Moments before, Beary’s first season at South Carolina was capped off in a big way as he played a bit part in a Gamecocks rally that ended in a national championship, following an 11 inning, 2-1 win in Game 2 of a best-of-three series against UCLA.

It was the fifth time this postseason that South Carolina had to come from behind as the school wrapped up its first baseball title in program history.

Robert Beary

“Knowing that was going to be the last World Series there, people were asking me to bring them back some dirt,” said Beary. “I had to get some for myself, too.”

Although the CWS remains in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday’s game was the last to be played at the current location.

And Beary helped make it a memorable finale.

He scored the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning after being called upon to pinch run at first base for Brady Thomas, who reached safely on a grounder. Beary then sped to second on a groundout to third and was soon tested by the Bruins pitcher, who faked a pickoff attempt in his direction.

Seven pitches later teammate Bobby Haney bounced a grounder off the glove of the UCLA first baseman, giving Beary all the time he needed to round third and cross home plate to even up the score. He would later strike out in his only appearance at the plate.

This type of outing was not uncommon for Beary, who throughout the season was selectively called upon when needed, as opposed to being the everyday player he grew up as in the past.

A regular in starting lineups throughout high school and over the past two seasons at Pensacola Community College, he says learning to keep his heartbeat in check and get his mind wrapped around each situation once he does hit the diamond, has helped broaden his repertoire as a player.

“That’s the fun part about it,” he says of the unknown. “It means a lot to be out there in a crucial moment.”

It also takes a lot of patience to hang around the dugout for your number to be called. Three games came and went before Beary made his third (final eight) CWS appearance in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game.

Against Oklahoma on June 24, he went 1-for-3 and scored a run in a 3-2 elimination game that went 12 innings. On June 20 he went 1-for-1 against the Sooners in a 4-3 loss that began double-elimination play.

Other than those outings, he was relegated to the roll of spectator as South Carolina defeated Arizona State, Clemson (twice) and UCLA on Monday. The uncertainty of never knowing when he’d get a chance to play on any given day could have taken its toll on the junior throughout the year.

“It’s a learning process,” he said of the change of pace that comes with hit-and-miss playing time. “It’s something you have to experience to learn from.”

Not that he had much of a choice since joining the Gamecocks. A severe wrist injury to his throwing arm nearly a year ago hindered the start of his initial season at South Carolina. He says the damage required the kind of ligament repair primarily reserved for Tommy John surgery on a player’s elbow.

The struggles to recover athletically were nothing compared to what he faced mentally. While working his way back into shape, two years removed from batting .426 with 76 RBI and 15 doubles through 51 games in 2008 at Pensacola, it seemed finding his timing and awareness were the least of his worries.

“My confidence was shot there for a while,” said Beary. “It’s a depressing feeling, knowing you’re good enough to play but not able to.”

But if he’s learned anything while growing up around a supportive family and a host of youth sports coaches from his hometown, it’s that you better be ready to go if ever called upon come game time. He takes the old “if we can’t outplay them, we’ll out-tough them” motto learned in his younger days to heart.

Beary managed to stay positive and keep his head above water thanks in part to the encouragement he received from back home. And it all paid off as the season went along.

Beary finished the year hitting .276 with 18 runs, 14 RBI, 3 doubles and 3 stolen bases in 44 games, 22 of which he started as a catcher and utility player. In 34 games of junior college baseball last year he hit .387 with 27 RBI and 10 doubles.

He’s now an NCAA National Champion, and it’s just beginning to sink in for he and his teammates.

Hard to imagine that of all the players and teams that navigate the ups-and-downs of a season – the obstacles from injury and hard work in practice – that only one is left standing to celebrate it in the end.

Must feel about as uninhibited as a kid playing in the dirt at one of the grandest parks of all.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

The Florida Gators, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, advanced to the field of eight for the sixth time in program history and first time since 2005. They defeated the Miami Hurricanes 4-3 in 10 Innings on Saturday night in front of a large crowd of 5,783 at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville.

The Hurricanes committed seven errors in the game, including one in the top of the 10th by right fielder Chris Pelaez, who misplayed a fly ball hit by freshman shortstop Nolan Fontana, out of West Orange High School. Fontana would end up scoring the game-winning run on a RBI double by Austin Maddox.

Lake Brantley High School alum Greg Larson entered the game in the bottom of the 10th with one on base and one out. The sophomore proceeded to catch freshman Michael Broad looking on strikes and then force sophomore Rony Rodriguez to ground out to Fontana at shortstop, who fired a bullet across the diamond to Preston Tucker at first base for the final out. Larson collected his third save and was greeted by teammates as the celebration began.

The Hurricanes made nine errors in their two games of Super Regional play, which as a result denied local kids such as freshman Steve Ewing out of University High School and Ethan Bornstein from Winter Park High School a chance to make it to Omaha. The Gators opened Super Regionals with a 7-2 win on Friday night.

Fontana and Larson join sophomore Ben McMahan and senior Clint Franklin as players from the Central Florida area with spots on the Florida roster. McMahon played his high school ball at Bishop Moore while Franklin played at Timber Creek.

Joining the Gators at the World Series are the Florida State Seminoles, who are making the trip for the 20th time in program history and 14th time under head coach Mike Martin. The Seminoles defeated Vanderbilt 7-6 in the decisive Game 3 of the team’s Super Regional matchup at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.

FSU, like the Gators, have four players from the Orlando area on its roster including senior outfielder Ohmed Danesh out of Dr. Phillips High School. Junior infielder Stuart Tapley and freshman Corben Madden both played baseball at Boone High School. Junior pitcher John Gast hails from Lake Brantley, where he was a teammate with Florida’s Larson from 2005-07.

For Gast, Tapley, and Danesh, this marks their second trip to Omaha in three years as FSU advanced in 2008, going 0-2 after losing to Stanford and Miami. The Seminoles open play this time around against TCU while Florida takes on No. 6 UCLA. The two state rivals could meet up early on as both are in the same bracket.

– More Local Players In College World Series –

Senior second baseman Mike Freeman out of Edgewater High School and sophomore shortstop Brad Miller from Olympia High School helped Clemson advance to the World Series. The Tigers take on No. 1 Arizona State to start the week’s final round of elimination play. Junior utility player Robert Beary out of Apopka started in 22 games for South Carolina, playing in 41 games on the year. The Gamecocks get underway against Oklahoma.

In the second day of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, local baseball players began to be selected by big league clubs. Below is a look at who they were, where they were picked, and what team made the call.

– 2010 MLB Draft Top-10 Local Picks –

– LHP Justin Nicolino (University) selected No. 80 overall by Toronto in 2nd round. WESH Video

– RHP A.J. Cole (Oviedo) selected No. 116 overall by Washington in 4th round.

– CF Mason Williams (West Orange) selected No. 145 overall by NY Yankees in 4th round.

– LHP Alex Burgos (Osceola/State College of Florida) selected No. 163 overall by Detroit in 5th round.

– LHP John Gast (Lake Brantley/Florida State) selected No. 199 overall by St. Louis in 6th round.

– RF Jose Dore (The First Academy) selected No. 244 overall by San Diego in 8th round.

– SS Mike Freeman (Edgewater/Clemson) selected No. 331 overall by Arizona in 11th round.

– RHP Cody Allen (Boone/UCF/St. Petersburg JC) selected No. 480 overall by Cleveland in 16th round.

– RHP Owen Dew (UCF) selected No. 630 overall by Cleveland in 21st round.

– C Shane Brown (Winter Park/UCF) selected No. 715 overall by NY Yankees in 23rd round.

– More Local MLB Draft Picks –

LF Chris Duffy (Cypress Creek/UCF) at No. 801 overall to Philadelphia (26th round); CF Jay Gonzalez (Freedom) No. 833 overall to Boston (27th round); RHP Tim Griffin (Rollins College) No. 852 overall to Seattle (28th round); LHP Ronald Schreurs (Freedom) No. 1,296 overall to Toronto (43rd round); LHP Jimmy Hodgskin (Bishop Moore) No. 1,311 overall to Philadelphia (43rd round); OF Tyler Marincov (Timber Creek) No. 1,453 overall to Detroit (48th round).

– Draft Notes –

– The UCF Knights have had nine different players selected in the MLB Draft over the last three years, including Brown, who has now been drafted twice by the Yankees. Last season he was picked in the 47th round. In all, UCF has had its baseball players drafted by MLB organizations 73 times since 1979. Dew was taken in the 33rd round in 2009 by the Los Angeles Angels. Duffy, who was selected in the 9th round out of high school, completed his four-year career as a finalist for the 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award as one of the top amateur players in the nation.

– The Florida Collegiate Summer League had the highest number of current or former baseball players drafted over the three-day MLB selection process as 25 FCSL players were taken, including five in the first eight rounds. A complete list of draftees is available at Florida League.

Last Saturday the former Bishop Moore High School lacrosse star ended his collegiate playing career, in the NCAA Division III title game in Baltimore, Maryland, in the same sort of manner his prep career came to a close. Salisbury dropped the decisive game to Tufts by a 9-6 score.

It proved to be a tough afternoon for Von Kamecke and the Sea Gulls as they trailed 6-1 after the first quarter of play.

One game removed from helping Salisbury slip past Stevenson 14-13 in overtime in the semifinals with three goals and two assists, the senior midfielder came up empty on seven shots last week and turned the ball over four times in the loss.

Now it’s back to Winter Park, where Von Kamecke was born and raised, before returning to school in Maryland this fall to finish up his degree. While he’s back in town, Von Kamecke plans to spend time helping with local lacrosse camps throughout the area.

Each time he returns home to Florida it’s as if the local interest in the sport continues to grow by leaps and bounds in comparison to past visits.

“It blows me away seeing how the sport has grown every time I go home,” said Von Kamecke.

He is among a handful of local lacrosse players that helped pave the way for such enthusiasm, so to speak.

– Quite A Career –

Von Kemecke’s final game at Bishop Moore in 2006 ended in defeat in the state championship game under the guidance of head coach Danny Hogan. That year he finished with 89 points, of which 46 came by way of assists.

In four seasons of varsity play he helped lead the Hornets to district titles each year and an overall record of 60-15. His 288 career points from 2003-06 ranks second all-time in program history behind the 321 points compiled by Ryan Zipperly (1999-02).

After earning three All-American selections in high school, Von Kamecke landed in Salisbury as part of one of the richest lacrosse programs in D-III history. The Sea Gulls entered the championship game last week with eight titles already under its belt and an impressive 500-108 overall record.

As a freshman in 2007 Von Kamecke scored nine goals and had five assists in 23 games for a national championship team. Salisbury returned to repeat the feat in his sophomore season, when he scored 32 goals along with 21 assists in 22 games en route to being named to the All-Capital Athletic Conference Second Team.

In 2009 he was a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Honorable Mention after having scored 27 goals with 17 assists for the Sea Gulls, who were bounced early from the postseason.

Although his senior season ended on a sour note, Von Kamecke did all he could for a team that finished 21-2.

The team captain was selected to the USILA All-American Second Team, All-CAC First Team and the Eastern Colleges Athletic Conference (ECAC) D-III All-Metro/South Region All-Star First Team this past season. He finished the best year of his career with 40 goals and 30 assists in 23 games.

– Growth Potential –

While growing up in Florida he witnessed firsthand how the sport of lacrosse was just beginning to catch on in terms of gaining mass appeal. It wasn’t until 2008 that the Florida High School Athletic Association began to officially recognize the sport at the high school level, making Orlando home to its state championship games.

And as great a high school lacrosse player Von Kamecke proved to be, he says it was his experience at Salisbury that taught him so much more about the game, and even himself. He says what he learned during his time in Maryland not only sharpened his game but also helped him better control himself mentally and physically out on the field.

“It’s really helped me grow as a person,” he said of the college experience. “You realize just how many different types of people there are out there to meet and how that all plays out on the lacrosse field.”

Von Kamecke was one of eight seniors at Salisbury that took the field with the Sea Gulls for the final time last weekend. Going into the game he and his teammates hoped to “go out the way it started,” referring to winning a title on the same field they did as freshman in 2007.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Still, three trips to the finals and two titles to show for it over the course of four years is nothing to hang your head about.

Now it’s back to another summer back home in Central Florida, where he can marvel at how much the sport he grew up playing has grown so much, just as he has individually while he’s been away.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Welcome to this week’s version of Orlando Sports Central Highlights…

– Local Product Leads AFL Predators –

Just two days after signing with the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators, former Kissimmee Osceola football and basketball standout Bobby Sippio made an immediate impact.

In the final seconds of Friday’s game, Sippio hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nick Hill to help secure a 58-54 win over the visiting Milwaukee Iron. He finished the game with 88 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

After starting the season 0-3, the Predators have won three-straight to move to 3-3 overall. They host rival Tampa Bay Storm (3-3) on Friday at 8 p.m. at Amway Arena. Orlando and Tampa currently trail Jacksonville (6-1) and Alabama (4-3) in the division.

After playing his college ball at Western Kentucky, Sippio (6’3″, 215 lbs) played arena football with the Storm, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados and Peoria Pirates of arenafootball2. He also got opportunities in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions as well as the United Football League’s California Redwoods and Florida Tuskers. In 2007 he led the AFL with 53 touchdown receptions while playing with the Rush.

– Former FCSL Player Gets Call To Majors –

Word out of the Florida Collegiate Summer League is that one of its own was recently called up to Major League Baseball last week.

Lucroy

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy became the first FCSL alum to crack the big leagues since the wood-bat league was founded in 2003. The Milwaukee Brewers brought up Lucroy from Triple-A Nashville on May 21 when Gregg Zaun was forced to the disabled list.

The rookie then got his first big-league hit that night in his first at-bat while on the road against the Minnesota Twins. He singled to left field in the eighth inning.

Lucroy, out of Eustis, was a standout for the Sanford River Rats and Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. He ranks second all-time in FCSL batting average (.325) and slugging percentage (.500).

Considered Milwaukee’s top catching prospect, and fifth-best prospect overall, Lucroy started the season at Double-A Huntsville before moving on to Nashville after hitting .452 in 10 games. He has since registered a .238 batting average with two home runs in 31 total games on the year.

The 2010 FCSL season gets underway on Thursday, June 3 at Sanford Memorial Stadium when the River Rats host Leesburg at 7 p.m. The five-team league runs through Aug. 5 when the championship game is played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

– Bishop Moore Lax Alum In D-III Title Game –

Von Kamecke

Salisbury University senior Mike Von Kamecke has one more lacrosse game to play before his college career closes out this weekend.

On Sunday at 12 p.m. in Baltimore, Md., the former Bishop Moore standout takes the field with the Salisbury Sea Gulls (21-1) for the final time as they meet up with Tufts (19-1) for the NCAA Division III title. In a 14-13 semifinal win in overtime against Stevenson, Von Kamecke finished with three goals on five shots and was credited with two assists. It’s the fourth trip to the championship game over the past five years for Salisbury.

Von Kamecke is capping off his best season to date as he’s second on the team in assists (30), third in points (70), fourth in goals (40) and leads the team in man-up goals with nine on the year.

He closed out his high school career with the second-most points ever for a Hornet (288) between 2003-2006 while leading Bishop Moore to a state runner-up finish his senior year.

– Student-Athletes Sign With Colleges –

– University High School girls basketball player Rachel Turner signed on with Southeastern University in Lakeland last week. Turner earned four letters as a Cougar, playing a big role in the programs first two district titles following the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons and its first conference title this past year. The two-year captain finished her career with over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists. She plans to study special education and would like to work as a teacher and coach.

– The number of Colonial High School football players moving on to play in college increased to five last week when defensive back Renard Allen signed with Concordia University in Chicago and quarterback Jose Castro signed with Baker University in Kansas. They join running back Jermaine Broomfield, bound for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, defensive lineman Ryan Moore (Baker University) and offensive lineman Sammy Mendoza (Defiance University in Ohio) as signees from the 2009 team.

– Last week Timber Creek High School had two student-athletes sign on with college football programs as Cameron Smith is heading to St. Olaf College in Minnesota and Matt Jones will be off to Mount Union College in Ohio.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Remember those daggers he dished out in last year’s postseason run to the NBA Finals? It appeared then that the money was well spent.

With the flick of a wrist the sharp-shooting power forward can make the dollars-and-cents of such a deal seem irrelevant, no matter how ineffective or quiet a game he’s having up to that point.

Rashard Lewis (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Such was the case in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics at Amway Arena.

Only Lewis never had the chance to make up for his bland performance – in each of the opening two games of the series – while just three-and-a-half seconds remained on the clock Tuesday night.

“Rashard got open,” said Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy afterwards. “But because we’re inbounding in the backcourt, (Michael) Finley is back in the passing lane and we could not make the pass to him.”

Instead, Jameer Nelson’s desperation heave from 35-feet out with no time left brushed the outside of the net and put the Magic down 2-0 in the series with a 95-92 loss.

Nelson’s prayer came on the heels of two missed free throws from Vince Carter with 31 seconds to go and a few wasted seconds near the end when, following a rebound with 6.9 seconds left, J.J. Redick neglected to call for a timeout after Kevin Garnett’s jumper to beat the shot clock bounced from the rim.

Orlando now faces must-win situations on the road in Game 3 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Game 4 on Monday at 8:30 p.m.

Lewis finished another intense and physical matchup between these two titans with just five points on 2-for-6 shooting and four rebounds and four assists in Game 2. And in case you missed it, that followed a lackluster showing in Game 1 on Sunday as he went 2-for-10 from the field for six points in a 92-88 loss.

Compare those numbers to what he did in the first eight games of the 2010 playoffs and give credit where credit is due – to the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics have chosen to play Dwight Howard one-on-one there has been little room for Lewis, and his teammates for that matter, to operate on the perimeter.

Against the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks, Lewis shot a combined 54-percent from the field (47-for-87), nailed 46-percent from long range (24-for-52) and was second on the team in both rebounds (44) and assists (21) while averaging 16.4 points per game.

In the conference semifinals he’s barely been a factor, scoring 11 points in two combined games after averaging 14.1 points per game in the regular season.

“Maybe I have to do something different to get involved into the offense,” said Lewis. “Because right now they’ve pretty much taken me out of the game.“

Quite a shock to the system coming off the kind of games he had to open the postseason.

“The first two series against Charlotte and Atlanta… two good teams, but not better defensive teams than the Boston Celtics,” said Lewis. “They have big bodies on the inside. They’re long, they’re active, they play the pick-and-roll well and they’re well-coached.”

All the more reason why Van Gundy was just as frustrated following Tuesday’s game as he was with the loss two days earlier.

The coach wants more passes and better shot selections. And for his team to stop forcing the issue so much on the offensive end since it’s apparent their initial impulses with the basketball have not helped their cause.

Van Gundy also mentioned something about getting Lewis more active in the offensive game plan moving forward.

“I don’t think Rashard has played badly,” said Van Gundy. “I just think they’re staying home on him and it’s incumbent on me to find a way to get him involved.”

He followed that up by pointing to Lewis’ defensive effort thus far in the series against Garnett, who scored 10 points on 5-for-16 shooting in Game 2 and just eight points following a 4-for-14 effort in Game 1.

“Both guys scored in their last series and both of them are struggling to score right now, so it’s going both ways,” said Van Gundy.

It’ll be interesting to see which one can get their all-around games pieced back together first. Not that the Celtics need Garnett in the same way the Magic need Lewis, who is well aware of what’s at stake at this point.

“When you get to the point in the playoffs when you’re in the Eastern Conference Finals and (NBA) Finals, everything counts, you’re not playing against teams that can only get so far (in the playoffs),” said Lewis. “You’re playing against the best teams in the NBA and you’ve got to play your best to win.”

Even if that means biding your time and emerging when it matters most.

Somehow that seems so long ago.

Jonathan Dydo (Photo by Mike Dydo)

Thanks to a stellar pitching performance from Jonathan Dydo and some patience at the plate, the Wolves advanced in the tournament with a 4-1 win at Jacksonville Mandarin on Friday in the FHSAA Region 1 final.

Held hitless through four innings, Timber Creek (24-7) lit the scoreboard first when in the top of the fifth Jason Anderson homered and Eugene Vazquez drove in a run on a single.

Dydo, who TCHS Coach Scott Grove credited for using both sides of the plate and pounding the strike zone, allowed a run in the bottom half of the inning but finished with nine strikeouts in just over six innings of work.

Timber Creek tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Spencer Angelis drove in a run and Anderson advanced on a passed ball. Tyler Marincov also scored a run.

“Hats off to Mandarin,” Grove told the Florida Times-Union afterwards. “But that was typical of our kids to keep it up. We knew we would face some tough pitching, and we just feel fortunate to leave their field with a win.”

The Wolves take on Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) at Digital Domain Park (formerly Tradition Field) in Port St. Lucie on Friday at 8 p.m. in the state semifinals. Alonso (Tampa) and American (Hialeah) meet up in the other semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Lake Brantley captured a 6A state title for Seminole County in 2008.

– When It Matters Most –

Following nine seasons of baseball, Timber Creek is finally finding ways to win when it matters most – in the postseason.

Scott Grove

And it may have a lot to do with the new approach of the lead guy in the dugout.

As the Wolves prepared for a third trip to regionals in the short history of the program, Grove took a step back, looked over Timber Creek’s body of work over the years and came away hoping to avoid any repeat of the past.

He figured there must be some explanation for the way the floor has fallen out from under his teams each postseason after completing such successful regular season runs. This, despite averaging more than 20 wins each year and finishing near the top of their district standings.

“I just thought ‘what could we do to make things different’,” said Grove.

Turns out the answer happened to be much closer than he imagined.

Grove began to temper his emotions as opposed to wearing any frustration on his sleeve whenever the game strayed from the picture-perfect production he’d envisioned going in. He proceeded to encourage his team to play through their miscues instead of reminding players of them each time through facial expressions.

Jason Anderson (Photo by Mike Dydo)

It paid off at Hagerty in the opening round, just one game after losing in the district finals. That’s when while trailing by a run, and maintaining a level of calmness, he gathered the troops and reminded them to keep competing until the very end. The Wolves responded with two runs in the sixth inning and solid play in the field to come away with the win.

“I think with me being so uptight and not wanting things to go wrong, that it’s affected them during games,” explains Grove. “They would see it in my face when things went wrong and that carried over into their attitudes.”

So he set out to change his own attitude.

Trailing by a run in the sixth inning? No problem. You’re No. 2 pitcher in a rematch with the big hitters that handed you a district championship game loss? No problem.

“We’ve been playing extremely relaxed,” said Grove.

No more worrying about mistakes on the spot because the Wolves already have their minds set on making the next play. No better way to play this game, one could argue. A game that could come down to a bad hop of the ball just as easily as it could a bad throw.

“I’m a perfectionist,” said Grove. “I want everything to go a certain way. But everybody makes mistakes.”

And in this year’s postseason everybody is getting a chance at redemption. For the errors, the strikeouts, the premature ending of season’s past. Including Grove, who is just as focused on reaching the pinnacle of this journey (after coming so close a decade ago) as his young team is.

“Baseball is a lot like life,” he said. “It’s about the way you respond to adversity when things don’t go your way.”

– It’s Been A Long Time –

To imply that Grove has somehow had it wrong all these years as a high school baseball coach would be like assuming every individual kid is wired in the same way. In fact, Grove has been consistent in both the win-loss column and in the impressive number of student-athletes he sends on to collegiate programs.

Tyler Marincov is safe at home on Friday in Jacksonville. (Photo by Mike Dydo)

This type of change is more about coming to grips with how best to manage the personnel you’ve got at your disposal, or rather on your roster.

Back in 2000, Grove led Colonial High School to a state runner-up finish behind fiery pep talks, which he said led to that group “rising to the occasion.”

That was certainly a slice of Grove’s personality which he carried over from his days of touring the minor leagues ranks as a pitcher for the Braves, Blue Jays and Brewers organizations.

And that might help shed light on what drives someone to become so demanding of others after spending their entire lives immersed in a game of skill, detail, chance, and the inevitable physical wear and tear that takes place over time. Grove has a shoulder that knows a ballplayer’s fate all too well.

But he sounds more like a parent today then he does a coach when talking about the kind of student-athletes he has on this year’s team at Timber Creek. He says they’ve truly bought into the system and that they’re all “really great kids with a lot of ability.”

They don’t appear to lack for effort, either.

“Nobody is sweating harder than us,” said Grove over the weekend. “Nobody is working harder than us.”

Proving that a coach can make all the personal changes they desire, but that there’s nothing as tried-and-true in sports as continuing to bust your tails in practice.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Casey Powell scores a goal from behind the net in a first round playoff game against Boston on May 1. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Bershaw/Orlando Titans)

Powell led the Titans in scoring this season with 80 points in 14 games, including a career-high 44 goals which were good for second in the NLL behind the 46 goals scored by Washington’s Lewis Ratcliff. Powell’s 3.14 goals per game were best in the league in 2010.

Powell accomplished the feat despite missing two games with a knee injury. He returned to the lineup to score 22 goals and earn game MVP honors five times in his final seven games of the season. He also scored three goals or more in a game in 11 out of the 16 total games he played.

Perhaps most impressive was his effort in the Titans first postseason game in Orlando against Boston, where he scored five goals and had two assists to help the Titans crawl out of a 7-3 hole and advance with a 12-11 win. The Titans fell one game short of the Champion’s Cup final with a 15-10 loss to Toronto in the next round.

The veteran credited his team for helping him earn the MVP award by explaining, “We had a great defense, a great goaltender and great coaching this season and that made my job a lot easier.”

Matt Vinc (Photo by Scott McCall)

And speaking of goaltenders, Vinc led the NLL in minutes played (902), total saves (609), saves-per-game (40.6), save percentage (.810), and regular season wins (10); while ranking third in goals against average (9.51).

His 609 saves tied his 2009 total as the third highest in NLL history, which he could have improved on had he not sat out the season finale once the Titans already had the division in hand. The all-time single-season saves record of 644 was set by Albany’s Rob Blasell in 2002.

Both Powell and Vinc, affectionately referred to as “VNO” by the home crowd, were named to the first unit of the NLL All-Pro Team. Orlando defenseman John Orsen and transition/forward Jordan Hall were named to the second team. The Titans led all teams with four total selections.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

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 players are competing at the Double-A level or higher.

Serving as the backup catcher to Joe Mauer for the Minnesota Twins, Butera is making his MLB debut in 2010 and recorded his first hit April 22 against Cleveland.

In Triple-A, the city of Rochester, N.Y. is embracing two UCF hurlers who are controlling opposing hitters this season. The Red Wings (Minnesota Twins) have witnessed Matt Fox come on for eight relief appearances and post a 1-0 record with a 2.13 ERA, striking out nine in 12.2 innings. Meanwhile, Mike Maroth has started three games and although he has a 0-2 record thanks to unearned runs, the lefty has a 1.64 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 11.0 innings of work.

Competing at the Double-A level, outfielder Clay Timpner is hitting .440 with a 1.065 OPS for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants), and hurler Tim Bascom is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts for the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles).

And three Knights who ended their collegiate careers after the 2008 campaign are blossoming in the Class A Advanced ranks. Tyson Auer holds a .293 average with nine steals for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels), Robert Lara is hitting .263 with four runs and three RBI for the Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego Padres) and Mitch Herold carries a 1-0 record with a 0.87 ERA and six strikeouts in five relief outings for the Salem Red Sox (Boston Red Sox).

UCF in Professional Baseball in 2010

Hitters

– Tyson Auer – (Class A+, LA Angeles) – 18 GP, .293 BA, 16 R, 3 3B, 1 HR, 9 SB

– Drew Butera – (MLB) – 2 GP, 1-for-6 as the backup catcher to Joe Mauer

– Robert Lara – (Class A+, San Diego) – 6 GP, .263 BA, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI

– Clay Timpner – (Double-A, San Francisco) – 13 GP, .440 BA, 1.065 OPS, 6 BB, 2 K

Pitchers

– Tim Bascom – (Double-A, Baltimore) – 3 GP, 3 GS, 2-0, 1.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 14 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

– Matt Fox – (Triple-A, Minnesota) – 8 GP, 0 GS, 1-0, 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 9 K

– Mitch Herold – (Class A+, Boston) – 5 GP, 0 GS, 1-0, 0.87 ERA, 10.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

– Mike Maroth – (Triple-A, Minnesota) – 3 GP, 3 GS, 0-2, 1.64 ERA, 11.0 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

The nose tackle became the second-highest UCF draft pick ever and first player taken from Conference USA on Friday when he was selected with the ninth pick in the second round.

“I don’t play a glory position. So sometimes guys at my position get overlooked and I feel like I was a bit overlooked this year,” said Troup of being an overshadowed pick. ”For the Bills to grab me at the beginning of the second round is a great feeling and that tells me that somebody is paying attention to all the hard work that I’m putting in and my great work ethic.”

He evidently feels there is still much to prove.

“I love the work. If I feel like anybody is working harder than me, then I’m mad at myself,” said Troup. “I work all day, every day. You can catch me up at two in the morning running two miles, so I don’t shy away from hard work at all.”

Despite battling constant double teams throughout his career, Troup finished with 105 tackles, of which 24 went for loss, in 47 games (39 starts).

Former UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper is the highest Knight to have ever been selected in the draft as he was taken No. 11 overall in 1999 by the Minnesota Vikings. UCF has had players taken in the NFL Draft in each of the past five years and in eight of the past nine drafts overall.

– Photos of Troup in the East-West Shrine Game by Scott McCall –