12/3/12 - Behind two outstanding performances on the mound the Black Squad took the first two games, and the series, in FCC Baseball’s annual Orange & Black series. The Orange & Black series marked the conclusion of the Suns fall practice season this last week. The series was a tightly contested battle, in a best 2-out of-3 format, that included a 7-7 tie in game three. Suns Head Coach, Jon Copeland, was pleased by the results, “The quality of play, and depth of both squads, was definitely an improvement from our first annual Orange & Black series last fall. We still need to work hard to be ready for the spring, but for the end of the fall we are where we need to be”.

Black took game one of the series, 4-3, behind a complete game performance on the mound from Nick Beavers (So., Deltona, FL) who out dueled returning All-South Region player, Andres Cancio (So., Orlando, FL). Beavers spread out 4-hits, including surviving a 2-run home run in the final inning from returning South Region Player of the Year and All-American, Eric Santamaria (So., Miami, FL), in order to secure the win and give Black a 1-0 series lead. Black continued their outstanding work on the mound in game two, winning 3-1 behind Taylor Cornelius (Fr., Bartow, FL) who spun five innings of 1-hit, shutout pitching and Elim Perritte (So., Powder Springs, GA), who closed the game to give Black the series win. Orange pitchers, Hansel Lazo (So., Hialeah Gardens, FL) and Justin Tate (Fr., Brandon, FL) spread out 7 hits, and pitched out of a couple jams in order to keep the game close. Game three involved some dramatic play and offensive power as the Orange squad collected eight hits, including clubbing two, 2-run home runs from Cancio and returning All-American, Mark Vidal (So., Orlando, FL). The Suns other returning All-American, Erik Figueroa (Sr., Orange Park, FL) also had a good series at the plate. Orange jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the game only to see Black come back with 6 runs in the final frame to end the contest in a tie.

With the end of the Suns fall program Copeland paused to assess his team’s progress, “Coming off of a very successful first season for the program last year, as the national runner-up, we reaped some of the benefits of that in our recruiting. Then to see how our returners and new players worked together this fall to “win” the fall season was very encouraging. Our guys put in a lot of blood and sweat this fall and demonstrated that our talent level has not only improved but that they can work together as a team within our program- it was a very positive fall for Suns Baseball”. The Suns begin the 2013 campaign when they host Ave Maria University in a 3-game series beginning on Feb. 1-2 at the Houston Astros Complex located across the street from the FCC campus in Kissimmee.