Grand Junction bound! The College of Central Florida Patriots are headed back to the JUCO World Series after defeating the Northwest Florida State College Raiders 7-2 in the NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA State Championship game on Sunday evening in Lakeland. The state championship is the second in a row for the Patriots.
CF finished a perfect 3-0 in the four team double elimination tournament defeating NWF twice 12-2 & 7-2 and shutting out perennial powerhouse Miami-Dade College 6-0.
In the championship game the Raiders opened the scoring when they scored on a groundout by Kendrey Maduro. The Pats would tie the game on a bases loaded HBP and then took the lead on a two out two run single by Cole Bullen. The Raiders would pull to within one when Paul Winland doubled in a run in the fifth inning. Carson Bayne would unload on a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to push the lead to three runs. Thad Ector's sacrifice fly then made it 6-2. Bayne would once again be a thorn in the Raiders side when he doubled home the Pats seventh run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Pats used four pitchers in the contest with JD Smith starting and allowing only one run in 2.1 innings pitched. Smith was relieved by Keller Eberly in the third inning and Eberly would also go 2.1 innings allowing one run with two strikeouts. Isaac Sewell and Cam Schuelke would then shut the door on any chance the Raiders thought they had as they combined to throw the final 4.1 innings allowing only three hits, no runs, with six strikeouts. Eberly earned the win and improved to 6-0 on the season.
Carson Bayne won the tournament MVP hitting .455 with two doubles, two home runs, and four RBI. Patriot players earning All-Tournament Team honors were Bayne, Kareh Valentin (.400, 4 RBI), Kainen Jorge (.400), Juan Correa (.364), Brian Holiday (1-0, 7 IP, 12 K, 0.00), Andrew Herrmann (1-0, 5 IP, 4 K, 0.00), Cam Schuelke (4 IP, 2H, 4K, 0.00), and Isaac Sewell (2.1 IP, 2H, 3K, 0.00).
With their ticket punched to Grand Junction for the JUCO World Series for the fourth time in school history, the Patriots will be looking to bring home their first National Championship. The 2022 team got a taste of the World Series experience last year and went 1-2, and this year's squad is looking for bigger and better things.