LAKELAND, Fla. (May 14, 2023) - The College of Central Florida captured a second straight FCSAA Division I/NJCAA South Atlantic District Baseball Championship on Sunday evening, knocking off Northwest Florida State College, 7-2.

The Patriots, undefeated in five postseason games including last weekend's Ocala Regional sweep against Florida SouthWestern State College, will take a gaudy 51-6 record to Grand Junction for the NJCAA Division I World Series. 

Northwest Florida State survived two elimination games to reach the final, including an 8-7 win over Miami Dade College earlier on Sunday. The Raiders outhit Central Florida, 10-8, but the timely hit eluded Northwest Florida State throughout. 

The Raiders left runners on base in each of the first eight innings - 14 for the game - and stranded at least one in scoring position in the first five frames. Still, they led 1-0 through three innings before Central Florida broke through. 

The Patriots scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to grad a 3-1 lead. After Northwest Florida State got one of the runs back in the next inning, the Patriots went to work again. 

With a runner on, the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Carson Bayne, one of eight Patriots named to the All-Tournament Team, mashed a homer to left center. The Patriots added another run in the inning to increase their lead to 6-2. 

Bayne finished the scoring with an RBI-double in the eighth. 

FCSAA Fireman of the Year Cam Schuelke, another of the Patriots' All-Tournament performers, finally retired the Raiders in order in the ninth, completing a two-inning stint of one-hit ball. 

Central Florida's Brian Holiday was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher, thanks to his seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in Saturday's 6-0 win over Miami Dade. 

The Patriots' Marty Smith was named FCSAA Coach of the Year. 

Other All-Tournament Team members included: Richard Benitez, Miami Dade; Blake Cavill, Northwest Florida State; Juan Correa, Central Florida; Max Galvin, Miami Dade; Scott Mudler, Northwest Florida State; Kareh Valentin, Central Florida; Kainen Jorge, Central Florida; Paul Winland, Northwest Florida State; Isaac Sewell, Central Florida; Kyson Witherspoon, Northwest Florida State; Cam Schuelke, Central Florida; Michael Forret, State College of Florida; and Andrew Herrmann, Central Florida.