The DII Report: SSC baseball fall report
Tampa made another run to the DII baseball championship last season. What can we expect from the Sunshine State Conference this spring?
Welcome back to The DII Report newsletter. Each week, we will delve into the world of NCAA Division II sports, focusing on the teams and student-athletes to watch. Be sure to check out the DII Nation Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor and YouTube for more insight on the world of DII sports.
THE DII REPORT
The Sunshine State Conference, historically speaking, is the gold standard when it comes to DII baseball. Florida Southern and Tampa alone have combined for 17 of the 53 DII baseball national championships in the history of the sport. This past 2021 season, the Spartans made a deep run to the national semifinals in their attempt to become the first repeat champions since… themselves.
Let’s continue our look at fall ball this week with the SSC. As always, it’s safe to expect a contender for the 2022 national champion is in the mix.
Previous fall reports: SAC | PSAC | RMAC | PBC
DII baseball fall report: The SSC
The SSC was another multi-team battle in 2021. Tampa finished on top, going 15-3 in conference play. Florida Tech was right behind with Barry, Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern all posting records above .500. As always, expect this to be a four or five-way fight between the normal heavyweights, but always be prepared for a surprise team to make a run at the SSC title.
The SSC played a very abridged season, so getting back out there for a full slate in 2022 is something these coaches have been looking forward to for quite some time.
Tampa
Head coach: Joe Urso | 2021 record: 23-6
Hitter to watch: Jamarcus Lyons, OF — Lyons is a middle-of-the-order bat that should be Tampa’s top-RBI guy with some power.
Pitcher to watch: Michael Paul, RHP — The 6’3 righty is a strike-thrower with a three-pitch mix. He sits 87-91b mph with his fastball and works both sides of the plate well with great feel for his slider and changeup. He was the ace last year and should be the Friday-night starter again.
Newcomer to watch: Haden Erbe, RHP — The DI transfer will complete for weekend job.
What Coach Urso says: “We return eight starting position players and our three weekend starting pitchers. Finding All-American closer Jordan Leasure’s replacement will be the toughest task. I’m excited to see this club play an entire regular season and build on last year’s success.”
Barry
Head coach: Juan Ranero | 2021 record: 14-11
Hitter to watch: Ihosvany Castaneda, OF — Castaneda was Second-Team All-SSC in 2021. He has a solid hit tool with contact, power and speed. The Bucs’ three-hole hitter delivered, batting .321 with five doubles, two homers and nine RBI in 81 at-bats. He also has solid strike zone awareness, walking 14 times with just 15 strikeouts. Castaneda also led the team with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
Pitcher to watch: Frank Gonzalez, RHP — Gonzalez has a 14-3 mark on the mound in three seasons with a 3.76 ERA and 149 strikeouts against just 28 walks in 162.2 career innings. He led the SSC in strikeouts (58) and strikeouts looking (18) in 2021. Gonzalez has not lost since his freshman year, while mostly pitching on Friday nights as the staff ace.
Newcomer to watch: Kevin Noriega, IF — Noriega played two seasons of minor-league ball with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. He’s expected to hit in the middle and provide a power bat to a very deep lineup.
What Coach Ranero says: “We are very excited about the squad as players who have been in the program for several years will finally get an opportunity to contribute. They’ve been groomed in the Barry way and it’s gratifying to see them take the next step in their development. We have a very deep and talented pitching staff, with all three conference starters back from last year’s team that finished third in the league. The lineup has seen some overhaul, but again, we are really looking forward to players making a step forward and becoming regulars. In addition to four returning starters, and several backups looking to move into the lineup, we have a number of new players, like Noriega and Division I transfers Joe Stella and Matthew Menendez who will be looking to make an impact as well.”
Florida Southern
Head coach: Lance Niekro | 2021 record: 15-11
Hitter to watch: Ryan Magdic, 1B/DH — He is a big left-handed hitter that will bring some pop to the lineup.
Pitcher to watch: Mitchell LeRoy, RHP — Has played infield and pitched in the past but is up to 93 this fall.
Newcomer to watch: Jared DeSantolo, 3B — A transfer from Florida Atlantic.
What Coach Niekro says: “We have a good group of returners coupled with 16 new players this year. I like what I saw in the fall, but as always with this conference, it is way too early to judge how the spring will play out. Either way, we are looking forward getting back to a full schedule this year.”
Saint Leo
Head coach: Rick O’Dette | 2021 record: 9-17
Hitters to watch: SAM CRAIL, OF — Crail has been a big part of the Lions’ offense for the last three seasons since transferring from Indiana, hitting anywhere from the two- to four-hole. He can hit for power and average and was also a member of the inaugural MLB Draft League this past summer.
Pitcher to watch: Jared Beck, LHP — Beck is a 7-foot (yes, 7-foot!) transfer that came at the break last year from Illinois State. He sits 90-92 with a legitimate curveball to compliment it, striking out 36 hitters in 31.1 innings. He played with the Savannah Bananas this summer, being an integral part in their CPL Championship.
Newcomer to watch: Mikey Scott, OF — A transfer from Gardner-Webb, Scott is a gap-to-gap guy with the ability to hit with some power. A sub-6.6 runner, he should be a versatile bat in the lineup.
What Coach O’DETTE says: “With the mix of returners and transfers, we have an experienced group of guys headed in the right direction and we look forward to the start of the 2022 season.”
Nova Southeastern
Head coach: Laz Gutierrez | 2021 record: 13-12
Hitters to watch: Duncan Pastore, 3B — Pastore missed 2021 due to injury, but was the 2019 SSC freshman of the year. He's a two-way player that is the heartbeat of the team. Pastore hunts for his pitch and consistently puts himself in favorable attack counts. He has a line-drive approach with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He's a threat on the base paths as he looks to take the extra base.
Pitcher to watch Matthew Kavanaugh, LHP — Kavanaugh is a competitor that attacks the zone relentlessly. His three-pitch mix is an endless barrage of strikes on both sides of the plate. His fastball sits 89-92 with an impressive high-70s/low-80s slider and curve. He dominated the Coastal Plains League this summer.
Newcomers to watch: Adam Frank, IF/OF and Gabe Rivera, OF — Both transfer from Miami (FL).
What Coach Gutierrez says: “This is a deep team that is well-balanced throughout.” Expect the Sharks to compete over a full slate.
A DII football bracket preview on the DII Nation Podcast
The DII football playoffs kick off on Saturday, Nov. 20 with 12 first-round games. This week, Brandon Misener and Chuck Bitner from D2football.com join the show and break down the bracket and give some predictions. As always, you can listen here or watch below. Please follow and subscribe, we appreciate all the support.
Want to see my full predictions? Every pick broken down from the first round to the national champion is HERE.