SCF Goes 2-0 to Start Classic

Palatka, Fla - Despite heavy weather conditions pushing back the schedule, the SCF baseball team (9-6) pulled away with two wins at the Capital City Classic in Palatka as they defeated Gulf Coast State twice by scores 10-2 and 7-6. Both games ended in seven innings. With the wins, the Manatees are now 7-2 against the Commodores.

The Manatees decided to cancel their games against Pensacola State and host St. John’s River State.

“The guys played pretty well today,”  said head coach Tim Hill II. “The first game they came out swinging the bats as we hit four homeruns. The second game was back-and-forth with both teams battling. Our guys got some big two out hits and Eli Thurmond and Clay Callan pitched very well in relief. Daniel Batcher did some good things but just made a couple mistakes and we made a couple defense mistakes that allowed them to score some of their runs.”

“As a team we played really well and came out with a lot of energy,” said sophomore AJ Fritz. “Joel stealing 2nd really gave us a jump start, and Owen’s home run really added a fuel to the fire for us. The rain wasn’t too much of a factor for us because it didn’t last for very long today.”

“ The team did very well this weekend, our hitters are getting better as the games go on,” said sophomore Owen Ayers. “In 14 innings we only had 3 strike outs looking, which is a big step in the right direction compared to the beginning of the season.”

Game One:

For game one against Gulf Coast State, Hill II sent sophomore Jakob Mattos to the mound, while Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler sent freshman Avery Stephens.

As the game began two innings in on Friday, the rain started to come down heavy and delay the game to being pushed to Saturday day with the Commodores ahead 1-0, but the Manatees would get ahead 2-1, thanks to a two-run shot by sophomore Owen Ayers. It was Ayers’ second home run of the season.

“The rain made it difficult the first night but the next day we we fortune to be able to get some game time in while trying our best to dodge the rain,” said Ayers.

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees extended their lead to 3-1 thanks to a solo shot by Fritz. It was his first home run of the season.

At the top of the fifth, Ayers and freshman Harry Long would hit back-to-back solo shots to make it 5-1 SCF. It was Ayers’ third home run of the season, second of the game, and Long’s third.

Sophomore Matt Gelorme would then come in for Consentino at the top of the fifth, but would give up a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to 5-2 still in favor of SCF.

At the top of the seventh, it was all in favor for the Manatees’ offense. Beginning with a leadoff single by Ayers, before Long reached first on a fielding error and freshman Kevin Karstetter drew a walk to load the bases, sophomore Jack Anderson would then draw a bases-loaded walk and bring in Ayers to make it 6-2 Manatees. Fritz would then send a single to right to bring in Long before freshman Brayden Woodburn hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Karstetter. Sophomore Richard Rodriguez would then send a single to right, bringing in Fritz and Anderson to make it 10-2 SCF before sealing the deal.

Mattos and Stephens would earn a no-decisions. Matto gave up one run on two hits with four walks and one strikeout in one and a third, while Stephens threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Freshman Dylan Vega would earn his second win of the season after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless inning. Vega is now 2-0 on the year. Classmate Nick Consentino threw two and two-thirds innings of relief, giving up two runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts, while Gelorme earned his first save of the season after throwing two and a third innings of relief, giving up one hit, walking one batter and striking out three.

Redshirt freshman Brayden Gainey would be dubbed with the loss after giving up five runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in two and two-thirds innings.

Ayers lead the way in the first game going 3-for-4 with the two home runs and three RBI.

“It was a great feeling to hit two home runs,” said Ayers on his multi-home run game. “It was a very memorable experience and I hope to keep going up from here.

Fritz, Long and sophomore Jacob Steinberg all had two hits. Fritz added two RBI, which included the home run, while Long added an RBI and two runs scored.

Rodriguez had the remaining hit as he went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Redshirt sophomore Colton Hipp had the Commodores only multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI. 

Game Two:

For game two against GCSC, Hill II went with sophomore Daniel Batcher to go to the mound, while Kandler sent freshman Laiten Hudson to counter.

The Manatees, who were the home team for the second game, would get on the board first in the bottom of the first, thanks to an RBI single by Anderson to bring in Karstetter. One inning later, Rodriguez would send an RBI single to center to bring in Woodburn for a 2-0 SCF lead.

Soon the Commodores would creep up on the Manatees for the lead from an RBI double by redshirt freshman Tyler Borges, classmate Mitch Landon scoring on a wild pitch and redshirt sophomore Colton Hipp hitting an RBI groundout to give the Commodores a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would regain the lead with a two-RBI single by freshman Charlie Davidson, but the Commodores wouldn respond back and take back the lead and make it 6-4 at the top of the fifth, thanks to a three-run homer by redshirt sophomore Max Ryerson. This signaled the end for Batcher as Hill would send freshman Eli Thurmond to the mound to take over.

The bottom of the fifth would be another rally moment for the Manatees beginning with a leadoff single from Long. After Karstetter was hit by a pitch and Anderson drew a walk to load the bases, a wild pitch occurred and Long seized the opportunity to score in success and cut the lead to one before Steinberg tied the game to 6-6 with an RBI single.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees regained the lead, thanks to an RBI single by Fritz to make it 7-6 SCF.

“I wasn very fortunate to be up in a big game situation at the the end of the second game,” said Fritz on getting the game-winner. “I love to be in crucial situations like that. We have had a lot of one run ballgames this year and that experience for us is second to none.”

“Today, it was me with the big two out RBI, but I think because of our experiences this year, it could’ve been any of us at the plate and we would’ve got a big two out hit.”

At the top of the seventh, Hill made another switch and sent sophomore Clay Callahan for a save situation in success as the Venice High product would seal two strikeouts and the second win.

Batcher and Hudson both earned no-decisions. Batcher gave up all six runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in four and two-thirds, while Hudson gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts in four innings.

Thurmond would earn his second win of the season after throwing one and a third scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts. He is now 2-1 on the season.

Callahan would earned his first save of the season after throwing a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts.

Freshman Tyler Peterson would earn the loss after giving up one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings of relief.

Long, Karstetter, Anderson and Woodburn each had two hits. Long added a run scored, while Karstetter added three runs scored, Anderson added an RBI and a walk and Woodburn added two runs.

Ayers, Steinberg, Davidson and Rodriguez had the remaining four hits.

For the Commodores, Borges and freshman Mason Smith had a multi-hit game as they both had two hits each, while Ryerson was the only one with a multi-RBI game.

Other Suncoast Scores:

South Florida State College (7-7) dropped a doubleheader to Santa Fe (6-5) by scores of 16-9 and 15-4.

FSW (10-6) defeated Elev8 Academy 14-2.

Polk State (8-6) defeated TNXL Academy 24-0.

Hillsborough (2-4) dropped their game to Miami Dade (8-6) by a score of 10-3 this past Friday.

St. Pete (5-3) split a doubleheader with Eastern Florida State (5-7) losing game one 8-4 before winning game two 7-2.

Upcoming Weekly Suncoast Games:

February 15-

Hillsborough vs Pasco: 12 and 3 pm.

Polk State at Seminole State: 2 pm

FSW vs Ave Maria JV: 2 pm

SPC at Tampa JV: 6 pm

South Florida State at Warner JV: 6 pm

February 16-

Polk State vs St. John’s River: 5 pm

February 17-

SPC at Central Florida: 3 and 6 pm

South Florida State at Daytona State: 5 pm

February 19-

HCC vs Northwest Florida State: 1 pm

SPC vs Seminole State: 1 pm

SFSC at IMG Academy Post Grad: 2 pm

Polk State vs Santa Fe: 4 pm

FSW at EFSC: 4 pm

HCC vs St. John’s River: 4 pm

Up Next:

The Manatees remain on the road as they travel to New Port Richey to take on Pasco-Hernando State (5-8) Thursday afternoon, February 18 at 3 pm. The Manatees played the Bobcats earlier in the season and won by a score of 11-10.

“I expect a good ball game at Pasco this Thursday,” said Hill on Pasco. “We are going to their park and I think they have a very good team.”

“Pasco is a very solid team,” said Fritz. “We’re excited to play them again and to go on to their field to get us a win would give us a lot of momentum going forward.”

“I’m expecting the team to pick up right where we left off against Pasco,” added Ayers. I also expect our 1-2 punch (me and Harrison Long) to bring it to them.”

Looking Back to the SCF 2019-20 Athletic Season

As it sits, the 2019-20 athletic season for State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) has come to a close early due to the pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). It truly is upsetting for not just for myself and all the coaches and athletes that were playing their sports in the spring, but for the sophomores that worked their tails off to compete, and now it's been tarnished.

This was not only happening to SCF and the junior colleges in the FCSAA, but it is also happening to other junior colleges nationally in the NJCAA (D1, D2 and D3) as well as colleges/universities in the NCAA (D1, D2 and D3), NAIA, California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) and Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). In total, over 2,000 junior colleges and universities (2,291 to be exact) had to stop the seasons of their spring sports because of COVID-19. We're talking about over 10 million student-athletes not being able to play their final year(s) of eligibility this year as a result.

I could sense a lot of pain for all the athletes at SCF that are sophomores and are unable to play in the spring because of this pandemic and I understand it sucks, but I guess in a way it is for our own safety.

On a positive note, in a statement by the NJCAA, they indicated that, "no spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled at a member college in 2020 will be charged a year of participation." This will preserve the season of eligibility for beach volleyball, baseball, softball, and tennis.

Now what does it mean for the remaining 24 sophomores for baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball? Will they get their final year of eligibility back? Will they be listed as 'redshirt' sophomores? The answer to that is yes they will get their final year of eligibility back as the NJCAA will give back all spring sports their eligibility, but as far as being dubbed as 'redshirts' I'm not sure.

The thing is it will take a good amount of time to put all the pieces together before making final decisions on what should happen, but as it looks at the moment, the 24 combined sophomores will get their one remaining year of eligibility back and do have the option to stay and play for SCF or continue on with their current paths.

But to steer on a positive path of the 2019-20 athletic season, let's look back and talk about some memorable moments that the Manatees have produced for all six sports along with the stories I wrote about them.

SCF Indoor and Beach Volleyball:
Lets begin with indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. Yes, the past five seasons have gone down for the SCF indoor volleyball team and they did finish 5-19 overall with a 2-4 record in the Suncoast this past season. Originally, they were 3-23 overall with an 0-6 record in conference play, but they moved to third place in the Suncoast standings, and the reason why SCF moved from last place to third in the Suncoast was because of St. Pete College. SPC had an ineligible player that played during the season. The old saying is this: "You cheat, you're out."

We even played Florida Southwestern in their inaugural season despite falling to them in both matchups.

The first story I did on the volleyball team was on their season schedule released where I talked about who they were facing and the players to introduce.

One of SCF volleyball's memorable moments came from sophomore Sydney Jaco when she reached 1,000 digs in her career in a win against the Webber International junior varsity team. Jaco ended up finishing 1,230 career digs at the end of her sophomore year and was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team and a five-time member of the FCSAA 25 Dig Club. All-in-all, Jaco finished her career as a 21-time FCSAA 25 Dig Club for the Manatees, a one-time All-Suncoast First Team, two-time All-Suncoast All-Academic Team and one-time NJCAA National Player of the Week.

With volleyball, I was even able to do two stories on two of the players, Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai. Truthfully, they were nervous about having a story on them while I was nervous on starting the interviews with them. In fact, Jaco and Wilcox-Nanai were the first players I did an interview with on the win during Jaco's milestone.

Some of my favorite moments from the 2019 season with SCF indoor volleyball included doing the national anthem for their sophomore night and giving one of the assistant coaches and the players goosebumps despite the loss to Monroe College, but the most memorable was when Jaco, Barbora Tichackova, Lisa Jaunet and Emily Sauceda all came to see me at Maple Street and eat there too, which meant a whole lot to me. (*Link in description)

Now with the addition of beach volleyball, they finished their campaign 3-0 for their inaugural season, even if it was cut short with the majority of the team from the indoor team. I guess in a way, the inaugural season was just a taste of what to expect for next season.

I was so thankful to meet the several newcomers in the freshmen in Wilcox-Nanai as well as the others (Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema, Jazmin Spencer, Brooke Henry, Gracee Carpino, Noelie Claude and Britzy Lucas) and I'm also thankful to meet the returners in Jaco as well as Tichackova, Sauceda, Daviya Bernard and Hannah Strickland). They all made such an impact for SCF volleyball, but I know that where they go, the journey leads them to their success.

SCF Basketball:
I look back to my first story on the SCF basketball team on a preview of the Manatees playing Gordon State College at home. Before I got started on it, I first decided to meet the head coach for SCF, Tom Parks. He seemed like a really good guy. Truthfully, he reminded me of a taller version of Brock Erickson, which actually led to me being a little intimidated by him.

After the game against Gordon State, Parks was the first person I did an interview after the game on the win and at first I was a little nervous, but it worked out well in the end. When the first Suncoast Conference game at home against SPC commenced, I got Parks's comments, of course, but then I also got then sophomore DeAndre Osuigwe and then freshman D'Moi Hodge and their take on the game.

I remember in one of the stories against Hillsborough, Park said a meaningful message on my stories.

"I just want to thank you Pat for doing this because I think it's unbelievable with your passion and the fact that you come and support us every game with your notebook writing stats and how serious you take this. It means a lot to our program and we really appreciate your support and writing about us on your blog. It really means a lot to us."

"1st Herd" finished the 2018-19 season 18-15 overall with a 6-6 Suncoast record. Heading towards the postseason, mainly the Suncoast Conference Tournament, coach Parks considered me as a member of what he dubbed as "1st Herd". I never asked where the idea came into play for that, but I guess the old saying is "Some things are just better left unsaid... for now".

Fast forwarding to this year and it was very memorable. I mean to start it off, we had the debuts of seven players. Truthfully, this season and last season were the best seasons that SCF Basketball has had in a long time as we finished 21-11 overall with a 5-7 record in the Suncoast. The 21 wins were the most we had in program history. We won the Suncoast Conference Tournament and made it to the FCSAA State Tournament for the second straight season before falling in the first round of the state tournament to Tallahassee (TCC).

One of the big moments from the 2019-20 season for SCF basketball team came off the shot of Hodge where he set two scoring records: most points in a single season and most career points. Hodge broke and set both records during the Suncoast Tournament. I even got to travel with the team for the game and cut a piece of the net after the win, even if we had to cut it at Hal Chasey Gymnasium.

From my personal favorite moments with SCF Basketball, I have two special ones that were very heartfelt and meaningful.

The first was being able to travel with the basketball team for the Suncoast Championship was one of them. It truly was the first time I ever got to travel with any team from SCF, thanks to coach Parks pulling a couple of strings to have me join the team on the road and being able to cut a piece of the net after claiming the tournament.

The second one was two days after winning the Suncoast Tournament when I asked the entire basketball team to come to an open house ballroom dance party at Wilson's Dance Sport International for a night of dancing, food and fun in which they said they would. At first I was a little worried if they weren't going to come, but the entire team and student assistant David Peck were true to their words and they all came, participated in the fun group and danced the night away, which made my night. We all even got a photo together and even got a complimentary dance lesson for participating. Honestly, they all did really well on the dance floor (*Link in description).

There are some sad parts from this season. Of course, it was seeing D'Moi Hodge, Isiah Dasher, Chris Scarborough, Remy Robert II and Max Bell-Ramos having to end their careers and parting ways from SCF, but it was also sad that I will not being able to see the debut of Jean-Pierre "JP" Frederick at SCF because of a series of issues while trying to transfer from another college in Saint Lucia (his native country) that had no sports whatsoever. As a result, he has to transfer to a four-year college. It really is sad because I was really looking forward to seeing him play this season at SCF, but regardless, I know he'll do phenomenal at the higher and I'll support him no matter which school he goes to.

2nd Herd has ended for 2019-20, but 3rd Herd will be in session with Marshall Kearing, Sam Grayson, Jordan Clark, Michael Gavin and Calvin McCutcheon returning to the team for their sophomore campaigns as well as the debuts of walk-on players Rae Miller and Christian Nieto, who redshirted last season. I also look forward to seeing the debuts of Kwo Agwa, Michael Hatcher, DK Kelly, Javon Bell, Keenan Willie, Joe Stubbs and Luke Lecroy when they arrive to SCF for their true freshmen years.

SCF Tennis:
Although this year for SCF tennis wasn't as promising as the 2018-19 season, they all worked hard on the court despite going 2-7 overall with an 0-5 record in conference.

I was able to meet the newcomers which included Karla Menendez and Martina Shakhnazarova, and got to see the returners that included Sara Ramirez-Goncalves, Brie Botsford and Mackenzie Vraspir. In fact, I wrote feature stories on Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford.

I'm remembering the first story I wrote on the SCF tennis team was on their season home opener against Southeastern University (NAIA) for the 2018-19 where they won 8-1. There were the debuts of Ramirez-Goncalves, Botsford and Zeba Jamal. Vrsapir and Alexis Booker didn't play that year as they redshirted. During that season, I didn't have my first postgame interview with coach Chloe Murphy until after the matchup against Broward and didn't interview a player until their shutout win over St. Catherine (NCAA DIII) when I interviewed Ramirez-Goncalves. Arguably, Ramirez-Goncalves was the only player I did a postgame interview with from both seasons.

The 2018-19 season was a big one for the tennis team. They went to nationals for the first time in two seasons and they finished first tied for fifth place out of 32 teams with Ramirez-Goncalves reaching the semifinals in her flight and Jamal and fellow alum Camile 'Cami' Portalier winning the consolation doubles championship.

This season was a lot different and it's going to be different without Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford on the squad next season since they were the only two true sophomores on the squad (unless they decide to stay), but it's always going to be like that for any sport.

SCF Softball:
So let's start with the obvious, softball was on a rough patch this season going 1-3 in the JUCO Kickoff Classic to start it off before sweeping Santa Fe to go to even before going on a six-game winning streak with victories over Lake Sumter, ASA Miami (home opener) and Palm Beach State. They then went on a seven-game winning streak and won six out of eight games from their eight-game homestead before sweeping Lincoln Land CC to close off the season at 20-12. The softball team was unable to start Suncoast Conference play due to the coronavirus.

The main part of writing about the 2020 season for SCF Softball was based on head coach Mandy Schuerman as she was aiming for her 200th career win as head coach for the softball team. With softball, the 200th win I think was going to be one of my best stories, but I'm planning on doing a feature story on coach Schuerman about her time as head coach for SCF softball and her milestones with SCF softball as well as leading to her 200th career win as head coach.

So far from the sophomore class (Madelyn Graham, Makayla Benavidez, Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro), Graham (Warner: NAIA) and Zientek (Ursuline: NCAA DII) are deciding to continue to their softball careers at the university level.

Softball was the first sport I watched at SCF when then head coach Meredith Michaels (nee Headings) was leading the team to the 2012 NJCAA College Softball World Series as one of two members from the FCSAA.

SCF Baseball:
Let's start it off with my first story on the SCF baseball team on their win over Broward College winning by a score of 10-1 (2/8/19). I didn't get my first interview with coach Tim Hill II until the game against Hillsborough (3/29/19). Then we made it to the state tournament where we went to the state tournament before being the sixth team to be eliminated.

When the 2020 season went underway, the first story I did for SCF baseball was the opening day game against FSW in a non-conference matchup at CoolToday Park in Venice (the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves). Some would assume that it was home field advantage for SCF because the stadium was closer to SCF, however it was deemed as neutral grounds because it took place neither at SCF nor FSW even it was closer to SCF.

When we had the home opener, I got coach Hill, of course, but this season I got to interview my first two players from the baseball team in transfer AJ Fritz and freshman Clay Callahan. Fritz transferred from Evansville and was one of 11 transfers to join SCF.

Truthfully, the main player I interviewed the most was actually Cameron Lee when he hit his first collegiate home run and his first collegiate grand slam.

I'm remembering one of the funniest parts of the 2020 baseball season was when I was at the home game against PHSC, Fritz's parents, Steve and Amy, were in attendance and all of a sudden, I hear Amy asked if I was the one writing all the stories and at first I was a little hesitant because I thought someone was stalking me (joking), but as I introduced myself, she said that she loved my stories and that was so amazing to meet the parents that read, like and retweet my stories and say many positive things about them.

In the end, the Manatees finished the season 16-11 overall with a 5-1 record in the Suncoast and were in first place in conference. I guess in a sense after finishing the sweep with Polk State, we were going to most likely win the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship, even if this year happens to be unofficial.

Thanks and Final Thoughts:
To close this post off, I wanted to give my final thoughts and many thanks to the SCF Athletic Department.

The 2019-20 school was actually a pretty good year for SCF athletics and it was quite an adventure despite the early ending. I got to be around so many great athletes that are going to be making names for themselves. On a positive note for the spring sports, the baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball players have an opportunity to return for a renewed season should they decide to take the opportunity.

One question that always comes to mind is "Why do I continue writing about a junior college if I don't get paid for it?" I feel the question is a two-way path. On one side, I do it because I love writing about my alma mater. On the other side, I do it to hopefully gain some experience around journalism, which I do every single time I write a story. All-in-all, whether I get paid for it or not, it does not matter to me because I enjoy it.

Sure I still hope that Dr. Carol Probstfeld, the SCF president, creates a position for a sports communication director or something like that, and that is still in the air of discussion for the near future. Until then, all I can do is wait on it and continue doing what I like to do.

Thank you to Matt Ennis and Ms. Loretta Demonte, the SCF athletic director and assistant athletic director, for getting me access to do feature stories, cover the games and getting postgame interviews afterwards for the athletic events, even if I have to write about the losses. I have known Matt for almost 10 years and Ms. Loretta for five and they have done wonderful things for the SCF athletic department. Although it sometimes becomes a habit from time-to-time when I call Matt 'Mr. Ennis', even though I'm not a student there anymore. It's still a good laugh nevertheless.

I want to thank head coach Parks and assistant coaches Rob Beckmann, Nav Gil, Lem Andrews, Ace Whitaker and David Peck for all they did to keep the SCF basketball team on their toes and for the being the first SCF team I did stories on.

Thank you to coach Schuerman and coach Hill for letting me cover their games, even if the seasons were cut short and Suncoast Conference did not commence for softball. I've known Hill since spring 2013 and Schuerman since fall 2014 and they have done wonders for the baseball and softball programs and I hope they keep doing wonders for the teams.

Thank you to a fellow alum in coach Murphy and coach Burnett for helping with the boxscores for the tennis and indoor/beach volleyball matches when I needed them for my recaps. It was incredibly helpful for me even though the matches that were on the road or on neutral grounds.

Thank you to Amy Beckmann for helping get some photos at the basketball games.

Finally, thank you to all the athletes who participated in my feature stories for postgame interviews and took the time to read, like and retweet all the stories when I post them on Twitter as well as the parents that were able to be in attendance and read my stories.

To think, this whole blog started as a school assignment at FGCU and then I chose to expand it from there spring 2017. Come to think of it, doing stories for SCF is quite an amazing adventure because I learn a lot from all the athletes and their backgrounds.

I definitely look forward to seeing the 2020-21 athletic season for SCF and will look forward to writing up more feature stories, schedule releases, previews and recaps.

First Story Links:
SCF VB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/07/scf-vb-opens-season-santa-fe.html
SCF Basketball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2018/12/scf-basketball-preview.html
SCF Tennis: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/search/label/SCF%20Tennis?updated-max=2019-03-13T11:31:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false
SCF Softball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/01/scf-softball-juco-kickoff-classic.html
SCF Baseball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/02/scf-baseball-vs-broward-recap.html
SCF BVB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2020/02/scf-bvb-sets-for-first-road-tri-match.html

Feature Story Links:
Sara Ramirez-Goncalves: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/srq-scf-win.html
Brie Botsford: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/for-scf-tennis-team-each-player-has.html
Leilani Wilcox-Nanai: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/leilanis-volleyball-journey.html
Sydney Jaco: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/jacos-legacy.html

Other Social Media Posts:
*SCF Basketball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2972192216138294&set=a.328054693885406&type=3&theater

*SCF Volleyball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2619958888028297&set=pb.100000426339316.-2207520000..&type=3&theater

SCF Baseball Sets for SPC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suncoast Standings:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCF Baseball Sweeps Polk State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Suncoast Scores:

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

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

Updated Suncoast Standings:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Up Next:

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

SCF Baseball Takes Series Over Polk State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Suncoast Scores:

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

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

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

Up Next:

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

SCF Baseball Claims First Game Over Polk State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCF Baseball Sets Sights With Polk State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
Polk: @PolkStBaseball

SCF Baseball Falls in Series Finale vs SFSC

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freshman David Barrett threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCF Baseball Claims Series Over South Florida State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyons Pulls Two Big Flies Over South Florida State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCF Baseball Readies for Suncoast Play

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCF: @SCFBaseball
SFSC: @SFSCAthletics

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

SCF Baseball Falls to Pasco

The SCF baseball team (11-10) would drop their game against Pasco-Hernando State (9-9) losing by a score of 14-7. With the loss, the Manatees are now 8-3 against the Bobcats.

Head coach Tim Hill II gave sophomore Justin Wrobleski the nod, while PHSC head coach Lyndon Coleman sent sophomore Stephen Wilmer to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the first after freshman Cameron Lee drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before stealing home.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would extend their lead as sophomore Jamarcus Lyons hit a single to center to bring in Lee for a 2-0 SCF lead.

Soon the Panthers took the lead with eight combined runs in the fourth and fifth inning for an 8-2 lead.

The Manatees then tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Richard Rodriguez. After sophomore Remi Patry hit a single of his own, freshman Owen Ayers would send a double to center to the Bobcats lead to 8-4. After a one out walk drawn by sophomore Rook Ellington, Lyons would send Ayers home with single to left before sophomore Aaron McKeithan had a single to left of his own to bring in Ellington to cut the lead to 8-6 PHSC.

At the top of the seventh and eighth, the Bobcats added five more runs to their score before the Manatees brought in their final run in the bottom of the eighth after a Rodriguez single to right for a 13-7 PHSC lead before the Bobcats put their final run on the board and sealing the win.

Wrobleski would be dubbed with the loss after giving up eight unearned runs on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in four innings. Wrobleski is 2-1 on the year.

Wilmer had a no-decision after giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit with five walks and two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings. Wilmer was also 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sophomore Taylor Rohrer would earn his first win of the season after giving up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings.

Lyons would go 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk, while McKeithan, Rodriguez, Patry and Ayers had two hits each. McKeithan added an RBI, a run and a walk, while Rodriguez added an RBI and a run, Patry added a run and Ayers added two RBI and a run.

Lee had three stolen bases, while sophomore John Malcom added one final hit for the Manatees.

Freshman Matthew Coker was the Bobcats lead offensive player of the game as he finished 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, while classmate Diego Garcia was 1-for-5 with four RBI.

Up Next:
The Manatees begin Suncoast Conference play as they face South Florida State (13-9). The Manatees will begin at SFSC Monday night, March 2 at 6 pm before returning to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 4 at 6 pm and wrapping up the first series in Avon Park Friday night, March 6 at 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Blows Out UTJV

On a cold and windy day, the SCF baseball team (11-9) were able to pull together a complete blowout as they defeated the University of Tampa JV Team (4-4) 16-3. With the win, the Manatees are now 24-1-1 against the Spartans.

"I thought we had some really good at-bats in the beginning tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It was nice to get off to a good start where we had so many close games with some really tough competition and to have one where we jumped out early was nice to have that happen."

For the game, Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while UT JV head coach Mark Johnson sent sophomore Aidan Brown.

Smith didn't take long on the mound and made short work with three strikeouts at the top of the first before the Manatees began their onslaught in the bottom half.

The bottom half began with a leadoff walk by freshman Cameron Lee before stealing second and being in scoring position. This would then be followed by a single by sophomore Rook Ellington bringing in Lee for the first run of the game. Sophomore Jamarcus Lyons would then reach base on a fielding error before classmate Aaron McKeithan singled to load the bases for sophomore John Malcom, who would draw a walk and send Ellington home. Freshman Owen Ayers would then hit a single to left to bring in Lyons for a 3-0 SCF lead and keep the bases loaded.

Two batters later, sophomore Remy Patry would clear the bases with a double as the Quebecer would give the Manatees a 6-0 lead.

"It felt amazing facing something like with two strikes," said Patry on his double. "I was trying to shorten up my swing and the fastball came down the middle and didn't miss it, so it felt good.

This would then follow a big moment for Lee with the Manatees batting around as the native of Frankfurt, Illinois hit his first collegiate home run of the year before the end of the inning.

"It felt good after being in a slump for a while," said Lee on hitting his first collegiate home run. "And hitting that ball really felt good, hoping help me to bust me back to a breakout game."

"When the winds blowing strong straight in on a cold night, that ball shot off like a rocket," said Hill on Lee's first home run. "He turned the wind around. Cameron is a strong kid and that home run that he hit was impressive."

Smith would then strike out the side in the second inning before Hill decided to send freshman Austen Kessler to the mound for relief at the top of the third while getting out of a jam. Meanwhile in the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would add another run to the board as Lyons would reach base on a error, while Lee scored after being hit by a pitch for a 9-0 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would reach double digits runs off of a two-RBI double by sophomore Justin Wrobleski to make it 11-0 SCF.

The Manatees would make another pitching change at the top of the fourth as sophomore Grady Martin came in to relief Kessler getting out of a bases loaded jam. This would then follow with freshman Matt Gelorme make a relief appearance at the top of the sixth.

At the top of the seventh, freshman Michael Dorso would come in to relief but the Spartans would finally get on the board after an RBI single by sophomore Tanner Spinks and a sacrifice fly by junior Trevor Roberson made it 11-2 SCF.

In response to the top of the seventh, the Manatees would begin with three straight walks drawn by McKeithan, freshman Zac Graham and Ayers. After Wrobleski flew out, Steinberg would send a single to right and bring in McKeithan and Graham before Patry drove in Ayers on a fielder's choice.

After sophomore Jake Mattos threw a scoreless eighth, the Manatees would add two finals run to their scoreboard after Lyons and Graham drew walks and McKeithan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wrobleski would hit a fielder's choice and send Lyons home for a run. For their final run, Steinberg would send a single to center and bring in McKeithan to make it 16-2 SCF.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees would make one final pitching change as Steinberg would come in to finish the inning. After giving up an RBI double by junior Thomas Bencivenga for a 16-3 SCF lead, Steinberg would still be able to seal the deal with one final strikeout for the game.

"We were ready to put some runs on the board early on with eight runs in the first inning," said Patry. "I think we kind of sat on that for a couple of innings with a run here and there with a good offensive showing for our team today."

"I think with the Tampa JV team, our coaches told us not to take them lightly," said Steinberg. "They've had some really good teams before and brought guys down, so it basically the day-to-day approach to treat every team the same that are coaches have been talking about and I think it was good for us to go put out a eight-spot in the first inning and kind of carry it from there.

Smith would earn a no-decision after two scoreless innings giving up one hit with six strikeouts.

"I thought Jake (Smith) was electric tonight," said Hill on Smith.

Kessler would earn the win after throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Kessler is now 1-1 on the year.

Martin, Gelorme and Mattos threw three combined scoreless innings with four combined strikeouts and three walks. Mattos missed a few games due to a leg injury.

"To get Jake (Mattos) back was nice," said Hill on Mattos. "He's a guy we definitely count on and just to see him back out on the field playing again along with other guys being hit from the injury bug and getting healthy again is important for us."

Dorso and Steinberg gave up the three runs on four hits with four strikeouts in two innings. Steinberg was also 3-for-6 with three RBI and was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game.

"Baseball is a mental game," said Steinberg on his game. "And just keeping my same approach that are coaches have been preaching to us every day and just seeing the ball deep and keep my approach that we talked about every day and it worked out well."

Brown would be dubbed with his second loss of the season after giving up eight runs (two earned) on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Brown is now 1-2 on the year.

Patry finished 1-for-4 with a career-high four RBI, while Wrobleski was 1-for-6 with three RBI.

Lee finished 1-for-2 with the home run, two RBI, three runs scored, three walks and one stolen base, while Malcom was 1-for-1 with an RBI, two runs and two walks.

Ellington (1-for-3, one RBI and one run), McKeithan (1-for-4, three runs) and Ayers (1-for-3, one RBI, three runs, three walks) also had one hit each.

Spinks and Bencivenga were both 2-for-3 with an RBI each.

Up Next:
The Manatees will conclude most of their non-conference schedule tomorrow as they welcome back Pasco-Hernando (9-9) to Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, February 29 at 1 pm.

SCF Baseball Readies for UT JV and Pasco-Hernando

The SCF baseball team (10-9) remain at home for a weekend of games as they welcome the University of Tampa JV team (4-3, 1-0 SSC) Friday night, February 28 at 6 pm before facing Pasco-Hernando State (8-9) to Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, February 29 at 1 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of facing Pasco-Hernando earlier this week where they won 5-4.

Freshman Owen Ayers is batting a team-leading .365 with two home runs and 10 RBI. Ayers was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

Sophomore John Malcom is leading the team offensively overall as he is batting .319 with four home runs and 18 RBI. Malcom was 1-for-4 in the last game against PHSC.

Classmate Aaron McKeithan is batting .317 with two home runs and 11 RBI. The transfer from Kentucky was 1-for-4 with an RBI against PHSC.

On the mound, sophomore Jake Smith is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 28 strikeouts. In his last start, the upcoming Miami transfer threw a complete game against Florence-Darlington Tech with 10 strikeouts.

Sophomore Tony Rossi has been adapting to his role in relief going 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 16 strikeouts. Rossi picked up the win against PHSC giving up one run on one hit with two strikeouts in two and a third innings.

Scouting UT JV:
The University of Tampa junior varsity team is a part of the NCAA DII University of Tampa. They are coming off of competing in a doubleheader against Florida Southern winning by scores of 7-3 and 6-0 in seven innings. They already started playing in Sunshine State Conference play where they defeated Inspiration Academy 17-5.

Junior Trevor Roberson has played in all seven games so far and is batting .304 with a home run and three RBI. Sophomore Eric Zimmerman has a home run and five RBI while batting .364.

Scouting Pasco-Hernando State:
As noted, the Manatees played PHSC and won by a score of 5-4.

Sophomore Stephen Wilmer leads the team batting .431 with a home run and 18 RBI. Wilmer was 1-for-5 with a run scored against SCF.

Sophomore Derek Rascher is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA and 21 strikeouts. In his last game, Rascher threw three and a third innings of relief with three strikeouts against Polk State.

Sophomore Andres Diaz is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, one save and 17 strikeouts. Diaz earned his second win against St. Pete College after giving up three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in six and a third.

Series History:
Including the win on Monday, the Manatees are 8-2 against the Bobcats. Meanwhile against UTJV, the Manatees hold a 23-1-1 record.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
PHSC: @phscbaseball
UTJV: UT_Baseball

SCF Baseball Defeats PHSC

The SCF baseball team (10-9) pulled away with a close win at Wynn Field as they defeated Pasco-Hernando State (8-9) 5-4. With the win, the Manatees are now 8-2 against the Bobcats (2012-present).

Head coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Daniel Batcher to the mound, while PHSC head coach Lyndon Coleman sent sophomore Cameron Seiwert to counter.

The Panthers would get on the board first at the top of the second after an RBI single by redshirt freshman Mason Collins before the Manatees answered back from a two-run homer by freshman Owen Ayers for his second home run of the season. The Manatees would then add to their lead in the bottom of the third from an RBI double by sophomore Aaron McKeithan for a 3-1 SCF lead.

At the top of the fifth, the Bobcats would cut the Manatees' lead to one after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron Steinhart before classmate Milan Ellerson drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 3-3 at the top of the seventh, but soon the Manatees would respond back with message in the bottom half of the seventh. After sophomore AJ Fritz lead off with a walk before Ayers reached base on a fielder's choice with Fritz out, freshman Jacob Steinberg would hit a pop single to right for sophomore Remi Patry. On the first pitch, the Quebecois native would line a sacrifice bunt and send Ayers home to give the Manatees back the lead. From there, freshman Steve Nitch would send a single to center and bring in Steinberg for a 5-3 SCF lead.

The Bobcats had one more crack at tying the game and even taking the lead for the first time after a sacrifice fly by Ellerson, but it was not enough as the Manatees were able to hold on to the lead.

Batcher would be dubbed with a no-decision after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings.

Sophomore Tony Rossi was the winner of the game after giving up one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in two and a third innings. Rossi is now 1-0 on the year.

Stewart would be dubbed with the loss after he gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts in three innings, putting hit at 0-1.

Freshman David Barrett gave up two one run on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings.

Sophomore Andrew Karch gave up two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout, while sophomore Angel Caba gave up one hit with one strikeout in one scoreless inning.

Sophomore Rook Ellington would finish 2-for-4 with a run. Ellington was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game.

Ayers would go 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Ayers was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.

McKeithan, Nitch, Steinberg and sophomore John Malcom had the Manatees' other lone hits.

Steinhart and Ellerson each had two hits for the Bobcats. Ellerson (2-for-3) added two RBI, a walk and a stolen base, while Steinhart (2-for-4) added one RBI. Ellerson was the only Bobcat with a multi-RBI game.

Up Next:
The Manatees will be ready for a weekend of more home games at Wynn Field as they welcome the junior varsity team from the University of Tampa (4-3) Friday night, February 28 at 6 pm and a rematch with Pasco-Hernando State Saturday afternoon, February 29 at 1 pm.

SCF Baseball Claims Doubleheader In Classic

After falling 3-2 to St. Johns River in close fashion, the SCF baseball team (9-9) moved back to even on neutral grounds as they defeated NJCAA Region Region 10 Florence–Darlington Tech (7-4) 8-4 and NJCAA Region 17 East Georgia (3-6) 8-1 at the John Tindall Classic in Palatka. Both games ended in seven innings. With the win over East Georgia, the Manatees are now 2-1 against the Bobcats.

SCF vs FDT:
For game one, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while FDT head coach Preston McDonald sent freshman Connor Campbell to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board after an RBI groundout by sophomore Jamarcus Lyons sent home freshman Cameron Lee for a 1-0 lead at the top of the first. The Manatees would then extend their lead at the top of the second beginning with a leadoff walk drawn by sophomore John Malcom and a single by freshman Owen Ayers before freshman Jacob Steinberg sent Malcom home with a single to short. After sophomore Remi Patry laid down a sacrifice bunt, Lee would groundout to send Ayers home for a 3-0 SCF lead.

The Stingers would then get on the board in the bottom of the second after an RBI double by freshman Charlie Corum. Two innings later, the Manatees would extend their lead again at the top of the fifth beginning with Lee getting hit by a pitch and steal second before advancing to third on a fly out by sophomore Rook Ellington. Lyons would then send a double to center and bring Lee home for a 4-1 SCF lead.

This would signal the end for Campbell as McDonald decided to send freshman Josh Patterson to the mound. After a single by sophomore Aaron McKeithan, Lyons would then score on a wild pitch before classmate AJ Fritz hit a single to left before McKeithan scored on a failed pickoff attempt for a 6-1 SCF lead.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees would two more runs to their lead. After Steinberg began with a leadoff single, Lee would reach base on a drop third strike before Steinberg scored on a wild pitch. After a Ellington walk, McKeithan would hit a fly ball and reach on a fielding error to send Lee home for a 8-1 lead.

The Stingers would add three more runs after freshman Josearmando Diaz brought in a run on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth and an RBI double by freshman DJ Sullivan and an RBI single by sophomore Cameron Dean, but it was all they could muster as the Manatees pulled away with the win.

Smith was the winning pitcher after throwing a complete game, giving up all four runs (two earned) on eight hits with 10 strikeouts. Smith is now 3-1 on the year.

Campbell would end up with the loss after giving up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four and a third innings.

Steinberg would be main offensive leader for the Manatees as he finished 4-for-4 with an RBI, while Lyons finished 1-for-4 with two RBI. Steinberg was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game, while Lyons was the only one with a multi-RBI game.

Lee finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases.

Dean was the only player for the Stingers with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

SCF vs East Georgia:
Hill II would send sophomore Justin Wrobleski to the mound, while East Georgia head coach Eric McCombie sent freshman Noah Coleman to counter.

The Bobcats would get on the board first at the top of the first after an RBI single by sophomore Conner Strickland. After being held scoreless in the bottom half of the first, the Manatees would answer back. After a two-out walk by Steinberg and single by Patry, the Manatees would tie the game at 1-1 after Steinberg scored on wild pitch. After Lee was hit by a pitch, Ellington would send a bunt single to bring in Patry for a 2-1 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would add another run after an RBI by Ayers sent McKeithan home for a 3-1 lead. The Manatees would then extend the lead in the bottom of the fourth beginning with back-to-back walks by Lee and Ellington and a single by Lyons to load the bases. McKeithan would into a double play leaving Ellington and Lyons in scoring position. After Fritz drew a walk to load the bases again, Malcom would send a single to left to bring in Ellington home. On a 2-0 count, Ayers would send Lyons and Malcom home with a two-RBI single for a 6-1 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees would add the final two runs of the game beginning with a leadoff single by Lyons and a double by McKeithan. Fritz would then load the bases after a catcher interference for Malcom. On the first pitch, the Vanderbilt transfer would send a single to left and bring in Lyons and McKeithan for a 8-1 lead, which would end up being the decider for the Manatees.

Wrobleski would get the win after giving up one run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings. Wrobleski is now 1-1 on the year.

Sophomore Tony Rossi threw two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out three batters.

Coleman would end up with the loss after giving up six runs on eight hits with six walks and one strikeout in three and two-thirds innings. Coleman is now 0-2 on the season.

Freshman Dawson Sorrells gave up two runs on three hits in two and a third innings.

McKeithan went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Malcom and Ayers were both 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Lyons was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Strickland was the only Bobcat with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with the lone RBI.

Fun Facts (2012-present):
The Manatees are 13-4 against college teams that are not from Florida.

Up Next:
The Manatees will return home for the next three games as they welcome Pasco-Hernando State (8-8) on Monday, February 24 at 5 pm and February 29 at 1 pm and the University of Tampa JV team (2-3) Friday night, February 28 at 6 pm.

SCF Baseball Looks for Sweep Over Broward

The SCF baseball team (7-6) is looking to complete a sweep at the Broward College Baseball Field in Fort Lauderdale to take on Broward College (1-7) Tuesday night, February 18 at 5 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of a two-game series sweep against Tallahassee CC where they won by scores of 9-4 and 13-4. If SCF wins, then it will be the second sweep for them this season.

Leading the pact at the plate is sophomore John Malcom. Malcom is batting .354 with a team-leading four home runs and 15 RBI. In the series against TCC, Malcom finished 3-for-10 with two home runs and five RBI. In fact, his two home runs came from the second game of the series.

Meanwhile classmates Remi Patry (.289), AJ Fritz (.333) and Rook Ellington (.237) each have 10 RBI. In the series against TCC, Patry was 2-for-8 with two RBI and three walks while Fritz was 4-for-9 with two RBI and Ellington was 3-for-9 with three RBI.

On the mound, sophomore Cole Ayers and Jake Smith lead the way. Ayers is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA and 21 strikeouts, while Smith is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Both players pitched in the series and got the wins. Ayers threw five innings and gave up two unearned runs with nine strikeouts, while Smith threw five innings and gave up three runs (one earned) with four strikeouts.

Scouting Broward:
The Seahawks were originally scheduled to face Lake Sumter, but unfortunately the game was cancelled. Their lone win so far out of all their games so far was in a split against HCC.

Santiago Garavito leads the Seahawks offense batting .320 with four RBI, while sophomore Ihosvanny Castaneda is batting a team-leading .391 with five stolen bases.

Sophomore Jean Toro has the Seahawks lone win so far where he has a 2.45 ERA and 14 strikeouts.

Series History (2012-present):
The Manatees are 17-7 against the Seahawks, which includes two wins earlier in the season on neutral grounds (2/1) and at SCF (2/13).

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be provided via GameChanger and fans can catch up with both teams on Twitter

SCF: @SCFBaseball
Broward: @954Seahawks

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

SCF Baseball Sweeps Series Over TCC

A six run inning proved effect as the SCF baseball team (7-6) returned to the winning side on their record as they defeated Tallahassee (7-6) 13-4 at Eagle Field in Tallahassee Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Manatees are now 17-5 (2012-present) against the Eagles.

Head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound for the start, while TCC head coach Mike McLeod sent freshman Stan King to counter.

The Manatees would open the flood gates at the top of the first thanks to sophomore John Malcom. The Vanderbilt Transfer smacked a three-run shot to right for his third home run of the season. This signaled the end for King as McLeod would send freshman Matt Boynton to the mound.

The Manatees would score again at the top of the second after an RBI single by sophomore Rook Ellington made it 4-0 SCF.

At the top of the third, the Manatees continued to push the lead beginning with back-to-back walks drawn by freshman Cameron Lee and sophomore Remi Patry before freshman Richard Rodriguez brought Lee home with an RBI single. Two batter later, sophomore AJ Fritz would send a single to left and send Patry home for a 7-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would reach double digits in runs. After freshman Owen Ayers and Lee were hit by pitch back-to-back, Patry would draw a walk to load the bases for Rodriguez. Rodriguez would send Ayers home on a sacrifice fly. Freshman Steven Nitch would follow with an RBI single before Ellington followed with a two-RBI single of his own. After Fritz flew out, Malcom would send another bomb to right for his fourth home run of the season and second in the game.

The Eagles would finally get on the board in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI triple by freshman Andrew Hernandez. Two innings later, their score would increase after sophomore Orlando Adams drew a bases-loaded walk, freshman Jude Ard hit into a fielder's choice before Adams scored on a fielding error, but it was all they could produce for the rest of the game before the Manatees claimed the victory and the sweep.

Smith would be credited with the win after giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Smith is now 2-1 on the year.

Freshman Matt Gelorme threw three innings of hitless relief, giving up one unearned run with two walks and five strikeouts, while classmate Michael Dorso threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.

Malcom finished the game 2-for-5 with the two home runs and five RBI with one walk. Ellington finished behind Malcom going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Fritz and Nitch each had two hits. Fritz added two RBI, a run scored and a walk, while Nitch added one RBI and a run scored.

Ayers (1-for-5, one run), Rodriguez (1-for-3, two RBI, two runs and a walk) and sophomore Justin Wrobleski (1-for-1) had the Manatees' other lone hits.

King would be dubbed with the loss after giving up three runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in two innings.

Fernandez, Adams and freshman Spencer Hanson had the Eagles' only team hits.

Up Next:
The Manatees remain on the road as they travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on Broward College (1-7) for the third time this season. The Manatees defeated the Seahawks 6-2 (2/1) and 12-2 (2/13).