13 Bucs Named All-Conference, Poot Player of the Year, Haggard Pitcher of the Year
After going undefeated in Suncoast Conference play yet again in 2022, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dominated the league’s All-Conference Teams as expected on Monday as 13 players were honored by the conference including Feline Poot who was named the Player of the Year and Baylee Haggard who was named the Pitcher of the Year while Head Coach Robert Iamurri was named the league’s Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- After going undefeated in Suncoast Conference play yet again in 2022, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dominated the league's All-Conference Teams as expected on Monday as 13 players were honored by the conference including Feline Poot who was named the Player of the Year and Baylee Haggard who was named the Pitcher of the Year while Head Coach Robert Iamurri was named the league's Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career.
FSW had eight 1st Team All-Conference selections led by Feline Poot who was named the Suncoast Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. Poot hit twice as many home runs as anyone else in the league in conference play with six while batting .453 with 30 RBIs in 19 contests.
The list of certainties in life continues to be three: death, taxes, and FSW having the Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year as for the sixth consecutive season the league's top hurler resides in Fort Myers with the Bucs 2022 recipient being sophomore Baylee Haggard. Haggard was nearly untouchable in Suncoast Conference play, going a perfect 9-0 in nine starts while chalking up a 0.74 ERA in 47 innings pitched.
Joining Poot on the 1st Team All-Conference squad on the infield is fellow Dutchwoman Sterre den Duijn. Den Duijn was the Bucs top run producer in Suncoast Conference play, driving in 32 while hitting .429 with five doubles and three home runs.
All three Buccaneer starting outfielders were named 1st Team All-Conference as Laura Vigna, Shenita Tucker, and McKenzie Wittenberg all slugged their way onto the 1st Team. Vigna had more hits than any other player in Suncoast Conference play with 33, hitting .478 with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs while scoring a league best 27 runs. Tucker hit .414 in Suncoast Conference action and was both a table setter and a table clearer, scoring 24 runs and driving in 16 in 19 contests. Wittenberg played in all 20 conference games for the Suncoast Champs, hitting an even .400 with five doubles and two home runs while driving in 15.
A pair of FSW backstops earned 1st Team All-Conference accolades as Taylor Jensen and Charlotte Drijvers rose to the cream of the crop in the Suncoast in 2022. Jensen was a 1st Team pick for the second straight season after hitting .478 and slugging .696 in Suncoast Conference play while playing rock solid defense behind the plate, committing just one error and allowing just one opposing runner to steal a base. Drijvers was the Bucs leading hitter in Suncoast Conference play with a .500 average while ripping nine doubles and driving in 14.
Joining Haggard in the circle on the 1st Team was freshman Belle Sardja. Sardja was a perfect 4-0 in Suncoast Conference play and posted a 0.30 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 23 1/3 innings pitched.
Four Bucs earned 2nd Team honors led by lefty Kylee Graham. Graham was lights out in Suncoast Conference play, going 4-0 with a 0.36 ERA, allowing just one earned run in six outings in league action.
The Bucs right side of the infield in Carys Platt and Caroline Figueroa were both named 2nd Team All-Conference selections. Platt hit .395 and reached base at a .500 clip during conference play while going a perfect 7 of 7 in stolen base attempts. Figueroa played in 18 Suncoast Conference games for the Bucs this season, hitting .372 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.
The Bucs fourth 2nd Team All-Conference pick was Pallas Potter. Potter hit .444 and slugged .694 in Suncoast Conference action, ripping six doubles and driving in 13 in 17 contests.
Three Bucs were also named Honorable Mention selections as Beth Reid, Samantha Smith, and Camille Graham each made their way onto the list.
Putting all of the talent on display was Head Coach Robert Iamurri who was named the Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his FSW career. Iamurri led the Bucs to their second straight undefeated conference campaign, earning them their sixth consecutive Suncoast Conference Championship.
FSW wrapped up the regular season on a 22 game winning streak to finish 45-4 overall while going a perfect 20-0 in Suncoast Conference action.
The Bucs will begin their run at the NJCAA Region VIII Tournament on Friday in Sanford when they take on the #14 Chipola Indians in the first round in a matchup of the past two NJCAA National Champions.