SCF Baseball Players Sign in the MLB

Bradenton, Fla - Two players from the SCF baseball team have officially made their decisions to continue their baseball careers at the professional level for Major League Baseball (MLB). Those two players that will make their dreams come true are pitchers Michael Forret (2023) and Tony Rossi (2020-21).

Forret was selected in the 14th round (pick 421) of the draft by the Baltimore Orioles and signed with them for $450,000. The Orioles are currently in first place in the American League East Division with a two and a half game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Originally committed to East Carolina, the native of Indian Trail, North Carolina finished his lone season with the Manatees 10-3 with a 3.34 ERA, one save, 18 walks and 106 strikeouts. He was named the Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year and a member of the All-Suncoast First Team after going 4-0 in conference play before winning the FCSAA Pitcher of the Year and being named a member of the All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team. Forret's 10 wins and 106 strikeouts were ranked tied for #16 in the nation, while his number of innings pitched (86.1) ranked #10 in the nation.

Despite not playing in the 2023 season, Rossi, who was not drafted in this year's MLB Draft, signed a free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are currently tied for second place in National League West with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A native of Lake Mary, Florida, Rossi began his collegiate baseball career at the University of West Florida (NCAA DII) in 2019. There, he went 5-3 with a 5.26 ERA, 32 walks and 40 strikeouts in 51.1 innings pitched for the Argonauts where he was named the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year. 

He then transferred to SCF where played two seasons and finished 5-3 overall with a 5.37 ERA, 40 walks and 91 strikeouts in 68.2 innings before transferring to the University of North Carolina - Charlotte with fellow SCF alum Nick Cosentino (2021-22) where he went 5-1 with a 4.57 ERA, one save, 20 walks and 48 strikeouts during the 2022 season with the 49ers.

We wish both Michael and Tony the best on their journeys in the MLB.

Karstetter Wins State Male Athlete of the Year

Bradenton, Fla - Former SCF baseball standout Kevin Karstetter (2021-23) has added another award to his  accolades as he was named the FCSAA Male Athlete of the Year. This was Karstetter's third individual award that he has won this year as he was named the Suncoast Conference and NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Year earlier in the year.

Karstetter finished his third year with the Manatees batting .415 with 103 hits, 30 doubles, 12 home runs, 77 RBI and 16 stolen bases. In his career, he has batted .358 with 236 hits, 58 doubles, 166 runs, 20 home runs, 168 RBI, 84 walks and 39 stolen bases. Additionally, he has set six program records in hits, runs, doubles, RBI and at-bats (660) and hitting streak (31 straight games).

During the 2023 season with his stats, Karstetter finished in the top 50 in a few of the categories, which included the number of at-bats (248, #1) and hits (#2 in the nation).

The native of State College, Pennsylvania will be transferring to Arizona State University with one year of eligibility remaining. In addition, he will be declaring for the 2023 MLB Draft (July 9-11).

We wish Kevin the best of luck on getting drafted in this years MLB Draft and Arizona State University.

SCF Baseball Takes Home State Accolades

Lakeland, Fla - As the final four of the NJCAA South Atlantic District commences Friday afternoon, the RV SCF baseball team (35-24), #2 College of Central Florida (48-6), #11 Miami Dade (33-14-1) and RV Northwest Florida State (32-17-1) gathered together at Publix Field at Joker Merchant Stadium for the 2023 All-NJCAA Region 8 DI State Team. The Manatees were able to take two of the three main awards for it.

The Manatees will look to keep their eyes on the prize as they will face Miami Dade in the first game.

NJCAA Region 8 DI Player of the Year:

For the FCSAA DI Player of the Year, the award was presented to sophomore Kevin Karstetter. Karstetter is the first Manatee since C.J. Alexander (2018) to win the award. Additionally, he was named a member of the All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team.

Karstetter is currently batting .421 with 101 hits, 69 runs, 30 doubles, 12 home runs, 76 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He ranks in the top 50 in the nation in the following categories: At-bats (240, #1), hits (101, #1), runs (69, tied for #26), doubles (30, #1) and RBI (76, #9).

During Conference, Karstetter was named the Suncoast Player of the Year after the Manatees won the Suncoast Conference Championship. Through his three year with the Manatees, he has set seven program records as listed: career at-bats (648 and counting), career hits (233 and counting), career runs (166), career doubles (58 and counting), career RBI (167 and counting), and the longest hitting streak (31 straight games). He is four doubles away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (33, 1997) and 10 hits away from breaking Al Corbeil's single season hit record (110, 1999).

NJCAA Region 8 DI Pitcher of the Year:

The FCSAA DI Pitcher of the Year was awarded to freshman Michael Forret. Forret, who was named the Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year, is 11-2 with a 3.33 ERA, 17 walks and 104 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched. Forret joined Karstetter on the All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team.

Forret's 11 wins are #1 in the state and #4 in the nation.

NJCAA Region 8 DI Fireman of the Year:

Sophomore Cam Schuelke from Central Florida was named the FCSAA DI Fireman of the Year. Schuelke, who was named the Mid-Florida Conference Fireman of the Year, is 7-1 with a 0.96 ERA, eight saves, 10 walks and 66 strikeouts.

NJCAA Region 8 DI Defensive Player of the Year:

Freshman Kareh Valentin from Central Florida was named the NJCAA Region 8 DI Defensive Player of the Year. Valentin, who was named the Mid-Florida Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is batting .398 with 84 hits, two home runs and 65 RBI offensively, while he posted a .970 fielding percentage after committing only five errors in 168 chances.

All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team:

Alongside Karstetter and Forret, sophomores Lucas Ismaili and Mario Lopez, Jr. were also named to the All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team.

Ismaili, who was named a member of the Suncoast First Team, is batting .397 with 83 hits (#17 in the nation), 56 runs, eight home runs and 66 RBI (#22 in the nation).

Lopez, who was also named a member of the Suncoast First team, is batting .320 with 56 hits, 43 runs, 19 doubles (#42 in the nation), six home runs and 56 RBI.

All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team:

The following names also joined Karstetter, Forret, Ismaili and Lopez on the All-NJCAA Region 8 First Team:

#3 CCF: Juan Correa, Edwin Toribio, John Morant

Pensacola State: Blayden Plain

Santa Fe: Josh Hogue, Tobin Marin

St. Pete: Andrey Martinez

Florida Southwestern: A.J. Shaver

#11 Miami Dade: Wooyeoul Shin, Herrick Hernandez

Tallahassee CC: Marcos Dinges

Gulf Coast State: Carson Dorsey

All-NJCAA Region 8 Second Team:

The following players were named to the All-NJCAA Region 8 Second Team -

#3 CCF: Kareh Valentin, Brian Holiday 

Santa Fe: JP Herrholz, Drake Harman

RV Northwest Florida State: Colby Jones, Scott Mulder, Ramsey David

Indian River State: Vincent Samuel, Raul Feliz

Florida Southwestern: Derek Williams

#11 Miami Dade: Max Galvin

Seminole State (FL): Kishon Frett, Johander Irigoyen

Polk State: Nelson Taylor, Evan Koehler

Pensacola State: Josiah Glodfelter

All-NJCAA Region 8 Gold Glove Team:

The following names were named to the All-NJCA Region 8 Gold Glove Team by position -

1B - Wooyeoul Shin (Miami Dade)

2B - Carter McCully (Pensacola State)

3B - Brady Browing (Chipola)

SS - Kareh Valentin (Central Florida)

OF - Jahlani Rogers (Santa Fe)

OF - Nelson Taylor (Polk State)

OF - Albert Serano (Florida Southwestern)

C - Eddiel Tolentino (Eastern Florida State)

SCF Baseball Set for State Final Four

Bradenton, Fla - The RV SCF baseball team (35-24) will now focus on their next journey in the FCSAANJCAA South Atlantic District Championship Final Four at The Publix Field at Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland. The Manatees will open their part of the final four against #11 Miami Dade (33-14-1) Friday afternoon, May 12 at 1 pm.

RV Northwest Florida (32-17-1) and #2 College of Central Florida (48-6) will also be joining the Manatees and Sharks in the final four.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees, who are the Suncoast Conference Champions, are coming off of winning the Bradenton Regional in the state tournament by defeating #9 Santa Fe 2-1 in the best of three series. They would win game one 4-3 and lose game two 5-4 before shutting out Santa Fe 10-0 in six innings. This is the first time since 2019 that the Manatees will head to the state tournament.

In playoff games, the Manatees are 18-16 overall.

Breakdown of Tournament and What's at Stake:
FCSAANJCAA South Atlantic District Championship Final Four consists of the four teams that won their respected regional. The four teams will play in double elimination style tournament. Once a team loses two games, they are eliminated from the tournament. The winner will secure a spot in the NJCAA College Baseball World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado and represent the South Atlantic District.

The King Reigns:

Sophomore Kevin Karstetter has been one of the glues of the Manatees hitting for the entire season. Karstetter, who will be transferring to Arizona State University, is batting .424 with 101 hits, 68 runs, 30 doubles, 12 home runs, 76 RBI and 15 stolen bases. During conference, he was named the Suncoast Conference Player of the Year and a member of the All-Suncoast First Team.

In the finale against #9 Santa Fe, he went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. In the full regional, he finished 5-for-12 (.417), one home run, three RBI and five runs. Additionally, Karstetter is one of the nations top hitters in the following categories: At-bats (236, #1), hits (100, #1), runs (68, tied for #26), doubles (30, #1) and RBI (76, #9).

Outside of the nation, Karstetter has set several records for the Manatees in batting as listed: career at-bats (648 and counting), career hits (233 and counting), career doubles (58 and counting), career RBI (167 and counting), and the longest hitting streak (31 straight games). He is four doubles away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (1997) and 10 hits away from breaking Al Corbeil's single season hit record (110, 1999).

Dirty Tall Rocket Fire:

Freshman Michael Forret has been the ace of the Manatees starting pitchers this season. Forret was named the Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year and a member of the All-Suncoast First Team. In fact, he was recently named a member of the NJCAA DI JUCO All-Digs Team as one of 10 pitchers in the nation with the best defense. Currently, Forret is 11-2 overall with a 3.33 ERA, 17 walks and 104 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. In the first game against #9 Santa Fe, he threw a nine inning complete game with nine strikeouts. His 11 wins are tied for #4 in the nation, while his strikeouts ranked #9 in the nation and his innings pitched is at #11 in the nation.

Joining Forret is classmate Ed Wagner, who was also named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team. While he did fall in the second game against #9 Santa Fe, Wagner still has a good record as he is 8-2 (#40 in the nation in wins) with a 3.67 ERA, 32 walks and 68 strikeouts in 73.2 innings (#34 in the nation).

Powering Up:

Aside from Karstetter's power, sophomores Lucas Ismaili and Mario Lopez, Jr. have been showcasing some power for a while.

Ismaili is batting .397 with 83 hits (#17 in the nation), 56 runs, eight home runs and 66 RBI (#22 in the nation). The upcoming transfer for the University of South Alabama was named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team.

Lopez is batting .320 with 56 hits, 43 runs, six home runs and 56 RBI. He went 1-for-3 with two RBI in the finale against #9 Santa Fe while being named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team.

Freshman Jayce Blalock has also shown some power in his swing too. Blalock, despite not playing many games this season, is batting .262 with 22 hits, 15 runs, five home runs and 21 RBI.

Walking the Sands of Time:

When it comes to reaching base, sophomore Brayden Woodburn and freshman Erick Almonte lead the way. Woodburn is batting .341 with 71 hits, 68 runs (#26 in the nation), seven home runs, 42 RBI, 24 stolen bases and 50 walks (#6 in the nation), while Almonte is batting .325 with 63 hits, 59 runs, two home runs, 38 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 41 walks (#35 in the nation). 

Both were named members of the All-Suncoast First Team. Additionally, Woodburn has 90 career walks with the Manatees and is 10 shy of surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 20 from breaking Joey Collis (109, 1994-95) for the career walks record. 

Defensive Prowl:

Sophomore Liam Moreno has been a factor of defense in the outfield. Moreno is batting .292 with 31 hits, 38 runs, one home run and 14 RBI while maintaining a 1.000 fielding percentage with nine assists. In the final game against Santa Fe, Moreno made several catches, including a diving catch in the fifth inning, while finishing 1-for-2 with a run.

Hybrid Game:

Sophomores Ben Gilbert and Richie Morales play key roles as the hybrid players on the team.

Gilbert, who was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team, is batting .290 with 40 hits, 30 runs, three home runs and 28 RBI while on the mound he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA, three saves, 13 walks and 32 strikeouts. He went 1-for-2 with an RBI against Santa Fe. He will be transferring to Florida Atlantic University after SCF.

Morales, who was also named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team before transferring to the University of Arizona, is batting .299 with 41 hits, 36 runs, one home run, 22 RBI and 15 stolen bases, while on the mound he is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA, two saves, three walks and nine strikeouts.

Coming to Aid:

Sophomore Connor Hults and freshman Liam Best are the primary relief pitchers that helped set the tone on the mound. Both were named on the All-Suncoast Second Team

In his lone season, Hults is currently 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA, 18 walks and 39 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. He will be transferring to Florida State University.

Best is 3-0 with a 3.56 ERA, 26 walks and 49 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

Riding Wild:

Sophomores Ryan Stefiuk, Victor Sanchez and Austin Dearing and freshmen Evan Mastromauro and LT Cockrill remain as key wildcards for the Manatees.

Stefiuk is coming off of his best outings on the mound as he threw a six-hit shutout with five strikeouts in the finale against Santa Fe. He is currently 3-3 with a 4.54 ERA, 36 walks and 62 strikeouts in 73.1 innings.

Sanchez was one of the key parts in the finale against Santa Fe as he went 1-for-3 with two RBI. The two RBI he had played big part of the Manatees winning the game by mercy rule. Sanchez is currently batting .290 with 40 hits, 23 runs, three home runs and 26 RBI.

Dearing is batting .291 with 41 hits, 33 runs and 15 RBI.

Mastromauro is batting .298 with 17 hits and 10 RBI.

Cockrill is batting .261 with 18 hits, 16 runs, one home run and 16 RBI.

Scouting #3 CCF:

The Patriots, who are ranked #2 in the nation and are the Mid-Florida Conference Champions, are coming off of sweeping the Ocala Regional over Florida Southwestern (Southern Conference runner-up) by scores of 11-3 and 12-6. Out of the four regionals, they were the only team with a clean sweep. The Patriots are lead by head coach Marty Smith. Smith, who enters his 29th season as head coach, was named the Mid-Florida Head Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his career and remains one of two active coaches in the state to reach 800 wins.

At the plate, freshman Edwin Toribio leads the way offensively. Toribio, who was named the Mid-Florida Player of the Year, is batting .409 with 88 hits (#5 in the nation), 20 home runs and 72 RBI. In fact, his 20 home runs ranked tied for #9 in the nation.

Following Toribio at the plate is sophomores Juan Correa, John Morant and Bradke Lohry and freshmen Kareh Valentin and Kainen Jorge.

Correa is batting .366 with 67 hits, 19 home runs and 60 RBI. He was named a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team and his 19 home runs ranked tied for #12 in the nation.

Morant is batting .460 (#11 in the nation) with 74 hits, 12 home runs and 55 RBI. He was named on the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team.

Lohry is batting .349 with 45 hits, 11 home runs and 36 RBI. He was named on the All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team.

Valentin is batting .398 with 84 hits (#14 in the nation), two home runs and 65 RBI. For his defense, he had 122 assists and a .970 fielding percentage. As a result, he was named the Mid-Florida Conference Defensive Player of the Year along with being named a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team.

Jorge is batting .296 with 59 hits, 13 home runs and 51 RBI.

On the mound, sophomores Brian Holiday and Cam Schuelke and freshman Isaac Sewell lead the way.

Holiday is 8-0 with a 3.01 ERA, 28 walks and 106 strikeouts. He was not only named a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team, but joined Forret on the NJCAA DI JUCO All-Digs Team.

Schuelke, the closer for the Patriots, is 7-1 with a 0.96 ERA, eight saves, 10 walks and 66 strikeouts. Alongside being named a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team, he was named the Mid-Florida Conference Fireman of the Year.

Sewell leads the Patriots in wins. He is 9-2 with 3.73 ERA, two saves, 20 walks and 56 strikeouts.

Scouting RV NWFS:

The Raiders, who are the Panhandle Conference Champions and are receiving votes in the NJCAA Top 20 polls, are coming off winning the Niceville Regional 2-1 against Polk State. They would the first game 5-3 and win the second game 14-8 before winning the deciding game 14-11. They are lead by head coach Doug Martin. Martin, who enters his 14th season as head coach, was named the Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year this year.

Leading the way at the plate for the Raiders offense is sophomore Blake Cavill and freshman Kendry Maduro.  Cavill, who was named a member of the All-Panhandle Conference First Team, is batting .362 with 58 hits, 14 home runs and 46 RBI. The Australian helped the Raiders advance to the final four as he hit a walk-off three run home run to win the game over Polk State. Maduro is batting .274 with 46 hits, 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He was named a member of the All-Panhandle Conference Second Team.

On the mound, sophomore Ramsey David and freshman Kyson Witherspoon lead the way. David is 5-1 with a 3.03 ERA, 32 walks and 82 strikeouts, while Witherspoon is 6-2 with a 3.11 ERA, 29 walks and 67 strikeouts.

Scouting #11 Miami Dade:

The Sharks, who were the Southern Conference Champions and are #11 in the nation, are coming off of winning the Miami Regional 2-1 over Pensacola State. They would win the first game 11-3 in seven innings and lose game two 5-2 before winning the decider by a score of 6-0. The Sharks are lead by head coach Adrian Morales. Morales, who enters his fourth season with the Sharks, was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the third straight year.

At the plate, sophomore Wooyeoul Shin lead the way on offense. Shin, who has committed to the University of Miami, is batting .417 (#48 in the nation) with 65 hits, 15 home runs (#33 in the nation) and 45 RBI. Classmate Jose Hernandez follows Shin batting .295 with 54 hits, 11 home runs and 43 RBI. Both Shin and Hernandez were named on the All-Southern Conference First Team.

Leading the Sharks on the mound is sophomore Herick Hernandez. Hernadez is 8-3 with a 2.70 ERA, 32 walks and 45 strikeouts. Alongside being named a member of the All-Southern Conference First Team, he was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Classmate Kader Rabagh follows as he is 5-3 with a 2.68 ERA, two saves, 18 walks and 40 strikeouts. He joined Hernandez on the All-Southern Conference First Team.

Final Four Schedule:

Friday, May 12 - 
#11 Miami vs RV SCF @ 1 pm (game one)
RV Northwest Florida vs #2 College of Central Florida @ 5 pm

Saturday, May 13 - 

Game one loser vs game two loser @ 1 pm
Game one winner vs Game two winner @ 5 pm

Sunday, May 14 - 

Game four loser vs Game three winner @ 1 pm

Game four winner vs Game five loser @ 5 pm

Monday, May 15 (if necessary) - 

Game six winner vs Game six loser (if team loses) @ 11 am.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided via GameChanger with all six to seven games airing livestream on the FCSAA Digital Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on Twitter.

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

FCSAA Livestream: https://team1sports.com/fcsaa/

Twitter: SCF Manatees (@SCFManatees) or SCF Baseball (@SCFBaseball)

SCF Baseball Dances to States

Bradenton, Fla - After falling in game two and being forced to play a third game, the dreams for the next focus became a reality for the RV SCF baseball team (35-24) as they punched their ticket to the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament Final Four by shutting out #9 Santa Fe (40-10) 10-0 in six innings via the 10-run playoff mercy rule.

"I'm just really proud of the guys," said head coach Tim Hill II. "They worked their butts off and we faced a really good team. Ryan (Stefiuk) put up an amazing shutout and the guys coming out the gate and they were so focused. I couldn't be more proud of them, not just because they're good ballplayers, but are a fun group that I said from the beginning."

"From the beginning of the year, we wanted to win," said sophomore Kevin Karstetter. "They (Santa Fe) came out here to force a third game, but it did not matter because we are going to Lakeland for the first time in a while and that's all that matters."

"I think everybody rolling into the field today was very optimistic and very comfortable coming into this game," said sophomore Ryan Stefiuk. "Santa Fe is a very good team and in order to win, we have to pitch well, get ahead on defense and hit, which we did all three of those tasks. Just looking forward to playing in Lakeland."

"Santa Fe is a very good team with very good defense," said sophomore Victor Sanchez. "We were a big family and I'm happy that we worked together and won as a team."

Hill went with Stefiuk (2-3, 4.95 ERA) to start game three while Santa Fe head coach Johnny Wiggs went with sophomore Jacob Phillips (5-1, 5.62 ERA).

At the top of the first, Stefiuk would get into some trouble after the Saints hit back-to-back singles, but thanks to sophomore Richie Morales and freshman Erick Almonte getting redshirt sophomore JP Herrholz to turn a double play, Stefiuk would strikeout sophmore Jahlani Rogers to end the top half.

In the bottom of the first, the Manatees would get on the board first beginning with Morales leading off with a walk and stealing second. After Almonte bunted and reached base on a fielding error by Phillip, and moved Morales to third, Karstetter would line a single to left and bring in Morales. Sophomore Lucas Ismaili would then draw a walk to load the bases before Wiggs pulled Phillips and sent sophomore Jalen Hudson to the mound.

After the pitching change, sophomore Mario Lopez would smack a single to left to bring in Almonte and Karstetter. After Sanchez drew a walk to reload the bases, the Saints would make another pitching change as sophomore Gavin Book would come in. After that, sophomore Ben Gilbert would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Ismaili and make it 4-0 SCF.

In the bottom of the second, Karstetter would show why he was named the Suncoast Conference Player of the Year as he belted a two-run homer to left to bring in Morales for his 12th of the season and increased the Manatees' score to 6-0. In the bottom of the third, Almonte would then extend the lead to 7-0 after bringing in sophomore Liam Moreno.

While the Manatees kept their lead, Stefiuk and the defense played a big part at the top of the fifth. After Stefiuk gave up a lead off single from freshman Corey Filley, sophomore Hunter Keen would try to add another hit to the board, but Karstetter's quick reaction got him to dive after a line drive for the out. Two batters later, Herrholz would send a fly ball that was going foul, but Moreno would make an incredible diving catch to keep the Saints from getting another runner on base.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees added their final runs of the game. After a leadoff single by Karstetter and an Ismaili walk, sophomore Brayden Woodburn would pop a single to center to bring in Karstetter and move Ismaili to third. After Lopez was intentionally walked to load the bases, all eyes turned to Sanchez to make something happen. On a 1-0 count, the transfer from Chipola College would line a single to left and bring in Ismaili and Woodburn to seal the deal.

"When I got up to the plate to get a hit, my mind was saying 'I need to help my team in someway' and that's what I did with my team," said Sanchez on the game-winning hit.

"I told Victor the inning before to stay focused," said Hill on Sanchez. "If you get up next inning, then you have a chance to win the game for us."

Stefiuk would improve to 3-3 after throwing a six-inning six-hit shutout with two walks and five strikeouts.

"I felt pretty good," said Stefiuk on his game. "I knew the difference in the game was going to be me limiting that one inning. In comparison to my last few games, there is always one inning that bites me on the butt, so I was trying to limit as much as I could to get ahead and luckily I was able to do it."

Phillips would finish his sophomore season 5-2 after giving up three runs (two earned) on one hit with one walk in no innings pitched.

Eight of the Manatees in the lineup had at least one hit in the game. Karstetter would lead the way in hitting and offense as the Suncoast Player of the Year finished 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs.

"I felt good," said Karstetter. "When it come down the line, you want to win and I was super focused today. While I had to make up some ground for the first two games, it paid off with a team win."

"While he didn't swing the bat like he did all year, credit to Santa Fe's pitching where they threw good arms at us, Kevin busted out today," said Hill on Karstetter. "He was the man for sure"

Lopez and Sanchez would follow Karstetter offensively as they were both 1-for-3 with two RBI and a walk each.

Almonte (1-for-3, one RBI and one run), Ismaili (1-for-1, two runs and three walks), Woodburn (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and one walk), Gilbert (1-for-2, one RBI) and Moreno (1-for-2, one run) had the remaining four hits, while Morales (two runs, two walks and a stolen base) also contributed in the game.

For the Saints, freshman Drake Harman would lead the way in hitting as he finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

Notes:

With his three hits, Karstetter now has 233 career and 101 hits this season. He is the first Manatee to get 100 hits since Al Corbeil and is 11 away from breaking Corbeil's single season hit record (110, 1999).

With his one walk, Woodburn now has 50 this season and 90 in his career. He is 11 shy of surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 20 away from breaking Joey Collis (109, 1994-95) for the career walks record. 

Other Regional Scores:

#14 Miami Dade (34-14-1) defeated Pensacola State (35-18) 6-0 in the third game and took the series 2-1.

#3 College of Central (48-6) defeated Florida Southwestern (31-23) and took the series 2-0 on Saturday.

Northwest Florida State (32-17-1) defeated Polk State (33-23) 14-11 on a walk-off homer. The Raiders took the series 2-1.

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to keep their focus in session as they prepare for Lakeland and the final four of the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. They will face Miami Dade in the opening round.

SCF Baseball Upsets #9 Santa Fe in Regionals

Bradenton, Fla - Freshman Michael Forret became the story of the game as the RV SCF baseball team (34-23) upset #9 Santa Fe (39-9) 4-3 at Robert C. Wynn Field for game one of regionals in the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament.

"What a great ballgame it was for us, especially it being a playoff game," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Santa Fe is an excellent ball club and coach Wiggs has been doing it for a quite a while and knows what he's doing with great athletes. Fortunately, we came out on top and it was a really good win."

"I think right from the first pitch, we were a little more focused on this game where it's like 'no one is going to beat us on our field," said Forret. "We came focused, prepared and energetic. We did a good job and even if we only scored four runs, it was enough to get the win while the guys battled the balls in play with some great plays of their own, but overall we came in prepared for this game."

While Hill went with Forret to start the game, Santa Fe head coach Johnny Wiggs went with the Mid-Florida Conference Pitcher of the Year in sophomore Tobin Moran to counter.

For the first two innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Forret and Moran getting out, however Forret would have the advantage with five strikeouts after the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would get on the board first. After sophomores Liam Moreno (reached on an error) and Richie Morales (hit by a pitch) reached base, freshman Erick Almonte would line a single to right to bring in Moreno for the first run of the game. Sophomore Lucas Ismaili would then groundout and bring in Morales to make it 2-0 SCF.

At the top of the fourth, the Saints would take their first lead of the game as freshman Josh Hogue would hit an RBI single before redshirt sophomore JP Herrholz would hit a two-run double to make it 3-2 Santa Fe. Even though the Saints had the lead, Forret remained calm and was able to finish the fourth.

After Forret shutdown the top of the fifth, the Manatees would fight back in the bottom half of the inning beginning with a leadoff double by Almonte and an infield single by sophomore Kevin Karstetter, sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. would pop a single center to bring in Almonte to tie the game before sophomore Brayden Woodburn lined a single of his own to bring in Karstetter to make it 4-3 SCF.

From there, Forret would cruise through the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and prevent the Saints from scoring and reaching no more than first base. At the top of the ninth, Hill had sophomore Ben Gilbert warm up and be on standby in case Forret wanted to come out, but Forret made the decision to finish the game. With one final push and a strikeout to redshirt sophomore Jahlani Rogers, the Suncoast Pitcher of the Year would seal the deal for the win.

Forret would improve to 10-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts.

"I kind of locked in after they (Santa Fe) had their inning and good teams usually have that kind of inning," said Forret. "After that, I locked in after their pitcher made me mad and when I get mad, I turn into a new kind of machine and that's what they got."

"I'm glad he pitched the entire game," said Hill on Forret. "While we were monitoring his pitch and he nearly reaches his limit and I'm glad he got the final three outs. He was definitely the story of the game tonight."

Moran would be hit his first loss and bump to 8-1 after giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts in four and a third innings. Sophomore Ryan Brown threw a third of a scoreless inning of relief, while freshman Chase Chappell threw three and a third scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with five strikeouts.

Almonte and Gilbert lead the way in hitting as they each had two hits and one stolen base. Almonte added one RBI and one run.

Karstetter (1-for-4, one run), Lopez (1-for-4, one RBI), Woodburn (1-for-3, one RBI and one walk) and sophomore Victor Sanchez (1-for-2) had the remaining four hits, while Ismaili (one RBI), Morales (one run) and Moreno (one run) also contributed in the game.

For the Saints, Herrholz lead the way offensively as he finished 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Notes:

With his one hit, Karstetter now has 230 career hits.

With his one walk, Woodburn now has 47 this season (87th in his career). He is now 18 away from surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 23 away from breaking Joey Collis (109, 1994-95) for the career walks record.

Other Regional Scores:

#3 College of Central Florida (47-6) defeated Florida Southwestern (31-21) 11-3 in eight innings.

#14 Miami Dade (32-13-1) defeated Pensacola State (34-17) 11-3 in seven innings.

Polk State (32-21) defeated Northwest Florida State (30-16-1) by a score of 5-3.

Up Next:

The Manatees will to complete the sweep in regionals over Santa Fe. Freshman Ed Wagner (8-1, 3.63 ERA) will be given the nod to start for the Manatees, while the Saints will likely go with sophomore Corey Braun (6-1, 3.70 ERA).

While game two is at Wynn Field, the Manatees will be the away team for the game.

SCF Baseball Sets Sight on Postseason

Bradenton, Fla - The RV SCF baseball team (33-23) will look to put the regular season behind them as they will focus on their next task: the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. The Manatees will welcome Santa Fe College (39-8) to Wynn Field for the regional portion of the state tournament.

Overall, the Manatees are 6-5 against the Saints.

Final Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. RV SCF (33-23, 18-6) #^

2. Polk State (32-20, 13-9) #

3. St. Pete (18-29, 9-15) *

4. Hillsborough (13-38, 7-17) *

^: Suncoast Conference Champions

#: Clinched playoff spot

*: Eliminated from playoff contention

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of closing the regular season with an 11-6 win over IMG Academy in their final home game of the regular season. They finished the Suncoast Conference in first place and won the Suncoast Regular Season Championship as a result.

Tournament Participants:

Along with SCF, the following seven teams, conference regular season champions and conference runners-up, will also be participating in the tournament:

Mid-Florida: #3 CCF (46-6, 19-5)*

Mid-Florida Runner-up: Santa Fe (39-8, 15-8)

Panhandle: Northwest Florida State (30-16-1, 15-9 Panhandle)*

Panhandle Runner-up: Pensacola State (34-16, 12-12)

Southern: Miami Dade (31-13-1, 15-6)*

Southern Runner-up: Florida Southwestern (31-20, 11-10)

Suncoast Runner-up: Polk State (32-20, 13-9)

*Regular Season Champion

Breakdown of Tournament and What's at Stake:
The FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament consists of the eight teams (conference champions and runners-up). The eight teams will play in four different regionals hosted by the conference champions (SCF, Miami Dade, Northwest Florida State and Central Florida). Each regional is a best two-out-of three series tournament. The winner of those regionals will travel to play in a final four double elimination tournament at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland. The winner of the tournament will secure a spot in the NJCAA College Baseball World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Regional and Final Four Tournament Bracket and Times:

Regionals Game One Friday, May 5 - 

RV SCF vs #9 Santa Fe (@6 pm) - Bradenton Regional

#14 Miami Dade vs Pensacola State (@2 pm) - Miami Regional

Northwest Florida State vs Polk State (@ 6 pm/5 pm central) - Niceville Regional

#3 Central Florida vs Florida Southwestern (@2:30 pm) - Ocala Regional

Regionals Game Two Saturday, May 6 - 

RV SCF vs #9 Santa Fe (@1 pm) - Bradenton Regional

#14 Miami Dade vs Pensacola State (@1 pm) - Miami Regional

Northwest Florida State vs Polk State (@ 3 pm eastern/2 pm central) - Niceville Regional

#3 Central Florida vs Florida Southwestern (@1 pm) - Ocala Regional

Regionals Game Three Sunday, May 7 (If necessary) - 

RV SCF vs #9 Santa Fe (@1 pm) - Bradenton Regional

#14 Miami Dade vs Pensacola State (@1 pm) - Miami Regional

Northwest Florida State vs Polk State (@ 2 pm eastern/1 pm central) - Niceville Regional

#3 Central Florida vs Florida Southwestern (@1 pm) - Ocala Regional

Final Four:

Friday, May 12 - 
Miami Regional vs Bradenton Regional @ 1 pm
Niceville Regional vs Ocala Regional @ 5 pm

Saturday, May 13 - 

Game one loser vs game two loser @ 1 pm
Game one winner vs Game two winner @ 5 pm

Sunday, May 14 - 

Game four loser vs Game three winner @ 1 pm

Game four winner vs Game five loser @ 5 pm

Monday, May 15 (if necessary) - 

Game six winner vs Game six loser (if team loses) @ 11 am.

Baseball Awards:
All four conferences have certain awards and accolades: Player of the Year (all conferences and states), Coach of the Year (all conferences and states), Pitcher of the Year (all conferences and states), Fireman of the Year (all conferences and states), Defensive Player of the Year, FCSAA All-State (first and second team), Jean Williams Scholar-Athlete Award (FCSAA All-State), FCSAA All-Tournament Team, FCSAA All-Tournament Team MVP and FCSAA All-Tournament Team Coach of the Year. The first team and second team is placed individually by position including designated player.

Suncoast Head Coach of the Year:
Head Coach Tim Hill II would win the Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and the first time since 2018.

Suncoast Player of the Year:
This years' Suncoast Player of the Year was awarded to sophomore Kevin Karstetter. Karstetter was also named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team, which is his third All-Suncoast Team accolade in his career. He is the first Manatees since CJ Alexander (2018) to win the Player of the Year Award.

Karstetter is batting .421 with 96 hits, 30 doubles, 65 runs, 11 home runs and 73 RBI. The upcoming Arizona State University transfer wen 2-for-3 with an RBI in the final game against IMG Academy.

Throughout his three-year career with the Manatees, Karstetter has already set six records in the Manatees' program history so far: at-bats (641 and counting), hits (229 and counting), runs (162 and counting), doubles (58 and counting), RBI (164 and counting) and the longest hitting streak (31 straight games). He is four doubles away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (1997).

Suncoast Pitcher of the Year:
For Suncoast Pitcher of the Year, the award was given to freshman Michael Forret. Forret was also named on the All-Suncoast First Team. He is the first Manatee since Zach Attianese (2018) to win the Pitcher of the Year award.

Forret is 10-2 this season with a 3.38 ERA, 17 walks and 95 strikeouts. He ranks #1 in the state and tied for #8 in the nation in wins. He will start game one in best of three regional against Santa Fe.

Defensive Player of the Year:

The Suncoast Defensive Player of the Year was awarded to sophomore Nelson Taylor from Polk State. Taylor finished the regular season batting .371 with 63 hits, 43 runs, six home runs, 46 RBI and 28 stolen bases.

Fireman of the Year:
The Suncoast Fireman of the Year award is a pitching award for the best relief pitcher in the Suncoast. Freshman Ryan Combs from Polk State was named the winner of the award. Combs was 6-3 overall with a 5.18 ERA, 14 walks, 64 strikeouts and 10 saves. In fact, he is #1 in the state and #2 in the nation in saves.

All-Suncoast First Team:
For the All-Suncoast First Team, alongside Karstetter and Forret, six Manatees were named to the team: sophomores Lucas Ismaili, Brayden Woodburn and Mario Lopez, Jr. and freshmen Ed Wagner and Erick Almonte.

Ismaili, who will be transferring to the University of South Alabama, is batting .402 with 84 hits, 55 runs, eight home runs and 65 RBI. He went 1-for-4 with a run in his last outing.

Woodburn, who will be transferring to the University of Tampa, is batting .340 with 70 hits, 69 runs, seven home runs, 41 RBI and 23 stolen bases and 47 walks (#7 in the nation). In his career, Woodburn has 86 career walks and is 19 away from surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 24 away from breaking Joey Collis (109, 1994-95) for the career walks record.

Lopez is batting .327 with 54 hits, 43 runs, six home runs and 51 RBI. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in the win over IMG.

Wagner is 8-1 with a 3.65 ERA, 30 walks and 66 strikeouts. He earned the win in the game against IMG Academy after throwing one scoreless inning.

Almonte is batting .318 with 61 hits, 59 runs, two home runs, 40 RBI and 42 walks (tied for #23 in the nation). He went 1-for-5 in his last game.

Other members that joined the All-Suncoast First Team are the following by team:

HCC: Josean Sanchez, Jacob Griffith
Polk State: Nelson Taylor, Travis Stapleton, Ryan Combs, Evan Koehler
St. Pete: Andrey Martinez, Brett Wagner, Kelsen Johnson

All-Suncoast Second Team:
For the All-Suncoast Second Team, there were five that made it for SCF: sophomores Connor Hults, Richie Morales, Ben Gilbert and Victor Sanchez and freshman Liam Best.

Hults, who will transfer to Florida State University, is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA, 18 walks and 39 strikeouts. In one of his best outings on the mound, he threw 10 strikeouts in the 7-6 win over St. Pete.

Morales, who will be transferring to the University of Arizona, is batting .310 with 40 hits, 33 runs, one home run and 21 RBI at the plate. On the mound, he is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA, two saves, four walks and nine strikeouts.

Gilbert, who will be transferring to Florida Atlantic University, is batting .275 with 36 hits, 30 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI at the plate while on the mound, he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA, three saves, 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.

Sanchez is batting .301 with 40 hits, 24 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI.

Best is 3-0 on the mound with a 3.56 ERA, 26 walks and 49 strikeouts. In his last outing on the mound, he threw six innings with 10 strikeouts in the 14-1 win over Polk State.

Other members that joined SCF on the All-Suncoast Second Team included the following by teams:

HCC: Johnathan Bruno, Clark Springs, Logan O'Leary

Polk State: Damien Kenelay, Roberto Odor, Ray Bermudez, Ray Mercer

SPC: Marcus Sanders, Logan Sanders, Nick Yedman, Leo Bravo

Wild Moment:

Aside from the conference team selectees, several other Manatees play key roles as the wildcards. Sophomores Ryan Stefiuk, Liam Moreno and Austin Dearing and freshmen Evan Mastromauro, Bryan Gomez, Brandon Clarke, Jayce Blalock and Jeremy Weaver pave that way.

Stefiuk is 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA, one save, 34 walks and 57 strikeouts. He pitched one scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout in his last game.

Moreno is batting .300 with 30 hits, 36 runs, one home run and 14 RBI.

Dearing is batting .295 with 41 hits, 33 runs and 15 RBI. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI in his last game.

Mastromauro is batting .298 with 17 hits and 10 RBI. He was 1-for-2 with two RBI last game.

While he is 0-2 on the mound, Gomez has a 4.71 ERA, 17 walks and 24 strikeouts. He threw one scoreless inning with two strikeouts last game.

Clarke, despite being 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA on the mound, has improved himself after returning from injury. The upcoming Liberty University transfer has six strikeouts in his name, which includes a scoreless inning with two strikeouts last outing.

Blalock is batting .238 with 20 hits, 15 runs, five home runs and 21 RBI.

Weaver is 2-3 on the mound with a 5.40 ERA, two saves, 44 walks and 66 strikeouts.

Scouting Santa Fe:

The Saints come off of finishing 39-8 overall this season with a 15-8 record in the Mid-Florida Conference. They finished as the runner-up behind Mid-Florida Champions #3 Central Florida and are ranked #9 in the nation in the NJCAA Top 20 polls. In their last outing, they swept Central Florida by scores of 12-1 in six innings and 11-3 in seven innings.

At the plate, redshirt sophomore JP Herrholz leads the way offensively as he is batting .323 with 53 hits, 12 home runs and 64 RBI. He was named a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team.

Other players at the plate that paved the way in accolades include Hunter Keen (.361, 69 hits, one home run and 29 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team), Josh Houge (.410, 77 hits, seven home runs and 39 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team), Drake Harman (.388, 64 hits, three home runs and 33 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team), Zeth Rodriguez (.259, 37 hits, five home runs and 39 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team), Jahlani Rogers (.317, 53 hits, seven home runs and 49 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team), Jacob Guthrie (.250, 26 hits, six home runs and 19 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team) and Corey Filley (.231, 25 hits and 13 RBI; All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team).

On the mound, the Saints are lead by sophomore Tobin Moran. The Mid-Florida Conference Pitcher of the Year and a member of the All-Mid-Florida Conference First Team, is currently 8-0 with a 2.42 ERA, eight walks and 71 strikeouts. 

Classmates Corey Braun (All Mid-Florida First Team) and Jacob Lauderdale (All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team) follow behind Moran. Braun is 6-1 with a 3.70 ERA, 13 walks and 70 strikeouts, while Lauderdale is 6-1 with a 4.30 ERA, three saves, 19 walks and 55 strikeouts.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and all three games of the regionals will air on the SCF Sports Network. The FCSAA State Tournament Final Four will be livestream on the FCSAA Digital Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on Twitter

Livestream Links: 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 Earns 13 Awards

Bradenton, Fla - As the SCF baseball team (33-23) set their focus on the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament, 13 members of the the team have earned several recognitions to represent the Suncoast Conference. Seven players were named on the Suncoast First Team while five were named to the Suncoast Second Team.

"This was a very nice honor for all of our guys who were well represented on the all-conference teams," said head coach Tim Hill II. "They have played really well and it's been a fun group to be around as well as a very talented group."

Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year:

Hill II was named the Suncoast Coach of the Year for the third time in his career (2013, 2018).

"I'm just very proud to coach these guys on this journey," said Hill.

Suncoast Player of the Year:
This years' Suncoast Player of the Year was awarded to sophomore Kevin Karstetter. He is the first Manatees since CJ Alexander (2018) to win the Player of the Year Award. Karstetter was also named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team, which is his third All-Suncoast Team accolade in his career. 

"Kevin had a tremendous year after setting numerous records," said Hill on Karstetter. "I think the most impressive thing he did was that hitting streak he set, which is not easy to do in Florida. He by far is the best player in the conference."

Karstetter is currently batting .421 with 96 hits, 30 doubles, 65 runs, 11 home runs and 73 RBI. The upcoming Arizona State University transfer went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the final game against IMG Academy. Throughout his three-year career with the Manatees, Karstetter has already set six records in the Manatees' program history so far in at-bats (641 and counting), hits (229 and counting), runs (162 and counting), doubles (58 and counting), RBI (164 and counting) and the longest hitting streak (31 straight games). He is four doubles away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (1997).

Suncoast Pitcher of the Year:
For Suncoast Pitcher of the Year, the award was given to freshman Michael Forret. Forret was also named on the All-Suncoast First Team. He is the first Manatee since Zach Attianese (2018) to win the Pitcher of the Year award. Forret is 10-2 this season with a 3.38 ERA, 17 walks and 95 strikeouts. He ranks #1 in the state and tied for #8 in the nation in wins.

"Michael had a tremendous year," said Hill on Forret. "Every time he took the mound, we knew we had a great chance to win. He is very competitive, has good stuff and knows how to pitch."

All-Suncoast First Team:
Alongside Karstetter and Forret, sophomores Lucas Ismaili, Brayden Woodburn and Mario Lopez, Jr. and freshmen Ed Wagner and Erick Almonte joined them on the All-Suncoast First Team.

Ismaili, who will be transferring to the University of South Alabama, is batting .402 with 84 hits, 55 runs, eight home runs and 65 RBI. He went 1-for-4 with a run in his last outing.

"Lucas is a very polished hitter," said Hill on Ismaili. "He handles the bat well and uses the whole field while driving in a ton of runs for us. Having him and Kevin (Karstetter) hitting back to back makes it tough for opposing pitchers to get through the lineup."

Woodburn, who will be transferring to the University of Tampa, is batting .340 with 70 hits, 69 runs, seven home runs, 41 RBI, 23 stolen bases and 47 walks (#7 in the nation). In his career, Woodburn has 86 career walks and is 19 away from surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 24 away from breaking Joey Collis (109, 1994-95) for the career walks record.

"Brayden brought a lot of experience to our lineup," said Hill on Woodburn. "I know he was disappointed sitting out last year due to injury, but I'm sure glad he was back with us. Like Lucas, he is a player who uses the whole field and draws a lot of walks while playing a variety of positions for us very well, which is really good to have. He has some pop in his bat and is able to turn a game around at any time."

Lopez is batting .327 with 54 hits, 43 runs, six home runs and 51 RBI. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in the win over IMG.

"Mario was a great addition to our team this year," said Hill on Lopez. "He's very tough behind the plate and does not give many at-bats away when he's hitting. He drove in a lot of runs for us and had some very big hits throughout the season."

Wagner is 8-1 with a 3.65 ERA, 30 walks and 66 strikeouts. He earned the win in the game against IMG Academy after throwing one scoreless inning.

"Ed was a big addition for us," said Hill on Wagner. "I knew he had a chance to be pretty good when he decided to come our way. It was just a matter of him getting healthy from an injury from last year. He threw some really good games for us this year and we're really counting on him in the postseason."

Almonte is batting .318 with 61 hits, 59 runs, two home runs, 40 RBI and 42 walks (tied for #23 in the nation). He went 1-for-5 in his last game.

"Erick did an awesome job for us," said Hill on Almonte. "He is a very talented player on both sides of the ball while getting some very big hits for us and being a good defender. Like Woodburn, he has drawn many walks to help and is a tough out for the other teams."

All-Suncoast Second Team:
For the All-Suncoast Second Team,  there were four that made it for SCF: sophomores Richie Morales, Ben Gilbert, Connor Hults and Victor Sanchez and freshman Liam Best.

Morales, who will be transferring to the University of Arizona, is batting .310 with 40 hits, 33 runs, one home run and 21 RBI at the plate. On the mound, he is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA, two saves, four walks and nine strikeouts.

"Richie has been one of the keys to our team" said Hill on Morales. "He brings some toughness to our lineup and plays outstanding at shortstop, which is not an easy position to play on the field. He only committed two errors and made some outstanding plays. He is one of the big keys to our offense leading off and setting the table for the guys behind him to drive him in."

Gilbert, who will be transferring to Florida Atlantic University, is batting .275 with 36 hits, 30 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI at the plate while on the mound, he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA, three saves, 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.

"Ben really helped to solidify our team when he started playing centerfield every day," said Hill on Gilbert. "He is an excellent defender and had some really key hits for us throughout this season. A very experienced and talented player who's willing to do anything to help our team. While we haven't been able to use him much as a closer due to some big conference wins that didn't require him to come in for, he is very tough one the mound and has a ton of strikeouts to show that he is very tough to hit off of."

Hults, who will transfer to Florida State University, is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA, 18 walks and 39 strikeouts. In one of his best outings on the mound, he threw 10 strikeouts in the 7-6 win over St. Pete.

"Connor had a really good year coming out of the bullpen for us," said Hill on Hults. "He pitched some very key innings and got some big win for us. His fastball is very good and he has one of the best curveballs around. He's another guy with a lot of strikeouts and is very competitive on the mound. Like Ben (Gilbert), he is very tough to hit off of."

Sanchez is batting .301 with 40 hits, 24 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI.

"Victor had some good moments at the plate for us and has done a good job catching when we give Mario (Lopez) some rest," said Hill on Sanchez. "He's a very personable guy who brings some energy to the field."

Best is 3-0 on the mound with a 3.56 ERA, 26 walks and 49 strikeouts. In his last outing on the mound, he threw six innings with 10 strikeouts in the 14-1 win over Polk State.

"Liam has been a really big arm for us," said Hill on Best. "He has an excellent breaking ball as evidenced by all the strikeouts he has. He's another great player who I knew had a chance to be very good once he decided to come our way after recovering from an injury. Now, he is finally healthy and has been pitching really well down the stretch for us."

The Manatees will look to focus on #9 Santa Fe College (39-8) in the Bradenton Regional of the state tournament.

SCF Baseball Close Regular Season with Win

Bradenton, Fla - The RV SCF baseball team (33-23, 18-6 Suncoast) closed out the regular season at Robert C. Wynn Field as they defeated the IMG Academy postgraduate team 11-6.

“It was good to play a game so we didn't have to sit so long between our last game last Wednesday and open up with the state tournament Friday,” said head coach Tim Hill II. “I thought it was important to get this game as a tune up for us. I thought IMG did pretty good against us. They threw some decent arms at us, but it was good to have a competitive game and nice to come out on top.”

“We knew it was the last game before going to the playoffs,” said sophomore Mario Lopez, Jr. “We wanted to finish on a good note rolling into a Friday and we did a good job of that.”

“Our pitchers threw a lot of strikes today and establish the fastball in the zone a lot” said freshman Trey Clucas. "I think that has been the key for us when we throw strikes and we keep that up, we're tough to beat. The hitters did really well too and it was a great team win overall.”

“I thought it was a great team win overall,” said freshman Bryan Gomez. “Pitching did great and the batters swung the ball really well. We had a few bumps in the road, but we got the job done.”

Hill sent Gomez to start the first inning. After the first inning went scoreless and Gomez finished his inning with two strikeouts, freshman Brandon Clarke would come in at the top of the second and do the same result as Gomez as he struck out two batters.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would get on the board first beginning with a leadoff single by Lopez. After sophomore Ben Gilbert drew a one out walk, sophomore Austin Dearing would chop a hard ground ball to right to bring in Lopez for the first run. Classmate Liam Moreno would then bring in Gilbert with a groundout to make it 2-0 SCF.

Sophomore Ryan Stefiuk would then come in at the top of the third and breeze through with ease. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would extend the lead further as Lopez would bring in sophomores Kevin Karstetter and Brayden Woodburn with a three-run homer off the right field scoreboard for his sixth of the season to make it 5-0 SCF.

The Manatees would then send freshman Jeremy Weaver to the mound for the fourth before the Ascenders scored on a failed pickoff attempt and a wild pitch. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would make the score 6-2 after a sacrifice fly by Karstetter brought in Moreno.

Freshman Ed Wagner would then come in at the top of the fifth and breeze through it. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees continued to bring in more runs. After Lopez (single), Gilbert (walk) and freshman LT Cockril (walk) loaded the bases, Dearing would pop a single to left to bring in Lopez before Moreno drove in Cockrill with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-2.

Sophomore Cameron Clines would then come in at the top of the sixth, but would give up three runs on a two-run double and and an RBI single to make it 8-5 still in favor of SCF. Clines would get out of it and strike out the next two batters.

After sophomore Nick Romagnola shut out the seventh and Clucas shutout the eighth, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning. After a single by Karstetter and a walk drawn by sophomore Lucas Ismaili, freshman Evan Mastromauro would pop a double to right to bring in Karstetter and Ismaili before Lopez drove Mastromauro with a single to left to make it 11-5 SCF.

The Ascenders would add one final run off of a solo home run, but freshman Preston Wetherell shook it off and sealed the deal for a Manatee win.

Gomez would earn a no-decision after throwing one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Wagner would improve to 8-1 after throwing one scoreless inning of relief.

Three Manatees finished with a multi-hit game. Lopez would lead the way in hitting and offense as he finished a game-high 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored.

"I knew we had a couple days off and I wanted to clean things up with those two days," said Lopez. "The biggest thing is to be confident come Friday."

"Mario had a good day," said Hill on Lopez. "It was nice to see that home run go backside off the scoreboard. He swung the bat really good."

Karstetter would finish 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs and one walk, while Dearing rounded out the order finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base.

Ismaili (1-for-4, one run), Mastromauro (1-for-2, two RBI and one run), Woodburn (1-for-3, one run) and freshman Erick Almonte (1-for-5) had the remaining two hits, while Cockrill (one run and one walk), Gilbert (one run and two walks) and Moreno (two RBI and one run), Clarke (one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts), Stefiuk (one scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout), Weaver (one inning of relief with one walk and three strikeouts), Clines (one inning with two walks and three steikouts), Romagnola (one scoreless inning of relief), Clucas (one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts) and Wetherell (one inning of relief with two strkeouts) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

With his two hits and one RBI, Karstetter now has 229 career hits and 164 career RBI. Additionally with the the double, it was his 30th this season and the 58th in his career. He is four away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (1997).

Up Next:

While the regular season has come to a close, the Manatees will continue to play on as they face #9 Santa Fe (39-8) in the regional portion of the NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. It will be best two out of three game and will take place at Wynn Field on Friday night, May 5 at 6 and Saturday afternoon, May 6 at 1 pm. If necessary, game three will take place Sunday afternoon, May 7 at 1 pm.

Freshman Michael Forret (10-2, 3.38 ERA) will be given the nod to start game one, while Wagner (8-1, 3.65 ERA) will start game two.

SCF Closes Season at IMG Academy

Bradenton, Fla - The RV SCF baseball team (32-23, 18-6 Suncoast) will look to close the regular season less than three miles from Robert C. Wynn Field as they will play the IMG Postgraduate Team at the IMG Academy Baseball Complex Monday afternoon, May 1 at 2 pm. The Manatees played the Ascenders earlier this season at Wynn Field winning by a score of 18-5 (March 6).

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. RV SCF (32-23, 18-6) #^

2. Polk State (32-20, 13-9) #

3. St. Pete (18-29, 9-15) *

4. Hillsborough (13-38, 7-17) *

^: Suncoast Conference Champions

#: Clinched playoff spot

*: Eliminated from playoff contention

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of closing Suncoast Conference play with their final series against Polk State. They would win games one (8-2) and two (21-4) and fall in game three (8-7) before winning the final game (14-1). The Manatees won the overall series against the Eagles 6-2.

As a result of the end of conference, the Manatees won the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship and secured a spot in the regionals of the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. They will welcome #10 Santa Fe College (39-8, 15-8 Mid-Florida) May 5-7.

Mr. Manatee Reigns:

Sophomore Kevin Karstetter has been the all-time leader this season for the Manatees in offense. Karstetter is still batting .418 with 94 hits, 29 doubles, 11 home runs, 62 runs scored and 72 RBI.

From a national standpoint in stats, Karstetter is in the top 50 in the following categories: at-bats (225, #1), runs (62, #20), hits (93, #1). doubles (29, #1), triples (4, tied for #39) and RBI (72, tied for #5).

Aside from the stats, the upcoming Arizona State University transfer has six records in the Manatees' program history: at-bats (637 and counting), hits (226 and counting), runs (159 and counting), doubles (57 and counting), RBI (163 and counting) and the longest hitting streak (31 straight games). He is five doubles away from setting the single season doubles record held by Paul Stryhas (1997).

Major Power Game:

Joining Karstetter on the power game is classmate Lucas Ismaili. Ismaili is batting .405 with 81 hits, 53 runs, eight home runs and 65 RBI. In the home finale, the upcoming transfer for the University of South Alabama went 2-for-5 with a run.

Like Karstetter, Ismaili is also ranked in the top 50 in the nation in the following categories: at-bats (200, #3), hits (81, #5) and RBI (65, #14).

Sophomores Mario Lopez Jr. and Ben Gilbert and freshman Jayce Blalock have also show power on their end.

Lopez is batting .313 with 50 hits, 40 runs, 19 doubles, five home runs and 47 RBI. He is ranked tied for #17 in the nation in doubles.

Gilbert is batting .281 with 36 hits, 27 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI at the plate. On the mound, he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA, three saves, 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.

Blalock is batting .293 with 22 hits, 15 runs, five home runs and 21 RBI.

The Flame is On:

Freshman Brandon Clarke has been making some improvements since coming back to the rotation after an injury. While Clarke is 0-2 with a 20.45 ERA, eight walk and four strikeouts this season, he had a strong inning in the final home game against Polk State where he threw one scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout.

Clarke will be transferring to Liberty University with three years of eligibility remaining.

Pitching to the End:

Freshmen Michael Forret and Ed Wagner continue to be the leaders on the mound as starting pitchers. Forret is currently 10-2 with a 3.38 ERA, 17 walks and 95 strikeouts, while Wagner is 7-1 with a 3.69 ERA, 30 walks and 66 strikeouts. In their last outings, Forret threw eight innings with a career-high 15 strikeouts in the 8-2 win over Polk State, while Wagner threw six innings with six strikeouts in the 21-4 win over Polk State.

Relieving Pitches:

Alongside Forret and Wagner, sophomore Connor Hults and freshman Liam Best have been the key role pitchers in the bullpen for the Manatees.

Hults is currently 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA, 18 walks and 39 strikeouts. He threw two-thirds of an inning in his last outing on the mound.

Best came off of one of his best starts this season as he struck out 10 batters in the 14-1 win over Polk State, his third 10 strikeout game this season. The former George Washington Colonial is 3-0 with a 3.59 ERA, 26 walks and 49 strikeouts.

Walking Strong:

Sophomore Brayden Woodburn and freshman Erick Almonte continue to lead the path when reaching base. Woodburn is batting .337 with 67 hits, 65 runs, seven home runs, 40 RBI, 22 stolen bases and 46 walks, while Almonte is batting .322 with 59 hits, 57 runs, two home runs, 36 RBI and 41 walks. In the final home game, Woodburn was 2-for-4 with an RBI, three runs and a walk, while Almonte went 1-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and one walk.

Nationally, both Woodburn and Almonte are ranked in the top 50 in the nation in walks (Woodburn: 46, tied for #6; Almonte: 41, tied for #16) as well as couple of other categories: runs (Woodburn: 65, tied for #16; Almonte: 57, tied for #40), hits (Woodburn: 67, tied for #37) and triples (Woodburn: 4, tied for #37).

New Noise:

A few other players have also been making some noise at the plate for the Manatees: sophomores Liam Moreno, Victor Sanchez and Austin Dearing and freshman Evan Mastromauro.

Moreno is currently batting .309 with 30 hits, one home run, 12 RBI and 35 runs scored. He went 1-for-2 with three runs in the finale against Polk State. Additionally, he has a 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield.

In the last nine games he played, Sanchez had no RBI until the home finale against Polk State where he went 2-for-4 with three RBI to snap the cold streak. The transfer from Chipola College is batting .299 with 38 hits, three home runs and 24 RBI.

Dearing is batting .289 with 39 hits and 13 RBI. He went 1-for-1 with two RBI and three walks against Polk State.

Mastromauro, a hybrid player like Gilbert, is batting .291 with 16 hits and eight RBI. He was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the finale against Polk State.

Wild Draw:

Aside from Moreno, Sanchez, Dearing and Mastromauro, sophomores Richie Morales and Ryan Stefiuk and freshmen Jeremy Weaver, LT Cockrill and Bryan Gomez play a key role as the wildcard player.

Despite suffering a minor injury, Morales still plays a key role in hybrid fashion. The upcoming transfer for the University of Arizona is batting .310 with 40 hits, 33 runs, one home run, 21 RBI and 12 stolen bases at the plate while on the mound, he is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA, two saves, three walks and nine strikeouts.

Stefiuk is 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA, 34 walks and 56 strikeouts.

Weaver is 2-3 with a 5.52 ERA, 34 walks and 56 strikeouts.

Cockrill is batting .269 with 18 hits, 15 runs, one home run and 16 RBI. In the 21-4 win over Polk State, Cockrill went 1-for-4 with three RBI.

Gomez, who returned from injury, is 0-2 with a 4.95 ERA, 17 walks and 22 strikeouts. In his last appearance at the plate, he threw 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in the third game against Polk State.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will air on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with 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 Claps Polk State in Final Home Conference Game

Bradenton, Fla - The RV SCF baseball team (32-23, 18-6 Suncoast) closed out the home portion of the 2023 season as they defeated Polk State (32-20, 13-9 Suncoast) 14-1 in seven innings via the 10-run mercy rule.

"The guys played really well," said head coach Tim Hill II. "They dominated from the beginning to the end. I thought Liam (Best) got into a little bit of trouble in the first inning, but then he minimized it to one run and that was the story of the game and they had no chance of scoring on him."

"I thought we played great," said freshman Liam Best. "Our hitters did a good job and we won with a good run support."

"I thought it was a great game overall," said freshman Erick Almonte. "Great pitching and great hitting helped us get the win."

"I thought we played a really good defensive game," said sophomore Victor Sanchez. "The hitters did a good job, so I think that if we do that every time, no one will beat us."

Hill sent Best to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil went with sophomore Jayden Bishop.

The Eagles would strike first at the top of the first as they scored after the Manatees turned a double play, but Best would get out of the situation to close the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would gain the lead as Sanchez would send a triple to right center to bring in sophomores Kevin Karstetter and Brayden Woodburn to make it 2-1 SCF.

After a scoreless second, the Manatees would extend their lead further beginning with a leadoff single by Woodburn. After a failed pickoff attempt that sent Woodburn to third, Sanchez would send an infield single to short to bring in Woodburn. After sophomores Liam Moreno (single) and Austin Dearing (walk) loaded the bases, freshman Evan Mastromauro would line a single to right and bring in Sanchez and Moreno to make it 5-1 SCF.

While Best continued to put strikeouts on the board, the Manatees continued to added runs in the bottom of the sixth. After sophomore Lucas Ismaili hit a single and advanced to second on the throw, Woodburn would send a ground rule double to right and bring in Ismaili. After Moreno and sophomore Ben Gilbert drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, Dearing would send a single to center and bring in Woodburn and Gilbert. After a flyout for the second out, Alomonte would showcase some power and send a three-run homer to right for his second of the season to make it 11-1 SCF and invoke the mercy rule.

"I was having a rough time the first two at-bats," said Almonte. "After that, I stayed locked in and got a pitch I can do damage with and hit a home run."

After the fifth inning went scoreless, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth. After Moreno (walk), Dearing (walk) and Mastromauro (hit by a pitch) loaded the bases, Almonte would bring in Moreno in on a groundout and moved Dearing and Mastromauro to scoring position before they both scored on two wild pitches to make it 14-1 SCF. From there, freshman Brandon Clarke would finish the seventh and seal the deal for the Manatees.

Best would improve to 3-0 after giving up one run on two hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. It was his third game with 10 strikeouts this season. Clarke threw one scoreless inning of relief with one walk and one strikeout.

"I felt really good," said Best on his performance. "I have been building up the last three outings and felt comfortable, even after the shaky first inning, but afterwards I felt in total control."

Bishop would fall to 1-1 after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts in two and a third.

Four Manatees lead the way in hitting with two hits apiece: Sanchez (2-for-4), Ismaili (2-for-5), Woodburn (2-for-4) and Mastromauro (2-for-3). Sanchez added three RBI, one run and one walk, while Ismaili added one run, Woodburn added one RBI, three runs, one walk and one stolen base and Mastromauro added two RBI and one run.

"I felt good," said Sanchez on his performance. "I didn't prepare for the first pitch in the first at-bat because the pitcher threw me five curveballs in a row, but after the last curveball I was ready for it. I was so tired after the 

Almonte would lead the Manatees in offense as he finished 1-for-4 with four RBI, one run and one walk.

Dearing (1-for-1, two RBI, two runs and three walks) and Moreno (1-for-2, three runs and two walks) had the remaining two hits, while Karstetter (one run, one walk and one stolen base) and Gilbert (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Sophomore J'Quann Smith and freshmen Aris Rivera and Roberto Odor had the lone hits for the Eagles.

Notes:

With their one walk apiece, Woodburn and Almonte now have 46 and 41 walks respectively this season with Woodburn now having 86 walks in his career. They are both 14 and 19 walks away from surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record with Woodburn 24 away from breaking Joey Collis' career walks record (109, 1994-95).

Other Suncoast Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (13-38, 7-17 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete College (18-29, 9-15 Suncoast) 6-5 to close both their seasons.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. RV SCF (32-23, 18-6) #^

2. Polk State (32-20, 13-9) #

3. St. Pete (18-29, 9-15) *

4. Hillsborough (13-38, 7-17) *

^: Suncoast Conference Champions

#: Clinched playoff spot

*: Eliminated from playoff contention

Up Next:

While they closed their home portion of the season, the regular season is not yet complete for the Manatees. They will wrap up the season with a game against the IMG Academy postgraduate team.

SCF Baseball Takes Suncoast Conference Championship

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (31-22, 17-5 Suncoast) kept their focus on one of the key goals to their season as they defeated Polk State (31-20, 13-9 Suncoast) 21-4 in seven innings via the 10-run mercy rule.

"The guys were ready to go," said head coach Tim Hill II. "I thought from the very first pitch to the last, they were really focused and the result is the way they played today and how capable they were as a talented team. I thought they busted their butts all year and it was nice to see them have a lot of success here today."

"I thought we did great," said sophomore Kevin Karstetter. "The guys came out ready to play and especially for conference, we really turned it up the past month or so and that's what really matters. There is a bunch of talent here that work hard to earn this win."

"The boys came out firing and could not stop the bats today," said freshman Ed Wagner. "It was unbelievable."

"Everything was going great for us," said sophomore Brayden Woodburn. "We had good timely hitting. Ed (Wagner) did a great job on the mound and Preston (Wetherell) help closed the door for us and it was really nice."

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

After Wagner took care of the top of the first, the Manatees would open in the bottom half of the inning. After a one-out double by Karstetter, sophomore Lucas Ismaili would send a single to center to bring in Karstetter for the first run of the game. After classmate Mario Lopez, Jr. hit into a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a throwing error, Woodburn would send a triple to right center and bring in Lopez to make it 2-0 SCF.

At the top of the second, the Eagles would tie the game at 2-2 as freshman Roberto Odor would hit a two-run double before Wagner was able to get out of it, however it would barely faze the Manatees as they rallied in the bottom half of the inning. After sophomore Austin Dearing reached first on a fielding error before advancing to second on a wild pitch, sophomore Liam Moreno would send a double to center and bring in Dearing before advancing to third after another error. Freshman LT Cockrill would then bring in Moreno on a ground out to make it 4-2 SCF. After freshman Erick Almonte hit a single and stole second, Karstetter would show his power side and send a towering two-run home run to left for his 11th of the season for a 6-2 SCF lead.

After a scoreless third, the Eagles would the Manatees lead in half as freshman Damion Kenealy would send a solo home run to center for his fifth of the season. Once again it would barely faze the Manatees heading into the bottom half of the inning beginning with a leadoff single by Moreno. After Almonte grounded into a fielder's choice safely and moved Moreno to third while Almonte reached second on an error, Karstetter would send a single to center to bring in Moreno and Almonte. Ismaili would then hit a single to right and get caught in a pickle while Karstetter scored to make it 9-3 SCF.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would go on a non-stop scoring run beginning with a leadoff double by Woodburn before sophomore Ben Gilbert brought him in with a single for a 10-3 lead. After Dearing grounded into a fielder's choice, Moreno would get hit by a pitch before they committed a double steal to get into scoring position. Corbeil would pull Butler and send freshman Everrett Martin to the mound to relief Butler before Cockrill would then draw a walk to load the bases. 

After Almonte struck out, Karstetter would hit a check swing for an infield single to bring in Dearing. Ismaili would then smack a double to left to bring in Moreno and Cockrill before Lopez drew a walk to reload the bases before Corbeil sent sophomore Breton Cusic to replace Martin. 

With the bases full of Manatees as they batted around, Woodburn would show his portion of power as he lined a fly ball to right over the scoreboard for his first collegiate grand slam and seventh home run of the season.

"It just felt like another home run," said Woodburn on his grand slam. "I just trying to live in the moment and not let it get too big, so it felt good hitting it and helping the team win."

After back-to-back single by Gilbert and Dearing, Moreno would line a double to left to bring in Gilbert before Cockrill sent a two-run single to right to bring in Dearing and Moreno for a 20-3 SCF lead.

At the top of the sixth, Knealy would then hit a solo homer to left for his sixth of the season and his second of the game to make it 20-4 still in SCF's favor, but Wagner would get out of the jam and end the top half. The Manatees would add their final run as Woodburn scored on a wild pitch to make it 21-4 before freshman Evan Mastromauro turned a final double play to seal the deal for the win.

Wagner would improve to 7-1 after giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six innings. Freshman Preston Wetherell would throw one scoreless inning of relief and gave up one hit.

"I felt good out there," said Wagner. "Once we scored 20 runs, it gets a little easier to pitch. You can't let up a 20-run homer, so it was pretty sweet because we dominated all-around. It was awesome."

Butler would fall to 3-4 after giving up 12 runs (11 earned) on 11 hits with one strikeout in four and a third innings.

Karstetter (4-for-4) and Woodburn (3-for-5) would lead the offense overall for the Manatees as they each had five RBI. Karstetter added four runs and a walk, while Woodburn added three runs and a walk. In fact, both players were a hit shy of a cycle (Karstetter needed a triple and Woodburn needed a single).

"I had a lot of fun and that's what it was all about for me," said Karstetter. "It makes it a lot easier for me."

Ismaili and Moreno each had three hits. Ismaili (3-for-5) added four RBI and one run, while Moreno (3-for-3) added two RBI, four runs, one walk and one stolen base.

Gilbert and Dearing were both 2-for-5 at the plate. Gilbert added one RBI and one run, while Dearing added three runs and a stolen base.

Almonte (1-for-4, two runs and a stolen base) and Cockrill (1-for-4, three RBI, one run and one walk) had the remaining two hits, while Lopez (two runs and one walk) also contributed.

For the Eagles, Kneadly lead the way in hitting and offense as he finished 2-for-3 with two home runs.

Notes:

With the win, the Manatees were named the Suncoast Conference Champions for the first time since 2018.

"It's something that we're used to doing," said Hill. "It's been a little gap since the COVID year where we had a really good team that year we had a chance to take it. It's good to finally put another championship on the wall."

"It feels great," said Wagner on winning the Suncoast. "We knew we had the best squad to do it and performed when it matters. All-around, it was easy money."

With his one walk, Woodburn now has 44 walks this season and 84 in his career. He is 16 away from surpassing Jody Reed (59, 1982) for the single season record and 26 from breaking Joey Collis' career walks record (109, 1994-95).

With his four hits and five RBI, Karstetter now has 225 career hits and 162 career RBI. Additionally, his one double puts him at 29 this season and 57 in his career. He is five away from breaking Paul Stryas' single season doubles record (33, 1997).

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (18-27, 9-13 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (11-38, 5-17 Suncoast) 15-9.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (31-22, 17-5) #^

2. Polk State (31-20, 13-9) #

3. St. Pete (18-27, 9-13) *

4. Hillsborough (11-38, 5-17) *

^Suncoast Conference Champions

# Clinched playoff spot

*eliminated from playoff contention

Up Next:

The Manatees return to Winter Haven for game three against Polk State to continue conference play. Sophomore Ryan Stefiuk (2-3, 5.40 ERA) will be given the nod to start the game.

Eighth Inning Rally Helps SCF Baseball Beat Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - The SCF baseball team (30-22, 16-5 Suncoast) pulled off a big rally as they defeated Polk State (31-19, 13-8) 8-2 at Bing Tyus Yard. The Manatees are 4-1 so far against the Eagles and will look to take the second series tomorrow afternoon, April 22 at 1 pm at Wynn Field. Freshman Ed Wagner (6-1, 3.75 ERA) will be given the nod to start.

"This was a really big win for us tonight on the road," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It was a very tight game. Polk's pitcher threw really well against us until we scored some runs late. Looking forward to Ed giving us a really good start tomorrow."

"We came in today knowing we had a job to do," said sophomore Mario Lopez Jr. "This game was big for us. It was a team effort and took everyone to get it done tonight

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

For the first four innings of the game, it was a pitcher's duel between Forret and Koehler as they exchanged strikeouts with Forret leading the way. It remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth as freshman Damion Nealy would hit an RBI double, which would be followed by an RBI single off the bat of classmate Roberto Odor for a 2-0 Polk State. Forret would brush it off and looked to the Manatees offense to step up.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees did so at the plate as Lopez would hit a single and bring in freshman Erick Almonte to cut the Eagles lead to 2-1.

While Forret put himself in double digit strikeouts, the Manatees would not back down and rallied their way at the top of the eighth. At the time, Corbeil would send his closer, freshman Ryan Combs, to the mound for a two-inning save opportunity. After a leadoff walk by Almonte and sacrifice bunt by  sophomore Kevin Karstetter to move Almonte to second, classmate Lucas Ismaili would bring in Almonte with a single and tie the game at 2-2. Eventually, the Manatees took their first lead of the game as Lopez towered a two-run homer to left for his fifth of the season and make it 4-2 SCF.

"I knew the game was tied going into my next at-bat," said Lopez. "I just had to get into a hitter's count and look for my pitch and stick to my approach. Once I got the pitch, I could not miss it, so I was trying to hit it hard somewhere and put my team into position to score."

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees added some extra insurance to maintain their lead beginning with a leadoff double by sophomore Austin Dearing. After classmates Liam Moreno and Richie Morales were hit by a pitch to load the bases, Almonte would send a single to right-center and bring in Dearing and Moreno while advancing to second on the throw. Karstetter would bring in Morales with a sacrifice fly. As Ismaili drew a walk, Almonte seized the opportunity to score off of a wild pitch to make it 8-2 SCF.

From there, sophomore Connor Hults, despite walking two, would shut the door in the bottom of the ninth and seal the deal for the Manatees.

Forret would improved to 10-2 on the season. He would give up two runs on five hits with two walks and a career-high 15 strikeouts in eight innings. Hults would throw one scoreless inning of relief with two walks and two strikeouts.

"Michael was the story of the game," said Hill on Forret. "He was outstanding."

Koehler would earn a no-decision after giving up one run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Combs would fall to 6-3 with a blown save after giving up seven runs on four hits with two walks in two innings of relief. It was his fourth blown save of the season.

Lopez would be the overall leader in offense as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a walk. Almonte would follow as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI, three runs, one walk and one stolen base.

Karstetter and Ismaili brought in the remaining RBI for the Manatees. Karstetter (1-for-3) added a stolen base, while Ismaili (1-for-4) added one run and one walk.

Dearing (1-for-4, one run) and sophomore Brayden Woodburn (1-for-5) had the remaining two hits, while Moreno (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, sophomore Travis Stapleton lead the way in hitting as he finished 2-for-3 with a walk.

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (17-27, 8-13 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (11-37, 5-16 Suncoast) 8-3.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. SCF (30-22, 16-5)#

2. Polk State (31-19, 13-8)#

3. St. Pete (17-27, 8-13)

4. Hillsborough (11-37, 5-16)

#Clinched Playoff Spot