The St Petersburg College Titans hosted the annual Ed Davis kick off classic at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale on Jan. 22-24th. Not only was the tournament a success from a health and safety standpoint, but some of the best teams in the state were in attendance followed by professional and collegiate scouts and recruiters.
Nationally ranked Chipola, as well as state ranked Santa Fe fell to the Titans, who would go on to start the season 3-0. Coach Beckman credits offensive contributions from key returners, as well as standout pitching performances for the hot start "We got some big hits when we needed them. Rincones, Williams and Riley had memorable weekends. All of our starters threw the ball like we expected them and Leo O'Shinski shut the door on Chipola when we needed it the most."
The Titan's 3-0 start saw them thrown into the mix in the Region 8 Coaches Poll, naming them tied for fourth with conference foe Florida Southwest. On the rankings themselves, Beckman asserts "it's a positive sign for the health of the program. Anytime you beat teams others believe are the best in the country, it gives your players a boost. But we know we haven't achieved our goals and we won't lose sight of what we set out to accomplish."
The off the field component ran smoothly thanks to COVID-19 protocols from the Lake Myrtle Complex and SPC's Athletic Department. Temperature checks and symptom screening for players in addition to social distancing and mask wearing for spectators and scouts outlined what will be the back to play plan for many spring sports across the country. All in all, 9 different teams competed at the same sight safely, kicking off what should be a tremendous year for SPC and Junior College baseball as a whole.
