MATT JOYCE RECEIVES MAJOR LEAGUE CALL

Matt Joyce, a member of the Moccasins' 2005 NCAA National Championship team, was called up to the major leagues on Monday, May 5, and started in right field for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox in a game televised by ESPN. Joyce, a 12th round pick of the Tigers in 2005, was batting .299 with five home runs and 21 RBI at AAA Toledo before being promoted.

Joyce, batting 7th for the Tigers, faced Red Sox starter Daisuke "Dice-K" Matsuzaka in the 2nd inning for his first major league plate appearance and worked the Boston ace for a walk, but was stranded at first base. Back in the top of the second, Joyce made his first major league putout catching a fly ball off the bat of Boston's Jason Varitek. Joyce was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 7th and finished 0-for-2 with two fly outs.

Joyce joins Brett Tomko, a member of FSC's 1995 NCAA National Championship, as former Mocs currently in the major leagues. Tomko, a starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, is in his 11th season in the majors.

To make room for Joyce, the Tigers designated Jacque Jones for reassignment.

MOCS TOP EMBRY-RIDDLE IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

LAKELAND - Arden McWilliams had three hits and Will Cherry collected two while driving in two runs to lead Florida Southern to a 6-3 win over Embry-Riddle Friday night at Henley Field.  The game was the final regular season contest for FSC and improved the Moccasins' record to 29-21.  Embry-Riddle, which is ranked seventh in NAIA, slipped to 39-14.

Six singles and a sacrifice fly produced four runs for the Moccasins in the sixth.  After Jeremiah Oyer, McWilliams and David Golliner each singled to load the bases, Robbie Shields' sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1.  Brian Schultz followed with an infield single to load the bases a second time before Cherry singled in two runs and Zach Maggard singled home a run.

The Moccasins had to work out of scoring threats by the Eagles in the eighth and ninth innings.  Jeremy Thorne retired Aaron Tea on a grounder to first to get out of a bases-loaded situation in the eighth.  After giving up a pair of singles to start the ninth, Daniel Tillman struck out the next three batters to record his fifth save of the season.

The Moccasins used their five senior pitchers before Tillman worked the ninth.  Adam Baust, who pitched two scoreless, hitless innings picked up the win to improve his record to 4-3. 

Two things must happen for the Moccasins to have a chance for a postseason bid.  Barry must sweep its three-game series at Tampa this weekend, and the Buccaneers won Friday night 4-2, AND Nova Southeastern must lose two of three to Saint Leo next week.

MAGGARD EARNS SSC HONOR

Florida Southern catcher Zach Maggard has earned the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week Award for his role in three Moccasin victories last week.  The freshman from Dade City hit .643 in FSC's four games and had at least two hits in each of the four games.  In Friday night's 11-6 win over #29 Lynn, he had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs.  In Saturday's 7-4 win in game one of the doubleheader, he had two hits, including another home run. 

MOCS SPLIT SSC FINALE WITH LYNN

LAKELAND - Hoping for a series sweep to bolster their postseason chances, the Moccasins split their Sunshine State Conference doubleheader with Lynn Saturday at Henley Field.  FSC won the first game 7-4, but the Fighting Knights erupted for six runs in the top of seventh to win the second game, 10-6.  With their SSC schedule completed and no more region games on the schedule, the Moccasins will have to wait until May 11 to see if their late-season surge that produced 16 wins in their last 19 games is enough to earn them an NCAA tournament bid.  Ranked eighth in the South Region this week, FSC is now 28-21 and finished SSC action at 15-8. Lynn, which is ranked fifth in the South Region, is 32-17, 11-8 SSC.  Lynn still has an SSC series remaining against Florida Tech May 6-7.  In addition, Nova Southeastern has an SSC series remaining against Saint Leo.  Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern are the two teams immediately ahead of FSC in the South Region rankings.  The selections for the NCAA tournament will be announced May 11.

Another possible scenario that could get the Moccasins in the NCAA tournament is winning the Sunshine State Conference, which carries an automatic tournament bid.  The Moccasins currently are in third place with their final SSC record at 15-8.  If first-place Tampa (15-6) is swept by Barry (10-11) in their May 2-3 series and second-place Nova Southeastern (13-6) drops two of three in its May 5-6 series with Saint Leo (7-12), the Moccasins would jump past both teams into first place.  

In Saturday's first game, Robbie Shields' three-run double in the fifth tied the game at 4-4. Will Cherry led off the sixth with a walk and went to third on a single to left by Zach Maggard, then an errant throw by the Lynn second baseman allowed Cherry to score and sent Maggard to third. Wade Kirkland followed Maggard's hit with a sacrifice fly to put FSC ahead 6-4. Maggard belted a solo homer, his sixth of the season, in the eighth for the Moccasins' final run. Brad Davidson worked the first seven innings and earned his fifth win of the season. Daniel Tillman pitched two scoreless innings in relief for his fourth save.

The Moccasins had a 6-4 lead with one out in the top of the seventh of game two, when Lynn's Joe Arminio delivered a three-run homer to put the Knights ahead and they went on to add three more runs before the inning ended. Jeremy Thorne took the loss, dropping his record to 2-6.

Brian Schultz hit his 11th home run of the season and the 34th of his career in the game, putting him just one behind FSC career home run leaders Matt Mercurio and Todd Taylor.

Cherry was hitless in the first game to halt his 18-game hitting streak, but he did draw a walk in each game to extend his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 21.

The Moccasins finish the regular season Friday night at 6 p.m. against Embry-Riddle at Henley Field.

GOLLINER & BULLPEN TOO MUCH FOR LYNN 

LAKELAND - David Golliner homered twice and drove in six runs to power Florida Southern past #29 Lynn, 11-6, on Friday at Henley Field in the opener of their key three-game Sunshine State Conference series.  Golliner hit a three-run homer to trigger a five-run first inning for the Moccasins, then added a two-run homer in the seventh and an RBI-single in the eighth.  The home runs were his 11th and 12th of the season.

After Lynn (31-16, 10-7 SSC) roughed up starter Max Russell for six runs in the first three innings, the Moccasins got a stellar bullpen effort from Randy Cseh and Jeremy Thorne over the final six innings.  Cseh did not allow a hit in his 3.1 inning stint and was credited with the win, his second of the season.  Thorne also did not allow a hit in his 2.2 innings of work and earned his seventh save.  He entered the game with runners at first and second with one out in the seventh and struck out SSC home run leader Gabe MacDougall, who had hit his 20th of the season in the third inning.  Thorne retired Kyle Holloway on a force play to end the inning and set down the Knights in the eighth and ninth.

In addition to Golliner's offensive effort, the Moccasins received three-hit performances from Robbie Shields and Zach Maggard.  After driving in FSC's final first-inning run, Maggard hit a two-run homer in the third, his fifth of the season.  Will Cherry had a double in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 18 straight games.

The Moccasins (27-20, 14-7 SSC), who have won 13 of their last 14 games, need to sweep the three-game series to keep their postseason hopes alive.  They started the weekend series ranked eighth in the South Region and need to be ranked at least fifth, where Lynn currently is ranked, to have a chance to make the six-team regional field.  One of the six regional spots already has gone to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Stillman, which is not ranked in the region, but still receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  

FSC will wrap up the SSC portion of its season with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Henley Field.  Their final regular season game will be next Friday at 6 p.m. at Henley Field against Embry-Riddle.

MOCS STAY HOT, DOWN FLORIDA TECH 7-2

MELBOURNE -Brian Schultz collected three hits and drove in three runs to help lead Florida Southern past Florida Tech 7-2 in a non-conference game on Wednesday at Melbourne.  The win, the 12th in the last 13 games for FSC, improved the Moccasins' record to 26-20.  Florida Tech dropped to 33-17-1.

Schultz singled home FSC's first two runs to start a four-run second inning.  David Golliner had singled to start the inning and Robbie Shields doubled, then both scored on Schultz's single.  After a single by Will Cherry and a walk to Zach Maggard to load the bases, Wade Kirkland was hit by a pitch to score Schultz.  Trae Gore hit into a fielder's choice to score Cherry with the fourth run.

Schultz singled home Arden McWilliams in the third inning to put FSC ahead 5-0.  McWilliams drove in a run in the fourth on an infield out.  Spencer Theisen drove in the Moccasins' final run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.  Cherry also had three hits in the game, extending his hitting streak to 17 straight games.

Ken Wadsworth pitched the first five innings and picked up the win, improving his record to 4-3.  The Panthers managed just four hits off Wadsworth and relievers Randy Cseh, Ryan Koch and Jeremy Thorne.

The Moccasins entertain Lynn in their final SSC series of the season beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Henley Field.

FSC's final regular season game against Embry-Riddle has been moved from May 4 at 7 p.m. to May 2 at 6 p.m. at Henley Field. 

BARRY'S "GIFT" GIVE MOCS A SWEEP

MIAMI SHORES -A dropped fly ball with two outs in the top of the seventh inning allowed Florida Southern to score three unearned runs and beat Barry 6-5 in the second game of their Sunshine State Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Miami Shores.  The Moccasins won the first game 8-4.

Leading 5-3 in the seventh, Barry's Aaron Main was one out away from a complete-game victory, but Spencer Theisen beat out a slow roller to third to keep the inning alive.  Tristan Rainone was hit by a pitch and Arden McWilliams walked to load the bases.  David Golliner then lofted a routine fly ball into short right field that looked like it would be the final out of the game, but Barry right fielder John Servidio and center fielder Andrew Fezza collided and the ball dropped, allowing all three runs to score.

Barry didn't go quietly in the bottom of the seventh, though.  With one out and Yudelmis Hernandez on second, Evan Ashley singled to right field, but Will Cherry threw out Hernandez at the plate to preserve the FSC lead.  Following a walk to Chris Leon, Daniel Tillman got Brett Rossi to fly out to center field to end the game.

Tillman earned his third save, preserving the win for Ryan Koch (3-1), who took over in the fifth for starter Stephen Batman.

After giving up a two-run homer to Golliner in the first and an RBI-single to Theisen in the second, Main had shut down the Moccasins until their seventh-inning rally, allowing just two hits in innings three through six.

Moccasin errors in the fifth and sixth had given the Buccaneers a pair of unearned runs to take the lead.

In the first game, the Moccasins scored seven runs in the final three innings to post an 8-4 win.  Wade Kirkland's two-run double in the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and put FSC ahead to stay.  Jeremy Thorne relieved starter Brad Davidson in the sixth and picked up the win, raising his record to 2-5.

Cherry had hits in both games to extend his hitting streak to 16 straight games.

The series sweep was the Moccasins' second straight in the SSC and gave them 11 wins in their last 12 games.  FSC (25-20, 13-7 SSC), plays a non-league game Wednesday at Florida Tech, then finishes its SSC schedule at home next weekend against Lynn.
 

JIM TYRRELL NAMED TO TAKE OVER BASEBALL FOR MEYER

LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2008) - In conjunction with Pete Meyer being named Florida Southern College's new athletics director, FSC athletics director Lois Webb also announced today that current assistant baseball coach Jim Tyrrell will be promoted to head coach when Meyer assumes his new position and relinquishes his coaching duties. Tyrrell becomes just the fifth head baseball coach in 50 years at Florida Southern, following Meyer (2002-08), Chuck Anderson (1984-2002), Joe Arnold (1977-83) and Hal Smeltzly (1958-76).

"I am very happy that we can maintain the stature of our head baseball coaching position by promoting Jim Tyrrell," Webb said. "He has demonstrated his ability to bring high quality student-athletes to Florida Southern that will keep the Moccasin baseball program at the high level of success it has enjoyed for many, many years." (click here to read more) - (Meyer chosen as next FSC AD)