The College of Central Florida Patriots magical 2022 season will include a trip to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado after winning the FCSAA State Championship on Sunday afternoon as they defeated defending State Champion Miami-Dade College 4-3 in a thrilling winner take all final. This will be the Patriots first trip to the World Series since 1998. Head Coach Marty Smith said "I've been dreaming of getting back to the JUCO baseball promise land for 24 years now. It's so hard to get out of Florida. So proud of these Pats."
The Patriots opened up the tournament at Joker Marchant Stadium, spring home of the Detroit Tigers, on Thursday when they defeated the #2 Nationally ranked Chipola Indians 7-2. Aaron Combs, a University of Tennessee commit, threw a gem as he went 6.2 innings holding the Indians to only two hits, one earned run, and striking out nine. Edrick Felix, an FGCU commit led the offense with a double, home run and four RBI. Nick Calero added two RBI.
Game two for the Pats had them playing Indian River State College Pioneers who had beaten the Patriots twice during the regular season. The Pioneers jumped all over Pats starter Ben Chestnutt for three runs in the first 1.2 innings, before Landon Ginn came in to relieve Chestnutt. Ginn (9-1) would control the Pioneer bats over the next 6.1 innings allowing only four hits, two runs and striking out seven. As Ginn was stifling IR's bats, the Pat's bats got hot. CF scored ten unanswered runs in innings three through five. Most of the damage came on a Caleb Cali home run (16), a Spencer Stephens two run single, and a Kevin Kilpatrick three-run home run, his ninth of the season. The final score had the Pats winning 15-5 in eight innings.
With the win over Indian River, the Patriots were the only undefeated team remaining in the tournament and would await a team to come out of the losers' bracket. That team would be the Miami-Dade College Sharks who fought their way into the finals after defeating Chipola College 7-2 and Indian River State College 10-4. The Sharks used the combination of eleven hits and twelve walks to pound the Pats 15-9 and force a winner take all final game. CF was led offensively by David Pereira (2-3, HR, 3 RBI) and Carson Bayne (2-5, 2 RBI).
Ben Chestnutt, after his short outing on Friday started for the Patriots and gave his team three tough innings allowing three runs, six hits and striking out three Sharks. With the Pats down 3-0 through three innings the Patriots would send out relief pitcher Sam Swygert. Swygert kept the Sharks off balance and off the scoreboard all afternoon and gave his Patriots a chance to comeback. In the sixth inning, down by three the Pats got within a run when Kilpatrick doubled and then was driven in on a Victor Castillo single. The very next batter, Felix doubled home another run to make it a 3-2 game. With Swygert still dealing and controlling the Sharks this set up the dramatic eighth inning. Ginn started the inning with a hit by pitch, followed by a Cali single. Castillo would then perform a perfect push bunt single to load the bases with no outs. This set the stage for Tournament MVP, Felix to smash a hard single to left field and drive in two runs to give the Patriots the lead 4-3. The score stayed the same into the bottom of the ninth inning. Swygert was still on the hill and gave up a lead off single to the Sharks' Jose Hernandez. Swygert was not deterred as he enticed two pop flies and struck out Miguel Gonzalez looking to send the Patriots to the NJCAA World Series. Swygert (2-0) finished his afternoon throwing six innings, allowing only five hits, no runs and striking out seven.
The NJCAA World Series runs May 28th through June 4th in Grand Junction, Colorado. Ten teams from around the nation will play in the double elimination tournament at Sam Suplizio Field.