OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The College of Central Florida (CF) Patriots baseball team will kick off their 2025 season this weekend with three games at the JUCO Early Bird Tournament held at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale. The event features 10 junior college teams from across Florida.
The Patriots’ season opener is set for Friday, Jan. 24, with a pair of games: a noon matchup against the Hillsborough Community College Hawks and a 3 p.m. tilt against the St. Petersburg College Titans. The weekend wraps up with a marquee showdown against the Chipola College Indians, a three-time national champion, on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m.
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CF, which captured its first national championship in 2023, will rely on veteran leadership under Head Coach Marty Smith. Entering his 31st season with the Patriots, Smith has amassed 953 wins and is one of only two active JUCO coaches in Florida with over 900 career victories.
“I’m excited about the talent that we have,” Smith said. “We seem to be a little deeper in pitching than last year. We have enough returning guys with experience that are hungry to do better than what we thought was a disappointing season last year. But in general, we are really excited to get going and think we have a team that can contend for a championship.”
The Patriots’ 27-man roster includes four local players from Ocala: sophomore shortstop/second baseman Cooper Jones, sophomore left-hander Karson Lindsey, sophomore right-hander Hunter Jones, and freshman left-hander Kohl Kilcrease.
The team features a mix of returning sophomores, including Marcus Bradshaw (OF), Armando Guirola (OF), Anthony Diaz (OF), Logan Chapman (IF), Miles Curley (IF/RHP), and Evan Dobias (RHP), as well as new transfers Arturo Ormaza (LHP), Dawson Harman (3B), and Joey Wimpelberg (RHP).
A promising freshman class adds depth, highlighted by players such as Bruno Schafer (1B), Jacob McKenzie (C), Jose Paniagua (RHP), and Peyton Fall (LHP).
“This team has a lot of talent, but obviously you don’t win with talent alone,” said Assistant Coach Tony Voiro. “You need to come together as a team each and every game. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. We spend the entire season trying to get better so when it comes time for playoffs, we’re ready.”
The Patriots’ home opener is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. against A3 Academy at Goodlett Field on the CF campus in Ocala. Admission is free, and fans are encouraged to come out and cheer on the team.