SCF Tennis Secures First Conference Win

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF tennis team (2-8, 1-4 Region 8) battled through grueling injuries, but were able to pull away with their first conference win over Eastern Florida State (7-4, 2-3 Region 8) by a score of 5-4.

"Today was awesome," said head coach Chloe Murphy. "It was nice to see the girls play and the hard work paying off in the end that we have been talking about doing what we're supposed to do on the practice court and the results speak for themselves, so it was nice for them to experience that today. We came back from a little bit of adversity, but four of the girls stepped up. It was hard seeing Jojo (Fernandes) getting injured in her singles match, which put a damper on things a little bit, but the rest of the team didn't give up and stepped in nicely to get us this win."

"I think after we lost against them earlier we had doubts," said sophomore Sakurako Suzuki. "Today, the lineup was different, so I felt like we could win easier than the last time."

"I'm really happy for us," said freshman Alexis Dunlap. "I feel like it's been a tough season, but I know all of us have been working extremely hard, so to see it pay off was really nice."

Beginning with doubles, the duo of Dunlap and freshman Joanne Fernandes defeated sophomore Luisa Renovales and freshman Lucia Lucas by a score of 8-2 on #3 doubles. After Suzuki and sophomore Elena Baughman Sanders fell 8-2 to sophomore Simona Karlsson and freshman Gloria Bacaro on #1 doubles, the freshman duo of Ainoha Meili Fernandez and Ainara Vegal Rodriguez would defeat sophomore Helena Jokanovic and freshman Emma Sanchez 8-2 at #1 doubles to give the Manatees a 2-1 lead.

As singles went underway, the Manatees would lose first one as Fernandes fell to Renovales via retire at #4 singles, but they would make it up as Vegal Rodriguez would win her match 6-2, 6-1 over Karlsson at #1 singles. Dunlap would then win her match against freshman Ksenia Krupniakova 6-0, 6-4 at #6 singles before freshman Natasha Beader fell to sophomore Paige Noble-Lucas 6-3, 6-4 at #5 singles.

"I feel like I could have done better on my singles match," said Dunlap. "The serves were not where I wanted to put them, but I pulled it together eventually and I got the win, so I know I did something right, but I wish I would have made a few more balls and make her (Krupniakova) work a little bit more for those points when they were easily given to her." 

With two matches left, Suzuki would be the hero as she defeated Bacaro 6-4, 6-2 on #2 singles before Meili Fernandez fell to Jokanovic 6-4, 0-6, 2-6 at #3 singles.

"I was playing at a good pace and use a lot more spins on the serve," said Suzuki. "I thought it was a lot better for me for me hitting the ball."

Up Next:

The Manatees will return back at home for their final home match of the season as they welcome St. Pete College (4-4, 2-2 Region 8) Monday afternoon, April 3 at 2 pm. This will also be dubbed sophomore day for Suzuki and Baughman Sanders.

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over Polk State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (21-18, 10-1 Suncoast) continued adding wins to the board for conference play as they defeated Polk State (21-16, 6-5 Suncoast) 11-1 in seven innings via the 10-run mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees took their third series in Suncoast Conference play and are now 41-31 against the Eagles.

"I thought it was great getting another run-rule victory," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Ryan (Stefiuk) was the story of the game. From the beginning, he had a very good first inning and was in control the whole way. The hitters swung the bat really well and when they continue hitting like that, a lot of good things happen. We're pitching really good, we're swinging the bats really well and are play good defense, and when you put all three of those together, things are probably going your way."

"I thought we did great overall," said sophomore Ryan Stefiuk. "The bats stayed hot as we got deep in the game. I feel like we're just clicking on all cylinders right now and need to keep it going."

"Ryan (Stefiuk) threw a gem today and we're just playing good team baseball," said sophomore Richie Morales. "We just got to keep it rolling."

Hill went with Stefiuk to start game three, while head coach Al Corbeil went with freshman Trevor Caldwell.

After the first two innings went scoreless, the Manatees would strike first in the bottom of the third as Morales would bring in himself and freshman Jayce Blalock in with a two-run homer to left. It was the former Florida State Seminole's first collegiate home run in his career.

"Honestly, when I hit it, I had no clue if it was going out," said Morales on hitting his first home run. "I thought it was a flyout until I heard my teammates screaming in the dugout and at that point, I knew it was gone. I felt good after that."

"I was not surprised at all," said Hill on Morales. "Right when Richie hit, I knew it was gone. He's a good player and an excellent shortstop. That's why we have leadoff for a reason because he can get us going." 

At the top of the fourth, the Eagles would cut the deficit to 2-1 after an RBI single by sophomore Travis Stapleton, but it would make the Manatees respond back harder in the bottom half of the inning. After sophomore Brayden Woodburn hit a single and stole second, classmates Victor Sanchez and Ben Gilbert drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Blalock. Woodburn would end up scoring on a fielder's choice before Blalock sent a double to left to bring in Sanchez and Gilbert to make it 5-1 SCF.

The Manatees would continue to add to the lead in the bottom of the fifth as freshman Evan Mastromauro, who came in to pinch run for sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr., would score on a fielding error after a fielder's choice by Sanchez. They would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Erick Almonte would an RBI single to bring in Morales to make it 7-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees decided to end the game via the run rule. After a leadoff single by Woodburn and a walk drawn by Sanchez, Gilbert would send a single to center and bring in Woodburn. After Morales drew a walk to load the bases, Sanchez would come in on a wild pitch before Almonte was hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Karstetter. On a 1-1 count, the upcoming Arizona State Transfer would line a single to center and bring in Gilbert and Morales to seal the deal for the walk-off win.

Stefiuk would improve to 2-3 after throwing a seven-inning complete game giving up one run on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

"I felt good," said Stefiuk. "I thought the changeup was the biggest thing for me today. I was able to get a lot of ground ball and weak contact to get ahead more often than that. Overall, I felt good."

Caldwell would fall to 3-2 after giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in three innings. Freshman Ryan Combs would give up one unearned run on one hit with one walk in two innings of relief, while classmate Everett Martin gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in one and a third of relief.

Four Manatees ended up with a multi-hit game. It was Karstetter that lead the way in hits as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Morales (2-for-3) and Blalock (2-for-4) each had two hits and two RBI. Morales added three runs and two walks, while Blalock added one run. Woodburn rounded out the order going 2-for-3 with two runs and three stolen bases.

Almonte (1-for-4, one RBI), Lopez (1-for-2) and Gilbert (1-for-3, one RBI, two runs and one walk) had the remaining three hits, while Sanchez (two runs and two walks) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, freshman Ray Bermudez lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-3 at the plate, while classmate Roberto Odor was 2-for-3.

Notes:

Karstetter extends his hitting streak to 29 games and with his three hits, he now has 198 career hits. Additionally, his three RBI put him at 142 in his career and needs four more to break Corbeil's record for career RBI (145, 1998-99).

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (11-20, 5-6 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (6-29, 1-10 Suncoast) 8-7 in Clearwater. The Titans are looking to take the overall series, while the Hawks look for the split.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (21-18, 10-1)

2. Polk State (21-16, 6-5)

3. St. Pete (11-20, 5-6)

4. Hillsborough (6-29, 1-10)

Up Next:

The Manatees look to complete the sweep as they return to Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven Wednesday night, March 29 at 6 pm. Freshman Jeremy Weaver (2-1, 3.62 ERA) will be given the nod to pitch in his hometown.

SCF Softball Splits on the Road

Melbourne, Fla - The SCF softball (15-15, 0-2 Suncoast) split on the road in Melbourne as they fell to Indian River State (33-7, 3-0 Southern) 6-1 before defeating host Eastern Florida State (14-25, 0-4 Southern) 6-3.

"The team fared well," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "Overall, I'm proud of how they performed even with some mistakes. They have made adjustments to putting the ball in play when runners are in scoring position, and defensively we are making adjustments and effective plays. Heading into our rematch with HCC, we are going to continue to work on hitting the ball in the right place when we have runners in scoring position and continue working on the small things with defense."

SCF vs Indian River State:

Schuerman sent freshman Brielle Bostow to start the first game while Indian River State head coach Dale Atkinson went with sophomore Dominique Prevette.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Pioneers would go on a scoring run in the second and third innings off of fielding errors, an RBI single and an RBI groundout. They would add their final runs at the top of the sixth from another RBI groundout and a fielder's choice to make it 6-0 Indian River.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees did not want to get to shutout as sophomore Chantel Schurr would bring in freshman Stephanie Oaks with a single before the game ended in favor for the Pioneers.

Bostow would end up getting the loss after giving up four unearned runs on three hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Freshman Karsyn Rutherford gave up two runs on three hits with two walks in three innings of relief.

Prevette would get the win after throwing a complete game, giving up one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts.

Schurr (1-for-2, one RBI), sophomore Tori Copeland (1-for-3, one triple) and freshmen Taylor Halback (1-for-3) and Maddisan Noriega (1-for-3, one triple) had the Manatees four hits, while Oaks (one run) also contributed in the game.

Freshman Cassidy Patterson lead the way in hitting for the Pioneers as she went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Indian River vs EFSC:

After SCF's game, Indian River State would complete the sweep and defeated host Eastern Florida State 7-2.

SCF vs Eastern Florida State:

Hoping to bounce back and get the split, Schuerman went with Rutherford to start the second game, while EFSC head coach Shelby Petik went with sophomore Trinity Howard.

The Lady Titans would strike first in the bottom of the first after another Manatee fielding error and an RBI triple by sophomore Makenzie Fore made it 2-0 EFSC. This would signal the end for Rutherford and have Bostow enter the game.

The Manatees did not want the first game to come back and haunt them and proved it at the top of the second. After Rutherford was hit by a pitch, sophomore Olivia Seibert would then bunt a single to set up an opportunity for the Manatees to score. Schurr would be the one to do and on a 1-2 count, the New Orleans native would send a double to left to bring in Rutherford and Seibert and tie the game at 2-2.

After a scoreless third, the Manatees extended the lead at the top of the fourth beginning with a lead-off walk by Noriega. After back-to-back singles by Copeland and Oaks loaded the bases, freshman Alissa Kessler would send a single to center and bring in Noriega and Copeland. Sophomore Gabi Nicholson would then send a single to left and bring in Oaks before Halback brought the eventual final run with a single to right to bring in Kessler to make it 6-2 SCF.

The Lady Titans would their final run on a sacrifice fly by freshman Gracie Snell, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees took the second game for the split.

Rutherford would a no-decision after giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits in no innings, but finished 1-for-2 at the plate with a run, a walk and two stolen bases.

Bostow would improve to 5-9 after giving up one unearned run on two hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Howard would fall to 4-4 after giving up all six runs on nine hits with three walks and three strikeouts in three innings. She was also 2-for-4 with a run and was the only Lady Titan with a multi-hit game.

Sophomore Mandy Hedetniemi-Taylor would throw four scoreless innings of relief, giving up three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Schurr was the overall offensive leader for the Manatees as she went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one walk and one stolen base. Kessler followed as she went 1-for-4 with two RBI, a run and a stolen base.

Aside from Schurr, Nicholson and Oaks also had a multi-hit game as they both went 2-for-4 at the plate. Nicholson added one RBI, while Oaks added a run and a stolen base.

Copeland (1-for-4, one run), Halback (1-for-4, one RBI and one stolen base), Seibert (1-for-2, one run) and Noreiga (1-for-2, one run, one walk and one stolen base) had the remaining four hits for the Manatees.

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to focus on a doubleheader rematch against Hillsborough (13-16, 2-0 Suncoast) Tuesday, March 28 at 5 and 7 pm.

SCF Softball Splits with Morton

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (14-14, 0-2 Suncoast) split to end their six-game homestead against Morton College (2-12) winning game one 10-9 in eight innings before losing game two 4-1. With the split, the Manatees are now 3-1 against the Panthers

Game One:

Scheurman sent freshman Karsyn Rutherford to the mound to start game one, while Morton head coach Aaron Moore sent with sophomore Heather Ward.

After Rutherford struck out two at the top of the first, the Manatees would get on the board in the bottom half as freshman Alissa Kessler would hit a double and bring in sophomore Tori Copeland to make it 1-0 SCF. One inning later, in the bottom of the second, the Manatees would extend the lead further beginning with a leadoff walk by Rutherford before stealing second. After two outs, freshman Stephanie Oaks would hit a single before advancing to second on defensive indifference, while Rutherford scored. Copeland would then send a single to center and bring in Oaks for a 3-0 SCF lead.

The Panthers would not go quietly at the top of the third as freshman Kayla Patrick would bring in a run before freshman Olivia Ortiz cut the Manatees lead to 3-2 after bringing in a run on a fielder's choice before taking a 4-3 lead after a two-run double by freshman Emily Bickett. The Manatees would counter in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Taylor Halback would bring in Kessler and tie the game at four apiece.

Schuerman would pull Rutherford at the top of the fourth and send Sam Carlin to the mound and would get out of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would start their rally beginning with freshman Maddisan Noriega drawing a leadoff walk before stealing second. After Oaks reached on a fielder's choice from a bunt before stealing second for herself, Copeland would give the Manatees the lead as she lined a double to left to bring in Noriega and Oaks. Freshman Haley Rosenbaum would reach on a Panther fielding error before Kessler sent a double to left to bring in Copeland. With runners in scoring position, sophomore Presley O'Kimosh would send a single to left to bring in Copeland and Kessler to make it 9-4 SCF.

At the top of the sixth, the Panthers would cut the deficit closer as freshman Mikayla Berquist would send a two-run homer to center for her second of the season. At the top of the seventh, they would tie the game at nine apiece as Ortiz and redshirt sophomore Ailany Reyes would score on an error before Bickett scored on a fielding error. The Manatees would try to end it in the bottom half of the inning, but were unable to do so and the game would go to extra innings.

At the top of the eighth, Schuerman would make another pitching change and send freshman Brielle Bostow to the mound while the Panthers placed a runner. Bostow would strikeout the first two batters out before getting the third batter to pop out.

In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Chantel Schurr was placed on second to pinch run. After sophomore Gabi Nicholson sacrificed herself to move Schurr to third. On a 2-1 count to Carlin, Schurr would seize an opportunity on a passed ball and score the game-winning run for a Manatee win.

Rutherford and Ward would each earn a no-decision. Rutherford would give up four runs (two earned) on five hits with four strikeouts in three innings, while scoring a run, drawing two walks and getting a stolen base. Ward gave up eight runs (seven earned) on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts in three innings.

Bostow would get the win after throwing one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts. She is now 4-7 on the year. 

Carlin gave up five runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in four innings of relief. She was also 1-for-2 at the plate

Sophomore Kennedi Meinecke would get hit with the loss after giving up one run on seven hits with one walk and one strikeouts in four and a third innings of relief.

Four Manatees ended up with a multi-hit game. It was Kessler that lead the way as she finished 4-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a walk. Copeland, who was the overall leader on offense, finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, one walk and one stolen base.

O'Kimosh (2-for-5) and sophomore Molly Starinsky (2-for-2) would each get two hits. O'Kimosh also added two RBI.

Oaks (1-for-4, two runs and one stolen base), Rosenbaum (one run), Schurr (one run), Halback (one RBI and one stolen base), Noriega (one run, one walk and one stolen base) and redshirt freshman Jordan O'Brien (one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

For the Panthers, Berquist, Patrick and Ortiz each had two hits with Berquist having two RBI.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman went with Bostow to start game two, while Moore went with Berquist.

The Panthers would open the first inning with a 2-0 lead after a Manatee fielding error and an RBI groundout by Bickett. The Manatees would respond back and cut the deficit to one after a sacrifice fly by Schurr brought in Rosenbaum, but the Panthers would add insurance in the fourth after an RBI single by redshirt sophomore Paulina Viveros before they sealed the deal at the top of the seventh from a fielding error.

Bostow would be hit with the loss after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Berquist would get the win after throwing a complete game, giving up one run on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Oaks was the leader in hitting as she went 3-for-4 with a stolen base. Copeland and Kessler were both 2-for-4 each. Copeland added a walk to her plate appearances.

O'Kimosh (1-for-3), Halback (1-for-4), Rosenbaum (one run) and Schurr (one RBI) also contributed in the game.

Viveros lead the way in hitting for the Panthers in game two as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Up Next:

The Manatees will head to Melbourne to take on Indian River State and Eastern Florida State in a triple header Saturday, March 25

SCF Baseball Shuts Down Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - The SCF baseball team (20-18, 9-1 Suncoast) kept the momentum alive winning their eighth game in a row as they shutdown Polk State (21-15, 6-4 Suncoast) 9-0 at Bing Tyus Yard. With the win, the Manatees 40-30 against the Eagles.

"The guys played really well today," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Ed (Wagner) was very dominant on the mound. With the exception of the eighth inning, they (Polk State) did not have a runner get to third base majority of the game, so Ed was in control from the very first pitch. Connor (Hults) came in and did an awesome job on the mound too. Hats off also to Mario Lopez, Kevin Karstetter and Brayden Woodburn for their big home runs in the game. That really set the tone offensively."

"The team came to play today and we're definitely getting in a groove now with every aspect of the game," said freshman Ed Wagner. "It definitely felt good getting a win a their place and keeping our winning streak alive."

Hill sent Wagner to start game two for the Manatees, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil went with freshman Aiden Butler.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would open on the board as sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. would send a solo homer to left for his third of the season and gave the Manatees a 1-0 lead. One inning later, classmate Kevin Karstetter would show his power as he brought in sophomore Richie Morales and freshman Erick Almonte with a three-run homer to center for his ninth of the season and extend the Manatees lead to 4-0.

While the Manatees offense remained in tact on scoring, Wagner and the defense continued to keep the Eagles from scoring and hitting with a plethora of strikeouts for five innings straight.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees continued to add to their lead as sophomore Brayden Woodburn would bring in classmate Lucas Ismaili and himself in as he sent a two-run blast to right-center for his fourth of the season.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Eagles would get Wagner to buckle as they secured their first hit of the game after a leadoff single by sophomore Ray Mercer, but for the former George Washington Colonial would barely be fazed by it as he was able to get the next three batters out.

At the bottom of the eighth, Wagner, despite giving up a one-out single, would strikeout two more batters, but after throwing over 100 pitches and showing signs of fatigue, Hill decided to pull Wagner and send sophomore Connor Hults to the mound. Despite walking his first batter, the transfer from Jacksonville University would strikeout the next one and get the Manatees out of the eighth.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board beginning with a leadoff double by sophomore Ben Gilbert. After one out, freshman LT Cockrill would send a double to right to bring in Gilbert. After Morales was hit by a pitch, he would be called out on a fielder's choice by Almonte. Karstetter would then hit a single to right and bring in Cockrill before Almonte scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-0 SCF. From there, Hults would strike out the side after a lead-off single and sealed the shutout for the Manatees.

Wagner would improve to 5-1 after throwing 7.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits with one walk and a career-high 12 strikeouts. Hults threw 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one walk and four strikeouts.

"I definitely felt like I had a good command today," said Wagner on his game. "It makes things so much easier when the defense plays the way they did today and we get off to an early lead."

Butler would fall to 2-3 after giving up six runs and six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings. Freshman Sam Duvall gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits with one walk in two innings of relief.

Karstetter would lead the way for the Manatees in hitting and offense as he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Woodburn would follow Karstetter offensively as he went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and two RBI.

Ismaili (1-for-4, one run, one walk and one stolen base), Lopez (1-for-5, one RBI and one run), Almonte (1-for-4, two runs and one walk), Morales (1-for-4, one run), Gilbert (1-for-4, one run) and Cockrill (1-for-4, one RBI and one run) had the remaining six hits for the Manatees.

For the Eagles, the only three hits came off the bats of Mercer, sophomore Cole Griffith and freshman Roberto Odor.

Notes:

Karstetter pushes his hitting streak to 28 games in a row. Additionally, his three hits put him at 195 career hits and his four RBI put him at 141 career RBI. He will need five more RBI to break Corbeil's career RBI record (145, 1998-99).

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (10-20, 4-6 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (6-28, 1-9 Suncoast) 11-10 in game two.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (20-18, 9-1)

2. Polk State (21-15, 6-4)

3. St. Pete (10-20, 4-6)

4. Hillsborough (6-28, 1-9)

Up Next:

Game three between SCF and Polk State returns to Wynn Field Monday night, March 27 at 6 pm. Sophomore Ryan Stefiuk (1-3, 5.27 ERA) will start game three for the Manatees.

SCF Baseball Takes Game One Over Polk State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (19-18, 8-1 Suncoast) were put to a test for Suncoast Conference play as they defeated Polk State (21-14, 6-3 Suncoast) 14-4 in seven innings via mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees are now 39-30 against the Eagles.

"That first inning was all the difference in the world," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Putting up 10 runs in the bottom of the first was pretty impressive and a lot of those balls were hit pretty hard and Michael (Forret) had a good top of the first where he struck out the side, but he set the tone pretty good and then the hitters just had a nice inning."

"I thought we came ready to play today from the very first inning," said sophomore Kevin Karstetter. "That was important and set the tone in the game."

"The first inning of having a zero and us coming up to the plate was amazing," said freshman Michael Forret. "We were prepared for this and we weren't too complacent as the game went on and we continued to keep the momentum going. I think we did our job and we were ready."

Hill sent Forret to the mound to start game, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil went with freshman Evan Koehler to counter.

After Forret struck out three of the first four batters at the top of the first, the Manatees would open early in the bottom half of the inning. After back-to-back one-out singles by Karstetter and freshman Erick Almonte, sophomore Lucas Ismaili would open the door with a single to left to bring in Almonte for the first run. After a two-run double by sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. brought in Karstetter and Ismaili, classmate Brayden Woodburn would show power as he sent a two-run homer to left for his fourth of the season. After sophomores Victor Sanchez (walk) and Ben Gilbert (hit by a pitch) reached base, the Manatees batted around with Morales hitting a single to load the bases. Almonte would then bloop a single to center and bring in Sanchez and Gilbert before Karstetter sent a single to center to bring in Morales. From there, Ismaili would send a deep double to right-center to bring in Almonte and Karstetter for a 10-0 SCF lead. It signaled the end for Koehler as Corbeil would send sophomore Dawson Turner to come in and finish the first. This would invoke the mercy rule.

At the top of the third, the Eagles would get their first run on the board and stop the mercy rule as freshman Damion Kenealy would send a ground ball to left to make it 10-1 still in favor for SCF. Forret would be barely fazes as he got out of the inning with ease.

At the top of the fourth, the Eagles would add their second run as sophomore Cole Griffith would score on a fielding error before Forret struck out the next two batters. In the bottom half of the inning, Gilbert would push the lead up with an RBI single to center to bring in Sanchez.

At the top of the fifth, the Eagles would respond with a couple more run after an RBI groundout by freshman Ray Bermudez and an RBI single by sophomore Travis Stapleton made 11-4 SCF.

In the bottom of the sixth, Woodburn, who hit a single, advanced to second on a fielding error and moved to third on a wild pitch, would score on another wild pitch.

After Forret finished his portion of the seventh, the Manatees decided to end the game in the bottom half. After sophomore Liam Moreno hit a single before moving to second on a groundout, Almonte would reach second on another Eagle fielding error while Moreno scored. After Almonte moved to third on a Karstetter groundout to move, the native of Santo Domingo would score on a wild pitch and give the Manatees the mercy rule win.

Forret would bump up to 6-2 for the win after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with 10 strikeouts. This was his fourth game with 10 strikeouts (third straight).

"I felt good, especially in the first inning," said Forret. "Going into the second inning, my mechanics got  away from me a bit through the fifth, despite pitching well, I felt a little off. At start of the sixth and seventh, I told myself 'I got to lock it down and get the guys back up to the plate because the bats are hot' and I knocked it out in my best two innings and let the guys do the job at the plate."

"I thought his stuff was good," said Hill on Forret. "He didn't really have good clean innings, but the sixth and seventh innings is where he picked it up and was pretty aggressive on it."

Koehler would fall to 4-1 after giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits with one walk in two-thirds of an inning.

Five Manatees would have a multi-hit game. It was Almonte that lead the way in hitting as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs. 

Karstetter (2-for-5), Ismaili (2-for-4), Woodburn (2-for-3) and Moreno (2-for-4) each had two hits. Karstetter added one RBI and two runs, while Ismaili lead the overall offense with three RBI and one run, Woodburn added two RBI, one run and one walk and Moreno added one run. Lopez also had a multi-RBI game as he went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

"I felt good at the plate," said Karstetter. "I had some consistent at-bat dating back to the beginning of the season. I was trying to focus on each pitch and each play because that is all I have left here with SCF and I just want to maximize while focusing on each pitch and usually good result happen."

Morales (1-for-4, one run) and Gilbert (1-for-4, one RBI and one run) had the remaining two hits, while Sanchez (two runs and two walks) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, sophomore Nelson Taylor and freshman Aris Rivera each had two hits.

Notes:

With the hit in the first inning, Karstetter extends his hitting streak to 27, which sets a new record held   by Tom McKay (26, 1967). Additionally, Karstetter's two hits put him at 192 in his career. Furthermore, his two RBI puts him at 137 in his career. He will need nine more to break Corbeil's (145, 1998-99) career RBI record.

"It was good for Kevin setting a new record," said Hill on Karstetter's new record. "He's such a great player and I'm glad he's on our team. This record won't have an asterisk on it because to hit 27 games in a row and break it from the 60s is very tough to do. That's a pretty impressive outing for him, so hats off to him."

Woodburn's one walk puts him at 38 this season and 78 in his career.  He needs 22 to surpass Jody Reed (59; 1981-82) for the most walks in a single season and 32 to surpass Joey Collis (109; 1994-95) for most career walks.

Other Suncoast Conferences Scores:

Hillsborough (6-27, 1-8 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (9-20, 3-6 Suncoast) 16-13 in the first game,

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (19-18, 8-1)

2. Polk State (21-14, 6-3)

3. St. Pete (9-20, 3-6)

4. Hillsborough (6-27, 1-8)

Up Next:

The Manatees will be ready for game two against Polk State at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven on Saturday afternoon, March 25 at 1 pm. Freshman Ed Wagner (4-1, 4.25 ERA) will be given the nod to start on the mound for the Manatees.

SCF BVB Secures First Win in Split

St. Leo, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (1-10, 0-6 Region 8) were able to secure their first win of the season in a split as they defeated NCAA DI Jacksonville State (0-7) 3-2 before losing to NCAA DII St. Leo University (5-0).

The Manatees would take the first match via forfeit at the #5 spot. After that, the freshman duo of Bailee Perry and Kayla Gentry would fall to senior Isabell Fuell and sophomore Brooklyn Schiffi in three sets (13-21, 21-17, 8-15) at the #2 spot before the duo of sophomore Essence Bundrage and freshman Remi Hebert fell to sophomore Kiara Amigon and freshman Parker Phenicie 9-21, 19-21 at the #4 spot. 

While the Manatees were down 2-1, they would not go away and fought in the final two spots. Sophomore Shelby McGee and freshman Caelan Cook would defeat junior Carley Lynch and freshman Kathryn Smith with a 21-11 pair decision at the #3 spot before the sophomore duo of Yeva Serdiuk and Amanda Pizzol defeated sophomore Grace Danzinger and freshman Luci Wilkinson 21-16 and 22-20 at the #1 spot.

Up Next:

The Manatees will return to the UMR Sports Complex for their final two home matches as they welcome NAIA Webber International University (9-3, 7-0 Sun) and Florida Southern (5-10) Friday afternoon, March 24 at 1 and 5 pm.

It will also be dubbed sophomore day for five sophomores: Danielle Conover, Essence Bundrage, Shelby McGee, Kaylee Forman and Yeva Serdiuk.

SCF Baseball Readies for Biggest Suncoast Test

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (18-18, 7-1 Suncoast) will now be put to their biggest test in conference play as they will take on Polk State (22-12, 7-1 Suncoast) to wrap up the first half of Suncoast play. Game one will take place at Robert C. Wynn Field Friday night, March 24 at 5 pm before heading to Winter Haven for game two at Bing Tyus Yard Saturday afternoon, March 25 at 1 pm. The series will return to Wynn Field Monday night, March 27 at 6 pm before wrapping up the series back at Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 29 at 6 pm.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (18-18, 7-1)

2. Polk State (21-13, 6-2)

3. St. Pete (9-19, 3-5)

4. Hillsborough (5-27, 0-8)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees completed their first series sweep over Hillsborough (12-1, 16-6, 8-6 and 8-7). They are currently in first place in the Suncoast Conference. It was their first sweep in conference so far.

New Hit King:

Sophomore Kevin Karstetter has lead the way hitting wise for the Manatees. Karstetter is batting .385 with 57 hits, eight home runs and 44 RBI. In the series finale against Hillsborough, he went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

During the second game against HCC, Karstetter set a new record in SCF baseball program history as he surpassed Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99) as the all-time leader in career hits. He has 190 hits in his three seasons with the Manatees.

In addition during the series finale against HCC, Karstetter hit in his 26th straight game and tied with Tom McKay (26, 1967) for the longest hitting streak in program history and needs to hit in one more game to hold the record.

It was announced via Twitter that Karstetter will be transferring to Arizona State University with two years of eligibility remaining.

Walking the Line:

Speaking in regards to records, sophomore Brayden Woodburn is also attempting to set a record of his own. Woodburn is currently batting .331 with 41 hits, three home runs, 22 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 37 walks. In the series finale against Hillsborough, Woodburn brought in the game-winning run while going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.

His 37 walks are not only ranked #1 in the state, but are ranked #1 in the nation. He has 77 career walks so far and needs He needs 23 to surpass Jody Reed (59; 1981-82) for the most walks in a single season and 33 to surpass Joey Collis (109; 1994-95) for most career walks.

Woodburn is not the only player that is nationally ranked in drawing walks as freshman Erick Almonte follows on the same path. Almonte is currently batting .330 with 36 hits, one home run, 21 RBI and 27 walks. He was 1-for-4 with two runs and a walk in the finale against HCC. His number of walks are ranked #4 in the state and #11 in the nation.

Pitch Life:

Freshmen Michael Forret and Ed Wagner are two of three pitchers leading the way on the mound for the Manatees.

Forret is 5-2 overall with a 3.89 ERA, 12 walks and 49 strikeouts. His 49 strikeouts are ranked #31 in the nation. In his last outing, the one-time FCSAA Pitcher of the Week threw a seven-inning complete game with 10 strikeouts against Hillsborough in the opening game. He will start game one for the opener against Polk State.

Wagner is currently 4-1 with a 4.25 ERA, 19 walks and 40 strikeouts. In the second game against Hillsborough, the former George Washington University Colonial earned the win with four strikeouts in five innings. He will start game two.

Weaving for the Week:

For freshman Jeremy Weaver, he has made a name for himself since being in the starting rotation. Weaver is currently 2-1 with a 3.64 ERA, 29 walks and 54 strikeouts (#17 in the nation). He earned a no-decision in the finale against HCC. Additionally, the Winter Haven native was named the FCSAA Pitcher of the Week after his eight-inning shutout against St. Pete.

Game Time Wings:

Sophomore Ben Gilbert is one of the three hybrid players to make some noise for the Manatees. Gilbert is batting .327 with 18 hits, three home runs and 13 RBI, while on the mound he is 1-0 with 3.21 ERA, two saves, nine walks and 21 strikeouts. He earned his first win in the series finale against his former team with five strikeouts while going 2-for-4 with an RBI at the plate.

It was announced on Twitter that Gilbert will be transferring to Florida Atlantic University with two years of eligibility remaining.

Powering Up:

Alongside Karstetter, sophomores Lucas Ismaili and Mario Lopez, Jr. and freshman Jayce Blalock have shown some strong power in their bats lately.

Ismaili is currently batting .404 with 51 hits, six home runs and 39 RBI. He went 1-for-5 with an RBI in the final game against HCC.

Lopez is currently batting .375 with 33 hits, two home runs and 36 RBI. He played a key part in the finale against his former team as he went 1-for-5 with two RBI in the win.

Blalock is currently batting .216 with 11 hits, four home runs and 13 RBI. He was 1-for-4 with two RBI in the third game against HCC.

Wild Games:

Sophomores Austin Dearing, Victor Sanchez, Richie Morales, Liam Moreno, Connor Hults and Ryan Stefiuk and freshmen Jalen Hairston and LT Cockrill remain as key wildcard players for the Manatees.

Dearing is batting .265 with 27 hits and eight RBI.

Sanchez is batting .329 with 27 hits, three home runs and 20 RBI. He was 1-for-2 with a walk last game.

Morales, one of two hybrid players, is batting .339 with 21 hits and 10 RBI at the plate. On the mound, he is 2-0 with a 5.06 ERA, one walk and two strikeouts. He was 3-for-5 with a stolen base in the finale against HCC.

Moreno is batting .254 with 15 hits and seven RBI.

Hults has also been making noise on the mound in relief as he is 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA, eight walks and 12 strikeouts. He threw a third of a scoreless inning of relief in his last outing.

Stefiuk is 1-3 with a 5.27 ERA, one save 17 walks and 36 strikeouts. In his last outing, the transfer from Vanderbilt threw a no-decision in the third game against HCC with two walks and seven strikeouts in six and a third.

Hairston, the third hybrid on the team, is batting .324 with 11 hits, one home run and three RBI, while on the mound he is 1-0 with a 6.57 ERA, five walks and 11 strikeouts.

Cockrill is batting .271 with 13 hits, one home run and 10 RBI.

Nations Best Stats:

At the national level, the Manatees have had several players in the top 50 in the nation in different categories.

Karstetter: eight home runs (tied for #30), 149 at-bats (#1), 57 hits (tied for #1), 12 doubles (tied for #15), three triples (tied for #29), 43 runs (tied for #7), 44 RBI (#8 in the nation)

Woodburn:, 41 hits (tied for #31), 124 at-bats (tied for #8), three triples (tied for #29 46 runs ( #4), 37 walks (#1), 15 stolen bases (tied for #44), 

Ismaili: 51 hits (tied for #7), 37 runs (tied for #27), 120 at-bats (#13), 39 RBI (tied for #20), 

Almonte: 113 at-bats (#27), 27 walks (#11),

Lopez: 15 doubles (tied for #1), 36 RBI (tied for #27)

Forret: five wins (tied for #18), 39.1 innings pitched (tied for #41), 49 strikeouts (tied for #31)

Stefiuk: 42.2 innings pitched (tied for #20)

Wagner: 42.1 innings pitched (tied for #23)

Weaver: 54 strikeouts (#17)

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are coming off of splitting their second conference series with St. Pete. They would win game one and three by scores of 8-7 and 3-2, but would lose games two and four by scores of 13-7 and 16-13. It was their first two losses in conference play and as a result, they would get bumped down to second place.

On the mound, freshman Evan Kohler leads the way going 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA, 11 walks and 61 strikeouts. His ERA is ranked #44 in the nation, while his strikeouts rank #9. In his last outing, he threw seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a win over St. Pete.

Another player on the mound for the Eagles is classmate Trevor Caldwell. Caldwell is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA, 26 walks and 51 strikeouts (tied for #25 in the nation). In his last outing, he threw a no-decision in the third game against St. Pete where he threw five and two-thirds innings with seven strikeouts.

At the plate, sophomore Nelson Taylor leads the way batting .361 with 35 hits, five home runs, 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases, while classmate Travis Stapleton is also batting .361 with 35 hits, two home runs and 26 RBI.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees hold a 38-30 record against the Eagles.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger. For games one and three, they will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up the Manatees on Twitter.

Livestream link - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2023/state-college-of-florida-baseball-63d48f85286d367aef01de22/schedule/games

Twitter - @SCFBaseball

SCF Baseball Sweeps HCC in Walk-Off Fashion

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (18-18, 7-1 Suncoast) pulled off their first sweep in Suncoast Conference play as they defeated Hillsborough (5-27, 0-8 Suncoast) 8-7 at Robert C. Wynn Field. With the win, the Manatees are now 47-23 against the Hawks.

"That was a great win for us and a tough loss for them (Hillsborough)," said head coach Tim Hill II. "The guys didn't quit and never gave up. We swung the bats pretty good and we're getting good pitching.  I thought the one inning with Kevin (Karstetter) getting the big hit to give us the lead was good and the fact that in the seventh and eighth innings, the ball never left the infield. They got a few lucks breaks on us and it was a tough way for us to come back, but the guys kept it together."

"I thought the pitching did a really good job for us and the offense came and made up for it bringing in runs," said sophomore Brayden Woodburn. "While Hillsborough came back with runs of their own, we didn't quit in the game and played the whole nine innings."

"We came in knowing that we had a job to do," said sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. "We knew it had to be a team game for us as we came off a big win Monday and it took the whole team and we came in today and struggled a bit, but we knew we had the team to do it and our pitching kept us in the game and we were able to get the job done."

"I thought tonight's game was a really good game for us," said sophomore Ben Gilbert. "It was a battle and they (HCC) were going to come out hot after we beat them three times and were trying to make up for it and they gave us a run for our money for the first couple of innings when they were up before we started attacking and at the ninth inning, when we had base runners on, they played their part and Woody (Brayden Woodburn) walked it off for us and Mario (Lopez, Jr.) having that big hit to tie the game, Kevin (Karstetter) with his big hit and all the baserunners did their part. "

Hill sent freshman Jeremy Weaver to the mound, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with sophomore Nick Pineda to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would strike first in the bottom of the second as Gilbert would send an infield single to short to bring in Woodburn for the first run of the game.

The Hawks would tie the game to 1-1 thanks to an RBI single by sophomore Jacob Griffith at the top of the third, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Erick Almonte would score on fielding error at second while sophomore Kevin Karstetter reached first to make it 2-1 SCF.

The Hawks would tie the game at 2-2 after sophomore Jackson Hugus brought in a run on a sacrifice fly before they took the lead at the top of the fifth after sophomore Josean Sanchez scored on a wild pitch.

For the next two innings, the Hawks contained the Manatees from bringing in a run, but in the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees turned that around. After a one-out single by sophomore Richie Morales and a walk drawn by Almonte, Karstetter would send a triple to center to bring in Morales and Almonte to give the Manatees a 4-3 lead. He would then score after sophomore Lucas Ismaili reached on another fielding error to make it 5-3 SCF.

Hill would make a change and send sophomore Connor Hults to the mound. After getting one out, Hults would load the bases full of Hawks before freshman Cayden Box scored on a wild pitch. After walking another batter to reload the bases, Hill would pull Hults and send Gilbert to come in to pitch.

After the pitching change, the Hawks would tie the game at five apiece after a bunt single by freshman Clark Springs before sophomore Johnathan Bruno gave the Hawks the lead with a fielder's choice to bring in a run before Gilbert struck out the next two batters to end the eighth.

At the top of the ninth, the Hawks would add a potential insurance run as freshman Luke Stout would send an RBI single to right to give the Hawks a 7-5 lead before Gilbert struck out the final batter.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Manatees rallied together for one last push to go for the win beginning with a Morales leadoff single. After Almonte flew out, Karstetter would get hit by a pitch before Ismaili hit a single to load the bases for Lopez. On an 0-1 count, the Tampa native would send a high fly ball to left that would go off the wall for a double to bring Morales and Karstetter to tie the game at 7-7, but Ismaili would be called out trying to reach third.

"I knew going up to the plate today that I was struggling," said Lopez on tying the game. "I felt ok, but I knew I was going to get a chance after Lucas (Ismaili) was up and got on base, which I trust him when he's ahead of me for giving me the opportunity and it was me going after the right pitch and was able to keep my hands up on the slider and just drive it."

All eyes turned toward Woodburn to try and bring in the run for the win. On a full count, Woodburn would send a single to left past third base to bring in Lopez and sealed the sweep for the Manatees.

"This was my second time seeing him (Padron) on the mound," said Woodburn on hitting the game-winner. "He threw me everything in the first at-bat, so I knew the sequences he was going to use, so I just needed to stay for that moment, being that it's my third year here, and I know what it was like in these moments and we've been through a lot of them. When I got the hit, it was a sigh of relief and I knew it was over and we got the sweep of the season."

"Brayden is a good hitter," said Hill on Woodburn. "When the game is on the line, he and several others want him up there. I felt confident with him up to the plate and he was able to get the job done for us. I'm very happy for him."

Weaver and Pineda would both earn a no-decision on the mound. Weaver would give up three runs (two earned) on five hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings, while Pineda gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six and a third innings.

Gilbert would get his first win of the season after giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings of relief. He was also 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hults gave up three unearned runs on one hit with one walk in one-third of an inning of relief.

"I felt good on the hitting side of things," said Gilbert. "They were throwing me a lot of off-speed pitches, so today I made an adjustment and took the pitch where it was thrown. On pitching, I felt good. I was a little shaky after the bunt single, but I executed well in the end."

"I thought our pitching was good," said Hill on the pitching. "I thought Jeremy (Weaver) did a good job, even when he a little hiccup in one inning where he messed himself up by walking one of the lower end players of the lineup, but other than that, I thought he threw good. While Connor Hults did not have a lot to show for, I thought he threw really well as well as Ben (Gilbert) when he had a lot of punch-outs."

Sophomore Albert Padron would be hit with the loss after giving up three runs on five hits with one strikeout in two and a third innings of relief.

Aside from Gilbert, three other Manatees had a multi-hit game. Woodburn and Morales each had three hits. Woodburn (3-for-5) added an RBI, a run and a stolen base while Morales (3-for-5) added two runs and a stolen base.

Karstetter was overall offensive leader as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs, while Lopez was 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run. Almonte (1-for-4, two runs and a walk), Ismaili (1-for-5, one RBI) and sophomore Victor Sanchez (1-for-2, one walk) had the remaining three hits for the Manatees.

For the Hawks, Stout lead the way in hitting as he finished 3-for-6 with an RBI, while Springs (2-for-5, one RBI) and Griffith (2-for-4, one RBI) each had two hits.

Notes:

With his two hits, Karstetter now has 190 career hits and has had a hit in his 26th straight game. Additionally, he has tied Tom McKay (26, 1967) for the longest hitting streak in program history.

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete College (9-19, 3-5 Suncoast) pulled off a big win in conference play as they defeated Polk State (21-13, 6-2 Suncoast) 16-13 to split the series. The Titans will take on Hillsborough for their next series of conference games.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (18-18, 7-1)

2. Polk State (21-13, 6-2)

3. St. Pete (9-19, 3-5)

4. Hillsborough (5-27, 0-8)

Up Next:

The Manatees will face one of their toughest challenges in Suncoast Conference as they face Polk State. Freshman Michael Forret (5-2, 3.89 ERA) will start game one on Friday night, March 24 at 5 pm. Classmate Ed Wagner (4-1, 4.25 ERA) will start game two in Winter Haven on Saturday afternoon, March 25 at 1 pm.

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over HCC with a Comeback

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (17-18, 6-1 Suncoast) continued their fight in Suncoast Conference play as they came from behind and defeated Hillsborough (5-26, 0-7 Suncoast) 8-6 at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. With the win, the Manatees are now 46-23 against the Hawks.

"It was a good win for us today," said head coach Tim Hill II. "The six run ninth inning was quite remarkable for the guys and I'm very proud of them for stepping up and ready to play."

Hill II sent sophomore Ryan Stefiuk to the mound, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with freshman Mason Tinsley.

For the first three innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Stefiuk and Tinsley, but by the fourth inning Stefiuk would buckle first as he gave up the first runs of the game after an RBI groundout, a two-run double, two runs on a fielding error and an RBI single made it 6-0 HCC.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would gain their first run on the board as sophomore Richie Morales would hit an RBI single and bring in classmate Ben Gilbert to make it 6-1 still in HCC's favor. At the top of the sixth, Karstetter would show power as he hit a solo homer for his eighth of the season to make it 6-2 still with the Hawks.

After the sixth inning, Stefiuk would get one more out after giving up a single in the bottom of the seventh before Hill pulled him and sent freshman Liam Best to the mound to get the remaining two outs. Hill would then put in sophomore Connor Hults in the bottom of the eighth and would get out with ease.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees would rally together a big inning for themselves. After sophomores Lucas Ismaili, Mario Lopez, Jr. and Brayden Woodburn hit three straight singles to load the bases, classmate Victor Sanchez would cut the Hawks lead shorter with a two-run single to bring in Ismaili and Lopez before Gilbert was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. This signaled the end for Tinsley as Leaton would send freshman Matthew Gill to the mound.

Freshman Jayce Blalock would be one of the turning points for the Manatees as he hit a two-run single to bring in Woodburn and Sanchez and tie the game at 6-6. After Morales reloaded the bases for the Manatees again with a single, freshman Erick Almonte would give the Manatees their first lead of the game as he drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in  Gilbert before Karstetter hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Blalock for an insurance run and an 8-6 SCF lead. Gill would be pulled and freshman Logan O'Leary would come in and finish the inning

Gilbert would then come to pitch for a save opportunity and despite giving up two hits, the former Ole Miss Rebel was able to get the final out and give the Manatees the series lead.

Stefiuk and Tinsley would both earn no-decisions. Stefiuk would give up six runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six and a third innings, while Tinsley gave up four runs on 10 hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings.

Hults would earn his first collegiate win after throwing one scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout. Gilbert would earn his first save of the season after throwing a scoreless inning of relief, giving up two hits with two strikeouts. Gilbert was also 1-for-2 at the plate with two runs and a walk.

Gill would get hit with the loss after giving up two runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout in no innings of relief. He is now 0-1 on the year. O'Leary would throw a scoreless inning of relief, giving up one hit with two walks and one strikeout.

All nine players on the Manatees had at least one hit with three getting two or more. Karstetter would lead the way as he finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Woodburn would follow batting 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base, while Morales rounded out the order 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Alongside Karstetter, Blalock and Sanchez was also a leader in offense as they both finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run each with Sanchez adding a walk. Almonte (1-for-4, one RBI and one walk), Ismaili (1-for-4, one run and one walk) and Lopez (1-for-4, one run) had the remaining three hits.

Sophomore Johnathan Bruno and freshman Trey Santana Hawks both had two hits apiece, while sophomore Jackson Hugus was the overall offensive leader as he went 1-for-5 with two RBI.

Notes:

The two hits for Karstetter put him at 188 in his career. Additionally, the hits extend his hitting streak to 25 games. He need to hit in two straight games to break the record held by Tom McKay (26, 1967). Furthermore, the two RBI put him at 132 in his career and needs 14 RBI to break the career RBI record held by Al Corbeil (145, 1998-99).

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (21-12, 6-1 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (8-19, 2-5 Suncoast) 3-2 in Winter Haven.

Suncoast Standings:

1. Polk State (21-12, 6-1)

2. SCF (17-18, 6-1)

3. St. Pete (8-19, 2-5)

4. Hillsborough (5-26, 0-7)

Up Next:

The Manatees look to complete the sweep as game four returns to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 22 at 6 pm. Freshman Jeremy Weaver (2-1, 3.86 ERA) is expected to be given the nod to start for the Manatees on the mound.

SCF Baseball Takes Second Game Over HCC

Bradenton, Fla - Sophomore Kevin Karstetter's record-breaking hit set the tone as the SCF baseball team (16-18, 5-1 Suncoast) continued their on their strong path in Suncoast Conference play after defeating Hillsborough (5-25, 0-6 Suncoast) 16-6 in seven innings via the 10-run mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees are now 45-23 against the Hawks.

Originally, the game was scheduled to start at 1 pm, but due to inclement weather approaching the game was pushed to 11 am to avoid postponement.

"I thought the guys had a good week overall pulling off now five conference wins," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Conference games are intense and a dog fight because everyone is shooting for the postseason. I thought our pitching was good all week, even though we gave up more runs than we anticipated today and were sloppy on defense a bit, which was uncharacteristic of them, but Ed (Wagner) battled through all that and it was no doubt a big win on our home field today."

"I thought we did great overall," said Karstetter. "We had good energy, the bats were ready to hit and the pitching was solid. There are some things we clean up on, but you take what you can get and the win was all that matters."

"We got out the game a little shaky in the beginning," said sophomore Connor Hults. "But Ed (Wagner) kept us in the game and gave us a quality start and I was able to come in and battle the strike zone, get some outs and let the fielders make the plays."

"I thought we all trusted each other and it's all coming down on the field," said sophomore Lucas Ismaili. "We're having good quality pitching and excellent hitting. We kept executing and doing well, hitters get their timing and we played well overall."

Hill II sent freshman Ed Wagner to start game two for the Manatees, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with freshman Logan Wirt to counter.

The Hawks would strike first at the top of the first after sophomore Josean Sanchez scored on a fielding error and an RBI single by sophomore Johnathan Bruno made it 2-0 HCC, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning. After sophomores Richie Morales (leadoff single), Brayden Woodburn (walk) and Kevin Karstetter (walk) loaded the bases, classmate Lucas Ismaili would draw a walk and bring in Morales for the Manatees' first run of the game. Sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. would then send a double to center to bring in Woodburn and Karstetter and give the Manatees a 3-2 lead. After sophomore Ben Gilbert drew a walk to load the bases, freshman Jayce Blalock would draw a walk and bring in Ismaili before Lopez scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2 SCF.

At the top of the second, the Hawks would cut the deficit to 5-3 after an RBI single by sophomore Jackson Hugus, but the Manatees would once again respond in the bottom half of the inning beginning with Woodburn and Karstetter getting hit by a pitch before Ismaili hit a single to load the bases for Lopez, who would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Woodburn before Gilbert hit a sacrifice fly of his own to bring in Karstetter. After sophomore Liam Moreno drew a walk, Blalock would show off his power on a 1-2 count as the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket would send a three-run homer to center for his fourth of the season to give the Manatees a 10-3 lead.

After a scoreless third, the Hawks would score another run off of Wagner from a wild pitch, but it would not faze him as he was able to get out of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would once again respond back as Ismaili would send a leadoff solo homer to left to bring for his sixth of the season. After Lopez was hit by a pitch and Gilbert hit a single, Moreno would ground into a double play to move Lopez to third before he scored on a wild pitch. After Blalock drew a walk, freshman LT Cockrill would send a double to right-center to bring in Blalock to make it 13-4 SCF.

The Hawks would add two more runs at the top of the fifth after a Manatee throwing error and an RBI single by Sanchez to make it 13-6 SCF, but the Manatees would get Wagner out of the fifth. In the bottom half of the inning, Woodburn would show a little power of his own as he lined a solo homer to left for his third of the season.

All eyes turned towards Karstetter as the upcoming Arizona State University transfer popped a high double to left to secure the record and surpass Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99). After Ismaili hit a single to center, Karstetter would score on a wild pitch to make it 15-6 SCF.

Hill would pull Wagner and sent Hults to the mound to pitch the sixth and seventh innings with ease.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees would attempt to seal the deal for a walk-off win. After Karstetter hit a lead-off single to center, he would move to second on a balk before Ismaili sent him to third on a fly. Needing only one run, Lopez would send a fly ball to right and with all the speed he could put together, Karstetter would score on a sacrifice fly to get the walk-off win.

Wagner would get the win after giving up six runs (three earned) on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He is now 4-1 on the year.

Hults threw two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one walk and two strikeouts. He has not pitched since February 15 (vs Central Florida).

"I got a lot of mound work during my time off from injury," said Hults. "I was able to come back with a lot of work from the mound and threw a lot in the bullpen, even though I haven't been able to get in a lot of games because the starters were on fire from the get-go, so it felt good getting back out there and pound the zone and get some plays."

Wirt would get the loss after giving up five runs on two hits with five walks and one strikeout in one-third of an inning.

All nine batters for the Manatees had a hit in the game with two having two or more. It was Ismaili that would lead the charge on hits as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, three runs and one walk.

"I felt great at the plate," said Ismaili on his game. "I kept sticking to my approach and was hunting the fastball. After all the practice in the batting cage, it showed out in the game and on the field."

Karstetter was the other player with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with four runs and a walk.

"I felt good," said Karstetter on his game. "I thought my approach was really good. I was just swinging at the pitches I was looking for and that's the key to getting on base and if you have a good approach, then good things usually happen with the results you're looking for."

On the overall offense, Lopez (1-for-1) and Blalock (1-for-2) lead the way with four RBI apiece. Lopez added two runs and a walk, while Blalock added two runs and two walks.

Morales (1-for-5, one run) Woodburn (1-for-3, one RBI, three runs and one walk), Gilbert (1-for-2, one RBI and one walk) and Moreno (1-for-3, one run and one walk) had the remaining four hits.

For the Hawks, Sanchez and freshmen Clark Springs and Camden Sprague each had two hits.

Notes:

With his two hits, Karstetter has set the program record for most career hits as he surpassed Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99) for it. He now has 186 career hits with the Manatees. Additionally, Karstetter hit in his 24th straight game and needs three to tie the record held by Tom McKay (26, 1967) and four to set the record.

"It felt good," said Karstetter on setting the career hits record. "It's thanks to the coaches and awesome teammates. If you're enjoying the process, then good results happen."

"It's really good for the program and it was really good for Kevin," said Hults on Karstetter's record hit. "He's one of those guys that, day in and day out, gives it all he's got. His hard work definitely wears off on the rest of us and I think seeing him get that accomplishment done is awesome for all of us."

"Kevin works very hard and it shows," said Ismaili of Karstetter breaking the record. "For him setting that record is an amazing moment for him."

"Al Corbeil was an impressive player back then and held that record for a while, but I'm very happy for Kevin and he's been a really good player for us," said Hill on Karstetter breaking the record.

Woodburn's one walk puts him at 38 this season and 77 in his career. He needs 22 to to surpass Jody Reed (59; 1981-82) for the most walks in a single season and 32 to surpass Joey Collis (109; 1994-95) for most career walks.

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (8-18, 2-4 Suncoast) handed Polk State (20-12, 5-1 Suncoast) their first loss in conference as the Titans won 13-7 in Clearwater.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. Polk State (20-12, 5-1)

2. SCF (16-18, 5-1)

3. St. Pete (8-18, 2-4)

4. Hillsborough (5-25, 0-5)

Up Next:

Game three will return to Steinbrenner Field on Monday, March 20 at 3 pm. Sophomore Ryan Stefiuk (1-3, 5.20 ERA) will get the nod for the Manatees.

SCF Baseball Takes First Game Over HCC

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (15-18, 4-1 Suncoast) continued to show a strong running via mercy rule as they defeated Hillsborough (5-24, 0-5 Suncoast) 12-1 in seven innings. With the win, the Manatees are now 44-23 against the Hawks.

"Today was a good conference win for us," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Michael Forret was in complete control from the very beginning and pitched very well. I'm glad our offense was in control with the big six-run rally in the second, followed by a five-run rally in the fifth. Now we can get ready for tomorrow with them (HCC) back at home."

Hill sent freshman Michael Forret to start game one for the Manatees, while Hillsborough head coach Raydon Leaton went with freshman Logan O'Leary.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would strike first at the top of the second beginning with back-to-back two out singles freshman Jalen Hairston and sophomore Liam Moreno, sophomore Richie Morales would bring in Hairston with an RBI single for the first run of the game. After classmate Brayden Woodburn hit an RBI double to bring in Moreno, sophomores Kevin Karstetter and Lucas Ismaili hit back-to-back singles to bring to Morales and Woodburn before classmate Mario Lopez, Jr. brought in Karstetter and Ismaili with a two-run single to make it 6-0 SCF.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees extended their lead to double digits beginning with Morales reaching base on a fielding error by the third baseman. Woodburn would then hit another double to bring in Morales. After Karstetter was hit by a pitch, Ismaili would hit a double and bring in Woodburn and Karstetter before Lopez, Jr. hit another double to bring in Ismaili for the 10th run and invoked the 10-run mercy rule. Sophomore Ben Gilbert would then reach base on a fielding error while Lopez scored to make it 11-0 SCF.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would put their final run on the board as sophomore Victor Sanchez would hit a single and bring in Karstetter to make it 12-0 SCF.

The Hawks avoided getting shutout in the bottom of the seventh as sophomore Josean Sanchez would hit an RBI single, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees took the first win of the second series.

Forret would get the win after throwing a seven inning complete game, giving up one run on six hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. He is now 5-2 on the season.

O'Leary would fall to 2-4 after giving up six runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

All nine players in the starting lineup had at least one hit with two-thirds of the lineup getting two or more hits. It was Woodburn that lead the way in hitting overall as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs.

Ismaili, Lopez, Jr., Karstetter, Morales and Hairston each had two hits. Ismaili (2-for-4) and Lopez, Jr. (2-for-4) both lead the offense with three RBI apiece with Ismaili adding two runs and a walk, while Lopez, Jr. added one run. Karstetter (2-for-2) added one RBI, one walk and three runs, while Morales (2-for-4) added an RBI and two runs and Hairston (2-for-4) added a run.

V. Sanchez (1-for-3, one RBI and one run), Gilbert (1-for-5) and Moreno (1-for-4, one run) had the remaining three hits for the Manatees.

J. Sanchez was the only Hawk with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Jacob Griffith and freshmen Clark Springs, Trey Santana and Jackson Hugus had the other four hits for the Hawks.

Notes:

With his two hits, Karstetter now has 184 career hits and has tied Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99) as the all-time leader in hits. He needs one more hit to become the all-time leader in hits. Additionally, he extended his hitting streak to 23 games and needs at least one hit in four straight games to break Tom Mckay's record (26, 1967).

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (20-11, 5-0 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (7-18, 1-4 Suncoast) 8-7 in Winter Haven. Game two for them will take place at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater Saturday afternoon, March 18 at 1 pm.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. Polk State (20-11, 5-0)

2. SCF (15-18, 4-1)

3. St. Pete (7-18, 1-4)

4. Hillsborough (5-24, 0-5)

Up Next:

Game two for the series will return home to Wynn Field against Hillsborough Saturday morning, March 18 at 11 am. Freshman Ed Wagner will be given the nod to start.

SCF Tennis Secures First Win

Winter Haven, Fla - The SCF tennis team (1-6, 0-2 Region 8) were able to secure their first win of the 2023 season as they defeated NAIA Warner University (2-11, 0-1 Sun) 7-0.

Beginning with doubles, the duo of sophomore Sakurako Suzuki and freshman Ainhoa Meili Fernandez defeated sophomore Alizee Piette and freshman Victoria Belisario 6-0 at #1 doubles in under 20 minutes. The duo of sophomore Elena Baughman-Sanders and freshman Ainara Vegal Rodriguez defeated the sophomore duo of Riley Cook and Carla Schneider 7-5 at #2 doubles to secure the first point for the Manatees.

As singles went underway, the Manatees held a 3-0 lead heading in as Baughman-Sanders (#5 singles) and freshman Alexis Dunlap (#6 singles) each secured a win via forfeit. From there, Meili Fernandez defeated Belisario 6-3, 6-0 at the #3 singles at the same time as freshman Joanne Fernades defeated Schneider 6-3, 6-0 at the #4 singles to make it 5-0 SCF and claim the win.

In the last two matches, Vegal Rodriguez defeated Piette 6-0, 6-1 at the #1 singles before Suzuki sealed the shutout with a 6-1 pair decision over Cook at #2 singles.

Up Next:

The Manatees remain on the road as they travel to Orlando for the UTSA National Tournament. They will face the University of West Georgia (6-2, 2-4 GSC) Monday, March 20 at 10 am.

SCF Baseball Set for Hillsborough

Bradenton, Fla - After a strong start to start conference, the SCF baseball team (14-18, 3-1 Suncoast) will look to set their sites on the next set of Suncoast Conference play as they face Hillsborough (5-22, 0-4 Suncoast) for the next four games. The Manatees will open the series at George M. Steinbrenner Community Field in Tampa on Friday afternoon, March 17 at 3 pm. They will then head back to Robert C. Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, March 18 at 1 pm. The third game will return to George M. Steinbrenner Community Field Monday afternoon, March 20 at 3 pm before returning back to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 22 at 6 pm.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. Polk State (19-11, 4-0)

2. SCF (14-18, 3-1)

3. St. Pete (7-17, 1-3)

4. Hillsborough (5-22, 0-4)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are open Suncoast Conference play against St. Pete College. They would split the first two games winning the first one 7-5 at Wynn Field before losing the second game 5-3 in Clearwater. After winning the third game 11-1 in seven innings via mercy rule at home, the Manatees would seal the first series winning by a score of 10-0 in eight innings back in Clearwater. They are currently in second place in the standings behind Polk State.

Pitching the Way:

Freshmen Ed Wagner and Michael Forret lead the way on the mound.

Despite falling in the second game to St. Pete, Wagner still plays strongly on the mound as he is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA, 16 walks and 36 strikeouts.

Forret won the first game against St. Pete with a seven inning win with 10 strikeouts. He is currently 4-2 with a 4.45 ERA, 10 walks and 39 strikeouts.

Freshman Jeremy Weaver is also on the winning side of things after one of his best outings in the finale against St. Pete. Weaver threw a six-hit shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts in eight innings. The Winter Haven native is currently 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA, two saves, 24 walks and 43 strikeouts.

Setting the Records Straight:

Sophomore Kevin Karstetter has been the leader this season at the plate. Karstetter is currently batting .368 with 49 hits, seven home runs and 38 RBI. 

The Pennsylvanian was 1-for-3 in the finale against St. Pete, but what setting his pace is the hitting records he is aiming for three of the Manatees program records. He currently has 182 hits in his career and needs three to surpass Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99) as the all-time leader in hits. Additionally, Karstetter is also on a hitting streak as he has hit in 22 straight games so far and needs to hit in five more to surpass Tom Mckay's record (26, 1967).

Walking to the Books:

Karstetter is not the only player on the path of records for classmate, Brayden Woodburn, is also on a record path. Woodburn is batting .302 with a 32 hits, two home runs, 19 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 38 walks. His walks are not only #1 in the state, but are in fact #1 in the nation.

Woodburn currently has 76 walks in his career, which include from the 2021 season. He needs 22 to surpass Jody Reed (59; 1981-82) for the most walks in a single season and 32 to surpass Joey Collis (109; 1994-95) for most career walks.

Super Mario Time:

Sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. has been hot at the plate. Lopez, Jr. is batting 386 with 34 hits, two home runs and 24 RBI. He was 2-for-5 in the series finale against St. Pete with a career-high five RBI.

Adding Power:

Sophomore Lucas Ismaili and Ben Gilbert continue to play their roles on the power game after a good performance in the series against St. Pete.

Ismaili came off of a 3-for-4 game with two RBI, three runs and a stolen base. The former Pitt Panthers is batting .427 with 44 hits, five home runs and 33 RBI. His batting average is actually tied for fifth in the state.

Gilbert, who showed off some power earlier before conference, was 1-for-3 with two RBI against St. Pete. Currently, he is batting .315 with 17 hits, three home runs and 14 RBI. Additionally, while he is on the mound, he has thrown a 2.70 ERA, nine walks and 16 strikeouts in 10 innings.

Walking the Line:

Like Woodburn, freshman Erick Almonte, despite under  has also been on the path when it comes to drawing walks. Almonte is batting .333 with 35 hits, one home run, 21 RBI and 26 walks. 

Wilding Out:

Sophomores Austin Dearing, Victor Sanchez, Liam Moreno, Richie Morales and Ryan Stefiuk and freshmen Jalen Hairston, Trey Clucas, Jayce Blalock and LT Cockrill are the listed wildcards on the team.

Dearing is batting .276 with 27 hits and eight RBI.

Sanchez is batting .324 with 24 hits, three home runs and 17 RBI.

Moreno, who has been batting well, is batting .245 with 12 hits and five RBI. He brought in one RBI in the finale against St. Pete.

Morales, who has returned after an injury, is batting .295 with 13 hits and eight RBI. On the mound, he is 2-0 with a 5.06 ERA, one save, one walk and two strikeouts. He was 1-for-4 in the final against St. Pete.

Stefiuk earned his first win against in the third game against St. Pete where he threw a seven inning complete game with four strikeouts. The former Vanderbilt Commodore is currently 1-3 overall with a 5.20 ERA, one save, 15 walks and 29 strikeouts.

Hairston is batting .313 with 10 hits, one home run and three RBI, while at the plate he is 1-0 with a 6.57 ERA, five walks and 11 strikeouts. He went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in the finale against St. Pete.

Clucas is currently 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA, 10 walks and 15 strikeouts.

Blalock is batting .244 with 10 hits, three home runs and nine RBI.

Cockrill is batting .273 with 12 hits, one home run and nine RBI.

Scouting Hillsborough:

The Hawks are coming off being swept by Polk State by scores of 6-5, 5-3, 9-6 and 6-5 and are currently in last place in conference. Additionally, they enter the series on a eight-game losing streak dating back to February 3 against Indian River State.

Sophomore Jacob Griffith leads the way batting .380 with 41 hits, one home run and 20 RBI. He is currently on a 16-game hitting streak as of February 15.

Freshman Blake Williams leads the overall offense with the Hawks batting .206 with 21 hits, two home runs and 19 RBI.

On the mound, freshman Logan O'Leary leads the way going 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA, 10 walks and 31 strikeouts.

Series History:

The Manatees are 43-23 against the Hawks.

How to Keep Up:

Games two and four will air on the SCF Sports Network, while games one and three will air on the HCC YouTube page. Livestats will possibly be provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up the Manatees on Twitter.

Livestream Links:

At SCF - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

At Hillsborough - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCacuu9UlGv5bxz2LvF-Q5w/videos

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2023/state-college-of-florida-baseball-63d48f85286d367aef01de22/schedule/games

Twitter - @SCFBaseball

Hodge Shines at NCAA First Round

Sacramento, Calif - Former SCF basketball standout D'Moi Hodge (2018-20) lead the way for the University of Missouri (25-9) in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and advanced to the second round. Hodge lead the Tigers, the #7 seed in the tournament, with 23 points (8-for-14 FG, 5-for-10 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and four steals in the 76-65 win over #10 seed Utah State. They will face #15 seed Princeton (21-8) (Ivy League Tournament winner) in the second round after they defeated #2 seed Arizona (28-6) 59-55 in their first round game.

"It's obviously amazing watching one of our former players play in the NCAA tournament and have them play for the last three years," said head coach Tom Parks. "They paved the way to see how capable they are when they come from junior college and have success. I thought D'Moi played a really good game and made the right plays that were big and down the stretch. Obviously, I'm very proud of D'Moi of the system he's playing in and working well with his teammates while his defense has been spot-on. I loved watching him play and I loved coaching him during his two years with the Manatees. Playing in an NCAA Tournament has always been a dream of mine and to see him accomplish a dream like that is just remarkable for him. I'm very excited for him as he prepares for Princeton in the second round."

Hodge is the second Manatee under the Parks era to play in the NCAA tournament. His former teammate, Isiah Dasher (2018-20) helped lead the Saint Peters Peacocks to the Elite Eight in the 2022 NCAA National Tournament.

Hodge began his collegiate basketball career at New Mexico Junior College in 2017-18, however the guard and native of Tortola, British Virgin Islands decided to redshirt and ended up transferring to SCF in 2018.

In his first year with the Manatees (Parks' first year as head coach), Hodge averaged 19.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game, which included a 50 point game against Miami Dade. After helping the Manatees win the Suncoast Conference Tournament against Polk State and qualify for the FCSAA State Tournament for the first time since 2013. He would also end up on the All-Suncoast Conference First Team, the FCSAA All-State Team and the FCSAA All-Tournament Team as well as earning FCSAA Player of the Week three times and NJCAA Player of the Week once.

In his second year with the Manatees, Hodge's stats and accolades would increase as he averaged 25.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. During the season, Hodge would earn his 1,000th point against Florida State College at Jacksonville (December 15, 2019) before setting program records for points in a single season (805) and most career points (1,403) that were held by James Life (2004-06). Once again, he would lead the Manatees to the Suncoast Conference Tournament and defeated Polk State for the second straight year while ending up on the All-Suncoast Conference First Team and the FCSAA All-State Team before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

After his tenure with SCF, Hodge would end up continuing his collegiate career at Cleveland State under head coach Dennis Gates. There, he helped the Vikings to a 19-8 overall record with a 16-4 record in the Horizon League where they would win the Horizon League Regular Season Championship and the Horizon League Championship Tournament to secure an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Men's Tournament, their first bid in 12 years before they fell in the first round to final four participant University of Houston. He would average 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

In his senior season, Hodge would return to the Vikings where he averaged 15.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He would help the Vikings win a second straight Horizon League Regular Season Championship before making a trip to the 2022 NIT where they would fall in the first round to eventual tournament winner Xavier University. He was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and was named on the All-Horizon League First Team.

Hodge, with one year of eligibility remaining, transferred to Missouri after Gates landed the job as the Tigers head coach. Three of his teammates, guard Tre Gomillion, guard Ben Sternberg and center Mabor Majak also ended up transferring with Hodge to join Gates.

Hodge is currently averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game for the Tigers and is one of 25 finalists for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year award (NCAA National Defensive Player of the Year). His 2.6 steals per game rank #4 in the nation.

SCF Baseball Takes First Conference Series

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF baseball team (14-18, 3-1 Suncoast) sealed the first series of Suncoast Conference play as they defeated St. Pete College (7-17, 1-3 Suncoast) 10-0 in eight innings via mercy rule. With the win, the Manatees are now 45-12 against the Titans.

"Tonight was a good team win for us," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Jeremy (Weaver) was in complete control from the very beginning and did a complete job and showed some competitiveness on the mound. Mario (Lopez) and a few others had some nice days at a plate."

"It was a great team win," said sophomore Mario Lopez. "It's what we came into the conference to do. This team knows what we're capable of and we all have each other's back, but being able to execute it this series and start of the year right is huge. We have and we want to reach it together."

Hill sent freshman Jeremy Weaver to the mound, while SPC head coach Oscar Espada went with sophomore Tanner Goswick to counter.

The Manatees would strike early at the top of the first. After the Manatees loaded the bases thanks to a sophomores Brayden Woodburn (double), Kevin Karstetter (single) and Lucas Ismaili (walk), Lopez would clear the bases and bring in all three runners for a 3-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the third, the Manatees would double their lead. After a single by Ismaili and sophomore Victor Sanchez getting hit by a pitch before advancing to scoring position on a wild pitch, sophomore Ben Gilbert would ground a single to right and bring in Ismaili and Sanchez. After freshman Jalen Hairston hit a single, classmate Liam Moreno would send a fly ball to left and bring in Gilbert on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0 SCF.

While the Manatees kept the 6-0 lead, Weaver was doing his part as he was able to get out of two situations with a runner on first and was able to get three strikeouts in the first three innings. The Winter Haven native would continue to do his part for the next two innings as he struck out four to earn a quality start.

At the top of the sixth, the Titans would make a pitching change as Espada would send freshman Jeffery Polledo to the mound. After the pitching change, the Manatees would add more to their lead on the offensive end beginning with a two-out walk by Woodburn before stealing second. After Karstetter reached first on a dropped third strikeout with Woodburn heading to third, Ismaili would ground a single to left to bring in Woodburn before Lopez showed off his bat yet again as the Tampa native would send a double to left and bring in Karstetter and Ismaili for a 9-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the eighth, the Manatees would add their final run on the board as Ismaili would send a single down the middle to bring in Woodburn to make it 10-0 SCF and invoke the 10-run mercy rule before Weaver finished the game with a final strikeout.

"Overall, I thought the team did great today," said Weaver. "We came to get ahead and came to play baseball. It felt great taking the first conference series. Coach Hill had faith in me to put me out there and I just did my job."

Weaver would get his second win after throwing a six hit shutout with three walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts.

"I felt like I was on the moon getting my first shutout in my collegiate career," said Weaver on his game. "I just felt great and I'm glad we put it together to get the win."

Goswick would fall to 0-4 after giving up six runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Polledo would give up four runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts in three innings of relief.

Seven Manatees had at least one hit with three getting a multi-hit game. Ismaili would lead the way overall in hitting as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI, three runs, one walk and one stolen base. Lopez lead the way offensively as he went 2-for-5 with a game career-high five RBI.

"I know I have prepared myself to be able to go out there and execute for my team," said Lopez on his game. "It's only a matter of me trusting myself and having confidence when I step into the box. I came to SCF to be the best teammate I can be and do my best every day out there on the field and being able to have the success at the plate today is humbling, but winning is what makes it better."

Hairston rounded out the order batting 2-for-4 with a stolen base, while Gilbert had a multi-RBI game as he went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run and one walk.

Woodburn (1-for-3, three runs, one stolen base and two walks) and Karstetter (1-for-5, two runs) and sophomore Richie Morales (1-for-4) had the remaining three hits for the Manatees, while Sanchez (one run and one walk) and Moreno (one RBI and one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Titans, freshman Brett Wagner would be the only player with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Notes:

Karstetter's one hit was his 182nd in his career and needs three more to surpass Al Corbeil (184, 1998-99) as the all-time leader in hits. Additionally, the hit pushed his hitting streak to 22 straight games and needs to hit in five straight games to set the record held by Tom McKay (26, 1967).

Woodburn's two walks put him at 38 this season and 78 in his career. He needs 22 to surpass Jody Reed (59; 1981-82) for the most walks in a single season and 32 to surpass Joey Collis (109; 1994-95) for most career walks.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (19-11, 4-0 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (6-22, 0-4 Suncoast) 6-5. The Eagles will play St. Pete for their next conference series.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. Polk State (19-11, 4-0)

2. SCF (14-18, 3-1)

3. St. Pete (7-17, 1-3)

4. Hillsborough (6-22, 0-4)

Up Next:

The Manatees will face Hillsborough for their next round of Suncoast Conference play (March 17, 18, 20, 22). Freshman Michael Forret will start game one on Friday and classmate Ed Wagner will start game two.