Three Local Prep Stars Take Lead in CF Softball Resurgence

The CF softball team talks strategy during a recent fall exhibition game.

The Central Florida softball program has long drawn on the deep pool of local prep talent to fill its lineup card. Early in the fall exhibition season, the Patriots appear to have discovered a few new stars-in-waiting from its three-county service area.

Freshmen Miranda Anderson, Amie Biehl, and Stefanie Mitchell have played their way into significant roles on Kerri Ryskamp's fall squad as the Patriots lay the foundation for a return to the postseason this spring.

"Obviously we still have a few things to work on," Ryskamp said. "But we're playing pretty well."

Biehl, a former Chiefland High School star in Levy County, and Anderson, a hometown product of Lake Weir High School, have teamed up to give the Patriots a reliable duo in the middle infield. Mitchell, from Ocala's West Port High School, has yet to yield an earned run, making a case for her share of starts alongside returnign sophomore Jessica Knight and fellow recruit Taylor Skipper.

CF's versatile 17-player roster is also finding its way offensively, posting 5 earned runs in its most recent exhibition.

The Patriots' fall schedule continues with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m.

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Bright, Gonzalez, Goodson Among CF Fall Baseball Standouts

The Patriots baseball team huddles during a recent fall workout session at Goodlett Field.

The baseball games played at Goodlett Field each fall don't count in the standings, but they often tell a lot about how things might go for the Patriots once the competitive season starts in January.

One week into the 2010 fall exhibition schedule, CF head coach Marty Smith's squad has displayed the components of a conference contender: a stingy defense, a mix of experience and potential on the mound, and the occasional game-changing swing at the plate.

"I think defensively we're going to be OK," Smith said. "From what I can see, I really like the speed and athleticism that I see in the outfield."

A particular standout in that area has been OF Yoenny Gonzalez, a promising freshman out of Coral Gables. Gonzalez has displayed impressive range in the outfield while also wielding a mean bat: he blasted the first pitch he saw this exhibition season over Goodlett Field's formidable fence for a three-run home run.

"He's been a real positive," Smith said.

Smith has also seen a pair of his returning sophomores exceed the level of play that made them all-Mid-Florida Conference second-team performers a season ago. Bradley Goodson has "anchored the infield" from his spot at shortstop, while Kyle Bright has been "outstanding" as he assumes his place at the front of a young, promising pitching rotation.

Overall, the Patriots are about where you'd expect at this point in the process.

"We've got some talented kids," Smith said. "But we've got some tweaking to do."

CF continues its preparations for spring on Saturday with a three-team tripleheader starting at 11 a.m. at Goodlett Field. The Patriots play the first and third games, while their travel-ball opponents face off in between.

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CF Alum Clinton Hart Recovers Fumble in Nighthawks Victory

Former CF baseball star Clinton Hart and the Omaha Nighthawks made an epic entrance into the UFL on Friday night, earning a 27-26 comeback win over the Hartford Colonials in front of the fledgling football league's first sold-out audience.

NFL-tested quarterback Jeff Garcia tossed the game-winner, a fourth-down touchdown pass to Robert Ferguson with just six seconds to play. Hart, a defensive back with seven years of NFL experience, notched a fumble recovery for the Nighthawks.

Click here for more Clinton Hart coverage on CFPatriots.com.

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CF Alum Clinton Hart Set for UFL Debut

Central Florida favorite son Clinton Hart begins the next phase of his professional football career tonight, suiting up for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL as the franchise makes its debut against the Hartford Colonials.

A multi-sport star in high school, Hart embarked on his pro football career after two seasons manning the outfield for the Patriots. The defensive back worked his way up through a variety of minor leagues, finally catching on with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2003. The heart of his seven-year NFL tenure was an 80-game run with the San Diego Chargers, which saw him collect 10 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries and a pair of defensive touchdowns as a starter for a team in perennial Super Bowl contention.

Now Hart has teamed up with a number of fellow NFL veterans on the inaugural Nighthawks roster. The defensive unit, highlighted by Hart and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cato June, has already earned the respect of the former NFL quarterback matched against it tonight.

"As I look at their defensive roster, I played with and against a lot of those guys," (Hartford) quarterback Josh McCown said. "They are a veteran team, and we're expecting high energy and good execution from their standpoint."

The team's energy figures to be magnified by the first sellout in UFL history. The Nighthawks will pack Rosenblatt Stadium - a traditional baseball venue familiar to CF fans as the site where Patriot alum Nick Ebert helped South Carolina win a College World Series championship this June - with 24,000 fans tonight, easily breaking the league's previous single-game attendance record of 14,384, set Saturday at a Hartford home game.

“We were assured when we first considered Omaha as an expansion market that there would be an unrivaled passion for our team, but the reaction to the Nighthawks has surpassed all our expectations,'' UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue said in a statement. “The enthusiasm from fans who have bought season tickets in the thousands and the community's support for the Nighthawks is overwhelming.''

Hart fans can watch the game online tonight at 8 p.m.

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Former Lady Patriot Miranda Walson Named New Women's Basketball Assistant

Former Lady Patriots standout Miranda Walson has joined the Central Florida women's basketball staff as assistant coach.

A native of Lansing, Mich., Walson was a high school star at Everett High School, the alma mater of NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The 5-3 playmaker was a four-year varsity starter at Everett, leading her team to consecutive state titles and just four losses over her four-year tenure.

Walson transferred to CF for her sophomore season after a year at Wabash Valley College in Illinois, accepting a leadership role for the talented 2003-04 edition of the Lady Patriots in head coach Cheryl Rice's second season with the program. The team finished a perfect 12-0 in the Mid-Florida Conference and advanced to the FCCAA state championship game, while Walson's efforts were rewarded with All-MFC first-team recognition.

Walson continued her educational career after her year at CF, earning a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Olivet College in Michigan. In August, she earned her Master's degree in sports administration from Central Michigan University, where she spent two years studying and working for the university's recreation department.

With an impressive combination of achievements on the court and in the classroom, Walson is well-prepared and ready to set a new generation of CF student-athletes on their own successful paths.

"I am blessed to have this opportunity to come back and coach in Florida," Walson said. "My playing experience was positive and memorable, and it's something I hope to offer to the young women I will be coaching."

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CF Women's Tennis Alumni Find New Homes

Over the summer, College of Central Florida made the exciting announcement that it would add women's volleyball to its athletics offerings. At the same time, however, came news that CF would fold its women's tennis program.

That part of the story now has its own happy resolution, as the valued student-athletes who played for the Patriots tennis team in 2009-2010 have found new programs to continue their academic and athletic careers.

Marion County natives Terri Thomas and Amanda Ingrilli, freshmen members of the CF tennis team last year, will play their sophomore seasons at Hillsborough Community College, an FCCAA and NJCAA member school in Tampa. HCC's nationally-recognized tennis program won the NJCAA championship in 2008 and FCCAA state titles in 2009 and 2010.

Sophomore standout Kelly Bush, another Ocala native, has signed with Evangel University, an NAIA school in Springfield, Mo. Bush led her Patriots doubles team to a state title at the 2010 FCCAA Tournament.

Bethania Laan, last year's ace singles player, signed last spring with St. Leo University.

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Is CF Alum RIcardo Ratliffe the "Missing Piece" for Mizzou Hoops?

Steve Walentik of the Columbia, Mo., Daily Review has published a Sunday feature on Ricardo Ratliffe, the reigning NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year and CF's all-time leading men's basketball scorer now preparing for his junior season at Missouri.

The article nominates Ratliffe as the player that may take the perennially-contending Tigers to yet another level of success, a role the high-scoring power forward has willingly embraced. It's a great primer on what to expect from Ratliffe as his NCAA career gets underway.

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Fall Ball in Full Swing at CF This Weekend

Saturday is a busy day on the diamonds of College of Central Florida, as both the Patriot softball and baseball teams take to their respective fields for some autumn exhibition action.

Kerri Ryskamp's revamped softball squad hosts Gainesville Gold and Team Jacksonville in consecutive games starting at 11 a.m., while Marty Smith's baseball team opens its fall schedule with a 1 p.m. visit from All-American Prospects.

All CF outdoor sports offer free admission. The fall baseball and softball seasons end Nov. 13 and 14, respectively. Click here for a full schedule of fall home games.

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Three CF Baseball Standouts to Play in FCCAA All-Star Game

A trio of returning Central Florida sophomores have been chosen to play in the FCCAA All-Star Game. P/OF Kyle Bright, P Cody Lewis, and OF Casey Smit will represent CF in the annual game, set for Sunday, Sept. 26 at historic Henley Field Ball Park in Lakeland.

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CF Baseball Opens Fall Exhibition Schedule Saturday

The 2010-2011 College of Central Florida baseball schedule opens on Saturday as the Patriots host All-American Prospects in a 1 p.m. exhibition at CF's Goodlett Field.

The game is the first of CF's 14-date fall slate, effectively an extended preseason meant to hone skills and make final roster decisions ahead of the competitive NJCAA season in the spring. The fall schedule is highlighted by Monday's Scout Day, in which Patriot prospects in front of NCAA, NAIA and professional scouts, and a total of four games against Mid-Florida Conference rival Lake-Sumter, two at CF and another two in Leesburg.

As with all CF baseball and softball games, there is no admission charge for the fall baseball games. Peruse the entire fall and spring baseball schedules here.

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CF Alum Clinton Hart Joins UFL's Omaha Nighthawks

Ocala resident Clinton Hart, a former Central Florida Patriots baseball star and seven-year NFL veteran, will continue his professional football career with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

The peak of Hart's NFL career was his tenure with the San Diego Chargers, an 80-game run marked by 10 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries and a pair of defensive touchdowns. The Chargers released the defensive back in the midst of the 2009 season; he finished the year with a three-game cameo for the St. Louis Rams.

Hart is not the only notable NFL name on the Nighthawks' 52-man roster. The lineup also includes QB Jeff Garcia, RB Ahman Green, and LB Cato June, as well as controversial RB Maurice Clarett.

Omaha's schedule brings Hart back to his home state on Nov. 5, as the Nighthawks face the Florida Tuskers at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

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Local Prospect Damion Robinson Joins CF Hoops Program

Marion County prep standout Damion Robinson has earned a spot on his hometown college squad.

Robinson, a product of Ocala's Shores Christian Academy, has been added to the Patriots' men's basketball roster as a walk-on. The 6-3 slasher will provide valuable depth on the wing, complementing CF's strong 11-man recruiting class and returning sophomore Slobodan Miljanic.

Another news item of local high school interest: West Port graduate Mariel Mayo will not suit up for the Lady Patriots in 2010-11.

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CF Hoops Rounds Out Recruiting Class with NYC Product Shea Spence

The Central Florida men's basketball team filled the final slot on its 2010-2011 roster Wednesday with the addition of Shea Spence, a frontcourt prospect with an esteemed background on the New York City hoops circuit.

Spence, a 6-7 power forward/center, played his prep ball at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx, leading the squad to a berth in the Public Schools Athletic League Class AA city championship game in 2009. Spence contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds in that game, played at historic Madison Square Garden, as JFK lost to powerhouse Lincoln and future NBA draft pick Lance Stephenson.

The late signing is the final touch on the construction of a revamped Patriot roster, a group that features four incoming Division I transfers and just one returning player from the 2009-10 squad.

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