Commodores defeat State College of Florida in nail-biter
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WMBB) – The Gulf Coast State Commodores defeated State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota 7-6 in game two of the FCSAA DI Baseball Championship series.
The Commodores improved to 36-15 and will face College of Central Florida on Sunday, May 11.
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He's still a bit further down the depth chart in what's become a deep position thanks to transfer additions, but he enters camp with the ability to push for a third-string spot. Epi Sitanilei, Fr.: The California native wasn't on campus this spring, so he's a bit of an unknown and will utilize the summer to adjust. He was a first-year starter as a senior at St. John Bosco High School, but he has the frame at 6 feet 5 and 220 pounds to compete down the line if he continues to develop. Kayden McDonald, Jr.: McDonald returns as the most experienced defensive tackle on the roster after playing 206 snaps. He's a strong tackle at 326 pounds, making him especially valuable in the red zone. He also showed some ability to take double-teams and make plays through them. Now, he's going to have to be a consistent force in the middle with starters Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton gone. 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Jason Moore, r-Soph.: A former top-100 recruit, Moore has shown the coaching staff he can play at a high level in spurts, but the preseason camp will be crucial one for him. Moore seems to be the best competition for Malone to back up Houston right now. There is playing time to be had for Moore if he can put together a strong camp. Will Smith Jr., r-Soph.: Smith is another person Ohio State is counting on to improve during camp. In an ideal world, he is the prime candidate to back up McDonald, with Moore and Malone behind Houston, but Smith didn't play in the spring game. He played more nose tackle during spring practices.. Eric Mensah, r-Fr.: Mensah played just seven snaps last season and got some second-team reps in the spring. Nobody has locked down the second-team reps at defensive tackle yet, but he's behind the rest of the candidates right now. Jarquez Carter, Fr.: Carter is a four-star recruit from Florida who was on campus during the spring and was the fifth defensive tackle to see playing time during the spring game. He's still developing, but he seems to be the most likely of the freshmen to see playing time this season. Trajen Odom, Fr.: The three-star recruit from North Carolina enrolled early and participated in spring practice, but he will likely spend this season developing behind the scenes. Maxwell Roy, Fr.: Roy won't be on campus until the summer, so camp is going to be about adjustments for the Philadelphia native. He was at 285 pounds in high school and could be the right build for a nose tackle, with versatility to play both nose and three-tech for Ohio State. Sonny Styles, Sr.: Styles returns as one of the best linebackers in the country. In his first year at the position full-time after moving from safety, he tallied 100 tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss. The five-star 2022 recruit projects to be the leader of the defense this season amid a coordinator change. Advertisement Arvell Reese, Jr.: Reese was one of the major winners last offseason and shot up to the third linebacker job, recording 43 tackles in a rotational role. This season, he should be a starter, giving the Buckeyes an athletic two-man duo at inside linebacker. He has a 6-4 frame that allows him to be a pest closing passing lanes through the air, and he's a natural at getting to the ball in the run game, as well. Payton Pierce, Soph.: Pierce was one of the biggest climbers this spring. He benefited from Hicks moving to defensive end and took advantage of every rep he got to position himself to be the third linebacker this season. The four-star recruit from Texas played 30 defensive snaps as a freshman but is in line for more depending on how Patricia wants to use his linebackers. Riley Pettijohn, Fr.: It's hard to miss Pettijohn when he's on the field, and that's a good thing for a freshman in his first spring. He's unlikely to jump Reese in the first-team rotation, but a strong camp could see him battling with Pierce for second-team reps. The top-50 recruit from Texas is an exciting prospect because he's so versatile. He can play mike or will linebacker, which will allow Ohio State to get him on the field more. TJ Alford, Fr.: Alford, a four-star prospect, is next up in a strong three-man freshman linebacker class. This is a deep linebacking corps, so it's unlikely he jumps into meaningful snaps right away, but a good spring has him positioned in the three-deep and likely the fifth linebacker overall. He has a bright future. Ty Howard, r-Jr.: Howard was an interesting addition as a transfer from Duquesne. I didn't think the Buckeyes needed linebacker help, but they got an all-conference FCS player in Howard. The key for Howard to get on the field is making a difference on special teams, given the logjam in the unit. Garrett Stover, r-Fr: Much like Howard, Stover's best chance to make an impact will be on special teams. The four-star recruit from Ohio could make a play for second-team snaps if there's an injury or one of the freshmen falters in camp. Eli Lee, Fr.: It was good for Lee to go through the spring, but he'll be a depth player for the linebackers this year. The three-star recruit Ohio native is likely to redshirt. Advertisement Davison Igbinosun, Sr.: Instead of leaving for the NFL Draft, Igbinosun returned to lead another talented secondary. He'll have to cut down on the pass interference penalties that plagued him last year, as he had 16 penalties — five more than any defensive player in the country, per PFF — but there's no doubt he's a physically gifted corner. At 6 feet 2, he can use his body well at the line and can make up for getting beat with his long wingspan. Igbinosun might turn himself into a higher draft pick with a strong senior season. Jermaine Mathews Jr., Jr.: Mathews is my favorite corner prospect on this roster. The 5-11 junior is as competitive as they come, plays with an edge and is pretty versatile. Mathews gives cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton a lot of options for his personnel, too. Mathews played outside a lot last season, but he worked at nickel in spurts this spring. He's physical enough to play inside on third down in dime packages and good enough technically to play on the outside in more traditional formations. Lorenzo Styles, r-Sr.: Styles has had an interesting journey. He went to Notre Dame because he wanted to play wide receiver and then turned into an impactful nickel corner at Ohio State. The question now is if he do it every down and hold that spot with so many young players nipping at his heels in preseason camp. I'd pick him to start the season at nickel, but I think the rotations will change game to game. Aaron Scott, Soph: Scott was a five-star corner in the 2024 class and had a stellar spring. The versatility of this group puts the Ohio native in a position where there is playing time to be earned even if it's not every down. Right now he's a backup on the outside, but a good preseason camp could force Walton and the staff to find playing time for him, especially if they decide to move Mathews inside. Devin Sanchez, Fr.: Sanchez might be the most hyped freshman on the roster and had a strong spring to start his career after signing as the top-ranked cornerback in the country. He's physically imposing at 6-2 and competes on every route. It's too early to pencil him in as a starter, especially with the talent at the top of the depth chart. But if he's as good in preseason camp as many expect, he's going to force the staff to make some tough decisions about playing time. Bryce West, r-Fr.: West signed in the 2024 class with Scott, forming a highly touted corner duo. Though he played just 28 defensive snaps as a freshman, he made some plays that showed his potential. He played a lot in the slot this spring and will begin the summer behind Styles, but he's another versatile piece with a high ceiling who can push for more time. Miles Lockhart, r-Fr.: The 5-foot-9 Arizona native has been a prime candidate for the slot corner spot since he committed in the 2024 class. He's physical but has found himself further down the depth chart right now. He might be a year away from breaking through for meaningful snaps on defense, though he should find a role on special teams. Jordyn Woods, Fr.: Woods wasn't in Columbus for the spring and will likely redshirt after signing as a three-star recruit. Still, he's 6 feet 3, giving him intriguing size for a cornerback. Caleb Downs, Jr.: What else is there to say about the best safety in the country? The Alabama transfer showed last year that he can play at a high level in coverage and is one of the best open field tacklers in the country. I'm interested to see how Patricia will utilize him in his defense, because Downs is at his best when he's roaming the field instead of just being the high safety in coverage. Advertisement Malik Hartford, Jr.: Hartford has been waiting patiently for his chance and the departure of Lathan Ransom opened up a spot for him. The junior took most of the first-team reps with the defense this spring and brings a mix of size, at 6-3, and experience to the field. He hasn't played the most snaps of the group — just 94 defensive snaps last season — but he's played in meaningful games dating back to his freshman year. Now it just becomes a matter of how much he can distance himself from Jaylen McClain. Jaylen McClain, Soph.: McClain is Hartford's main competition for the second safety spot. Hartford has the upper hand right now, but McClain was good in his 106 defensive snaps last year. There's a chance that Ohio State employs three safeties at times, which would put McClain alongside Downs and Hartford. Faheem Delane, Fr.: Delane is a versatile player who seemed perfect for a Knowles-coached defense. Although Knowles is gone, Delane still fits into what the Buckeyes want to do. He's an athletic safety capable of using his body to make plays at the line of scrimmage. He enrolled early for spring practice and will have a chance of breaking into the two-deep as a freshman. He'll likely get a chance to make an impact on special teams too. Leroy Roker, r-Fr.: Roker is an under-the-radar player who can challenge for a two-deep spot in this group. The three-star prospect from the 2024 class had a good spring and showed flashes of his potential in his first year on campus. He's a versatile player who, as of now, is slotted as the third-string safety behind Downs and Delane, though he could challenge Delane for the spot. Keenan Nelson, r-Jr.: Nelson transferred from South Carolina last offseason but didn't see the field for any defensive snaps last season and missed most of the spring while injured. He played in 15 games for the Gamecocks, so he's too experienced to forget about. This preseason camp is make or break for Nelson, though, because of the number of high-potential young players on the depth chart. Cody Haddad, Fr.: A three-star recruit from Cleveland, Haddad arrived in the spring, which was good for his development. But he's likely to redshirt with no realistic path to the field this year. Deshawn Stewart, Fr.: Stewart, a New Jersey native, is a three-star recruit who, like Haddad, will have a difficult time earning early playing time. He was on campus for the spring but didn't play in the spring game. Advertisement Jayden Fielding, Sr., K: Although Fielding missed a few kicks at the end of the regular season, he came up clutch in the postseason, making two field goals in the national championship. He finished 13-of-17 and should be the starting kicker in his final season. Joe McGuire, r-So., P: There might be a punter competition in camp between McGuire and Nick McLarty, but McGuire is the leader right now due to his consistency last season. He averaged 42 yards on 47 punts. Jackson Courville, Jr., K: Ohio State added Courville in the spring portal because it wanted to bring in a kicker with a strong leg. The Ball State transfer made two kicks over 50 yards last year, going 11-of-13 overall on field goals. He could challenge Fielding, but otherwise he's a redshirt candidate who could have two years of eligibility left when Fielding is done next winter. Nick McLarty, r-Fr., P: McLarty attempted just two punts last season, so he didn't get a lot of experience, but he has the strongest leg of the punters. His struggle is consistency, which is one of McGuire's strengths. Still, McLarty's power is enough to at least spark another competition. John Ferlmann, r-Sr., LS: Ferlmann is Ohio State's lone long-snapper and should continue to give the Buckeyes consistency there. (Top photo of Eddrick Houston: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
