Scott Turner
In Motion Staff Writer
The Daytona State College men’s baseball team completes their fall season as a well-oiled machine, coming together and scoring some memorable victories.
The 2014-2015 Daytona State Falcons Baseball Team is ready, willing and able to take on all competition.
‘I think these guys are students first and then athletes, and that’s the right way to do it.’
—Tim Touma
“We usually start the fall with around 35 players, then bring it down to 25 for the spring. About midway through the fall, we realized that the freshmen were doing a good job. When we started blending them into the team they were able to pick up everything quickly. The team has the right make and work ethic to be good.” Touma said.
Austin Marrs, infielder, is one of the returning sophomores and is highly optimistic about the way the team has been shaping up.
“We’re doing really well, we have a lot of nice hitters and good freshmen. The team has really come together with the new players.” Marrs said.
Johnny Ortiz, returning pitcher, also spoke highly of the way the team is shaping up.
“I think that off the field everyone has a strong bond, we all look to each other as friends. On the field, we’ve been able to bring in some hitters and pitchers to fill the roles we need, and this team has a lot better attitude and ability compared to some previous ones.” Ortiz said.
The team has also had several notable successes that stood out in the minds of the players.
“We had several memorable moments this season. We had three weeks in a row where we had 20 hits as a team, that was a good run. We also beat Florida State College, Jacksonville, and they’re one of our conference rivals, so it’s definitely a boost of confidence knowing that we beat them in the fall.” Ortiz said.
The team is shaping up in the eyes of the coach and players, but there is more to the team than just their performance on the field.
“It’s not just about the game, the rest of the time the players must be good students and good people on and off the field. Last semester we won the National Academic Team of the Year in Baseball. That means that we had the highest GPA out of every two year college in the country. I think these guys are students first and then athletes, and that’s the right way to do it.” Touma said.
In addition to the regular games, a special exhibition game called Fall All-Star Showcase was held to recognize the top players in the Florida region and give them a chance to play in front of college and major league scouts from all over the country. Falcon’s Baseball was well represented, with Johnny Ortiz, Phoenix Sanders, Austin Marrs, Luke Johnston, Shane Swanson, and Joe Shue named to the showcase.
Falcons Baseball will begin their spring season games on Jan 21 with a scrimage game against Embry-Riddle University at Embry-Riddle, then follow it up with a Jan 24 game versus IMG academy at Daytona State’s main campus. A full schedule for the spring games can be found at www.daytonastate.edu/baseball/schedulespring.html.