CF's Hunter Williams to Transfer to UNF

Central Florida point guard Hunter Williams has signed with Division I University of North Florida.

A graduate of Ocala's Forest High School, Williams won the starting job early in his freshman season and retained it throughout, averaging 10.4 points and a team-high 3.7 assists while guiding the Patriots to a Mid-Florida Conference title. The 6-0 guard emerged as a deadeye shooter, hitting 39 percent of his 3-point attempts and a team-best 84 percent from the free-throw line.

From unfospreys.com:

“Hunter gives us another high character person with a tremendously competitive attitude,” said (UNF head coach Steve) Driscoll. “He is definitely a player that will help take us to another level. He has the flexibility to play multiple guard positions with the ability to make 3's and free throws.”

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Patriots Add Pair of Talented Guards to 2011-12 Class

Central Florida's impressive men's basketball signing class continues to grow with the addition of two Division I-caliber backcourt prospects.

• Roosevelt Scott is a 6-3 guard out of Johnson Senior HS in St. Paul, MN. Scott won a Minnesota Class 3A state title as a junior, then poured in 16.9 points per game as a senior. The accomplished prep player projects to make an immediate impact as a scorer and playmaker, and his long arms and lateral quickness should make him a formidable perimeter defender. Watch a package of Scott highlights above.
• Jernell Hughes is a 6-2 guard out of Immokalee HS in South Florida. A remarkable scorer and finisher, the lefty playmaker earned Class 4A All-State second team honors as a senior, and originally commited to Division I Liberty University. Hughes' mere presence on the court is an inspiring feat: he broke his neck in a youth football game years ago and narrowly avoided paralysis. Click here for the full story of Hughes' amazing recovery from naplesnews.com.

Scott and Hughes are ideal complements to head coach Tim Ryan's earlier signees, forwards Jeremiah Eason and Will Saunders.

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Ebert, Giles, Mollica Join Independent League Squads

Former Central Florida standouts Nick Ebert, Tommy Giles and Ryan Mollica have signed with Independent League baseball teams.

Ebert, a 2010 College World Series champion at the University of South Carolina, signed this week with the Evansville Otters, a Frontier League squad in Evansville, Indiana.

Giles and Mollica, meanwhile, become teammates with the Rockland Boulders, a New York-based first-year outfit in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. Giles spent five years in the Los Angeles Dodgers' system, while Mollica is a veteran of the New York Mets' minor-league affiliates.

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CF Baseball Alumni Compete in NCAA DII Tournament

UPDATE: Nova Southeastern was ousted Sunday with a 5-4 loss to Barry. Penate had a hit and drew a walk.

UPDATE: Tampa was eliminated on Saturday, but Avila and Penate led Nova Southeastern to a 5-4, 11-inning victory over Harding. Starting pitcher Avila yielded just 1 earned run over 6 innings, while Penate drove in a third-inning run. The fifth-seeded Sharks face No. 4 Barry on Sunday at 1 p.m..

UPDATE: Nova and Tampa each lost their openers, then recovered for victories Friday. Nova beat Stillman 12-3 behind 2 hits, 3 runs and 2 RBI from Penate, and Jones had a hit in Tampa's 4-3, 13-inning win over Southern Arkansas. The teams continue their postseason runs Saturday.

Three Patriot baseball alumni will be on the field Thursday as the NCAA Division II South Regional opens in Pensacola. Visit the Regional website for live stats and audio.

OF Andrew Jones and No. 6 seed University of Tampa face third seed Harding at 1:15 p.m., then P Nick Avila and SS Luis Penate lead No. 5 seed Nova Southeastern against SSC rival Barry at 7:45 p.m. The double-elimination regional tournament runs through Monday on the home field of top seed University of West Florida.

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CF Alum Andrew Jones Earns All-Conference Nod

Former Central Florida Patriots star and University of Tampa junior Andrew Jones has been named to the All-Sunshine State Conference first team.

A 5-11, 200-pound outfielder out of Doyletown, Ohio, Jones racked up the awards at CF in 2010 as the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year, a first-team all-state selection and an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. He has continued his hitting prowess at the NCAA level with a .395 batting average, 15 doubles, 6 home runs and 43 RBI, all team highs. The Spartans, who placed six players on either the All-SSC first or second team, open the postseason Thursday in the Division II Southeast Regional.

Fellow Patriot alum Nick Avila, a senior pitcher at Nova Southeastern, earned All-SSC honorable mention. His Sharks join Tampa in the same regional tournament Thursday.

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Two Local Products Join CF Diamond Ranks

Central Florida has added two players from Ocala's Forest High School to its spring sports programs.

• Ryan Smith is a 6-3, 195-pound first baseman and the son of Patriots head coach Marty Smith. He hit .337 with 9 doubles, 5 home runs and 21 RBI as a senior, earning the right to play in the FACA All-Star Game in Sebring over the Memorial Day Weekend.
• Morgan Stinnett is a versatile infielder and utility player who projects to see action at a variety of positions for coach Kerri Ryskamp's retooled softball squad. Her signing continues a long tradition of Wildcats starting their collegiate careers at CF; fellow Forest alumni Jandrew Collins, Megan David, and Samantha Stewart just completed two-year stints with the Patriots.

Patriots Add Division I Hoops Transfer Will Saunders

Central Florida has added a talented Division I transfer to the men's basketball fold with the signing of wing Will Saunders.

A native Englishman, Saunders spent a redshirt freshman season at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, in 2010-11. He spent a prep season stateside at Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, N.C., posting 21 points and 11 rebounds per game on the way to all-state recognition.

With solid defense and rebounding ability and a versatile offensive game, the 6-7, 190-pound Saunders projects as a long, athletic small forward at CF, a frontcourt bookend to the rugged interior presence of recent Patriots signee Jeremiah Eason.

Head coach Tim Ryan's squad got remarkable mileage out of a crop of Division I transfers last season, with forwards Kevin Foster and Mathiang Muo and guards A.J. Holland and Addison Smith playing significant roles for the Mid-Florida Conference champions.

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Pair of CF Softball Alumni Lead Flagler into Postseason

FINAL UPDATE: North Georgia eliminated Flagler with a 6-1 victory Sunday afternoon, ending the first postseason run in Flagler's history.

UPDATE: Flagler lost to top seed North Georgia on Saturday, but recovered later in the afternoon to again defeat Augusta State, this time 6-2 in 8 innings. Riddick again picked up the win in relief, giving her the first two postseason victories in Flagler history, while Guinsler had an RBI single and a run scored in a decisive 4-run eighth inning. The Saints get a rematch with North Georgia on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.; they'll have to beat the host team twice to advance.

UPDATE: Riddick picked up the pitching victory and Guinsler drew a walk as Flagler handled Augusta State 6-0. Riddick threw 4 innings of scoreless, 1-hit ball in a dominant start. The Saints play top seed North Georgia at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Two former Central Florida Patriots will lead their NCAA softball squad into its first postseason today. Seniors Katelyn Guinsler and Kelly Riddick and their Flagler College teammates face Augusta State at 5 p.m. in Dahlonega, Ga., to open the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament.  (Visit the link for live stats and video).

A preview from athletics.flagler.edu:

Flagler (40-16) is the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The Saints have posted a 7-3 record in its last 10 games, which includes a 3-1 loss to Augusta State in a Peach Belt Conference Tournament elimination game...The Saints and Jaguars met four times this season, each winning two games. The two teams split a conference doubleheader on Apr. 5 with Flagler winning the opener 4-3 and Augusta State took the nightcap 3-2. In the conference tournament in Florence, Flagler defeated Augusta State 5-2 in the first round, but lost the elimination game.

Guinsler has started 49 of 50 games at catcher, hitting .250 with 7 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. Riddick, an all-Peach Belt Conference selection, boasts an 18-4 record, a 2.11 ERA and a team-best 122 strikeouts.

CF Adds Two to Softball Recruiting Class

Central Florida softball coach Kerri Ryskamp has added two in-state prospects to her impressive 2011-12 recruiting class. 

• Kayla Carroll, a local prep standout at North Marion High School, is a valuable utility player who will line up primarily in the middle infield at CF. She hit .444 with 18 runs scored and 20 stolen bases as a Colts senior.
• Megan McDermott is a speedy slap hitter out of Vero Beach High School. She figures to compete for an immediate starting spot in a Patriot outfield left vacant by graduation.

 The addition of Carroll and McDermott brings the Patriots' 2011-12 freshman signing class to an even dozen.  

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GamecockCentral.com: Buscher Earns Greatest Prize

On Saturday, Major League Baseball veteran Brian Buscher will earn his degree from the University of South Carolina, finally completing a pursuit that started a decade ago at our own College of Central Florida. Buscher, now an assistant coach at USC, discusses the achievement at GamecockCentral.com.

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CF Lands South Florida Hoops Star Jeremiah Eason

Central Florida has added a major talent to its 2011-12 men's basketball roster with the signing of Fort Lauderdale Dillard star Jeremiah Eason, a 2011 All-Broward County Class 6A-4A first-team selection of the Miami Herald.

A rugged 6-6, 190-pound forward, Eason possesses a tantalizing combination of energy, skill and athleticism. Here's an excerpt of a scouting report posted on espn.com:

Eason is an undersized power forward that simply gets the job done by out working his opponents on both ends of the floor. He is a good athlete and an above the rim finisher with a clear path in transition. He seems to be always in or near the action and is usually the player that comes up with the ball for a back breaking tip in or a rebound to secure the game. He is a workhorse on the glass as he competes for rebounds and is extremely quick to the ball. He runs the floor and is a sure handed finisher when he receives drop off passes created by guard penetration. Eason does a great job in the low post sealing his defender and attacking the basket where he can finish through contact on a regular basis. Defensively, Eason can defend both forward positions and does an excellent job on covering the court to contest shots. This kid has a tremendous motor and is productive in every game.

Eason also has a remarkable personal story to tell, as the Miami Herald reported:

Those who know Dillard’s rugged 6-5 forward Jeremiah Eason best attribute a new lease on life for a more outgoing personality and career-best senior season...Despite a shooting two summers ago that left a bullet still lodged in the back of his head, Eason has made the most of his second chance...“The whole incident has made me go harder in whatever I do,’’ Eason said. “It makes me happy that I’m alive and able to play basketball. It is a second chance for what I love to do. I try not to think about the bullet. I’m just happy not to be on the other side.”

Eason is a welcome addition to a CF program retooling its frontcourt for the second consecutive season. After replacing NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year Ricardo Ratliffe after the 2009-10 season, coach Tim Ryan must now offset the loss of All-State power forward Kevin Foster and standout wings Mathiang Muo and Slobodan Miljanic while mounting a defense of its Mid-Florida Conference championship.

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CF Signs Alabama Volleyball Standout Rebekah Reeves

Central Florida has signed the 11th member of its inaugural volleyball scholarship class with the addition of Rebekah Reeves.

A versatile 5-11 athlete out of Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala., Reeves figures to see time as a middle blocker and outside hitter when CF's newest intercollegiate athletics team makes its August debut. She joins a strong initial class assembled over the last few months by head coach Flavia Siqueira.

Click here to read more about the new Patriot volleyball program.  

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CF Lands Lake Brantley Pitcher Eric Bauer

Central Florida has added Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley pitcher Eric Bauer to its growing 2011-12 baseball recruiting class.

Bauer, a 6-0, 178-pound lefty, is a strong addition to a revamped Patriot pitching corps. An accomplished hitter at the prep level, he will also swing a bat and man first base for CF.

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CF Baseball Strengthens Recruiting Class

Central Florida baseball coach Marty Smith has added three prospects to the Patriots' 2011-12 recruiting class.

• Darren Fischer is a promising left-handed pitcher out of Cumberland Regional High School in Seabrook, N.J., The 6-1, 175-pound southpaw was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 46th round of the 2010 MLB draft after a senior season that saw him post a 1.88 ERA over 63 innings. 
• Tomas Rivera is a versatile middle infielder out of Montverde Academy in nearby Lake County. The 5-10, 165-pound New Jersey native projects as a productive contact hitter and a rangy defender for the Patriots.
• Kevin Cavanagh is a big, hard-throwing pitching prospect out of Cape Coral Mariner. The 6-5, 225-pound righthander should be an imposing presence on a new-look Patriot staff.