DII baseball fall reports: The Sunshine State Conference
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Welcome back to the DII baseball fall reports series. For those who are new to the fall reports, this is a quick introduction to what to expect in the coming 2024 season. I go conference-by-conference and focus on five or six teams that I feel have a chance to compete for a spot on the Road to Cary.
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DII baseball fall report 2023-24: SSC
(The 2023 Sunshine State Conference final standings)
Rollins, for the second consecutive season, represented the SSC well, making yet another deep run in the DII baseball championship and finishing as the national runners-up. That should be no surprise as the SSC is a DII baseball powerhouse hub, home to Florida Southern and Tampa, the two programs with the most DII baseball national championships of all time.
Last year, Tampa led the conference in hitting and runs scored, while Rollins led in home runs. Tampa, as it has since Sam Militello took charge of the pitching, was again dominant on the mound as well, with the best ERA and winning percentage in the SCC.
Let’s take a quick look at some contenders in the SSC.
Rollins
Returning position player to watch: Jeslyn Whitehead, 1B/Closer. Whitehead tied the single-season school record for hits as the team’s leader last season. Associate head coach Patrick Szczerba feels he has great bat-to-ball skills as seen in the fact that he rarely strikes out. He’s a good defender at first and closed a couple of games on the mound last year and will again this year.
Returning pitchers to watch:
Nick Berger, RHP. Berger has a 87-90 mph fastball with plus command and life and a great changeup that he can throw in any count.
Edward Berry, RHP. Friday night guy from a year ago; sits 89-93 FB also has a slider, curve, and changeup.
Ryan Murphy, LHP. Stands at 6-foot-6 with an 88-92 mph fastball and a swing-and-miss curveball. Should be a big bullpen arm.
Impact newcomers: Freshman Evan Corneilus (RHP who sits 88-91 with command and above-average offspeed) and infielder Mathew Farner are two to watch.
Transfers
Chris Sparber, catcher from Virginia Tech.
Mason Shultz, infielder from Cisco CC
Oscar Murray, catcher/outfielder from Seton Hall. Murray had a big 2023, hitting .319 with six home runs and going 9-for-9 in stolen bases.
MLB draft watch: Sparber, Berry, and Murphy.
Tampa
Returning position player to watch: EJ Cumbo, OF. Cumbo was a First-Team All-American and SSC player of the year who blends incredible contact skills with nice power.
Returning pitcher to watch: Alex Canney, RHP. The SSC pitcher of the year has a career 2.18 ERA and a 10-0 record. He hits his spots, which makes him highly effective.
Impact newcomers: Freshmen infielder Grant Jordan and outfielder Maddox King will both find time in the lineup.
Transfers
Andrew Carson, RHP from Michigan State
Jake Stipp, LHP from Eckerd
Tobin Moran, RHP from Santa Fe College RHP. Moran was his conference pitcher of the year in 2023.
Stephen Klein, 1B from Samford
Juco standouts: Brayden Woodburn, IF; Jake Griffith, OF; and Ray Mercer, OF.
MLB draft watch: RHP Andrew Carson and Cumbo
Barry
Returning position player to watch: Braden Forchic, OF. A returning First-Team All-Conference left-handed hitter with pop and plate presence, walking more than he strikes out.
Returning pitchers to watch:
Frank Gonzalez, RHP. Known as a command pitcher that can locate his three pitches for strikes.
Angel Cespedes, RHP. Cespedes sits 92-94 mph with his fastball and tops out at 96.
Federico Zapata, RHP. The Bucs closer is described with a funky, low, three-quarters arm slot.
Nick Vanderhoef, RHP. The reliever sits 89-91 mph with a plus slider.
Anthony Bennetti, RHP. Another big bullpen arm that sits 90-92 with a good slider.
Impact freshmen/transfers: Freshmen Aiden Denton, RHP, and Dylan Higham, RHP, should make an impact in Year 1.
Transfers
Joe Morrissey, RHP from Washington College. He was his conference pitcher of the year in 2022 but missed the 2023 season at Barry recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Benito Valle-Jhanda, RHP from Skyline CC. He is expected to join the weekend rotation.
Chase Muir, RHP from the University of Fort Lauderdale who sits 91-95.
MLB draft watch: Cespedes, Muir, Braden Forchic, OF, and Steve Nitch, C (has sub-2.0 pop times)
Saint Leo
Returning position player to watch: Zach Benson, OF. The Lions’ leadoff hitter can run and makes consistent, solid contact. Head coach Rick O’Dette feels he will be a player-of-the-year candidate as a plus defender and runner.
Returning pitcher to watch: Nick Jennings, RHP. Worked 31.2 innings in relief with a 1.42 ERA in 2023. He’s kisted at 6-foot-4 which helps him get up to 90-93 mph with a 2600 spin rate and an above-average slider.
Impact newcomers: Freshman Louis Rivero, OF, is described as a plus athlete with power to all parts of the field.
Transfers
Callan Moss, 1B from Seton Hall whom O’Dette describes as “physical with big juice.” Moss was an Appalachian League all-star this summer
Chase Becker, B/RHP who spent time at Minnesota and Parkland College. Becker combines power at the plate (16 home runs last year) and the mound, sitting 92-93.
Josh Davis, C from High Point.
Dawson Turner, LHP from Poll State College that sits 88-92.
MLB draft watch: Brayden Heidel, RHP, who was injured last year but sits 93-94 and has been up to 95.
Nova Southeastern
Returning position player to watch: Kolbe Aven, C
Returning pitcher to watch: Michael Dillon, RHP
Impact newcomers: Freshman RHPS Chris Perez, Pedro Acosta, and Keyler Gonzalez will need to be able to make an impact on the field.
Transfers
Kader Rabagh, RHP from Miami Dade
Bryan Loriga, 3B from FIU
Florida Southern
Returning position players to watch:
El’Rico Riley, OF
Jevin Relaford, SS
Rohsean Riley, 3B
Bryce Safferwich, INF/OF
D’ante Starks, OF
Returning pitchers to watch:
Lake Fisher, RHP/1B
Jordan Fox, LHP
Mitch LeRoy, RHP
Justin Stewart, RHP
Impact transfers:
Logan Adams, pitcher
Wyatt Clark, pitcher
Nick Collins, 1B
Jack Duffy, OF/1B
Marcos Herrand, pitcher
Tanner Quick, pitcher
Jaiden Warde, IF