielder from Ohio, Starinsky joins the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Suncoast Conference rival Polk State with one to two years of eligibility remaining. While being a member of the Eagles, she played in four games where she produced two stolen bases.

Prior to Polk State, Starinsky was a member of the softball team at Hillard Bradley High School in Hillard, Ohio. There, she helped the Jaguars her junior year to the playoffs of the OHSAA Conference Tournament.

Gabi Nicholson:

Nicholson, a catcher/utility player, joins the Manatees after graduating from Clarksville Academy in Clarksville, Tennessee. She helped the Cougars to the TSSAA District Tournament.

Rylee Trice:

Trice is an outfielder that joins the Manatees from Durant High School in Plant City. In her lone season on varsity, she finished her senior year batting .404 with 21 hits, a home run and 16 RBI, while leading the Hawks to the regional finals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Chantel Schurr:

Schurr, a native of New Orleans, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Jones County CC (NJCAA DII Region 23) with two years of eligibility remaining. while her first season was cut short due to COVID-19, her second season proved no boundaries as she played in 15 games (two starts) batting .333 with three RBI. Schurr also helped the Bobcats to a 47-9 overall record with a 22-6 record in the MACCC, while being ranked #2 in the nation in the NJCAA DII National Polls. Additionally, the Bobcats won the MACCC Tournament and NJCAA Region 23 State Tournament before finishing runner-up in the 2021 DII JUCO Softball World Series.

Prior to Jones County CC, Schurr played for Fontainebleu High School in Mandeville, Louisiana under head coach Darryl Tassin where she won all-districts and team MVP.

Sam Carlin:

Carlin, a pitcher/outfielder, joins her fellow teammate Desantis from Riverview High School. Carlin played all four years with the Rams with her sophomore year being on JV before being called back up to the varsity roster for her junior and senior year. In three seasons on varsity, she batted .298 with 34 hits, four home runs and 23 RBI, while leading them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 12 Tournament.

Fun Fact(s) (2012-Present):

The Manatees are 8-2 when opening the season and 8-2 in their home openers.

Personal Opinon:

When it was found out that we would open the season at home, I was thinking that it is very unusual that we open the season at home because in the past we would always open the season with the JUCO Kickoff Classic, but then I came to realize that it made sense so they can get their jitters out of the way 

Scouting Webber International:

Webber International represent the NAIA Sun Conference and are lead by head coach Kristy Burton, who enters her fourth season as head coach for the team and was the 2021 Sun Conference Softball Coach of the Year.

The Lady Warriors are coming off of finishing last season 30-24 overall with a 15-9 record in the Sun Conference and finish 2-2 in the Sun Conference Tournament.

Key returners for the Lady Warriors include senior Mary-Margaret "MiMi" Maggard (.382, 55 hits, four home runs and 25 RBI) and sophomore Kayla Swinson (13-6, 2.47 ERA, 35 walks and 67 strikeouts).

Series History:

The Manatees are 1-0-1 against the Lady Warriors. The first time both teams met was last season at Webber where the Manatees won the first game 5-1 before ending the second game in a 6-6 tie. Coincidentally, the win over Webber was Schuerman's 200th win as a head coach.

It is not clear whether GameChanger will provide livestats, but the game will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network.

Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Readies for Challenging Home Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-8, 0-1 Southern) are setting their sights to bounce back at home for Southern Conference Play as they welcome #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0 Southern) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium for their home conference opener Monday night, January 17 at 7 pm. This is a makeup game from January 8 as the original game was postponed due to the potential tracings of COVID-19.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of opening Southern Conference play on the road as they fell to Hillsborough 97-94. Originally, they were scheduled to face Indian River State as their conference opener before it was rescheduled.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0)

2. #16 FSW (14-2, 1-0)

3. HCC (8-8, 2-1)

4. SCF (11-8, 0-1)

5. Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2)

1,000 in the Grasps:

Sophomore James "Pop" Weathers has been one of the big benefactors for the Manatees' offense and defense. Weathers is currently averaging 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In the conference opener against HCC, he had a season-high 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Currently in his career, the Baton Rouge native has 733 points and 363 this season. He will need 267 points to reach 1,000 points in his career, but additionally Weathers is 443 points away from surpassing the single season points record held by SCF alum and current Cleveland State University player D'Moi Hodge (805, 2018-20).

The French Phenom:

In the game against HCC, freshman Pierre-Gabriel "PG" Gouffran had one of his best offensive outings this season as he gained a little more playing time. Gouffran, a native of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada finished with his first collegiate double-double of 15 points 13 rebounds and three blocks. Currently, he is averaging 2.9 points and three rebounds per game.

Big Man Issues:

The Manatees have remained having big man issues as they have been without sophomore Kwo Agwa for three straight games. Agwa, who is averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, has been dealing with issues involving the Canadian border being shutdown for non-essential use.

Because of the situations, head coach Tom Parks has utilized Gouffran and freshman Ronnail Tape to fill in until Agwa returns. Tape. who is the usually backup for Agwa, started the conference opener and had two points and two rebounds against HCC. Tape is averaging 1.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Wild Factors:

Along with Tape, freshmen Jacari White, Ametri Moss and Cobey Harraway have stepped in for their roles.

White, who has played off the bench as the primary 3-point specialist, is averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He had nine points, two rebounds and five assists in the conference opener against HCC.

Moss is averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game. He had 13 points, three rebounds and one assist against HCC.

Harraway is averaging 10.6 points and three rebounds per game. The Bradenton native had 12 points and three rebounds against HCC.

Scouting Indian River State:

The Pioneers are currently ranked #7 in the nation and are coming off of defeating Webber International University's JV team at home by a score of 112-34. They opened conference with a 97-89 win over HCC. They were originally scheduled to face #18 FSW this past Wednesday night, but the game was postponed to another date.

Freshmen Bendji Pierre (19.5 ppg and 7.6 rpg) and Tyree Bryan (13.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg) and sophomores AJ Cajuste (16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 7.1 apg), Jonathan Cisse (11.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg) and Kyle Feit (15.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 1.1 spg) all play big roles in the rotation.

Series History:

The Manatees are 5-15 against the Pioneers.

The game will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network

Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Falls in Conference Opener

 Tampa, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-8, 0-1 Southern) fought hard, but evidentially they would fall to Hillsborough (8-8, 2-1 Suncoast) in their conference opener in Tampa by a score of 97-94. With the loss, the Manatees are now 15-18 against the Hawks.

The first half put the Manatees off to a slow start as they were down 6-0 in the first three minutes until freshman Ametri Moss was able to put the first points up for the Manatees. Soon the Manatees started to creep up and were able to cut the deficit down to single digits, thanks to strong rebounding and put backs by freshman Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran and baskets by sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers. Eventually, the Manatees would the tie the first half at 45 apiece.

The second half saw the Manatees struggle briefly, but they continued to fight to the end and managed to take a one-point lead on a few moments, but the Hawks continued to push back, even with the Manatees fighting opportunity. With less than six seconds left in the game, the Manatees were down 97-94. Freshman Jacari would try to tie the game with a 3-pointer, but it would be to no avail as the Hawks would take the win at home.

Five Manatees scored in double figures. It was Weathers that lead the Manatees offense as he finished with a season-high 29 points (12-for-17 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 4-for-6 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Gouffran would follow Weathers with one of his best offensive games as he finished with his first collegiate double-double of a season-high 15 points (6-for-9 FG, 3-for-4 FT), 13 rebounds (seven offensive) and three blocks, while freshman Cobey Harraway would added 14 points (5-for-6 FG, 1-for-3 3PT, 3-for-5 FT), five rebounds and a block.

Sophomore Clarence Cummings III would finish with 12 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-5 FT), four rebounds and one assist and two blocks, while Moss rounded out the order with 11 points (5-for-10 FG, 1-for-3 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks. 

White added nine points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-6 3PT), one rebound, five assists, one assist and two blocks.

Sophomore Darik Tannis-Harriet (two points, one rebound and three assists) and freshman Ronnail Tape (two points, two rebounds and one steal) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

The Manatees played their third straight game without sophomore Kwo Agwas as he is still facing visa issues.

With his 29 points, Weathers now has 733 and needs 267 to reach the 1,000 career point milestone.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

#16 Florida Southwestern (14-2, 1-0 Southern) defeated Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2 Southern) 95-73. The Buccaneers will face HCC Monday night, January 17.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0)

2. #16 FSW (14-2, 1-0)

3. HCC (8-8, 2-1)

4. SCF (11-8, 0-1)

5. Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees will officially have their home conference opener as they welcome #7 Indian River State Monday night, January 17 at 7 pm. The game will be a makeup from January 8.

SCF Baseball Set for Season Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team has now put the 2021 season to the side and will now focus on the 2022 season. The Manatees will open on neutral grounds as they travel to Fort Myers for the weekend (1/28-30) to play Miami Dade (6:30 pm), Ranger College (1:30 pm) and Gulf Coast State (10 am) at Terry Park and City of Palms Park, hosted by Florida Southwestern State.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees finished last season 34-21 overall with an 18-12 record in the Suncoast Conference. While they were also ranked as high as #11 in the NJCAA Top 20 Polls, they would fail to qualify for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. It was the first time in a long time that the team did not reach the state tournament.

The team is lead by head coach Tim Hill II or Coach 21 as most people call him. Hill II enters his 10th season as head coach for the Manatees. During his head coaching career, he has put together a 313-143-2 record.

Even while the Manatees didn't make the playoffs, the team did make a historical moment as the program secured 2,000 wins as a program alone.

Loss and Gains:

After the season, the Manatees lost 13 players that have moved on to the next level: Cole Ayers, Rook Ellington, Jacob Steinberg, Tucker Mitchell, AJ Fritz, David Barrett, Jack Anderson, Cameron Lee, Tony Rossi, Clay Callan, Matt Gelorme, Daniel Batcher, Aidan Gallagher, Sean Dertinger and Dylan Vega. Ayers and Mitchell were the only two players that were selected in the MLB Draft (Mitchell: 14th Round, 404th pick by Texas Rangers; Ayers: 16th round, 483rd pick by New York Yankees).

Ellington (Murray State), Steinberg (James Madison), Fritz (Pittsburgh), Barrett (Florida State), Anderson (Pittsburgh), Lee (High Point), Rossi (Charlotte), Callan (Daytona State: NJCAA), Gelorme (Tennessee Tech), Batcher (Florida Gulf Coast), Gallager (SUNY Oswego: NCAA DIII), Dertinger (SUNY Oswego: NCAA DIII) and Vega (South Florida) have all decided to continue playing collegiately at the higher levels with their remaining years of eligibility.

While Hill II did lose other players like Jakob Mattos, Richard Rodriguez, Joel Perez and Charlie Davidson, he did manage to sign 24 newcomers to the squad with nine being transfers.

Christian Gordon:

A left-handed pitcher from Monroe, Virginia, Gordon joins the Manatees as a transfer from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with one year of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Flames, he appeared in five games where he threw a 11.61 ERA with five strikeouts and six walks.

Prior to Liberty University, Gordon played for Liberty Christian Academy where, in three years of varsity, he went 7-3 overall in his career with a 1.24 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 15 walks, while batting a career .467 with 21 hits, three home runs and 16 RBI.

His junior year was his most productive as he went 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 94 strikeouts while batting .455 with three home runs and 15 RBI. He even threw a no-hitter in one of his games. As a sophomore for the Bulldogs, Gordon helped them win the 2017 VHSAA Class 4A State Championship.

Additionally, before enrolling at Liberty University, he was drafted in the 38th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nick Gottilla:

A left-handed pitcher from Davenport, Iowa, Gottilla joins as a transfer from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with one year of eligibility remaining in the NJCAA. As a member of the Knights, he appeared in 16 games in two seasons where he threw 12.2 innings with 13 strikeouts and eight walks.

Prior to UCF, Gottilla played for Assumption High School in Davenport where he was a two-sport athlete playing football as well as baseball. He helped lead the Knights his senior year to the 2019 IHSAA 3A State Tournament Semifinals while being named Conference Player of the Year and a member of the IHSAA All-State First Team, All-Iowa First Team and IHSAA Elite All-State Team.

Kyle Harbison:

A catcher from Georgetown, Kentucky, Harbison joins after transferring from Indiana State University with one year of eligibility. As a member of the Sycamores for two seasons, he batted a career .250 with two hits and an RBI.

Prior to Indiana State, Harbison played for Scott County High School for four years with two of them at the varsity level. He batted a career .338 with 14 RBI and 143 putouts with the Cardinals, while being named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award his senior year.

Gabe Wright:

Wright is an outfielder from Indianapolis and joins the Manatees after graduating from Brebeuf Jesuit High School in Indianapolis. There, he was a two-sport playing football and baseball.

As a football player, Wright played as a wide receiver and cornerback and in four seasons on the Braves' varsity where he had 1,766 total yards, 24 total touchdowns (18 receiving) and four interceptions, while leading them to four straight playoff appearances, which included a trip to the 2018 ISHAA State Tournament Regional Finals.

As a baseball player, Wright played three years on varsity where he had a career .329 batting average, 28 hits, five home runs, 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases while leading the Braves to the ISHAA 3A State Tournament his junior year.

Ben Gilbert:

Gilbert is a outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Babson Park, Florida that joined the Manatees as a double transfer after transferring from Suncoast Conference rival Hillsborough Community College with one year of eligibility. As a member of the Hawks, Gilbert played his lone season where he went 1-2 on the mound with a 3.38 ERA, two saves, 11 walks and 16 strikeouts, while batting .308 with 36 hits and seven RBI.

Prior to HCC, Gilbert played his freshman year at Ole Miss. As a member of the Rebels, Gilbert made four appearances on the mound during the 2020 season where he threw 6.2 innings with a 9.45 ERA, one walk and eight strikeouts before COVID-19 shut the season.

Gilbert was four-year letter winner for Lake Wales High School in Babson Park at the varsity level before committing to Ole Miss. On the mound, he was 17-5 in his career with a 2.21 ERA, 78 walks and 189 strikeouts and batted .404 in his career with 126 hits, one home run and 55 RBI.

As far as accolades, Gilbert was the FHSAA 6A Player of the Year and was a member of the Perfect Game Preseason All-Region First Team (2019) and Preseason Underclassmen All-American Honorable Mention (2017-18) and a 2019 FACA All-Star. He was also ranked the #237 prospect in the nation via Perfect Game.

Miguel Larreal:

An infielder from Orlando, Larrel joins the Manatees with fellow team Gilbert after transferring from Suncoast Conference rival Hillsborough. As a member of the Hawks, Larreal in two seasons batted .278 in his career with 40 hits and 23 RBI. His sophomore year was his breakthrough year as he batted .317 with 33 hits, 20 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Prior to HCC, Larreal played for Boone High School in Orlando. As a member of the Braves, he batted a career .377 with 52 hits, 20 RBI and 17 stolen bases in his last two years of varsity while helping them to the regionals of the FHSAA 9A State Tournament. 

Jackson Hauck:

A right-handed pitcher from Cincinnati, Ohio, Hauck joins the Manatees after graduating from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. As a member of the Bombers, he helped lead them to the 2021 OHSAA Division I State Tournament his senior year, while going 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 16 walks and 42 strikeouts.

Michael Murphy:

Murphy, a local left-handed pitcher from Manatee High School in Bradenton, rejoins the Manatees after opting not to play this past season. He was originally on the 2020 spring roster before opting due to COVID-19.

As a member of the Hurricanes, Murphy played three seasons on varsity before graduating in 2019. Outside of Manatee, he has played in several 16U and 17U national championship (WWBA, BCS and Southeast) and was named a member of the all-tournament teams, including the Perfect Game Preseason All-American and All-Region Team in the Florida Region.

Lucas Ismali:

A three-way player from Duendin, Florida, Ismali joins the Manatees after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh with two to three years of eligibility. He redshirted his freshman year before transferring to SCF.

Prior to Pitt, Ismali played for three seasons at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs where he helped the team win three district championships and a regional final appearance. He was also selected team offensive MVP and all-county team before wrapping up his career with a .400 average, 3 home runs, and over 20 stolen bases.

Brandon Fields:

Fields, an outfielder from Orlando, joins the Manatees as a transfer from the University of South Carolina with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Gamecocks, he played in only six games (one start) and was primarily a pinch runner or defensive substitution.

Prior to South Carolina, Fields graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando and like Wright, he was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball.

As a football player, Fields played as a running back for one season on varsity where he had 290 yards (22.3 yards per game) with three touchdowns his sophomore year, while helping the Panthers to win the 2017 FHSAA 8A State Championship over Atlantic High School.

As a baseball player, Fields played on the Panthers varsity squad for three years where he finished batting .359 in his career with eight home runs, 45 RBI and 51 stolen bases while helping them to two straight appearances to the FHSAA 9A State Tournament, which included a trip to the state semifinals of the 2018 FHSAA 9A State Tournament.

Josh Beck:

A left-handed pitcher from Lititz, Pennsylvania, Beck joins after graduating from Lancaster Catholic High School. As a member of the Crusaders, he put together a 3-3 career record with a 1.83 ERA, 82 walks and 143 strikeouts in three years of varsity. Additionally, Beck helped the Crusaders to the PHSAA State tournament appearances, which including winning the PHSAA 3A Championship his freshman year.

Jake Dorn:

Dorn is a left-handed pitcher from Davie, Florida that joined after graduating from Cooper City High School. In three years of varsity, Dorn compiled a career 3-3 record with a 4.04 ERA, 43 walks and 82 strikeouts for the Cowboys, while helping them to the regional quarterfinals of the 2021 FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Gavin Adams:

A right-handed pitcher from Boynton Beach, Florida, Adams joins the Manatees after graduating from St. John Paul II Academy in Boca Raton. As a member of the Eagles, he finished his career 6-4 with a 1.73 ERA, 36 walks and 86 strikeouts, while also batting .250 with 26 hits and 17 RBI. In two seasons on varsity, Adams helped the Eagles to regional finals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Nick Gorby:

A left-handed pitcher from Vero Beach, Florida, Gorby joins the team after transferring from Texas Tech University with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Red Raiders, he appeared in three games, throwing 3.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA, three walks and one strikeout. Additionally, he went with the Red Raiders to the Lubbock Super Regionals of the 2021 NCAA College Baseball World Series before falling to then #9 Stanford.

Prior to Texas Tech, Gorby played his senior season at Vero Beach High School where he was the FSHAA Pitcher of the Year after going 4-0 while throwing 23 innings, recording 41 strikeouts and a 0.30 ERA his final high school year.

Additionally, Gorby has played in the Perfect Game National Showcase (2019), World Showcase (2020), WWBA Underclass World Championship (2016), WWBA 15U National Championship (2017), WWBA Sophomore World Championship (2017), WWBA 17U National Championship (2019) and 17U BCS National Championship (2019), while being named named to 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American and First Team All-Region teams and Underclassmen All-American Teams (2017-19), Team USA (2017) and WWBA All-Tournament Team (2017).

Furthermore, he was ranked the 119th pitcher in the national overall, the 11th left-handed pitcher, 27th and fourth left-handed pitcher in Florida where his fastball ranked first.

JJ Taylor:

Taylor, an infielder from Fort Pierce, Florida, joins the Manatees after graduating from John Carroll Catholic High School. In two seasons of varsity, he finished with a .267 batting average with 16 hits and six RBI. Additionally, Taylor helped the Rams to the state semifinals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Cole Cothren:

An infielder from Plant City, Florida, Cothren joins the Manatees after transferring from Montreat College (NAIA) in Montreat, North Carolina. As a member of the Cavaliers, he batted .348 with 32 hits and 24 RBI in 29 games.

Prior to Montreat, Cothren graduated from Plant City High School where he was a two-sport athlete playing golf as well as baseball.

Cothren played golf for Lakeland Christian High School for five seasons before switching to baseball and had five first place finishes for the Vikings. After switching the golf club for a baseball bat, Cothren played a career .384 with 88 hits and 62 RBI for the Raiders.

Ben Brown:

A local outfielder from North Port, Florida, Brown joins SCF after graduating from North Port High School. In three seasons of varsity playing for the Bobcats, Brown finished his high school career batting .366 with 41 hits, one home run and 17 RBI, while helping them get to the FHSAA 6A District Tournament quarterfinals.

Austin Dearing:

An outfielder from Huntington, West Virginia, Dearing joins the team after transferring from Marshall University with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Thundering Herd, Dearing played in 12 games (four starts) where he batted .190 with four hits and one RBI.

Prior to Marshall, Dearing, like Wright, Fields and Cothren, was a two-sport athlete at Hurricane High School where he played both baseball and basketball.

As a member of the Hurricane's boys basketball team, Dearing played all four years at the varsity level where he averaged 14.1 points (1,251 career points), 4.8 rebounds (427 career rebounds), 1.8 assists (164 career assists) and 1.1 steals (102 career steals) per game in 89 career games. His senior year was a breakthrough year as he averaged 23.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 22 games, while being named team captain. In fact, Dearing scored in double digits in all 22 games, with five of them being 30 points or more and had seven double-doubles.

As a member of the baseball team, Dearing helped Hurricane win the 2018 WVSSAC AAA State Championship his sophomore year and was the 2020 GPOY his senior year.

Tyler Logan:

A local right-handed pitcher from Parrish, Florida, Logan joins after graduating from Palmetto High School. He finished on the mound with the Tigers his junior with a 5.73 ERA in three appearances with six walks and five strikeouts.

Kelsen Johnson:

A catcher from Lithia, Florida, Johnson joins after graduating from Newsome High School. As a member of the Wolves varsity team, Johnson batted .309 with 67 hits, 37 walks, two home runs and 43 RBI. During his sophomore year, he helped the Wolves to the regional semifinals of the 2019 FHSAA 9A State Tournament.

Colin Jackson:

A right-handed pitcher from Tampa, Florida, Jackson joins the team after graduating from Gaither High School. In two seasons of varsity playing for the Cowboys, Jackson finished with a 10-2 career record with a 1.29 ERA, 19 walks and 100 strikeouts, while helping his team to the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Carson Long:

A local infielder from Sarasota, Long joins the team after graduating from Sarasota High School and reunites with fellow Sailor teammates Owen Ayers and brother Harrison Long. As a member of the Sailors, Carson Long played three years of varsity while helping them to FHSAA 6A State Tournament Regional Quarterfinals. Additionally, Carson Long follows in the footsteps of his other cousin, current USF grad student Nick Long.

Trace Goforth:

A right-handed pitcher and local product from Palmetto High School, Goforth joins the Manatees after transferring from Pensacola State College (NJCAA) with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Pirates, Goforth made one appearance on the mound where he threw one scoreless inning.

Prior to Pensacola, Goforth played three years of varsity for Palmetto High School where he went 12-3 in his career with a 2.40 ERA, 56 walks and 106 strikeouts.

Goforth also joins his fellow high school teammate in Logan.

Aidan Troy:

A three-way local product from Sarasota, Florida, Troy joins the Manatees after graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School. He plays primarily as a pitcher, but can play in the infield and outfield positions.

As a member of the Cougars for three seasons of varsity, Troy finished his career batting .457 with 61 hits, two home runs and 29 RBI, while going 1-1 on the mound with a 3.41 ERA, 22 walks and 37 strikeouts. Additionally, he helped lead the Cougars to 2021 FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Key Returners:

Hill was able to bring back 10 returners from last season: Harrison Long, Kevin Karstetter, Jake Jackson, Owen Ayers, Eli Thurmond, Brayden Woodburn, Jack Pacetti, Nick Consentino and Derek Francis.

Long will enter his second season with the Manatees after transferring from Jacksonville University. Last season, leg injuries plagued his season, but Long managed to finish batting .288 with 40 hits, four home runs and 29 RBI.

Karstetter finished last season batting .296 with 60 hits, three home runs and 47 RBI while earning a spot on the All-Suncoast Conference Second Team. After this season, Karstetter will be enrolling at the University of Houston with up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Jackson, who will enroll at Liberty University after this season with three years of eligibility remaining, is coming off of finishing his freshman campaign batting .368 with 49 hits, two home runs and 31 RBI while being named a member of the All-Suncoast Conference First Team.

Ayers, the switch-hitting outfielder/catcher from Sarasota, is entering his third season with the Manatees after finishing last season batting .274 with 57 hits, seven home runs and 41 RBI. He will be committing to Marshall University next season with two years of eligibility remaining.

After rotating between being a starter and relief pitcher, Thurmond, another local pitcher from Bradenton Christian School, will enter his second season after finishing last year 4-1 with a 2..96 ERA, four saves, 25 walks and 50 strikeouts.

Although he will sit out and redshirt this season due to injury, Woodburn finished his freshman campaign batting .306 with 52 hits, four home runs and 38 RBI. He was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team.

Pacetti joined the Manatees last season after transferring from the University of Cincinnati, but did not make an appearance on the mound after getting surgery on his arm, so this will be his official debut with the Manatees.

Like Thurmond, Consentino rotated between being a starter and relief pitcher. He finished last season 1-2 with a 6.51 ERA, one save, 19 walks and 31 strikeouts.

Francis joined the team last season as a transfer from another JUCO. He redshirted on the team, but was ultimately the bullpen catcher for the 2021 season.

Scouting Miami Dade:

The Sharks are lead by head coach Adrian Morales, who enters his fourth season as head coach. They are coming off of finishing last season 39-16 overall with a 14-8 record in the Southern Conference. They would win the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament to qualify for the NJCAA Baseball World Series in Colorado.

The Sharks will bring back 12 returners, which include Wooyeoul Shin and Jose Pichardo.

The Manatees are 8-12 against the Sharks.

Scouting Ranger College:

Ranger College represents NJCAA Region 5/North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) and are lead by Scott Norwood, who enters his fourth season as head coach. The Rangers finished last season 15-39 overall with a 9-23 record in conference.

This will be the first time the Manatees encounter the Rangers.

Scouting Gulf Coast State:

The Commodores are lead by first-year head coach Tyler Younger and are coming off of finishing last season 24-24 overall with an 8-16 record in the Panhandle Conference. They did not qualify for the FCSAA State Tournament.

Avery Stephens returns on the mound for the Commodores after finishing last season 7-4 with a 4.96 ERA, 19 walks and 69 strikeouts.

At the plate, Tyler Borges will be returning after finishing his freshman campaign batting .311 with one home run, 17 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

The Manatees are 6-2 against the Commodores

Livestats will be available on GameChanger.

SCF BVB Readies for 2022

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team look to move past the 2021 season and set their sights on the 2022 season with extensive additions for their schedule.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees come off of finishing last season 6-4 overall. Their four losses were against NCAA DII teams Florida Southern and St. Leo.

The team is lead by head coach Lynn Burnett, who enters her third season as head coach for the Manatees. Burnett is also the head coach for the indoor volleyball team. She is joined by first-year assistant coach Emily Kalmink.

New Bloods:

With the departures of Leilani Wilcox-Nanai, Lisa Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema and Gracee Carpino, Burnett was able to secure two official newcomers to the roster: Anna Chechelnytska and Yeva Serdiuk.

Anna Chechelnytska:

A native of Ukraine, Chechelnytska, a sophomore, joined the Manatees fall 2021 after transferring from conference rival St. Pete College. She played indoor volleyball for the Lady Titans and finished the shortened spring 2021 season tied for second on the team in kills (75) and third on the team in digs (67). This will be her lone season with the team as she has committed and will transfer to Stetson University with three years of eligibility remaining.

Yeva Serdiuk:

Serdiuk is a true freshman and joins fellow countrywoman Chechelnytska from Ukraine. In her beach career, Serdiuk primarily teamed up with her partner Daria Romaniuk and competed in several beach tournaments in Europe, primarily at the FIVB in Ukraine and Hungary.

Key Returners:

As far as returners, Burnett was able to bring back three returners from the beach team last season: Ana Broadhead, Kayla David and Carolina Moffatt. Additionally, she added members from the indoor volleyball team: Essence Bundrage, Kaylee Forman, Shelby McGee, Giulia Rodrigues, Lana Sandanom, Lison Stoffel and Taryn Wright.

Schedule Breakdown:

The Manatees will first play an exhibition at home against Ave Maria (NAIA) (January 29) before opening the season at home against St. Pete (February 4) and then going on to face Webber International (NAIA) in a doubleheader on the road (February 5).

After another home match against SPC (February 11), the Manatees will be on the road in neutral grounds for the next six matches as they first travel to Palm Beach to face off against to take on St. John's River State and Lake Sumter State (February 18) and Tavares to take on Lake Sumter State again and Palm Beach State at Hickory Point Beach (March) before traveling to Lakeland to take on Florida Southern College (NCAA DII) (March 5).

After another morning home match against Eckerd (NCAA DII) (March 18), the Manatee will head out of state for the first time as they travel to Macon, Georgia for the two-day Bears Beach Bash (March 26-27), hosted by Mercer University (NCAA DI). They will take on St. Leo (NCAA DII), host Mercer, Carson-Newman (NCAA DII) and Jacksonville University (NCAA DI) before returning home for their sophomore day matches against Palm Beach State and St. John's River State (April 8) to conclude the regular season.

From there, it's back to Tavares, Florida for the first annual two-day AVCA Two-Year College Tournament at Hickory Point Beach (April 14-15) before heading to Palatka for the JUCO Pairs Championship (April 29-30).

4th Herd Set for Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - After a hard-fought battle in non-conference play to close 2021, the SCF basketball team (11-7) will look to open the new year on the winning side as they set their sites on Southern Conference play. The Manatees will travel to Tampa to face Hillsborough (7-8, 1-1 Suncoast) at the Dale Mabry Campus Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, January 15 at 4 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of falling to Pensacola State (83-62) and Seward County (79-77 OT) to close 2021 and non-conference play. They ended up finishing 2021 with a 21-16 record. This includes the games from the shortened spring season earlier in 2021.

Earlier, the Manatees were schedule to take on Miami Dade to open conference on the road and Indian River State for their conference home opener, but the games were postponed due to tracings of COVID-19 among the players. The games were later set for two Mondays (vs Indian River State: 1/17/22 @ 7 pm; @ Miami Dade: 1/24/22 @ 7 pm).

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #12 Indian River State (15-2, 1-0)

2. #18 FSW (13-2, 1-0)

3. Hillsborough (7-8, 1-1)

4. SCF (11-7)

5. Miami Dade (8-8 0-2)

1,000 Storms:

For sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers, he is 334 paints away from reaching 1,000 points in his career. Weathers is currently averaging 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, five assists and 1.3 steals per game. At the SCF Holiday Classic, he had a combined 32 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and four steals.

Missing the Calgary Kid:

Sophomore Kwo Agwa has made some noise lately since his return to the starting lineup. Agwa, who was named the NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week at one point is averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, Agwa was unable to be with the team during the SCF Holiday Classic as he had paperwork issues that also involved the Canada border being on travel restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron Variant of COVID-19.

As far as the big man role to fill in for Agwa until he gets back, freshmen Ronnail Tape and Sam Faraday earned their first starts at the classic. Tape started the first game where he had six rebounds, while Faraday, who started the second game, had three points and a season-high seven rebounds. Tape, who is the primary backup for Agwa, is averaging 1.4 points and three rebounds per game, while Faraday is averaging 0.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Wild Card Factors:

Freshmen Jacari White, Cobey Harraway and Ametri Moss have played strong roles in the rotations. 

White, who has a played off the bench this season, is averaging 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He averaged 17.5 points, three rebounds and one steal per game at the classic. Primarily, White is the main 3-point specialist as he is averaging 2.1 3-pointers per game.

Harraway is averaging 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He averaged nine points, three rebounds and three steals in two games at the SCF Holiday Classic.

Moss is averaging 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game. He averaged 18.5 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists per game at the SCF Holiday Classic.

Scouting HCC:

The Hawks opened their portion of Southern Conference play on the road as they fell to #12 Indian River State 97-89 before defeating Miami Dade 66-62 in their conference home opener. They were originally scheduled to face #18 FSW for their next game, but it was postponed to a later date due to COVID-19 tracings.

Sophomore Japhet Mador leads the way averaging 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists, while classmates Trevor Chandler (12.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg) and Edgar Ziegler (11 ppg and 2.8 rpg) and freshman Georden Rogers (16.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg) also play big factors for the Hawks rotation.

Series History:

The Manatees are 15-17 against the Hawks. 

The game will air livestream on the Sharks Youtube page (link below)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQzMKai0FDVTRzmg9UbJIxA