When the College World Series ended late Tuesday night at Rosenblatt Stadium, Apopka High School alum Robert Beary bottled up handfuls of infield dirt from the historic site after his first season at South Carolina was capped off with a national championship win.

Later this week the College World Series begins, on Saturday, June 19. And while area teams such as UCF and Stetson will not be taking part, it doesn’t mean Central Florida players have been left out. Florida and Florida State have a combined eight locals on baseball rosters.

For the young ballplayers who recently accepted their high school diplomas, the decision is now whether to start collegiate playing careers or join minor league baseball teams. For current underclassmen hailing from nearby, the decision is a similar one to make.

This wasn’t how summer break was supposed to start for Mike Von Kamecke. Last Saturday the former Bishop Moore lacrosse star ended his college career in the NCAA Division III title game in Maryland as Salisbury lost in the championship to Tufts by a 9-6 score.

A Kissimmee native leads the hometown arena football team… A former FCSL player becomes the first to get a call from the majors… A former Bishop Moore lax standout plays for a title in his last game… and several student-athletes signed college papers last week.

When the Orlando Magic need a clutch shot in the final moments of a big game they turn to Rashard Lewis, the $118-million dollar man the team signed in 2007. Though in the Eastern Conference Finals it’s as if Lewis is nowhere to be found.

Timber Creek’s baseball team became the first Class 6A squad from Orange County to advance to the state final four since Boone finished runners-up back in 2005. The Wolves take on Flanagan in Port St. Lucie on Friday at 8 p.m. in the semifinals.

Casey Powell and Matt Vinc helped lead the Orlando Titans to the East Division regular season with a franchise-best 11-5 record, and last week were named the National Lacrosse League’s 2010 Most Valuable Player and Goaltender of the Year, respectively.

A total of eight former UCF baseball players are enjoying life in the professional ranks this April. The Knights are represented at the Major League level by Drew Butera, while four other former players are competing at the Double-A level or higher in 2010.

And with the 41st overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select… Torell Troup. The nose tackle became the second-highest UCF draft pick all-time and first player taken from Conference USA on Friday with the ninth pick in the second round.