Baseball Season Wrap Up
For the 3rd time in the last four seasons, the Pirates made the postseason, giving them the opportunity to compete in the State Tournament once again. They traveled down to the no. 1 seed, Indian River, and ultimately their season came to an end. The Pirates finished with an overall record of 32-17, marking two seasons in a row of 30+ victories.
Despite being knocked out in the tournament, the Pirates season was a great success. Pensacola struggled through the middle of conference play. The last series against a very good Gulf Coast team would determine the Pirates postseason fate. They came out victorious, winning 3 out of 4 in the series and securing a spot in the postseason. The Pirates were tasked with facing Central Florida, the defending JUCO National Champions, in the play-in game. They came out swinging and won that game 14-6, advancing them into the State Tournament.
The Pirates had a handful of individual accolades in conference and in the state of Florida. A total of 10 Pirates were recognized with end of season awards within the conference. John Smith, Michael Young, and Blaydon Plain were each selected to the First Team All-Panhandle Conference team. Julian Mlodzinski, Josiah Glodfelter, Jackson Hiatt, Carson Hepworth, and Carter McCulley were each selected to the Second Team All-Panhandle Conference team. Carson Hepworth was voted on as the Defensive Player of The Year in the Panhandle Conference. Hepworth played a full two seasons with the Pirates and committed a total of zero errors during his time roaming centerfield. Tucker Jackson was voted as the Panhandle Conference Fireman of the Year, which is the best relief pitcher in the conference. He led the conference in saves, with seven on the year.
The Pirates also had four All State recognitions. Blaydon Plain was selected All-FCSAA First Team, after finishing a fantastic two years with the program. Overall, this season, Plain finished batting .370 with 12 doubles, three triples and nine homeruns. He also had an OBP of .491 and stole 14 bases. John Smith was also selected All-FCSAA First Team after having a great year. Smith batted .382 with 17 doubles, two triples and a team leading 12 homeruns. From the leadoff spot, he led the team in RBI, with 49. Michael Young was selected All-FCSAA Second Team catcher. Young hit .310 and led the team in doubles with 19. He also racked up six homeruns and 45 RBI. Carson Hepworth was selected to the FCSAA Gold Glove Team. This award is given out to only three outfielders in the entire state and Hepworth is certainly worthy of the recognition as he was arguably the best outfielder in the state for the last two seasons.
PSC is sending off 10 sophomores to the 4-year level to continue their careers, with a few more left to choose their destination.
Blaydon Plain - Florida State
Carter McCulley - Florida State
John Smith - South Alabama
Michael Young - South Alabama
Todd Clay – University of Alabama - Birmingham
Julian Mlodzinski – Florida International University
Carson Hepworth- University of Louisiana - Lafayette
Tucker Jackson – University of West Georgia
Jake Crews- Georgia State University
Josiah Glodfelter- Southeastern University