Bleacher Report: Foster an Impact Transfer

The Web site Bleacher Report has compiled a list of 20 junior-college transfers expected to make a significant impact on their new Division I teams in 2011-12. Among them is Central Florida Patriots alumnus Kevin Foster, the NJCAA All-American forward bound for Fresno State University. Quoting from the site: 

Foster showed flashes of promise when he played for George Mason during the 2009-2010 season, scoring 22 points on 11-for-16 shooting and two blocks in a February Colonial Athletic game versus Williams & Mary. Foster left for College of Central Florida, where he averaged 17 points, 8.3 rebounds on 53 percent shooting during his sophomore season. The Lakeland, Fla. native is a physical, hardworker who is strong with the ball and will also provide Fresno a presence on defense.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Legend Buscher Celebrates NCAA Title

Former Central Florida All-American and University of South Carolina assistant coach Brian Buscher celebrated a College World Series title with the Gamecocks on Tuesday.

A 7-year Major League Baseball veteran, Buscher joined head coach Ray Tanner's staff last August, just months after the Gamecocks won their first CWS championship. The former Minnesota Twin put the finishing touches on his degree, which he earned in May, and worked with SC's impressive collection of hitters and corner infielders. That work was rewarded Tuesday as the Gamecocks completed a 2-game CWS finals sweep of the Florida Gators.

Buscher blazed a path to Columbia that has since been followed by two other Patriot sluggers. Nick Ebert was a member of the 2010 championship squad, while SC signee Casey Smit will be part of the Gamecocks' quest for a third consecutive title in the spring of 2012.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Patriots Sign South Florida Baseball Standout

Central Florida has added a potent bat and versatile position player to its 2011-12 lineup with the signing of Miami Killian star Theo Castillo.

A 6-foot, 205-pound catcher/outfielder, Castillo hit .264 as a senior with 15 runs scored and 18 RBI. The Cougars advanced to the Class 6A regional quarterfinal round in Castillo's junior and season seasons.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Baseball's Ryan Thombs Earns NCAA Spot

Former Central Florida baseball player Ryan Thombs has caught on with an NCAA program, signing with Division III Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.

An infielder out of Gainesville P.K. Yonge, Thombs produced 10 hits, 5 runs scored and 5 RBI in 19 games with the Patriots in 2010. The Gainesville Sun reports that Thombs will play both baseball and football at Otterbein.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Signees Earn All-Area Softball Nods

Three Central Florida softball signees have earned first-team all-area recognition from the Ocala Star-Banner.

Utility player Kayla Carroll of North Marion, outfielder Caylee Underwood of Dunnellon and catcher Gabby Valentin of Belleview earned first-team honors as the newspaper crowned its Softball Player of the Year and all-area selections.

The three recruits are part of a revamped 2011-12 Patriots roster that also features past Marion County prep stars Miranda Anderson, Kasie Cheney, Christina Gaudy and Stefanie Mitchell.

A review of the all-area teams reaffirms that CF is the program of choice for Marion County's graduating softball stars. Of the five seniors to earn all-area recognition, three of them are signed to wear a Patriots jersey in the fall. 

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Patriots Stockpiling Baseball Talent

Central Florida head baseball coach Marty Smith has added two FCSAA transfers and a New York City prep prospect to the Patriots' promising 2011-12 roster.

• Derrick Davis is a 5-11 utility player who comes to CF by way of Orange Park High School and Mid-Florida Conference rival FSC-Jacksonville. He posted a remarkable .440 batting average and .853 slugging percentage as an OPHS senior. 
• Max Goodman transfers to CF after a freshman season at state rival Miami-Dade. A product of South Florida prep power American Heritage in Boca Raton, the 5-10 outfielder produced a .353 batting average, 9 RBI and 11 runs scored in 17 games with the Sharks.
• Melvin Mercedes is a slick-fielding shortstop out of Clinton High School in Bronx, N.Y. The 5-8, 170-pound right-handed hitter this month notched a pair of hits and an RBI in the Mayor's Cup, a prestigious NYC-area all-star exhibition.  

The new additions join a strong recruiting class set to line up alongside top returning players Yoenny Gonzalez, Scott Schaub and Josh Whitchurch.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Lady Patriots Welcome Panhandle Prep Teammates

The Central Florida Lady Patriots have already signed up a pair of high school rivals. Now, they're keeping two prep teammates together at the college level.

CF this week signed guard Jakia Grimsley and wing Shay Wright, teammates at Cottondale High School in the Florida Panhandle. CHS is near Chipola College in Marianna, which hosts the FCSAA State Tournament each year, and is the alma mater of recent Lady Patriots standout Shaunte Forward.

Grimsley was named Jackson County Player of the Year in 2010, and produced averages of 15.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists as a senior. Wright earned all-Jackson County honors while leading Cottondale with 17 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Lady Hornets head coach Shan Pittman had glowing words for CF head coach Cheryl Rice and the Lady Patriots program in an interview with the Jackson County Floridan.

“Central Florida is a great program, and coach Rice is a legendary coach,” she said. “She has a lot of respect from her peers. She’s a classy lady and a great coach. The girls are going to a great JUCO program. They consistently make it to state every year.”

The addition of the former Lady Hornet teammates follows Rice's recent signing of Dasia Daniels and Taylor Broadnax, former opponents on the Hillsborough County prep scene. The four new Lady Patriots will team with returning sophomores Briana Gibson, Simone High and Quinnecia Twine.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Signs Elite Big Man Eugene McCrory

Central Florida has added a strong frontcourt force to its impressive 2011-12 recruiting class with the signing of Eugene McCrory.

A 6-6 power forward/center out of Riverdale, Md., McCrory starred in the Washington, D.C. area's prestigious Capital Classic all-star game in 2010 alongside a number of future Division I players. McCrory shot a perfect 8-for-8 and scored 20 points in 15 minutes off the bench to lead a roster that featured Josh Hairston, now at Duke, and Markel Starks, now at Georgetown.

McCrory himself was recruited by the likes of Seton Hall, Maryland and Colorado before committing to Division I Wagner.

CF should boast one of the top power rotations in the state as McCrory and fellow new recruit Jeremiah Eason join forces with incumbent center Alhaji Fullah. 

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Lady Patriots Add Two Tampa Bay-Area Prospects

Central Florida women's basketball coach Cheryl Rice has united a pair of high school rivals with the Lady Patriots. 

• Dasia Daniels is a versatile 5-6 guard out of Tampa Bay Tech. She averaged 14.4 points, 2.1 steals and 2 assists per game as a senior, leading the Titans to a 19-8 record while earning all-state honors from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.
• Taylor Broadnax is a sharpshooting 5-4 point guard out of Plant City Durant. She produced 16.8 points per game, including a team-best 28 three-pointers, while guiding Durant to a regional semifinal appearance.

The two standout guards were on opposite sides in a perennial Hillsborough County rivalry, culminating in a hard-fought district semifinal in February.

Daniels and Broadnax will join returning sophomores Briana Gibson, Simone High and all-state wing Quinnecia Twine as the Lady Patriots retool for 2011-12.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Detroit Tigers Draft CF Alumnus Nick Avila

Nova Southeastern senior and former Central Florida Patriots standout pitcher Nick Avila heard his name called in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday. The Detroit Tigers selected Avila in the 37th round.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Mathiang Muo Signs with Charleston Southern

After one memorable season at CF, Mathiang Muo will return to Division I basketball next year as a member of the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.

A versatile 6-6 wing, Muo averaged 13.2 points and 4 rebounds per game while hitting a remarkable 44 percent of his 3-point attempts in his lone season with the Patriots. His efforts were rewarded with an All-Mid-Florida Conference first-team selection and All-FCSAA Tournament nod.

Muo transferred to CF for his sophomore season after a year at Northeastern. He'll resume his DI career with a rising program in one of the Southeast's most competitive conferences.

CSU finished 16-16 overall and 9-9 in the Big South Conference in 2010-11, setting school records for overall and conference victories. The team will return several rotation players, including Big South Defensive Player of the Year Kelvin Martin, while adding a promising recruiting class under head coach Barclay Radebaugh.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

Local Softball Standout Underwood Chooses CF

Central Florida has added another local star to its stellar 2011-12 softball signing class with the addition of Dunnellon High School product Caylee Underwood.

Underwood played infield and outfield for DHS while flashing a powerful stroke at the plate and impressive speed on the base paths. She also got a heavy dose of big-game experience at the prep level while helping the Tigers to consecutive state titles in 2009 and 2010.

The signing nearly completes head coach Kerri Ryskamp's summer recruiting efforts. Underwood's addition brings the roster to 21, including returnees Miranda Anderson, Kasie Cheney, Arika Fox, Christina Gaudy, Jessica Lopez, Stefanie Mitchell and Taylor Skipper. Ryskamp expects to sign one more player before fall.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Volleyball Signs Amber Wyborny

Central Florida has added a championship-caliber prep star to its inaugural volleyball recruiting class in Edgewater Warner Christian standout Amber Wyborny.

Wyborny produced an impressive stat line as an Eagles senior while helping the Daytona Beach-area powerhouse to its third consecutive state championship.

The CF District Board of Trustees voted in June of 2010 to add volleyball to the program's intercollegiate athletics offerings, joining men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball. The Patriots join 16 other Florida school in the FCSAA, and will compete in the Mid-Florida Conference against Lake-Sumter, St. Johns River, and FSC-Jacksonville. The team will play its first regular-season match in August.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Lands New Port Richey Star Kevin Games

Central Florida head baseball coach Marty Smith has earned a commitment from Kevin Games, the 2011 Sunshine Athletic Conference West County player of the year. UPDATE: And the St. Petersburg Times' North Suncoast Player of the Year. 

As a senior at New Port Richey Mitchell, the 5-7, 165-pound pitcher and outfielder produced at the plate and on the mound. From tampabay.com:

Games batted .489 for Mitchell and had team highs for runs (40), RBIs (38) and triples (6). He also hit seven doubles and four home runs and had 16 steals...On the mound, Games made 12 appearances and eight starts. He went 5-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 52.2 innings pitched and struck out 72 batters.

That standout senior season also featured the school's first-ever postseason victory and a 4A-7 district title. Mitchell's historic postseason win over Land O'Lakes offered conclusive proof of Games' big-game aptitude.

Mitchell head coach Scott Wilcox has come to rely on his senior lefthander Games in big moments. "If we're facing a team, where I know they can hit, and I know for a fact Land O'Lakes can swing the bats, Kevin Games is the guy," said Wilcox..."I don't care what kind of hitter you are, Kevin Games is a difficult pitcher to hit. He's a lefty who throws three-quarters, and his ball moves all over the place." 

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.

CF Hoops Signs Guard Christian Martinez

Central Florida has added to its impressive 2011-12 men's basketball recruiting class with the addition of former Broward College standout Christian Martinez.

A 6-1 guard out of Miami's Monsignor Pace High School, Martinez starred for CF's NJCAA rival Broward in 2009-10, averaging 16.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. An outstanding shooter, Martinez projects as a valuable scorer on the perimeter while offsetting the loss of starting point guard Hunter Williams.

The signing gives CF remarkable depth at the guard positions. Head coach Tim Ryan added top prospects Jernell Hughes and Roosevelt Scott to the program earlier this summer, while Brian Pace and Steven Shipwash have signed on to return for their sophomore seasons.

• Like CF Patriots on Facebook.
• Follow CF Patriots on Twitter.