Florida Tech Baseball: A Tradition of Excellence

Florida Tech baseball is a tradition of excellence. The program has produced numerous Major League Baseball players, including Hall of Famer Wade Boggs Florida Tech is committed to providing its student-athletes with the best possible experience, both on and off the field.

Introduction

Florida Tech Baseball has a long tradition of excellence, dating back to the program’s inception in 1965. The Panthers have made 27 appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament, including 21 in the last 22 years. Florida Tech has won 10 conference championships and made five trips to the College World Series The Panthers have produced 72 All-Americans, including two-time National Player of the Year Mike Fiore. In addition, 11 Florida Tech Baseball alumni have gone on to play Major League Baseball

History

Florida Tech Baseball has a rich tradition of success dating back to the program’s inception in 1966. The Panthers have won 12 Sunshine State Conference championships, made 12 NCAA Division II tournament appearances and reached the Division II College World Series four times. Florida Tech has produced 50 All-Americans, 32 professional ballplayers and three Major League Baseball draft picks

The Tradition of Excellence

Florida Tech baseball has a long tradition of excellence, dating back to the program’s inception in 1966. The Panthers have won 14 conference championships and made 15 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, including three trips to the College World Series Florida Tech has also produced dozens of Major League baseball players including five All-Stars.

The Team

The Florida Tech baseball team is a Division II program that competes in the Sunshine State Conference The Panthers are coached by Randy Young and play their home games at Melching Field at Hendry Park.

Florida Tech has a long tradition of success on the diamond, winning nine conference championships and making seven NCAA tournament appearances. The Panthers have also produced 29 All-Americans, including two Academic All-Americans.

The Fans

###The Fans

Florida Tech baseball fans are some of the most passionate and loyal in all of college sports They pack the stands at George W. John’s Field every game and provide a great home-field advantage for the Panthers.

Some of the traditions that make Florida Tech baseball games so special include:

-The “Panther Roar” – Fans stamp their feet and roar like Panthers whenever the home team scores a run or makes a big play.
-The “10,000th Game Celebration” – In 2012, Florida Tech reached a milestone by playing its 10,000th game in program history. The fans celebrated by wearing Panther gear and cheering loud enough to be heard on campus.
-The Tailgate parties – Fans love to tailgate before Florida Tech baseball games and there is always a great atmosphere around John’s Field on game days.

The Facilities

From the first game played in 1963, Florida Tech baseball has a long and proud tradition of excellence. The team has been fortunate to call several different ballparks home over the years, each one with its own unique character and history.

The first games were played on campus at what is now Stan Action Field, named for the late Head Coach who led the team to its first conference championship in 1968. In 1977, the Panthers moved off campus to Space Coast Stadium, which was originally built for spring training by the Cleveland Indians The stadium went through a few different names and configurations over the years, but it was always a Great Place to watch a game. In 2012, the team moved back on campus to Panther baseball stadium a state-of-the-art facility that features luxury suites,Club Level seating, and a spacious concourse.

Panther Baseball Stadium is truly a home away from home for the team, and it has already become one of the premier venues in college baseball With its capacity of over 3,000 fans, it is one of the largest on-campus stadiums in Division II baseball The facility also features a superb playing surface and top-notch amenities that make it one of the most player-friendly environments in all of college baseball

The Schedule

The 2019 Florida Tech baseball season is fast approaching, and Panther fans everywhere are eagerly anticipating another year of top-notch baseball. As always, the schedule is loaded with talented opponents, and the Panthers will have their work cut out for them if they want to make it back to the NCAA Division II World Series

Here are some of the key dates on the schedule:

February 15-17: Season-opening weekend against West Virginia State. The Panthers will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Yellow Jackets in the deciding game of the NCAA Division II World Series

March 8-10: Home series against defending NCAA Division I National Champion Vanderbilt. This will be a big test for the Panthers, as Vanderbilt is one of the best teams in college baseball

April 5-7: Home series against in-state rival Lynn University. The Panthers have won four straight games against Lynn, dating back to 2016.

May 17-19: Final regular season series against Tampa Bay rival Saint Leo University The Panthers have won seven straight games against Saint Leo dating back to 2015.

The Rivalries

Few things in sports can rival the tradition and intensity of college baseball rivalries. For the Florida Tech Panthers, there are three primary rivals: the University of Central Florida Knights, the Rollins College Tars, and the Stetson University Hatters.

The UCF Knights have been one of the top programs in Division I Baseball in recent years They have won multiple conference championships and made several appearances in the NCAA Tournament The Knights are always a tough opponent, and the games between these two teams are usually very heated.

The Rollins College Tars are Florida Tech’s closest rivals in terms of proximity. Rollins is located just down the road in Winter Park, and the two schools share a lot of history. Both Rollins and Florida Tech were founded in the 1950s, and they have been competing against each other in athletics ever since. The Baseball Rivalry between these two schools is one of the oldest and most intense in all of Division II baseball.

The Stetson University Hatters are another long-standing rival of Florida Tech. These two schools are located just a few miles apart in Central Florida, and they have been competing against each other since 1957. The games between these two teams are always very competitive, and there is a great deal of mutual respect between these two programs.

The Postseason

Florida Tech has a long and successful history in baseball, and that success has been bolstered by a strong showing in postseason play. The Panthers have made eighteen appearances in the NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament with their first coming in 1987. They have appeared in the tournament eleven times since 2000, including three straight appearances from 2014-2016. In that time, they have made it to the Elite Eight four times and the College World Series twice, coming in second place overall in 2013.

Conclusion

Over the past fifty years, Florida Tech’s Baseball Team has been one of the most successful in Division II. In that time, they have won fourteen conference titles and made seven appearances in the College World Series Their tradition of excellence is built on a foundation of solid coaching, talented players, and a commitment to winning. As the program enters its next fifty years, Florida Tech Baseball remains one of the premier Division II programs in the country.