May 22, 2007
COPLEY INKS PACT WITH PIRATES
GC Athletics.com - Devin Copley recently signed a professional baseball contract to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Devin concluded his 2-year Commodore career setting a team mark in games started (15) for a season and entered the top 10 in strikeouts for a season with 113. Devin had a combined two-year record of 14-7, 160 strikeouts and 43 walks in 159.0 innings.

May 20, 2007
KUBAL SIGNS WITH ALABAMA
GC Athletics.com - Alex Kubal will turn in his blue and gold Commodore colors in for Crimson and White. He will move on next season to play for Jim Wells and the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team. Kubal batted .372 this season and his 73 hits ranks him 7th in the number of hits in a season and his 17 doubles placed him 3rd in the number of doubles in a season. Kubal joins Jordan Karcher (Florida International), Cory Trudell (Charleston Southern), and Beau Pender (UAB) as they move on to the next level.

May 1, 2007
MIAMI-DADE AWAITS GC
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - David Herndon voiced his sentiment to Devin Copley in simple terms. “Go get revenge,” Herndon said in a phone conversation last week. The former Gulf Coast pitcher was referring to the Commodores’ FCCAA state tournament opener against Miami Dade. Gulf Coast had the same opener a year ago, losing 6-3 with Herndon on the mound. The Panhandle Conference runner-up Commodores (32-16) could have been considered favorites in last year’s game, especially since they entered as the state’s top-ranked team. Now the script is reversed, with Miami Dade No. 1 and Gulf Coast No. 7. The teams play in the opening round of the eightteam double-elimination tournament at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven. The state champion earns a berth in the 50th annual NJCAA World Series starting May 26 in Grand Junction, Colo. This year’s tourney features a different bracketing system, one that mirrors the NCAA College World Series. The survivors of each bracket now play for the crown, though in a one game winner take all contest and not the best-of-three final format of the CWS. Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler puts all of that aside, however. He’s thinking of what happens today. What happens tomorrow is the future and can be dealt with once it comes. “The winner of this tournament will be the team that is the hottest and hopefully that’s us,” Kandler said. “But you really have to approach it one game at a time, as cliché as that sounds.” Kandler stressed the importance of winning the first game, as staying in the winners’ bracket staves off elimination for another day. However, Miami Dade, also ranked second in the nation, poses a serious threat. The Southern Conference champion Sharks (43-10) boast what Kandler called, “The best junior college pitching staff in the nation.” The staff is paced by Elih Villanueva, who leads the team with a 9-1 record, 0.77 ERA, 100 strikeouts and 15 walks in 82 innings. Timothy Sexton adds an 8-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings and Donald Jordat has a team-high four saves and 44 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. Kandler hopes playing in the Panhandle Conference prepared the Commodores for the many stellar pitchers they’ll face. “We feel like we see enough good pitching in this league every year,” Kandler said. “Plus we feel we’ll be matched up well with anybody with Copley on the mound.” Copley is one of a handful of sophomores who experienced last season’s tournament run, the first for Gulf Coast since 1998. The Commodores were ousted in three games, winning one elimination contest before Chipola run-ruled them out of the draw. Gulf Coast has won nine of its last 11, a stark contrast to last season when the team dropped three of its final five games. “You can’t play much better than that,” Kandler said. Copley agreed, adding that Gulf Coast relishes its position. “We like being the underdog because maybe that will help some teams overlook us,” said Copley, who has a 9-2 record with 109 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings. “There’s definitely an advantage to being the underdog. “Yeah, Miami Dade is a good team and they didn’t get to be the top team in the state by accident. But we don’t fear anyone. Anyone can be beaten.” As for revenge, Copley’s taking Herndon’s words to heart. He called the former Mosley standout an inspiration and a mentor. And when Herndon, who is now a minor leaguer in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization, asked him to avenge his defeat, Copley said he’ll do his best. “He told me to go out and win,” Copley said. “And that means a lot coming from him that he believes I can do that.” Kandler also has high hopes for Gulf Coast. He anticipated another spirited effort from his team, which has come together over the last month of the regular season. “In this thing you really just want your guys to play as hard as they can and hope for the best,” Kandler said. “There are eight talented teams in this tournament and any one of them can win it.”
News Herald Article

April 26, 2007
BEN FRANCIS, FCCAA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
TALLAHASSEE, FL (Rob Chaney ) - Gulf Coast Community College’s Ben Francis represents the Panhandle Conference as FCCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week. Francis, a freshman righty from Panama City, Fla., played a key role in the Commodores’ run to the FCCAA Tournament. The Gulf Coast closer took the mound in each of the team’s final four games, recording three saves while holding opponents scoreless in 4.0 innings of work. Francis allowed only four hits, walked none and struck out one as the Commodores clinched the Panhandle Conference’s runner-up berth at the FCCAA Tournament.

April 22, 2007
GC STATE-MENT
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - If you walked up to Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler a month ago and asked him if he thought the Commodores would advance to the state junior college tournament, he’d have a hard time saying yes. That’s not to say he didn’t have faith in his team. Nor was it a reflection of his assistant coaches, or his own abilities, for that matter. He would only be going on what he saw, which was a baseball team that looked good one night and terrible the next. His answer would have been backed up by the fact the Commodores were near the basement in the Panhandle Conference, and they were playing with an inconsistent offense and a bullpen that was missing every opportunity to hold down wins. On Saturday, the problems plaguing the team a month ago were a distant memory. Gulf Coast’s offense again backed up its ace pitcher, the bullpen was stellar and a team that couldn’t buy a win back then dusted off Okaloosa-Walton 10-6 at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores (32-16, 15-10 Panhandle Conference) won their fifth game in a row and ninth in their last 11, clinching the Conference’s second and final berth in the state tournament. “The last few weeks for us have been tremendous, and it’s all because of each guy on this team and three assistant coaches who worked hard to turn this thing around,” Kandler said, singling out assistants Blake Mitchum, Steve Merchant and Marc Gonzales. “We have a bunch of guys who refused to give up,” Kandler said. “When we were struggling, we had people pick everyone else up.” Kandler admitted the story was vastly different a month ago, as did second baseman Mason Meredeth, who finished 3 for 5 with a two-run home run that helped Gulf Coast extend its lead in the sixth inning. “We’re a lot more focused now than we’ve ever been,” Meredeth said. “I think the difference has been in the breaks. “We’re starting to get the breaks, and it’s not the other way around with other teams getting the jump on us. Things are going our way now.” That was especially true in the first three innings, when Gulf Coast charged out to a 7-0 advantage behind Drew Benton’s two-run double in the first inning and Kevin Garcia’s two-run homer in the third. The cushion took the pressure off Gulf Coast ace Devin Copley, who was starting on three days’ rest. He willed his way through two scoreless innings before O-W’s Anthony Brown and Scott Robinson stroked RBI doubles in the third inning. Copley held the Raiders (26-24, 9-16) off the scoreboard in the fourth, but he offered up Tyler Slocum’s tworun homer in the fifth, and he was responsible for two more runs in the sixth, making the score 7-6 in favor of Gulf Coast. Copley (9-2) was replaced in the sixth by Dan Jacobs after giving up eight hits and six runs with six strikeouts and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. He exited with the lead and qualified as the winning pitcher. Jacobs and Ben Francis made sure he remained the winner, as the duo held O-W to just two hits in the final 3 2/3 innings. Meredeth also chimed in, his homer in the sixth inning increasing the bulge to 9-6. Garcia doubled in Jordan Karcher for insurance in the seventh. Kandler lauded Copley for putting aside the pain and exhibiting just what an ace should be. “The effort he gave today was typical of what he’s given this program over the last two years,” Kandler said. “He has meant as much to this program as anybody.” Copley could be seen grimacing as he came off the field, his right arm dangling as he took a seat on the bench. But he said he blocked out the discomfort for what was at stake. “I was dead; I’m not going to lie to you,” Copley said. “I gave what I had and it was good enough to give us the lead. “Pain was never going to be an issue. All that matters now is that we’re going to the state tournament.” O-W starter Terrell Stringer didn’t last nearly as long as Copley, as he gave up five runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in lasting only two innings. First reliever Robby Evans was touched for four runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings before O-W found stability from its bullpen. The major highlight for the Raiders was a triple play in the fifth inning. O-W turned a traditional 5-4-3 double play, but David Schulze, who was on second, was caught in a rundown and tagged out for the third out. The Raiders briefly carried the momentum into the sixth before Meredeth snatched it away in the bottom half of the stanza. Benton, Garcia and Schulze each had two hits and a double apiece. Scott Beckwith and Jake Sullivan also doubled, Schulze and Karcher each scored twice and Garcia tallied three RBIs. Robinson and Whitney McKinney were each 2 for 4, and Robinson, Trey Hayes and Jordan D’Arensbourg added doubles. It wasn’t enough to stave off the Commodores, however, who defeated the Raiders for the fourth time this season. “We’re playing good, but the biggest thing is we’re playing so darned hard,” Kandler said. “Last year, things just kind of fell into place for us. “We played fundamental, sound baseball last year and this group is all over the place. But they get it done and I can’t be more proud of them than I am.”
News Herald Article

April 21, 2007
COMMODORES MAINTAIN LEAD
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast rallied. Pensacola sleepwalked. The end result was identical with junior-college baseball wins for both teams, Gulf Coast 8-7 over homestanding Okaloosa-Walton and Pensacola 16-2 against visiting North Florida on Friday. The outcomes kept the Panhandle Conference standings in check, the Commodores (31-16, 14-10) in second and the Pirates (30-18, 13-11) in third by one game. With the win, Gulf Coast secured at least a best-of-three playoff series with Pensacola for the conference’s second and final berth in next month’s state tournament. The Commodores host the Raiders (26-23, 9-15) today, while the Pirates again entertain the Sentinels (24-27, 7-17). Gulf Coast clinches the berth with a win or a Pensacola loss. Ben Francis (Mosley) came on in the ninth inning to lock down his seventh save of the season and fourth in a row, the streak coming in conference victories. He allowed one baserunner in the ninth inning, finishing off Anthony Brown with a strikeout to end the game. Francis has firmly erased the memory of a terrible outing on April 2 in which he hit three straight batters without throwing a strike in a 5-4 loss to North Florida. He has been unflappable since. “He has been absolutely outstanding for us,” Kandler said. “He hit a little bump in the road, but he’s a tough kid who’s worked hard in the bullpen to work out his problems. “Since the North Florida game he’s been lights out for us. That’s a testament to his character that he had a bad game but he didn’t let it get him down.” Gulf Coast trailed 4-0 after two innings, but a six-run fourth inning turned the tide for good. Kevin Garcia, who was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, stroked a two-run double in the inning to pace the outburst. David Schulze also doubled in a run in the fourth inning and finished with two RBIs. The Commodores added two runs in the fifth inning. O-W answered with three runs in the sixth inning to cap the scoring. Bryam Garcia, recently limited by tendonitis, earned the win with five strikeouts and two walks while allowing seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits. Dayne Cutrell struck out two and gave up no hits in the seventh and eighth innings for an outing which also drew praise from Kandler. Alex Kubal was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored, Scott Beckwith walked twice and scored twice, and Jordan Karcher and Drew Benton (Rutherford) each had an RBI apiece for Gulf Coast. The Commodores’ fourth straight victory was another showing of resiliency by a team dealt a harsh blow by injuries in recent weeks. “There hasn’t been any kind of formula for how we’re winning,” Kandler said. “We’ve just gone out and played hard, and when you do that, you give yourself a chance to win.” Devin Copley will start for Gulf Coast today. He will be pitching on three days rest after starting on Tuesday in a 7-5 win over Tallahassee. “We’ll give the ball to Devin and see how far he can take it,” Kandler said. “Then we’ll turn it over to the bullpen.”
News Herald Article

April 19, 2007
STATE BID DOWN TO GCCC AND PENSACOLA
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Politicians aren’t the only ones embroiled in contentious run-offs. Gulf Coast defeated homestanding Tallahassee 5-4 on Wednesday, assuring that the race for the Panhandle’s second berth in the state junior college baseball tournament now only concerns the Commodores and Pensacola. Both Tallahassee and Okaloosa-Walton were eliminated from playoff contention with Gulf Coast’s victory, the fourth for the Commodores (30-16, 13-10) over the Eagles (30-21, 9-14) this season. Gulf Coast stayed in second place, one game ahead of the Pirates (29-18, 12-11), who defeated O-W 10-1 on Wednesday. The Commodores have two Panhandle games remaining against O-W. Pensacola wraps up its conference slate against last-place North Florida. Gulf Coast used another big inning to defeat Tallahassee. On Tuesday, it was a five-run seventh inning that propelled the Commodores to a 7-5 win. On Wednesday, it was four runs, all unearned, in the sixth inning that swayed the outcome. “This was another huge win for us and it puts us a little bit closer,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. “But we’re still probably going to have to win two more games to get in.” Wednesday’s triumph saw sloppy play from both teams, as each committed four errors. Gulf Coast starter Ryan Fraser wasn’t particularly sharp, walking three and hitting three batters, but he gave Gulf Coast enough through seven innings to achieve the win. Ben Francis (Mosley) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to secure his sixth save. “Yes, it wasn’t pretty, but we sure did play hard again,” Kandler said. “We continued to give ourselves chances to win.” Drew Benton (Rutherford) finished with two RBIs and one of Gulf Coast’s seven hits. Alex Kubal doubled and Jordan Karcher and Jake Sullivan contributed RBIs for the Commodores. Ross Artenio was 2 for 3, Brad Griffiths 2 for 4 and Jeremie Tice scored twice and belted a two-run home run off reliever Dan Jacobs in the eighth inning to cap the scoring. William Jackel took the loss, giving up three unearned runs on one hit with one walk in one inning. Starter Tanner Moore lasted just two innings in the no-decision. Gulf Coast travels to Niceville for a 5 p.m. contest against O-W on Friday.
News Herald Article

April 18, 2007
GULF COAST STILL ALONE IN SECOND
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Tallahassee turned double plays like it was on auto pilot on Tuesday. But it was the one the Eagles failed to convert that led to their demise. A fortuitous play stoked a five-run seventh-inning rally for Gulf Coast, which turned a three-run deficit into a 7-5 win over Tallahassee at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores (29-16, 12-10 Panhandle Conference) remained in control of their destiny in the race for the Panhandle’s second berth in next month’s state tournament. The Eagles (30-20, 9-13) are in need of a miracle with three games to play. With Gulf Coast trailing 5-2 in the seventh, Drew Benton (Rutherford), who was 2 for 4, led off with a single against Tallahassee ace Derrick Conatser. Kevin Garcia dribbled a grounder to Eagles’ second baseman Brandon Sizemore, who pivoted toward second base to start what would have been Tallahassee’s fifth double play. However, Tallahassee shortstop Tyler Phillips’ throw to first base glanced off Benton leaving Garcia at first with one out. Tallahassee players screamed for interference, and Eagles coach Mike McLeod also wanted Benton called out. The umpires conferred and upheld the call. The next six Gulf Coast batters reached and a 5-2 Tallahassee lead was transformed into a 7-5 Gulf Coast advantage. “I think that play really got us going,” said Gulf Coast catcher Jake Sullivan, who was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. “It gave us that jump start we needed and we were able to get the crucial hits against a good pitcher.” Sullivan was the final player to score, coming around after Tallahassee center fielder Chris Borgognoni bobbled the ball on David Schulze’s single. Sullivan also drove in Scott Beckwith with the winning run to continue control of that all-important destiny. “This is the best position for us to be in,” Sullivan said. “This was another one of those games where we just scrapped it out. We keep working hard and playing hard and good things are happening.” Conatser needed some of those good omens. He gave up five hits in the seventh, but scattered six hits over the other seven innings he threw, finishing with two strikeouts and one walk. Only four of his seven runs were earned, thanks to four Tallahassee errors. Gulf Coast’s spurt, paced by Beckwith’s three-run double to tie the game, gave Devin Copley the victory, despite his struggles on the mound. Few of his seven innings were easy, as the Eagles put runners in scoring position in all but one inning. That was in the second, one inning after Tallahassee took a 2-0 lead. Copley worked into trouble again in the third after giving up a two-run home run to Lucas Rutherford, who was 4 for 5 with a triple, homer, two RBIs and two runs. The score was 4-1 at that point and 5-2 in favor of Tallahassee after four innings. Then came the seventh, when the Commodores stole the momentum. Dan Jacobs and Ben Francis (Mosley) each added one inning of relief. Francis gave up two hits, but earned the save after, oddly enough, a game-ending double play. Phillips was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Andrew Schmidt was 2 for 2, hit by pitch once and had two walks and a run for the Eagles. Cory Trudell was 2 for 3 with a walk and run for Gulf Coast, which earned its third win over Tallahassee this season. Three more wins secures a berth in the state tournament.
News Herald Article

April 15, 2007
GULF COAST WALKS PAST CHIPOLA
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Sometimes the best thing a batter can do is nothing. Just watch as the pitches sail by. Gulf Coast players knew when to do that on Saturday as the Commodores beat Chipola 4-3 in a victory that could go a long way toward getting the baseball team to the postseason. Gulf Coast raised its record to 28-16, 11-10 in the Panhandle Conference and in the thick of the race for second place and a berth in the state tournament. Chipola (29-15, 17-4) clinched the conference title with its win over Gulf Coast on Friday. Coupled with Tallahassee’s 7-6 win over Pensacola on Saturday, Gulf Coast took a one-game lead over the Pirates (10-11) for sole possession of second place. “This was a huge win for us,” said Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler. “Again, I attribute it to a group of guys who are just playing as hard as they can.” Trailing 3-0 going into the top of the eighth inning, Gulf Coast turned one hit into four runs by coaxing five walks, three with the bases loaded, and having one hit batter, also with the bases loaded. That’s four RBIs in an inning without hitting a fair ball. “We didn’t hit the ball real well,” Kandler said, “but we took advantage of what they gave us.” Drew Benton (Rutherford) opened the eighth with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Kevin Garcia flied out deep to left, and Cory Trudell’s single, the only hit of the inning and one of two in the game for Gulf Coast, moved Benton to third. Mason Meredeth walked to load the bases. Alex Kubal walked to force in the first run. After Scott Beckwith struck out for the second out, Jake Sullivan was hit by a pitch for the second run. David Schulze and Jordan Karcher followed with RBI walks. Benton then lined out to end the inning. Four runs scored in an inning when the two hardest hit balls resulted in outs. Winning pitcher Dayne Cutrell (3-0) scattered eight hits and two walks over 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five. Ben Francis (Mosley) earned the save, his fourth, by retiring Chipola’s final four batters. He came on in the eighth with runners on second and third with two outs, and induced a groundout. He added two fly-ball outs and a strikeout in the ninth. “Cutrell was absolutely outstanding,” Kandler said. “We’ve been using him out of the bullpen, and he came in and showed what he could do. And when Francis came in, it was game over. His stuff was just outstanding.” Gulf Coast continues conference play at 5 p.m. Tuesday against Tallahassee at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores travel to Tallahassee on Wednesday, and finish the regular season with a two-game series against Okaloosa-Walton in Niceville on Friday and back in Panama City on Saturday.
News Herald Article

April 14, 2007
CHIPOLA CLINCHES TITLE - COMMODORES STILL ALIVE
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Chipola began and ended its quest for the Panhandle Conference baseball championship in the same fashion, with wins against Gulf Coast. The Indians overcame a two-run deficit and surged in the later innings for a 7-3 victory Friday over the Commodores at Bill Frazier Field. The win clinched the Panhandle title for Chipola (29-14, 17-3), which now owns a seven-game lead over the rest of the conference. Gulf Coast is among the pack fighting for second place after falling to 27-16, 10-10. The final meeting between the teams is 1 p.m. today in Marianna. “In my 11 years here I’ve never had a team or I’ve never seen a team lock down this thing so early,” Chipola coach Jeff Johnson said. “I’m proud of our guys getting this done, so we can spend some time working on the little things to get ready for the state tournament.” Gulf Coast remained alive for the conference’s second berth at state. The Commodores are among five teams with that goal heading into the final five games of the season. “We’ll go into the last four games at the worst one game out of the playoffs,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. “If you can guarantee me that for every year for the next 20 years I’ll take it because we’ll get in a lot of times.” A three-run third inning, sparked by solo home runs by Mason Meredeth and Drew Benton (Rutherford), gave Gulf Coast a 3-1 lead for starter Dan Jacobs. Chipola added a single run in fourth, making the score 3-2 until the seventh inning. That’s when the Indians broke through for two runs on Jacobs, who was trying to extend his outing to save an already thin bullpen. Kandler had to pull Jacobs, who gave up 13 hits with three strikeouts and one walk, in the eighth inning following a solo home run by Daniel Renfroe and a single by David Thoms. Reliever Curt Trexler (Bay) did his best to keep Chipola at bay, but the Indians tallied two more runs in the ninth to cap the scoring. They finished with 16 hits. “We’re just simply out of pitching and we have so many injuries,” Kandler said. “But you never like to make excuses, and it wasn’t like we beat ourselves. “Chipola is the class of this conference and they showed that. They beat us.” Kyle Regnault picked up the win in relief of starter Josh Storm (Marianna), tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings, while giving up just two hits. Lou Green pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for the save, including pitching out of a jam in the eighth. “The thing about this team is that I can tell you some of the good things they do and a lot of the bad things they do,” Johnson said. “But they’re all winners. Kyle pitched at his best and Lou pitched at his best. They all played well.” Tom Hatcher led Chipola, finishing 4 for 5 with three RBIs. Thoms was 3 for 5 with an RBI, Brandon Street 2 for 3 with a run, Renfroe 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs and Trey Manz doubled and scored a run. Gulf Coast had nobody with multiple hits. The Commodores expended four of their six hits in the third inning, fading down the stretch with only five baserunners in the final six innings. Kandler said Gulf Coast fought as hard as it could to stay in the game. Although they have been ravaged by injuries, the Commodores have managed to win four of their last six conference games to remain in contention. Nearly two weeks ago, following a 5-4 loss to North Florida, Kandler said Gulf Coast didn’t resemble a team that deserved to be in Winter Haven for the state tournament. On Friday, he said the Commodores are turning the corner. “We’re getting a lot closer to that kind of effort,” Kandler said. “We’ve grown up over the last week and a half or so. “I’ve seen a change in a lot of our players. They’re starting to give their best efforts. And it’s really rewarding when you see that guys are beginning to give you their all.”
News Herald Article

April 13, 2007
GULF COAST WINS, "TOTAL TEAM EFFORT"
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Kevin Garcia doubled home two runs in the top of the ninth inning as Gulf Coast beat Pensacola 10-8 on Thursday to give the Commodores a one-game lead over the Pirates in the battle for second place in the Panhandle Conference. On a day when a patchwork pitching staff allowed 13 hits and lost a threerun lead in the eighth inning, Gulf Coast’s hitters “did a great job,” said head coach Mike Kandler. Up and down the lineup, the Commodores got contributions. “You couldn’t single out one guy,” Kandler said. “There were a bunch of guys who decided” they wanted a victory in a key game. With the win, Gulf Coast (27-15 overall) edged a game over .500 in Panhandle games with a 10-9 record. Pensacola dropped to 9-10 in conference games. It easily could have gone the other way. Thanks to a pair of solo home runs and another run that scored on an error, Pensacola scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the score at 8. “There were a hundred different times we could have given up, but we kept fighting,” Kandler said. “This was maybe our best total team effort of the year.” Garcia, who drove in the winning runs, had two hits and three RBIs. Mason Meredeth was 3 for 6 with a double, Alex Kubal had two hits and two RBIs, David Schulze hit a threerun home run in the first inning, Jake Sullivan had two hits, and Jordan Karcher doubled. Gulf Coast finished with 14 hits. Ben Francis (Mosley) was the winning pitcher with two innings of relief. Ryan Fraser started and was relieved in the seventh inning by Dayne Cutrell. Gulf Coast returns to conference play at 5 p.m. today at Bill Frazier Field against league-leading Chipola.
News Herald Article

April 12, 2007
KARCHER, FCCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TALLAHASSEE, FL (Rob Chaney ) - Gulf Coast Community College’s Jordan Karcher is this week’s FCCAA Baseball Player of the Week. Karcher, a sophomore outfielder from Pittsburgh, Pa., batted .473 (9-for-19) during the Commodores’ five games last week, including a pair of dramatic home runs. Against North Florida on April 3, he hit a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Then, against Tallahassee on April 6, his walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth gave Gulf Coast a 20-19 victory. For the week, Karcher scored six times and reached base 15 times in 25 plate appearances (nine hits, two walks, hit by pitch four times).

April 12, 2007
YODICE TREADS FATHERS PATH
DAILY COLLEGIAN (By Jon Blau /Collegian Staff Writer ) - Former Gulf Coast Catcher and now Penn State Catcher Rob Yodice was recently interviewed by Jon Blau, Collegian Staff Witer for the Daily Collegian.

Taking after his father, Penn State catcher Robert Yodice Jr. has both the pedigree and the talent to stand behind home plate and don the catcher's mask. - It's pronounced "Yo-diss" for many of the same reasons a heavy Brooklyn-Staten Island accent changes "watt-err" into "wood-ah." If everything were correct, it would be "Iodice," or "I-O-deech-A," as Robert Yodice Sr. explains it. Upon arriving from Italy, his father, who didn't speak English, accepted an ill-placed slash on his surname from immigration officials. The "I" became a "Y." It was transformed and carried on by Yodice Sr. and passed on to Robert Yodice, a catcher for the Penn State baseball team. The name has become very American. When the public address announcer at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park calls up Yodice, cueing hip-hop artist Jim Jones' "We Fly High," Penn State students do a basketball-like follow-through and imitate the lyrics saying, "Ballin'. " It's a street-wise flavor that complement's Yodice's silver chain, his short hair, a barrel-chested strut, the stereotypical accent. But his 5-foot-10, 200-pound build says he's not throwing up jump shots. He's trying to jack a homer. "It gets me pumped up," Yodice said. "You know, we fly high, go up there and give it your shot." The song brings up to bat an only child, whose mother died when he was three. His father, an ex-professional ballplayer, raised him alone, the only way he knew how. It calls to the box someone spoon-fed the game his entire life. Yodice's grandfather, who had five other kids, knew nothing about Yodice Sr.'s blossoming talent until Yankee great Yogi Berra was in their home. Ask Yodice about his father, and he'll reference the first-pick label as if it's written on the family crest. In 1965, Yodice Sr., also a catcher, became the first overall pick of the New York Mets in the August Legion phase of the first-ever Major League Baseball Draft. Yodice Sr. became a pro straight out of Lafayette High School in Brooklyn. "I had just turned 17, going to my first big league camp," Yodice Sr. said, "and I'm walking into a clubhouse where guys are 37, 36, 28, and I'm saying to myself, 'Where are all the 19-year-old guys?' " Yodice can tell you that his dad could have vied with Jerry Grote for the job as starting Mets catcher, as he moved through the minors with roommate and future Cy Young winner Nolan Ryan.

For the complete Article click here:    The Daily Collegian

April 12, 2007
IGNITING A SPARK
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast needed a spark on Wednesday, and it came from Devin Copley and Scott Beckwith. Copley scattered seven hits in a victory, and Beckwith was 3 for 4 with two runs scored, accounting for nearly half the Commodores’ hits in a 7-2 win over Pensacola at Bill Frazier Field. Gulf Coast improved to 26-15 overall and 9-9 in the Panhandle Conference, pulling into a second-place tie with the Pirates (26-18, 9-9). Beckwith notched hits in his first three at-bats, including a double to lead off the fourth inning. He scored his second run of the game in the frame, giving Gulf Coast a 3-1 lead. He also scored the Commodores’ second run in the first. Gulf Coast led 2-0 after one inning and coasted behind Copley. “To get a win in the first game of a two-game series is huge because you can have all the momentum going into the next game,” Beckwith said. “If we can take Game 2 from them, we’ll be in a good spot.” The final game of the five-game season series is today at 5 p.m. in Pensacola. It’s a makeup game for both teams, as the original start on Tuesday was postponed due to rain. That means Gulf Coast must quickly regroup with what is becoming a patchwork lineup. The list of recent injuries includes pitchers Bryam Garcia, held out of a possible start today with tendonitis, and Kyle Mitchell (Mosley), along with Kevin Garcia and Bay graduate Cody Chizmar, who is out for the season with a left leg injury. Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said Wednesday’s win was another display of “playing tough baseball through the adversity.” He added that keeping pace for second place and the conference’s second berth in the state tournament was vital. “It’s a race for second place, and we all know that,” said Kandler, whose Commodores trail Chipola by 6½ games. “Everyone is still in it, and though it’s cliché, we’re taking it one game at a time.” Copley (7-2) made sure Gulf Coast was on the better end of the score Wednesday, finishing with nine strikeouts and five walks in eight innings pitched. Ben Francis (Mosley) retired the last three batters of the game after Copley put baserunners on first and second with no outs in the ninth. The Pirates drew as close as 2-1 in the second inning, but Copley held them hitless in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings while the Commodores forged a 5-1 advantage. Alex Kubal was the only other Gulf Coast player with multiple hits, finishing 2 for 4 with two runs. David Schulze added a double and a running catch near the left-field fence to keep Chris Morris off the basepaths in the sixth inning.
News Herald Article

April 8, 2007
TALLAHASSEE TOO MUCH FOR GULF COAST
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast had an expected letdown on Saturday in a 5-4 loss at Tallahassee following a marathon junior college baseball game a night earlier. The Commodores managed just four hits in the loss after hammering 22 on Friday. “I really thought we fought as hard as we could, but we didn’t have a whole lot of energy,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. “It really was a wellplayed game on both sides for the most part; we just ran out of gas.” Tyler Phillips drove in Jeremie Tice with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Eagles (28-17, 7-10 Panhandle Conference) tied the game; 4-4 in the seventh. Jordan Karcher and Cory Trudell accounted for the Commodores’ four hits, as each had two, including a double by Trudell. Dan Jacobs took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Ben Francis (Mosley) finished up on the mound for the Commodores (25-15, 8-9). Glen Lemke earned the win in relief of starter Ross Gusky and Andrew Schmidt was 2 for 4 with two RBIs for Tallahassee. The loss dropped Gulf Coast into third place in the conference, one game behind Pensacola and one game ahead of Tallahassee and Okaloosa-Walton, both tied for fourth. First place always is more appealing, but Kandler said Gulf Coast remains in a prime position to gain one of two conference berths and advance to the state tournament. “Winning this series (against Tallahassee) was big and that was the goal entering the weekend,” Kandler said. “We have eight games left and still have a lot to play for.” The Commodores return to Panhandle play at Pensacola on Tuesday.
News Herald Article

April 7, 2007
GCCC CLAIMS WILD VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - On a night with weather best suited for football, Gulf Coast’s junior college baseball game against Tallahassee played out like it was indeed contested on the gridiron. It was as if Tallahassee had kicked a 65-yard field goal with one second remaining, only to have Gulf Coast return the next squib kickoff for a touchdown after 20 laterals. Tallahassee’s Chris Borgognoni played the role of the placekicker, while Gulf Coast’s Jordan Karcher was the last to cross the goal line. Karcher’s two-run, walkoff home run in the 10th inning lifted the Commodores to a 20-19 victory at Bill Frazier Field, helping them improve to 25-14 overall and 8-8 in the Panhandle Conference. He finished 4 for 5 on the night, notching hits in his final four at-bats. The homer capped an improbable comeback, though not nearly as impossible as the one Tallahassee achieved just one inning before. The Eagles (27-17, 6-10) continually staved off the run rule and scored seven runs in the ninth inning to tie the game 18-18. The last four runs came on Borgognoni’s grand slam off relief pitcher Dayne Cutrell, who placed his hands on his head in disbelief of what occurred. Riding the momentum, Tallahassee scored one run in its half of the 10th to move ahead 19-18. Pinch hitter Kevin Garcia reached with a single to open Gulf Coast’s half of the 10th. Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler then told Karcher to swing away. “The bunt was off and we wanted to see if Karcher could hit it into the wind and make something happen,” Kandler said. “We didn’t want to go out for another inning of defense.” He didn’t have to worry about that, as Karcher deposited Tyler Phillips’ offering over the left-centerfield fence. Karcher was mobbed at home plate, erasing the memory of the Eagles’ miraculous ninth inning. “Nineteen runs weren’t enough,” Karcher said. “Somebody had to score 20 to win and it was us.” The teams combined for 43 hits and six errors, including four committed by Tallahassee. Gulf Coast’s biggest error came in the ninth, when third baseman Scott Beckwith misplayed a pop up to load the bases for Borgognoni. In basic terms, the win was less than perfect. In Karcher’s mind it was nothing but. “There’s no such thing as a sloppy win,” Karcher said. Kandler couldn’t define the game, either. He walked off the field with a shrug of his shoulders and sat down in the dugout to rest after the 4 hour, 30 minute marathon. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” Kandler said. “There must have been a full moon out or this was nickel beer night or something crazy like that.” Beckwith led the hit parade, finishing 5 for 7. Mason Meredeth was 3 for 6 with two runs scored, Alex Kubal 3 for 7 with a double and two RBIs, Jake Sullivan 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, and David Schulze 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI for the Commodores. Mosley graduate Ben Francis took the win, pitching the final inning while giving up one run on two hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Starter Bryam Garcia tossed 3 2/3 innings for the no-decision. Lucas Rutherford paced Tallahassee, finishing 5 for 7 with a double, triple, four runs and two RBIs. Lee Campbell and Jeremie Tice had three hits apiece, Brenton Goebel was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Rheed Baldwin 2 for 5 with a double, three runs and an RBI for the Eagles. These teams complete a three-game series today at 1 p.m. CDT in Tallahassee. Kandler hopes the outcome is a little less of a chore to keep track of. “We needed a staff of highly trained accountants to figure this one out,” Kandler said.
News Herald Article

April 6, 2007
SCHULZE, BECKWITH POWER GULF COAST
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast’s David Schulze and Scott Beckwith each had three hits as the Commodores blasted Tallahassee 12-4 on Thursday in a Panhandle Conference baseball game. Gulf Coast (24-14 overall, 7-8 in the conference) hosts Tallahassee tonight at Frazier Field beginning at 5 p.m. The teams return to Tallahassee for a 1 p.m. CDT game at Eagle Field on Saturday. The Commodores had 13 hits including a basesclearing triple by Schulze in the fourth inning that put Gulf Coast ahead to stay. Schulze finished with five RBIs and two runs scored. Other leading hitters for GC included Drew Benton (Rutherford), 1 for 3 with three runs scored, Beckwith scored three runs in addition to his three hits, Jake Sullivan was 2 for 4 with an RBI, Jordan Karcher had an RBI double, Mason Meredeth was 1 for 3 with two RBIs and Cory Trudell added an RBI single. “We hit the ball a lot better,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. Kandler said assistant coach Steve Merchant “did a great job with the hitters, getting back to fundamentals” during practice on Wednesday. Right-hander Devin Copley (6-2) scattered nine hits, struck out seven and walked three. “Copley battled like he always does,” Kandler said. Copley, who struck out the side in the fourth after the Commodores had taken a 8-3 lead, battled out of a jam in the seventh inning. The Eagles had two runners on with no outs, but the Commodores turned a 6-4-3 double play and Copley coaxed a flyout to right field to end the game. Tallahassee is 27-16 overall and 6-9 in the conference.
News Herald Article

April 4, 2007
COMMODORES LOOSE IN 14 TO SENTINALS
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - In Madison, Gulf Coast relief pitcher Ryan Fraser took the loss as Liberty County graduate Kurt Lewis drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning. Gulf Coast needed a two-run home run by Jordan Karcher in the ninth to tie the game 2-2. David Schulze and Jake Sullivan were each 3 for 6 for the Commodores (23-14, 6-8). Kyle Mitchell (Mosley) earned a nodecision after giving up two earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk in seven innings pitched. Gulf Coast travels to Tallahassee on Thursday for the first contest of a three-game weekend series.

April 3, 2007
COMMODORES FALL TO NORTH FLORIDA
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast pitcher Ben Francis was called upon to get one out in relief. He faced three North Florida batters. He hit all three, enabling two runs to score. And those runs were the difference in the Sentinels’ 5-4 victory over Gulf Coast Monday night at Bill Frazier Field. The loss dropped Gulf Coast to 23-13 overall and 6-7 in the Panhandle Conference, putting the Commodores into a four-way tie for second place behind Chipola. Cellar-dwelling North Florida improved to 21-19, 4-9. The Sentinels tied the season series with one game remaining against the Commodores today at 1 p.m. CDT in Madison. Francis, a Mosley graduate, came on in the eighth inning in relief of losing pitcher Dan Jacobs, who settled down after giving up two runs in the first inning. Baserunners stood at first and second base as the sidearm-throwing Francis hit J.R. Myers with his first pitch to load the bases. Jeremy Slutzky worked into a 3-0 count and was hit on the fourth pitch as Aaron Patterson scored. Standing at first base, Slutzky instructed Ben Adelburg to “Let him hit you.” Francis hit Adelburg with his second pitch to plate Ryan Stovall. Francis was replaced by Ryan Fraser, who gave up Aziel Shea’s single to give North Florida a 5-2 advantage. “He (Francis) didn’t come in to get outs, he came in to get an out,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. “His job was to get one out and he never threw a strike. There’s your ballgame.”
News Herald Article

April 1, 2007
COMMODORES CRUISE TO EVEN CONFERENCE MARK
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - A step back on Friday was met with two steps forward on Saturday. Gulf Coast defeated Pensacola 9-1 in a junior college baseball game at Bill Frazier Field that was shortened to seven innings by the run rule. The victory came a day after the Commodores (23-12, 6-6 Panhandle Conference) were blasted by the Pirates (23-15, 6-6) in Pensacola. Both teams now sit in a jumbled mess in the middle of the standings. Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler hopes it’s the Commodores who will break away from the pack, but it will take consistency, he said. “There’s a lot of teams still fighting for this thing,” Kandler said. “Consistency is the only thing that will help because the team that can find that consistency will be in the best position for the playoff spot.” The Commodores scored four runs in the first inning and added two more in the fourth and three in the sixth to snatch the three-game weekend series from Pensacola. Gulf Coast enters next week at .500 in the conference, with five games in six days awaiting the Commodores. Saturday’s victory followed another long team meeting late Friday night, where Kandler said the Commodores remained committed to push forward through adversity. “A lot of the talk wasn’t from me, it was them telling me that they won’t quit,” Kandler said. “It’s always reassuring to know that they won’t give up on you at any point.” Scott Beckwith was 4 for 4 with three runs scored, Alex Kubal 3 for 4 with a double and three runs and Jake Sullivan 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run to help Gulf Coast win its fourth conference game in the last five contests. Bryam Garcia turned in another fine pitching performance, holding Pensacola to four hits and one run with six strikeouts and one walk in improving to 5-0. The Pirates touched Garcia for their lone run on two hits in their first at-bats. He held them to two hits the rest of the way. “Bryam Garcia is as competitive a person as you’ll find anywhere,” Kandler said. “He’s the kind of guy who will go out and give you a great effort each time.” Garcia’s counterpart, Jordan Poirrier, lasted just four innings after surrendering six runs, five earned, on nine hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Gulf Coast set the tone early against Poirrier, sending nine batters to the plate and opening the game with a 4-1 lead. The first three batters of the sixth inning, Kubal, Beckwith and Sullivan, all scored off Pensacola reliever Todd Stannard to help Gulf Coast qualify for the run rule. Garcia retired the side in order to end the game. Gulf Coast next plays North Florida to wrap up the season series against the Sentinels on Monday and Tuesday. Monday’s contest is at 5 p.m. in Panama City. The Sentinels have returned to form, playing competitively and springing a few upsets. Kandler expects North Florida to do the same in the final 13 games of the conference schedule. “They’ll win some games, that’s for sure,” Kandler said. “Hopefully it won’t be against us.”
News Herald Article

March 31, 2007
GC MAKES SIX ERRORS IN LOSS TO PJC
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Gulf Coast made six errors, its pitchers issued five walks and allowed 10 hits, and the result was what you’d expect from those numbers, a 10-2 loss to Pensacola on Friday. “We played very poor defense,” said Commodores coach Mike Kandler, “and the pitching wasn’t very good. It wasn’t a real good combination.” The loss dropped Gulf Coast to 22-12 overall, 5-6 in Panhandle Conference baseball games. Starting pitcher Ryan Fraser (2-4) took the loss, allowing two hits and three walks, while striking out one, in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs, just two of them earned. Relievers Curt Trexler and Dayne Cutrell didn’t fare any better. Cutrell allowed eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Pensacola scored single runs in the first and second innings, and added three in the third to take a 5-0 lead. Gulf Coast scored both of its runs in the fifth inning on sacrifice flies by Mason Meredith and Alex Kubal. Pensacola responded with another run in the fifth inning and four more in the eighth. Drew Benton led Gulf Coast with two hits. The two teams meet in the rubber match of a three-game series at 1 p.m. today at Bill Frazier Field. Gulf Coast won the first game of the series 1-0 on Thursday. “We just come out and try to pick it back up,” Kandler said Friday night. “The one positive is … that it’s only one loss. If we win tomorrow, we win the series.”
News Herald Article

March 30, 2007
ONE RUN WAS ENOUGH
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - All Devin Copley asked for was one run. His Gulf Coast teammates obliged. With one run. In the final inning. Copley tossed a four-hitter, striking out 14 and walking just one Pensacola batter in a 1-0 victory Thursday at Bill Frazier Field. Copley improved to 5-2 with his most dominant outing during Panhandle Conference play. “I knew that if they could get me one run when I was throwing like I was that we wouldn’t lose,” Copley said. “Especially with the way our defense played, with no errors in the game.” Copley’s pleading was answered when Mason Meredeth’s dribbler to Pensacola shortstop Brett Bowen with the bases loaded was hit too weakly for him to make a play at the plate on Jordan Karcher. The ball bounced in front of Pensacola catcher Yariel Soto, Karcher popped up from his slide and the celebration was on for the Commodores (22-11, 5-5). “There’s nothing better than a 1-0 pitchers’ duel,” Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. “The fans really got their money’s worth.”
News Herald Article

March 25, 2007
COMMODORES TAKE SERIES FROM THE SENTINALS
GCATHLETICS.COM - The Gulf Coast Commodores won two out of three conference games from the North Florida Sentinals this past weekend. The Commodores lost game 1 (6-5): Jake Sullivan, was 3 for 4 with a run scored, and Alex Kubal was 2 for 3 on the day. In game 2, the Commodores defeated the Sentinals 10-2. The Commodores received a clutch pitching performance from reliever Ryan Fraser, who was thrust into the game when starter Kevin Garcia exited with an arm injury in the second inning. Fraser (2-3) scattered four hits, yielding two runs with four strikeouts and three walks over six innings. In game 3, the Commodores blasted the sentinals for 17 hits. The victory lifts the Commodores to 21-11 overall and 4-5 in the Panhandle Conference. It’s Gulf Coast’s second straight series win, having taken two of three from North Florida, and its fourth win in the last six conference games after starting 0-3. Bryam Garcia (4-0) allowed three hits and four walks, while striking out four, in five innings. Reliever Ben Francis (Mosley) earned the save, pitching the final four innings and allowing four hits and one walk, while striking out six. Alex Kubal, Jake Sullivan, Drew Benton (Rutherford) and Cory Trudell all had three hits against North Florida. Kubal also scored three runs, doubled, hit his second home run of the season and drove in three runs. Sullivan had three runs, a triple and an RBI. Benton had two doubles and four RBIs. David Schulze added two doubles and drove in a run. For the weekend, the Commodores improved to 21-11 overall and 4-5 in the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast hosts Pensacola at 5 p.m. Thursday in the first of a three-game series. The two teams will play in Pensacola on Friday and back home on Saturday.
News Herald  03-22-07       News Herald  03-23-07       News Herald  03-24-07

March 21, 2007
FCCAA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
TALLAHASSEE, FL (Rob Chaney ) - Gulf Coast Community College’s Bryam Garcia is this week’s FCCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week. Garcia, a first-year right-hander from Dunedin, Fla., posted a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA last week for the Commodores. On March 13, he pitched the final 3.1 innings in relief to earn the victory in Gulf Coast’s 14-13 win over Wallace-Dothan. On Sunday, against then-No. 7 Okaloosa-Walton, Garcia turned in a complete game three-hit, nine-strikeout performance in the Commodores’ 5-1 victory. For the week, Garcia pitched a total of 12.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three walks (0.89 WHIP) while striking out 12.

	Bryam Garcia	ERA	W	L	GP	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	2B	3B	HR
	Season Totals:	1.77	3	0	13	2	1	0	2	40.2	39	13	8	10	30	0	0	2

March 19, 2007
GARCIA PITCHES CONFERENCE GEM
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Bryam Garcia threw a complete game and struck out nine as the Gulf Coast baseball team beat Okaloosa-Walton 5-1 on Sunday at Bill Frazier Field. Garcia allowed one unearned run, which gave OWC a 1-0 lead in the third inning, allowing just three hits and three walks. “Garcia was absolutely awesome,” said Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler. “We needed him to be good and he was unbelievably good.” It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Commodores, who had lost to the Raiders 13-1 on Saturday. Another loss and Gulf Coast (19-10, 2-4 Panhandle Conference) would have been looking at a huge hole in the battle for a league championship or postseason berth. Garcia didn’t allow a run in the final six innings, as his teammates chipped away at OWC. “After getting embarrassed yesterday, our kids came out today and really played hard and competed,” Kandler said. Gulf Coast tied the score in the fifth inning. Kevin Garcia singled, went to second on Cory Trudell’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Alex Kubal’s two-out double. An inning later, Gulf Coast took the lead. Jordan Karcher doubled and scored on Drew Benton’s single. The Commodores finally got some breathing room in the eighth inning. Jake Sullivan doubled off the rightcenter field wall and scored when David Schulz’ grounded to second base and the OWC throw to first sailed into the Gulf Coast dugout. Trudell then hit a two-out, two-run home run, scoring Alan Mason, who ran for Schulz. Scott Beckwith had two hits for the Commodores. Gulf Coast returns to Panhandle Conference action on Thursday at 5 p.m. against North Florida at Bill Frazier Field.
News Herald Article

March 18, 2007
OWC POUNDS GCCC
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast dropped to 18-10 overall and 1-4 in the Panhandle Conference following a 13-1 loss to Okaloosa-Walton on Saturday in a junior college baseball game played at Bill Frazier Field. The Raiders (20-9, 4-1) rapped out 19 hits and scored six runs in the top of the ninth to put the finishing touches on the rout. Gulf Coast had just seven hits. Dan Jacobs took the loss, giving up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Ben Francis (Mosley) then gave up seven earned runs in four innings before Curt Trexler (Bay) finished up for Gulf Coast. Cody Chizmar (Bay) had two hits to lead the Commodores offense. These teams wrap up the weekend series today at 1 p.m in Panama City.
News Herald Article

March 17, 2007
GC GETS FIRST CONFERENCE WIN
FLORIDA FREEDOM NEWS (Randy Dickson ) - Okaloosa-Walton pitcher Terrell Stringer and Gulf Coast’s Devin Copley locked up in an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel on Friday. Stringer, a freshman from Phenix City, Ala., went the distance, throwing a five-hitter while striking out eight Commodore batters and not allowing an earned run. Copley was equally impressive in Gulf Coast’s 2-1 victory, the team’s first this season in the Panhandle Conference. He went all nine innings and held the Raiders to three hits and one earned run while fanning seven. But the Raiders made four errors — three of which led to a pair of Gulf Coast runs. The loss ended OWC’s eight-game winning streak. Gulf Coast leadoff batter Mason Meredeth started the game by grounding to third. Sean Stuyverson fielded the ball nicely. But a bad throw got away from first baseman Burt Reynolds and Meredeth took second on the play. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly later, Meredith scored. Stuyverson’s rough day in the field continued in the sixth when a Jordan Karcher grounder went through his legs for his third error of the day. Karcher moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a base hit to right field by Jake Sullivan. OWC right fielder Micah Tipton charged the ball and was set to come up throwing, but he overran the ball for the second Raider error of the inning. Karcher scored without a throw. The Raiders (19-9, 3-1) answered with their only run in the bottom of the sixth as Stuyverson reached on a double when Karcher misplayed a ball in right field. Stuyverson scored from second on a Tyler Slocum single to pull OWC within a run. But that was all the offense the Raiders would muster. Copley retired the last 10 OWC batters to close out the game. Copley did not allow an OWC leadoff hitter to reach base in any inning.
News Herald Article

March 14, 2007
COMMODORES COME BACK TO BEAT WALLACE
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast rallied from two large deficits to claim a 14-13 win Tuesday over Wallace State-Dothan in junior college baseball. The Commodores (17-9) trailed 6-0 after two innings and 9-4 after five, but a five-run sixth tied the game and Cory Trudell and Mason Meredeth scored in the seventh inning to give Gulf Coast the lead. The Governors posted a late rally of their own, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but they could not complete the comeback against relief pitcher Bryam Garcia. Garcia earned the win, giving up five hits and four unearned runs with three strikeouts and no walks in 3 1/3 innings. Dayne Cutrell started for Gulf Coast and lasted just 1 2/3 innings after giving up six runs on nine hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Mosley graduate Kyle Mitchell tossed four innings in relief. Trudell was 4 for 4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs to pace the Commodores. Alex Kubal was 3 for 5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, Cody Chizmar (Bay) 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, David Schulze 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Drew Benton (Rutherford) 2 for 5 with an RBI and Scott Beckwith added a double, three RBIs and two runs. Bay graduates Jonathan Eaves and Cody Shields had two hits each for the Governors, while Eaves scored three runs. Gulf Coast returns to Panhandle Conference play against Okaloosa-Walton at 5 p.m. Thursday at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores seek their first conference win after starting 0-3. O-W opened the conference season with a threegame sweep of North Florida.
News Herald Article

March 13, 2007
SEAL AND LESTER TO JOIN COMMODORES
DAILY NEWS (Brandon Walker ) - Standing tall on the mound, no one has ever needed to question the arm of Charlie Lester. Nor should they question his intelligence -- especially when it comes to picking friends. A three-year star for Franklinton High School, Lester has accumulated a 1.66 ERA and 23 career wins for the Demons, helping lead the team to back-to-back appearances in the 3A State Semifinals. Through all he has learned on the baseball field, Lester learned early in life the value of picking the right friends. "I was always kind of small, so I liked to hang out with big guys," Lester remarked recently. "I just always seemed to be around bigger kids, and I just acted like I was that size." Perhaps that's why, in seventh grade, Lester quickly became friends with a towering transfer from Bogalusa. "I remember when Lee came over in seventh garde, we've been friends," Lester said. "That's how it's always going to be." And that's how it will be for at least the next two years. On Wednesday, Lester and long-time pal Lee Seal, both senior standouts for Franklinton, signed on the dotted line to continue their stellar baseball careers at Gulf Coast Community College, one of the most respected two-yearstops in the ranks of junior college baseball. "It's an honor to be able to go to a place like Gulf Coast," Seal said. "It's one of the elite junior college programs in the country. To be able to go there with Charlie is a bonus." Surrounded by family, friends, and teammates in the Franklinton High School cafetria, Seal and Lester announced their intentions to attend the Panama City institution to a rousing reception. Passing the microphone, countless supporters shared kind words about the Demon duo, including Franklinton head coach Jeff Tageant. "The thing about Lee and Charlie is dedication. Their talent is obvious, but they know the value of going the extra mile, and they lead by example," Tageant commented. "Guys like Lee and Charlie make coaching easy. It has been a pleasure getting to work with them."
Daily News Article

March 12, 2007
CHIPOLA SWEEPS COMMODORES
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Trey Manz’ grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning put the final punctuation mark on Chipola’s three-game sweep of Gulf Coast — ending Sunday’s game by run rule, 13-5. The loss drops Gulf Coast (16-9) to 0-3 in the Panhandle Conference, while Chipola (15-10) starts 3-0. Tom Hatcher led Chipola, going 2 for 3 with a two-out, tworun home run in the first inning. Chipola built a 4-1 lead, but Gulf Coast tied it on Drew Benton’s three-run home run in the fourth inning. The teams traded runs with Gulf Coast scoring on Alex Kubal’s RBI single in the top of the sixth that tied the score at 5. Chipola scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, two on bases-loaded walks, and added five more in the seventh. Kevin McCoy was the winning pitcher, earning his second victory in three days.
News Herald Article

March 11, 2007
COMMODORES FALL TO 0-2
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Jeff Johnson and his Chipola baseball team doesn’t shy away from making a statement, especially when it comes at the expense of rival Gulf Coast. The Indians improved to 2-0 in the Panhandle Conference with a 7-4 victory Saturday over homestanding Gulf Coast at Bill Frazier Field. Chipola came out on top in the battle of freshman pitchers, as the Commodores fell to 16-8 overall and 0-2 in the conference. Gulf Coast starter Dan Jacobs shrugged off a shaky first inning to keep the Commodores in the game. They were able to rally behind their freshman, but when they drew closer, the Indians (14-10, 2-0) pulled away for the second straight game. Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler shuffled his defensive alignment in hopes of curtailing the error problem that arose Friday in Marianna. There were no errors at the new positions, including Mason Meredeth in center field. However, regular shortstop Cory Trudell committed an error and catcher Jake Sullivan dropped the ball on a sure tag out in the first inning.
News Herald Article

March 10, 2007
ERRORS COSTLY IN OPENER
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - A problem that plagued Chipola in recent weeks shifted to Gulf Coast at the worst time Friday night. The Commodores committed three errors, all of which soon led to Indian runs as Chipola opened the Panhandle Conference schedule with a 6-3 victory. Two errors proved especially costly, turning a 3-3 tie into a 5-3 Chipola advantage. The cushion was all relief pitcher Kevin McCoy needed to stifle the Commodores (16-7, 0-1) and give his team a needed boost of confidence. “Winning the first game is huge because we started 0-3 and 1-4 last season,” Chipola coach Jeff Johnson said. “Plus, we just haven’t been playing well, and I was really proud of our guys for playing good defense behind our pitcher to come up with this win.”
News Herald Article

March 6, 2007
COMMODORES OPEN CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast’s days of sneaking up on everyone are in the past. Last season, the Commodores shared the Panhandle Conference baseball title with Chipola College in coach Mike Kandler’s first year. Gulf Coast finished 40-10 overall and 20-5 in the Panhandle, qualifying for the state tournament for the first time since 1998. Gulf Coast and Chipola surged to the top of the conference standings as the rest of the league faded, many teams sooner than usual. Adding to the unusual season was North Florida’s winless conference mark. Although not a perennial contender, the Sentinels routinely played the role of spoiler and their poor showing helped skew the standings. Kandler doesn’t expect a repeat in 2007. “Last year was one of the strangest years because we (Gulf Coast and Chipola) pulled away from everybody else and that’s nowhere near normal,” Kandler said Monday. “This year, I think things will return to normal because all of the teams that were down have improved. “It’s going to be the typical dogfight. The team that wins the championship will be the one who stayed in the fight the longest.” Gulf Coast (16-6) opens the conference schedule against Chipola in Marianna on Friday. The Commodores defeated the Indians four times last season. Chipola lost only one game against the rest of the conference. Sophomore Devin Copley will start for Gulf Coast. He has become the ace pitcher Kandler sought prior to the season, starting 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA, 35 strikeouts and eight walks in 32 1/3 innings. Copley is one of five Commodore pitchers with two or more victories. Gulf Coast entered the week with a .349 team batting average, led by Cody Chizmar (Bay) at .487. All but three players have hit home runs. Defensively Gulf Coast has a .960 fielding percentage, with Chizmar yet to commit an error at first base in 167 chances. The top two teams in the conference advance to the FCCAA state tournament May 3-8 in Winter Haven.
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March 6, 2007
GULF COAST DEFEATS KANKAKEE
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Gulf Coast built an early lead against Kankakee, but a fourrun top of the seventh turned a potential blowout into a close game. Leading 6-1 after six innings, Kyle Mitchell (Mosley) lasted just 2/3 inning while giving up four runs on three hits with one strikeout and one walk. Dayne Cutrell and Ben Francis (Mosley) combined to hold Kankakee to three hits and no runs in the final 2 1/3 innings. Francis picked up his second save after yielding one hit with two strikeouts and one walk. Cody Chizmar again led the offense, finishing 2 for 4 with a home run, double and two runs scored. Kevin Garcia drove in two runs, Mason Meredeth, Alex Kubal and Jake Sullivan each had a double and an RBI and Scott Beckwith and Jordan Karcher had an RBI apiece. Gulf Coast starting pitcher Ryan Fraser (1-3) picked up his first win. He gave up three hits and one earned run with four strikeouts and three walks in a confidence-boosting start, according to Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler. “He pitched really well tonight,” Kandler said. “He threw five really strong innings and looked a lot better, which is a plus for him.”
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