June 1, 2009
Top 100 College Prospect Series brings in the best
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - Gulf Coast Community College will host the Top 100 North Florida College Prospect series featuring the best 100 players in the 2010 class from Pensacola to Jacksonville June 5-7 at Frazier Field. The event starts with a college recruiting seminar and cookout catered by Sonny's Bar-B-Q at 6 p.m. Friday. Cost is $10. College Coaches and Professional Scouts will share information on the recruiting process. The Andrew's Institute will send Performance Institute Manager Russ Orr to discuss baseball injuries and injury prevention. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are encouraged to attend.

May 1, 2009
Four Commodores Sign with 4-year Schools
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - Four Gulf Coast Commoodre athlete's recently signed letters of intent to attend 4-year Universities. Kyle Mitchell (Auburn University-Montgomery), Sabrina Johnson (Xavier University), Chimere Jordan (North Georgia University), and Eddie Cassidy (Florida Atlantic University). The Commodore family wishes them the best as they move on to the next level.

April 28, 2009
Branstetter Signs a NLI with Commdores
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - Josh Branstetter a 5-11 185 lb senior from Pine Forrest High School in Pensacola, Florida recently signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Gulf Coast Community College beginning the Fall of 2009.

April 28, 2009
GC's Morris named PC pitcher of the year
Six teammates on the All-Panhandle Conference list

NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - Andrew Morris didn't necessarily set out to become the best pitcher in the Panhandle Conference. But he finished that way. The Gulf Coast right-hander was named the conference's pitcher of the year on Monday following a round of voting by the league's five head coaches. The Prattville, Ala., native was 10-2 with a 2.78 ERA, 107 strikeouts and 42 walks in 94 innings. He had six complete games and one shutout in 14 appearances, all of them starts. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Morris was joined by six teammates on the All-Panhandle Conference list. Morris, catcher Eddie Cassidy (Mosley), outfielder Bryce Lane and Cameron Graves, at designated hitter, made the first team. Freshman pitcher Cam Greathouse made the second team and catcher Whitt Dorsey and right-handed pitcher Kyle Mitchell (Mosley) were honorable mention.
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April 27, 2009
GCCC drops season finale against Darton
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - ALBANY, Ga. - A game scheduled before the season as a hopeful tuneup for a state tournament run became one for only pride for the Gulf Coast baseball team on Monday. The Commodores fell in their season finale 4-3 to homestanding Darton College, which secured the victory with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gulf Coast finished 32-20 overall with its fourth straight defeat. It was eliminated from state playoff contention last week and missed the event for the second straight season.
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April 25, 2009
Chipola beats GC, clinches state berth
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - MARIANNA - Chipola College clinched a state junior college baseball tournament berth on Friday. The two-time defending state champion Indians defeated visiting Gulf Coast 13-8. Chipola finished second in the Panhandle Conference at 27-18, 11-9, with its third straight victory. The Commodores dropped the season series to the Indians and finished tied for last place with Pensacola at 32-19, 8-12. Chipola and conference champion Tallahassee will represent the Panhandle in the state tournament May 8-12 at Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven.
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April 21, 2009
GC's postseason hopes dashed in loss to Eagles
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - TALLAHASSEE - Gulf Coast's state junior college baseball tournament aspirations walked away on Tuesday. The Commodores played the homestanding Tallahassee Eagles tightly through eight innings, but Cam Greathouse's troubles in the second inning had much to do with Gulf Coast's 6-4 defeat. Greathouse walked five in the inning, including forcing in four runs with the bases loaded. The loss dropped the Commodores to 32-18 overall and 8-11 in the Panhandle Conference. Northwest Florida State College defeated Pensacola 9-7 on Tuesday to reach nine conference wins.
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April 19, 2009
Local standout Davidson called up to major leagues
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Daniel Davidson was called up to the major leagues by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Saturday. Davidson is a 28-year-old left-handed pitcher who starred at Mosley High School, Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State. He was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake (Utah) to give the Angels bullpen a needed boost. He joined fellow pitcher Rich Thompson in replacing the injured Vladimir Guerrero and Dustin Moseley on the 25-man roster. Davidson was unavailable for comment on Saturday, as he was traveling from Salt Lake to Minneapolis to catch up with the team for today's game against the Twins.
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April 17, 2009
GC loses to Pensacola, falls one game back of second
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Saturday's loss to Pensacola doesn't end the state baseball tournament quest for Gulf Coast. It makes the journey more difficult, however. The Pirates kept their fleeting postseason hopes alive with an 8-2 win over the Commodores at Bill Frazier Field. Gulf Coast dropped to fourth place at 32-17 overall and 8-10 in the Panhandle Conference, trailing second-place Chipola College (25-18, 9-9) by one game with two to play. Chipola overcame an 8-2 deficit to defeat Tallahassee 13-8 on Saturday. Pensacola (29-15, 7-11) is in last place, but only trails Gulf Coast by one game.
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April 17, 2009
GCCC forces three-way tie for second place
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - It's a new race in the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast's Andrew Morris pitched a complete-game two-hitter with 12 strikeouts to lead the Commodores to a 9-2 home win over Northwest Florida State College on Friday. The win, coupled with Pensacola's 8-2 defeat of Chipola College on Friday, created a three-way tie with Gulf Coast, NWF and Chipola for second place, with each team 8-9 in the conference. Tallahassee (34-12, 12-4) also clinched the Panhandle title on Friday without playing a game. The race for the runner-up spot will span the final three games.
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April 15, 2009
GCCC stays alive in battle for state bid
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The unofficial state tournament has begun. Gulf Coast kept its junior college baseball postseason hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over Chipola College on Wednesday at Bill Frazier Field. Cam Greathouse tossed a one-hitter and Will Howard stroked two solo home runs to pace the Commodores, who pulled within one game of second place in the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast moved to 31-16 overall and 7-9 in the Panhandle. Chipola dipped to 24-17, 8-8, and is tied with Northwest Florida State College (25-17, 8-8), which defeated first-place Tallahassee 10-7 on Wednesday. "It's kind of do or die in this league," said Howard, who hit homers in the sixth and eighth innings. "Everything is a must-win and you can't look ahead no matter how much you want to." Howard's homers, his first two of the season, provided a cushion for Greathouse, who improved to 5-3. He struck out seven, walked three and gave up the lone hit to Marc Bourgeois in the second inning. Bourgeois scored on a Jordan Lucas sacrifice fly to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. "Cam was awesome," Howard said. "You can't ask for more from a guy in a big game." Cameron Graves' solo home run off Chipola starter and loser Patrick Corbin tied the game 1-1 in the fourth. The Commodores took the lead on a passed ball third strike in the fifth that would have ended the inning had catcher Edmond Sparks corralled the pitch. Howard's shots were an additional exclamation, though it wasn't in front of coach Mike Kandler, who was ejected in the fourth inning after arguing a play at second base. Kandler will sit out Friday's home game against visiting NWF due to the ejection. Corbin pitched well for Chipola, giving up seven hits and three runs, two earned, with five strikeouts and two walks through seven innings. The Indians' offense couldn't do enough to help him. Chipola was fresh off a 17-inning win over NWF on Tuesday. The Indians scored one run in the eight extra innings of that game and have now tabulated only two runs in their last 17 innings. "We didn't take good swings," Chipola coach Jeff Johnson said. "Sure, we left a lot of emotion in that game (NWF), but you can't use that as an excuse." Graves, Howard and Whitt Dorsey each finished 2 for 4 for Gulf Coast. Cyle Rasmus doubled and scored in the fifth. The state tournament chase continues on Friday against NWF. Another loss could be devastating to Gulf Coast's quest with only four games left on the schedule.
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April 14, 2009
GC Diamond Report: Panhandle races tight as ever
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Another week has passed and not much has changed in the Panhandle Conference. In baseball, Tallahassee has taken steps toward clinching the crown and one of the two state tournament berths. The Eagles (33-11, 11-3) have a four-game lead over second-place Chipola College (23-16, 7-7) and Northwest Florida State (24-16, 7-7). Gulf Coast lurks at 30-16, 6-9, as the Commodores are one of two teams to have played 15 conference games. The Commodores play three home games this week against Chipola (Wednesday, 5 p.m.), NWF (Friday, 5 p.m.) and Pensacola (Saturday, 1 p.m.).
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April 11, 2009
Eagles slip by Commodores in 10 innings
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Hope was dashed, rekindled and then dashed again for Gulf Coast on Saturday. The Commodores lost a precarious one-run lead in the ninth inning only to tie the game and force extra innings with first-place Tallahassee. The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning to secure an 11-9 victory at Bill Frazier Field to spoil Gulf Coast's alumni celebration. Tallahassee took a major step in wrapping up the Panhandle Conference baseball championship. The Eagles improved to 33-11 overall and 11-3 in the conference and four games ahead of second-place Chipola College (23-16, 7-7) and Northwest Florida State College (24-16, 7-7) with six games to play.
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April 10, 2009
GC ends four-game skid, stands one game out of second
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PENSACOLA - While Gulf Coast was losing, the rest of the Panhandle Conference did little to widen the gap in the standings. This fact kept the Commodores in the race and Friday's outcomes drove home the point even more. Gulf Coast defeated homestanding Pensacola 12-3 in a junior college baseball game. First-place Tallahassee beat second-place Chipola College 7-3. This leaves the Commodores (30-15, 6-8) only one game behind the Indians (23-16, 7-7) for the runner-up spot in the conference. "We have six games to play and nobody has been eliminated," Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. "That's kind of how we thought it would play out. We thought it would be a pretty good race."
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April 8, 2009
GC's Panhandle slide reaches four games
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - NICEVILLE - The Gulf Coast baseball team made its road to the postseason a lot rockier on Wednesday, and the Commodores have a late lapse from their besieged bullpen to thank. With the game knotted at 10 in the bottom of the eighth, Bryce Lane gave up a pair of runs to give Northwest Florida State College the 12-10 win and sole possession of third place in the Panhandle Conference. The win extends the Raiders' conference winning streak to three games, a season high, while the Commodores lost their fourth straight in Panhandle play.
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April 7, 2009
Chipola downs Morris, GCCC
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - MARIANNA - Gulf Coast's junior college baseball losing streak reached three games on Tuesday, as Chipola again had Andrew Morris' number. The Indians touched Morris for six hits and the freshman struck out five and walked five in the Indians' 8-3 victory over the Commodores. It was Morris' second loss of the season, with both coming against Chipola. The Commodores slumped to 29-14 overall and 5-7 in the Panhandle Conference and are tied for third place with Northwest Florida State, which defeated first-place Tallahassee 6-5 on Tuesday. The Indians improved to 23-14, 7-5 and are two games out of first place.
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April 6, 2009
GCCC drops heartbreaker to NWF State
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - For the better part of eight innings, Northwest Florida State's Grant Monroe and Gulf Coast's Cam Greathouse each pitched well enough to win their Panhandle Conference baseball duel. Then they played the ninth inning. NWF State scored two runs in the top of the ninth, and survived a scare in the bottom of the inning, to win 5-3 on Sunday at Bill Frazier Field. "It was a tough loss," said Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler. "We played hard in what was a fairly decent baseball game by both teams. They just got the better of it."
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April 3, 2009
GC falls to 1-4 in conference road games
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - TALLAHASSEE - Traveling hasn't been good for the Gulf Coast baseball team this season. Tallahassee defeated the visiting Commodores 11-3 in a Panhandle Conference game shortened by run rule to seven innings on Friday. It snapped a four-game winning streak for the Commodores, who now will wash their jerseys and pants for the first time in nearly two weeks. Gulf Coast had been holding off the laundry out of superstition until it lost a game.
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April 2, 2009
GC-NWF game postponed for second time
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Rain washed out the Panhandle Conference baseball schedule on Thursday. The active weather this week has given Gulf Coast a break. The week's schedule started with three straight days of Panhandle games, but rainouts on Tuesday and Thursday, against Northwest Florida State College both times, delivered a slight reprieve. The Commodores have won four straight games and are 29-11 overall and 5-4 in the conference. They are tied for second place with Chipola (21-13, 5-4), which lost 5-3 to Tallahassee on Wednesday. The Eagles are in first by two games at 29-10, 7-2.
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April 1, 2009
Wednesday a walk in the park for Gulf Coast
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - This was a day when Pensacola prayed for a rainout. Gulf Coast worked diligently in the early afternoon on Wednesday to prepare its field in advance of the Pirates' attendance. The hours of work removed the mini Choctawhatchee rivers that dotted the infield. Game time also was moved up in hopes of avoiding the rain. The weather held up, save a few spurts of fog, as Gulf Coast defeated Pensacola 10-0 in a five-inning run rule at Bill Frazier Field. It was win No. 4 in the Commodores' current streak. The Pirates remained in the basement at 24-11 overall and 2-7 in the Panhandle Conference.
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March 30, 2009
Gulf Coast defeats visiting Chipola
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Mike Kandler's wife will have to put up with his goatee for at least one more day. The Gulf Coast Community College baseball coach has given his razor a break recently in hopes of kick-starting the Commodores. The team's jerseys and pants also have not been washed since March 21, the last time it lost a game. The Commodores will go dirty until they lose again. Gulf Coast prolonged the laundry with a 5-2 victory over visiting Chipola College on Monday. The makeup win at Bill Frazier Field helped the Commodores move within one game of the Indians in the Panhandle Conference standings. It also was a third straight victory for Gulf Coast (28-11, 4-4), which opened the Panhandle slate 1-4.
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March 28, 2009
GC diamond teams see more schedule changes
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Rain on Saturday altered the schedule for both Gulf Coast Community College diamond teams. Wet grounds at both Bill Frazier Field and Joe Tom King Field soaked the weekend slate. Heavy rains on Friday, coupled with additional saturation on Saturday led to the schedule change
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March 25, 2009
GC beats Tallahassee, continues climb in standings
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Taye Larry was inserted into Wednesday's junior college baseball game for his speed. But all he needed to do was trot home to give Gulf Coast a victory. Seth Adkins singled in the Mosley graduate with two outs in the 11th inning for a 5-4 win over visiting Tallahassee. It was Adkins' first at-bat of the game and it delivered a second straight triumph to Gulf Coast, which is now only 1½ games out of first place in the Panhandle Conference. Adkins spent most of the night warming up pitchers in the bullpen until Larry pinch ran for starting catcher Whitt Dorsey in the bottom of the ninth. Adkins went behind the plate in the 10th after Larry wheeled around second base on a Cameron Graves double to tie the game 4-4 after nine innings.
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March 24, 2009
GCCC ends four-game slide
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PENSACOLA - This was a week where the Gulf Coast baseball team could choose to fold up the tent or fight back. So far, the Commodores have opted for the latter. Gulf Coast defeated homestanding Pensacola 6-2 on Tuesday in a Panhandle Conference baseball game. The win ended the Commodores' four-game slide and tied them with the Pirates (24-8, 2-4) for fourth place. The victory also may have given the Commodores what Coach Mike Kandler hopes is new life heading into the rest of the week against first- and second-place Tallahassee (26-9, 4-1) and Chipola College (20-11, 4-2). "This was an important win for two reasons," Kandler said. "The first is if we lost another game this early in the season it might have put us too far behind to climb out.
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March 21, 2009
GCCC slumps to 1-4 in Panhandle Conference
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - NICEVILLE - As he entered the clubhouse prior to Saturday's game against Gulf Coast Community College, Northwest Florida State College catcher Casey Rasmus felt a sense of urgency. Having struggled at the plate in recent games, Rasmus was hoping to correct his swing, and more importantly, be part of the solution for a Raiders' team that had opened Panhandle Conference play 1-3.
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March 20, 2009
Fermin paces Chipola past Gulf Coast
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - MARIANNA - Friday started with Gulf Coast and Chipola College in similar positions. It ended with the rival baseball teams heading in seemingly opposite directions. Chipola's Andy Fermin, son of former major-leaguer Felix Fermin, was 3 for 4 with a home run and eight RBIs to lead the Indians to a 12-3 run-rule victory over the visiting Commodores. The win halted a two-game losing streak for Chipola, which moved to 18-11 and 2-2 in the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast lost its third conference game in a row and is 25-10, 1-3.
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March 17, 2009
GC squanders 11-hit effort in loss to Tallahassee
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - TALLAHASSEE - Gulf Coast got back to the basics Tuesday in Panhandle Conference baseball. Namely, pitching and defense. But despite 11 hits, the Commodores scored only twice and fell 6-2 in Tallahassee to fall to 25-9, more importantly 1-2 in the conference. Tallahassee is 24-8, 2-0. Also critical was the Eagles bunching three of their eight hits and all three walks allowed by losing pitcher Cam Greathouse in the first inning. Two of the hits were doubles, and TCC scored five times for early control. Greathouse rebounded with six scoreless innings, yielded seven hits total and didn't walk another batter. "It was a well-played game," Commodores coach Mike Kandler said in comparison to an error-laden 17-9 loss to Pensacola on Saturday.
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March 16, 2009
GC Diamond Report: Commodore baseball hits 1,600-victory mark
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Gulf Coast's baseball program hit a quiet milestone on Feb. 24. The season was moving in full swing at the time, so attention by school officials and local media was directed elsewhere. A recent examination of the Gulf Coast record books revealed that the Commodores' 7-1 win at Wallace-Dothan, Ala., on Feb. 24 was the 1,600th victory in school history. It came in Gulf Coast's 49th year of baseball. It's presumed that other programs in Florida have as many wins or more, but it wasn't confirmed, as state and national junior college organizations don't keep track of such marks.
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March 16, 2009
Commodores Sweep Lewis & Clark
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY — Gulf Coast rallied from a six-run deficit to sweep a doubleheader from Lewis and Clark Community College on Sunday at Bill Frazier Field. Gulf Coast (25-8 overall, 1-1 in the Panhandle Conference) won the first game 6-2 and then battled back for a 13-6 win in the nightcap. In the second game, Lewis and Clark scored six runs in the top of the second inning on two singles, one walk, one hit-by-pitch and five Gulf Coast errors. But the Commodores responded with six runs in the bottom of the second. Bryce Lane keyed the rally with a grand slam. Gulf Coast’s Eddie Cassidy added a two-run homer in the fifth inning (his 10th of the season), Cam Greathouse was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Ryan Faison had two RBIs. Whitt Dorsey, Cameron Graves and Taye Larry each had RBI hits. Right-hander Jeremy Boyte kept his composure in the second inning and finished with a three-hitter. He had five strikeouts, one walk and six unearned runs. In the opener, Cassidy was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Greathouse was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI while Cyle Rasmus, Lane and Michael Holmes each had an RBI hit. Charlie Lester was the winning pitcher. He gave up four hits, two runs, struck out seven and walked four. Reliever Kelly Funk pitched the seventh inning and struck out two and walked one. Gulf Coast plays at Tallahassee at 4 p.m. CDT Tuesday in the Panhandle Conference.

March 15, 2009
Pensacola thumps Gulf Coast
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Mike Kandler pointed out that Gulf Coast's stellar win on Friday did not lock up a Panhandle Conference title by any stretch of the imagination. Saturday's terrible outing, a 17-9 loss to Pensacola at Bill Frazier Field, didn't lose the conference title, either, Kandler said. But if Gulf Coast has a few more games like this one, then it won't be in contention for long. The Commodores (23-8, 1-1) committed six errors and their three pitchers gave up 17 hits. A 5-2 lead through three innings evaporated when the Pirates (23-5, 1-1) scored eight runs in the top of the fourth. "We did not play well at all," Kandler said. "We pitched poorly.
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March 14, 2009
Morris leads GCCC past NWF State in conference opener
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Odds say there will be a team that will humble Andrew Morris. On Friday, Northwest Florida State was not that team. Morris admittedly didn't have his strongest array of pitches, but he tossed a workmanlike complete-game seven-hitter in leading Gulf Coast to an 8-3 win at Bill Frazier Field. He learned how good Panhandle Conference hitting is early, but worked into a groove once his nerves melted away.
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March 11, 2009
Gulf Coast primed for Panhandle season
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Zero. That is what Gulf Coast's 22 nonconference victories are worth. The only thing that matters is where the Commodores (22-7) stand after 20 Panhandle Conference games. If they are where they hope to be, then they'll be traveling to Winter Haven for the state tournament in May. The major difference in this year's conference slate is the loss of North Florida, which closed the doors on its athletic program last year. There still are five solid teams in the Panhandle, and Gulf Coast was one of the best in Mike Kandler's first two seasons at the helm. Last season, a 25-6 nonconference record led to a 7-13 Panhandle mark and a fifth-place finish. This season, not even a current eight-game winning streak means much heading into Friday's opener against visiting Northwest Florida State. (Click here for GC stats)

"Our record, all the good things we've done so far all go out the window," freshman infielder Cyle Rasmus said. "It doesn't matter. We could go 0 and 50 in the conference and throw it all away." Rasmus, who is second on the team with five home runs, doesn't believe that will be the case. "We feel that we're ready to compete for a conference title," Rasmus said. "We believe we can make a good run at this." Sophomore catcher Eddie Cassidy agreed, and offered comparisons as a member of last year's team that fell woefully short. Cassidy said many of the problems were due to the 2008 Commodores' inability to handle adversity. There also was a dearth in leadership, he said, something he and the other sophomores have tried to rectify this season.

"It's definitely a better feel," said Cassidy, who leads the team with seven homers and is second in RBIs with 25. "We all get along well and I think we're playing better ball at this time than we were last year. And the sophomores are all strong leaders." Cassidy is joined by veterans Charlie Lester, Ryan Faison, Michael Holmes, Kyle Mitchell and Mike Morrison. All but Morrison have played a pivotal role thus far on the field. Morrison continues to fight a back injury and doesn't appear close to returning. Mitchell has been one of the team's top relievers, leading the Commodores with three saves and 11 appearances. He concurred with Cassidy that this year's group sticks together. "Last year, when things started to go bad they really went bad," Mitchell said. "It got bad and it stayed bad." Mitchell and Cassidy pointed to Gulf Coast's modest three-game losing streak in late February as a wakeup call. Gulf Coast dropped four of five games in a stretch that Kandler called one of the worst of the season. Flash forward to today and the Commodores are playing as well as possible. Whether that carries into the Panhandle schedule is an unknown. "Yes we're playing well, but it looks like a lot of teams in our conference are when you look at the state scores," Kandler said. "We feel good going in and we'll see how these 20 games go. "We've played everyone a lot and have seen different lineup combinations. You hope you've done enough, but you never know." The road back to the state tournament will be paved by consistency. The Commodores' offense has performed well and they are hitting .329 as a team. The pitching staff also has produced and is deep.
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March 10, 2009
GC Diamond Report: Panhandle Conference schedule on the horizon
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The Gulf Coast baseball and softball teams have vastly different weeks leading up to respective Panhandle Conference openers. The baseball team opens conference play on Friday. The Commodores (20-7), winners of nine of their last 10, play only two nonconference games this week with a doubleheader Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Danville Area Community College at Bill Frazier Field.
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March 11, 2009
GCCC tunes up for conference with two routs
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Gulf Coast tuned up for the Panhandle Conference baseball schedule with two routs of Danville Area on Tuesday. The Commodores swept the doubleheader with their Illinois visitors, 11-4 and 16-1. Gulf Coast (22-7) had 27 hits in the two games and scored four or more runs in four separate innings. Cam Greathouse opened the first blowout with a three-run home run in the first inning and finished 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs. Gulf Coast scored five runs in the first and four in the second to move ahead 9-2 after spotting Danville Area its runs in the top of the first. Whitt Dorsey was 3 for 4 with a double, triple and four RBIs, Jeremy Boyte 2 for 2 with two doubles and an RBI and Eddie Cassidy drove in a run. Brady Frey pitched five innings, giving up two unearned runs on one hit with two strikeouts and three walks for the win. Kelly Funk finished on the mound for Gulf Coast.
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March 7, 2009
GCCC secures two more wins
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The Gulf Coast baseball team increased its winning streak to six games with a split doubleheader sweep on Saturday. The Commodores (20-7) defeated Vincennes 9-1 in the opener and Lincoln Trail 7-2 in Game 2. Both games were played to nine innings at Bill Frazier Field. Gulf Coast took control with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Vincennes. Starting pitcher Andrew Morris improved to 7-0 after holding Vincennes to one earned run on six hits with nine strikeouts and one walk in six innings. Kyle Mitchell pitched three innings with three strikeouts and one walk for his third save.
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March 4, 2009
GCCC sweeps Lincoln Trail
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Every win, every good play and every quality outing is building momentum for the Gulf Coast Community College baseball team. The Commodores won two more games on Wednesday, sweeping Lincoln Trail 5-2, 11-4 at Bill Frazier Field. It was their third and fourth wins in a row and seventh in their last eight games since a season-long three-game slide Feb. 20-21. "We're starting to play better and I think one of the keys is we've been practicing a lot harder with more game speed and that's helping us out," Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. "We've played a lot better this week than when we were in a kinda tailspin.
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March 3, 2009
Cassidy leads Commodores in doubleheader sweep
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY — Mosley graduate Eddie Cassidy had five hits, two home runs and seven RBIs in a doubleheader sweep by the Gulf Coast baseball team on Monday at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores (16-7) beat Kankakee 6-1 in the seven-inning opener, and 13-3 in a five-inning, run-rule game. Cassidy started early with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of the first game. He added another two-run blast in the fourth inning. In the second game, Cassidy was 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. “He is really starting to hit the ball well,” said Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler. “I think he’s seeing the ball a lot better, and he’s swinging at good pitches and laying off the crap. Good hitters usually take time to five their groove and that’s what’s happening to Eddie.” Cassidy was far from the lone bright spot in Gulf Coast’s two victories on Monday. Andrew Morris (6-0) pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out 10. The only run against Morris was unearned. “He has been pitching really well all season,” Kandler said. Charlie Lester allowed three hits and four walks, while striking out four, in the second game. The Commodores also got good hitting outings from Will Howard, who was 2 for 3 with two doubles in the first game; Jeremy Boyte, who was 2 for 3 with an RBI in the first game; and Bryce Lane, who was 3 for 3 with two doubles, four RBIs and four runs scored in the second game. To top it off, Gulf Coast only committed one error in the two games combined. “We really played well tonight,” Kandler said. “It’s really the first time we’ve played well in a couple of weeks.” Gulf Coast hosts another doubleheader at 3 p.m. Wednesday against Lincoln Trail College.

March 2, 2009
GC Diamond Report: Non-conference schedules are challenging
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Strength of schedule can't be underestimated. Playing against top competition is the only way for the Gulf Coast baseball and softball teams to improve. It's what readies the teams for the difficult Panhandle Conference schedule, which begins in two weeks. The baseball team typically stacks its non-conference schedule with some of the best teams from the Southeast. This year was no exception. The Commodores hosted their annual opening opponent, Young Harris (Ga.) College, Jan. 30-Feb. 1. They won the first two games of the series. Young Harris unloaded for an 18-7 victory in the finale before returning home to the Georgia mountains.
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March 1, 2009
Pearl River homers down GCCC
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The wind bit hard. Pearl River bit harder. Bill Frazier Field, as it often is, was a cavernous wind tunnel on Sunday. That, coupled with one of the coldest days in weeks, sucked away Gulf Coast's three-game junior-college baseball winning streak in a 9-7 loss to Pearl River. Gulf Coast (14-7) moved ahead 7-4 with six runs in the bottom of the fourth in the game scheduled for seven innings. Whitt Dorsey brought in a run on a hit batsman, Michael Holmes doubled in Eddie Cassidy and Cyle Rasmus provided the big blast with a grand slam home run.
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February 28, 2009
GCCC pads stats in big win
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - It was a "stats game." At least for position players. Gulf Coast romped over visiting Pearl River, Miss., 20-9 on Saturday at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores (14-6) won their third straight game on the strength of 17 hits. Oddly enough, only one was a home run, as a driving wind blew in from right field to keep most balls inside the park. Ryan Faison had the lone home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning. He finished 3 for 3. Faison was one of three Gulf Coast players with three hits. All but one starter, Whitt Dorsey, had a hit. Nine different players had at least one RBI.
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February 24, 2009
GCCC baseball, Morris strikes out Dothan
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - DOTHAN, Ala. - The Gulf Coast baseball team won its second game in a row on the strength of yet another strong performance from starting pitcher Andrew Morris. Gulf Coast defeated Wallace-Dothan 7-1 on Tuesday. The freshman held the Governors to three hits, struck out 16 and walked three in a complete-game effort. He improved to 5-0. "Morris was absolutely dominant," Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. "It was as good a game as I've seen in a long time." Morris gave up his lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning. By then it was 6-1. Gulf Coast took control with three runs in the top of the second inning and added single runs in each of the fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings. Will Howard stoked Gulf Coast's 12-hit attack with a 3 for 4 day to go along with a double and two RBIs. Michael Holmes was 2 for 5 with two doubles, Ryan Faison 1 for 2 with two RBIs and Jeremy Boyte had an RBI single for the Commodores (13-6). The focus shifted back to Morris, who has looked as good this early as some of the top pitchers in recent memory for the Commodores. "He went through a good hitting team about as easily as you can," Kandler said. "We've had some awful good ones, but this might be as good a start as I can remember." Gulf Coast hosts Pearl River at noon on Saturday.

GC baseball slips in state poll
TALLAHASSEE - The Gulf Coast baseball team fell from No. 1 to No. 4 in the latest state junior college poll, released on Tuesday. The Commodores received two first-place votes, but trailed top-ranked Miami Dade (11-3), Pensacola (13-2) and Broward (11-4). Chipola (9-7) was fifth with one first-place vote.
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February 22, 2009
Commodores halt three-game losing streak
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Bryce Lane allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief, and went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, to lead the Gulf Coast baseball team to a 9-5 victory over Shelton State in a seven-inning game on Sunday at Bill Frazier Field. The victory halted a three-game losing streak for the Commodores. But it wasn't easy. Gulf Coast starting pitcher Evan Radtke, pitching on short rest because scheduled starter Charlie Lester was injured, allowed nine hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. The Commodores trailed 4-0 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the third. Gulf Coast broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. "We were in little bit of tailspin ... then started out this game in a funk," said Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler. "But they broke out of it; they kept on fighting. That was good to see." Lane was the biggest factor, both on the mound and the plate.
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February 21, 2009
Commodores participate in Pink Zone
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The day began with a charitable gesture by the squad, as it sported pink jerseys in honor of the school's PinkZone festivities on Saturday. Pink wristbands also were sold and donations were taken to contribute to the Kay Yow WBCA charity to fight women's cancers. More than $230 was collected to be added to what was raised during more than three weeks of the effort.

Click Here    for Pink Zone Game Photos

February 21, 2009
Less-than-sharp Commodores drop two
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Two losses for the Gulf Coast baseball team on Saturday were close only by measure of the score. Everything else told a different, more frustrating story for Coach Mike Kandler. The Commodores were swept in a split doubleheader at Bill Frazier Field, falling 3-2 to Shelton State in the morning and 6-4 against Truett-McConnell in the matinee. Both games went down to Gulf Coast's final at-bat, but compounding mistakes on the basepaths, in the field and from the mound led to the team's current three-game losing streak. Gulf Coast (11-6) made seven errors on the day, had several key mental gaffes in crucial scoring situations and five pitchers surrendered 15 walks, including nine against Truett-McConnell. The Bears (7-12) had only five hits. "We're not very sharp right now," Kandler said. "We're getting to where we have a tendency to be very, very sloppy.
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February 20, 2009
Big inning foils Gulf Coast
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - For the second time in less than a week, the Gulf Coast baseball team gave up a seven-run inning that meant the difference between winning and losing. Truett-McConnell scored seven runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday at Bill Frazier Field to beat Gulf Coast 8-3. "We had a pretty good game going, but when the wheels came off, they were off," said Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler. The Commodores took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run by Cameron Greathouse, who finished with two of Gulf Coast's four hits. He also had a double.
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February 19, 2009
Top-ranked Commodores power way to victory
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Mike Kandler doesn't place much stock in his team's newly-minted No. 1 juco state baseball ranking. He said it had little to do with the Commodores' highest output of the season on Thursday. You can thank the wind and some hard hitting for that, he said. Gulf Coast defeated Shelton State 17-9 at Bill Frazier Field on the strength of six home runs. Shelton State also hit four homers of its own at the park, which has a habit of attracting the strongest winds and coldest temperatures in Bay County.
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February 17, 2009
GCCC ranked No. 1 in the state
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - TALLAHASSEE - The Gulf Coast baseball team rose to the top spot in this week's FCCAA state poll. The Commodores (10-3) received three first-place votes and 156 points, outdistancing second-ranked Miami Dade (139 points). Chipola (7-5) dropped from second to third.

February 15, 2009
GC falls after wild inning
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PALATKA — Baseball games generally last nine innings. But sometimes it takes a lot less than that to win or lose a game. Gulf Coast provided evidence to that with its 9-4 loss on Sunday to St. Johns River Community College. It took just four plays in the third inning to turn what might have been a win into a loss. Leading 3-1, the Commodores made rrors on four straight defensive plays, opening the door for a seven-run inning that was more than enough for St. Johns River. “Three of them were routine double-play balls,” said Gulf Coast head coach Mike Kandler. “We could have been out of that inning with nothing, and they scored seven.” The loss came in the final game of a five-game road trip that took the Commodores north to Alabama, then south into central Florida. After an opening loss on Tuesday, Gulf Coast won three straight before Sunday’s loss. “The bottom line is that we looked and played like a team that was physically and mentally tired,” Kandler said. Whitt Dorsey led Gulf Coast’s offense with three hits, including a double. Bryce Lane was 2 for 2 with two doubles and three RBIs. Will Howard also had two hits. Starting pitcher Charlie Lester (1-1) allowed five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Five of the eight runs scored against Lester were unearned. Gulf Coast returns to action at home Thursday when they host Shelton State at 5 p.m. at Bill Frazier Field.

February 14, 2009
GCCC sharp in doubleheader
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - OCALA - If Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler thought the Commodores played well Friday, he didn't know what was coming. The Commodores faced stout Central Florida pitching for the first few innings of both games in Saturday's doubleheader, but found their offense late to leave Ocala with two wins, 2-1 and 6-3. "Probably the best that we've played in a doubleheader in two or three years," Kandler said. "We played good from the start to the end and that's hard to do against a good team."
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February 13, 2009
GCCC defeats Santa Fe
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - GAINESVILLE - Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler had to wait three days to see how his team would respond to a sloppy loss against Jefferson Davis on Tuesday. It was worth the wait. Mike Love hit a first-inning grand slam, Eddie Cassidy (Mosley) had four hits and starting pitcher Andrew Morris tossed 7 2/3 gritty innings as Gulf Coast beat Santa Fe 8-5 on Friday. "We swung the bats well, played good defense and got pretty good pitching," Kandler said. "It was the best all-around game we've played this season. It was good to see after the way we played on Tuesday."
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February 10, 2009
GCCC falls at Jefferson Davis
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - BREWTON, Ala. - Mike Kandler can't pinpoint one problem when it comes to his baseball team's struggles at Jefferson Davis. He does know the troubles are multiple, as they were again on Tuesday. Gulf Coast rapped 20 hits and held a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but a key error and a wild pitch sealed Jeff Davis' 13-12 victory. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Commodores (7-2). Cyle Rasmus continued his hot start by going 3 for 6 with a double and three RBIs. His two-run home run in the ninth, his third of the year, gave Gulf Coast a 12-11 lead.
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February 7, 2009
Lester tosses no hitter
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Charlie Lester rebounded from a poor first start in a big way on Saturday. The Gulf Coast sophomore tossed a no-hitter against Andrew College at Bill Frazier Field in a game shortened to six innings by the run rule. Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler couldn't recall the last no-hitter in school history, noting he'd never seen one in his three-plus seasons at the helm. Lester (1-0) started and earned a no-decision in Gulf Coast's only loss of the season Feb. 1, finishing with two walks and one strikeout while giving up five hits and five runs in only three innings pitched. He struck out five and walked one on Saturday as the Commodores (7-1) earned a split doubleheader sweep with a 10-0 win over Andrew College. Gulf Coast defeated Gadsden State 11-1 in five innings earlier in the day. "Charlie's first start was rough," Kandler said. "He was a completely different pitcher.
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February 6, 2009
GCCC baseball wins two
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The Gulf Coast baseball team beat Andrew College 9-3 and Gadsden State 9-1 in a split doubleheader at Bill Frazier Field. Both games were played to seven innings. Against Andrew College, Andrew Morris improved to 2-0 on the season with eight strikeouts and one walk, while giving up only two hits and one run through six innings. Kelly Funk gave up two runs with two strikeouts and one walk in one inning on the mound. Mike Morrison led the charge, finishing 4 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Whitt Dorsey was 2 for 3 with a double, Michael Holmes 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Bryce Lane and Jeremy Boyte had two RBIs each and Cameron Greathouse doubled. Against Gadsden State, Brady Frey matched Morris with a quality start. Frey struck out seven, walked two and gave up only two hits and one run. Kyle Mitchell struck out two in a perfect seventh. Boyte was 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs for the Commodores, who scored six runs in the second inning to take control. Morrison was 2 for 4, Ryan Faison had two RBIs and Will Howard and Seth Atkins had a hit and an RBI apiece. "Morris and Frey were in total control the whole way," Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. "Morris has been absolutely lights out. "He's a pretty talented guy, but to come out and throw this well this early he's succeeded all of our expectations." Gulf Coast (5-1) has another split doubleheader Saturday, facing Gadsden State at 10 a.m. and Andrew College at 4 p.m. Gadsden State and Andrew College play each other in between.

February 3, 2009
Lane's 9th-inning RBI completes GCCC comeback
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Gulf Coast spotted Wallace-Dothan a four-run lead, regrouped behind solid pitching and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 6-5 win Tuesday in junior college baseball at Bill Frazier Field. Freshman Bryce Lane, the third Commodore pitcher, tossed a scoreless ninth, then became the winning pitcher when his base-loaded single with nobody out scored Ryan Faison. Faison and Eddie Cassidy opened the bottom of the ninth with consecutive singles, and Mike Morrison walked prior to Lane's hit, his third of the game.
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February 1, 2009
GCCC drops series finale against Young Harris
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler described Sunday's 18-7 loss to Young Harris College as "fighting uphill all day." The loss prevented the Commodores from sweeping their opening threegame series at Bill Frazier Field. For the second straight day, Gulf Coast fell behind early. On Sunday, starting pitcher Charlie Lester had difficulty finding the strike zone and the Commodores trailed 5-1 by the middle of the third inning. It was a story that plagued Gulf Coast all game. "We didn't really have any time in the game where our pitchers had any kind of command," Kandler said. "When we were in the strike zone, it was at the letters, and we were always behind in the count."
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January 31, 2009
Kevin Miller Day at GC: Lester honored for his hard work
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Mike Kandler didn't have to look far to find the right athlete to be honored with the first Kevin Miller Scholarship Award. Charlie Lester was the 2008-09 recipient of the endowed scholarship, it was made public Saturday prior to Gulf Coast's baseball game against Young Harris, Ga. It was part of a ceremony to commemorate Kevin Miller Day, which honored the late former Gulf Coast coach. Miller's mother, Trish Jackson, decided last year that it was time to start the endowment, which is bestowed in conjunction with the Gulf Coast Foundation. The honoree will wear Miller's uniform No. 10 and use his former locker. A plaque will be displayed above the locker.
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January 31, 2009
GCCC rallies past Young Harris
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - If Gulf Coast finds itself winning close baseball games in March and April, perhaps it can look back to Saturday as the reason why. The Commodores trailed by five early, and scored seven runs in the final two innings as they defeated visiting Young Harris (Ga.) College for the second straight game, this time by a 9-8 final. Gulf Coast (2-0) celebrated Kevin Miller Day in honor of the late Commodores' coach by displaying the tenacity he was known for. "Maybe this will set the tone for the rest of the season," Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler said. "One that you can build on." The Commodores' rally came at a time when their bats had grown largely silent a day after amassing 12 hits and four home runs. The final two innings were anything but quiet for both teams. Young Harris led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Eddie Cassidy hit a two-run home run to narrow the gap to two. Young Harris struck for its final two runs in the top of the ninth against Gulf Coast reliever Bryce Lane, who struggled after striking out the only two batters he faced in Friday's opener. Young Harris reliever Andrew Chilcoat walked leadoff hitter Cyle Rasmus, and was quickly pulled in favor of Derrick Lowery, whose three-run home run in the top of the fifth had given Young Harris a 5-0 lead. Cameron Graves deposited Lowery's 2-1 offering over the right-field fence to shave the deficit to 8-6. Mike Morrison walked and advanced to second when Jeremy Boyte reached on an error. Cameron Greathouse, who was 2 for 5, singled to load the bases and was replaced by pinch runner Taye Larry. Mike Love, 2 for 3 with two runs scored, singled in Morrison, but Larry lost his bearing and was called out at third base when Boyte returned to the bag at Kandler's instruction.
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January 30, 2009
GCCC cruises in opener
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - If only every day were like Friday. The Gulf Coast Community College baseball team could do little wrong against visiting Young Harris, Ga., at Bill Frazier Field. The Commodores rapped out 12 hits, including four home runs, and starting pitcher Andrew Morris looked like a seasoned veteran rather than a rookie. It all culminated with an 11-3 season-opening victory, but Gulf Coast coach Mike Kandler knows there will be bumpier days ahead. There will come a time when this team will resemble its youth. But it wasn't apparent on Friday. "I'm not surprised because we have a lot of talent," Kandler said. "I'm not surprised, I'm very pleased." Morris did his part in setting the tone, Kandler said. The Prattville, Ala., native struck out eight, walked none and gave up only one hit through five innings in winning his debut. Mosley graduate Kyle Mitchell relieved him for two innings, and he gave up three hits and a homer but struck out three and walked none. Gulf Coast's first walk came in the ninth inning. "The bottom line is you have to throw strikes and have them put in play and then make plays," Kandler said. "Morris was outstanding. "The hardest thing to do is go out and do really well in your first start as a freshman. He neutralized some good hitters." Gulf Coast's offense was paced by Russell County, Ala., product Cyle Rasmus, who opened at second base in place of incumbent starter Ryan Faison. Rasmus was 2 for 4 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored. "You look at Cyle and he's a little guy (5-foot-10, 145 pounds) but he's a toolsy player," Kandler said. "It's in that Rasmus blood line to hit home runs. Between the four brothers they hit about 1,000 homers." Gulf Coast led 8-0 after five innings and 11-1 heading into the top of the ninth. The game hovered around what normally would be a mercy rule, but Kandler said the teams decided to waive it for this three-game series because Young Harris needed to get innings and it was "silly" to cut the contests short, he said. Young Harris made its only dent in the score with two runs in the ninth off relief pitcher Cameron Greathouse, who gave up two hits and two walks after tossing a perfect eighth inning.
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January 29, 2009
GCCC's season opener has finally arrived
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - The Gulf Coast Community College baseball team has been getting antsy over the past few weeks, so the season opener couldn't have come at a better time. The Commodores begin the 2009 campaign against familiar foe Young Harris (Ga.) College. It's an annual opening series, dating to the years when Darren Mazeroski was head coach at Gulf Coast. It continues Friday at 3 p.m. at Bill Frazier Field, as Mike Kandler enters his fourth year at the helm. Saturday's and Sunday's games will start at noon each day. Saturday's contest will begin with a special ceremony to commemorate Kevin Miller Day. This will be Gulf Coast's second live game in more than three months since fall practice wrapped up. The Commodores played an exhibition against the University of Auburn-Montgomery Jan. 24. "We have an era of young people who really don't like to practice anyway," Kandler said. "This generation has played so many games that they get better playing games. "It's going to be really good to see another colored jersey."

Kandler reiterated a common belief that Young Harris, one of the South's top junior college programs, is the perfect team to open against. It's especially important to play against top competition when you're as young as the Commodores, he said. "At some point or another you have to test the waters," Kandler said. "They (Mountain Lions) have a way to exploit your weaknesses early. "That's what you hope for. You want to win the games, but it will give us a lot of looks. And it will prepare us for the conference season." This is the first of eight consecutive home games before Gulf Coast goes on the road for the first time at Jefferson Davis Feb. 10.

Kevin Miller Day
Kevin Miller made his mark on the area baseball scene. He died in 2005 at age 32 following an automobile accident. Miller's family, friends and former teammates and colleagues are expected to attend the event. Miller played at Bay High School and was an assistant at Mosley for the Dolphins' 2002 state championship run. He also was an assistant under Mazeroski for three seasons at Gulf Coast. Good friend and fellow GC assistant at the time, Kevin Humphreys, remembers Miller's passion for the game. "He was the type of guy who worked hard and played hard," Humphreys said. "He really enjoyed what he was doing on and off the field." Humphreys, who is currently a teacher at Emerald Bay Academy, said Miller's death came as a shock to everyone. Miller was flourishing in a family business and his own family was blossoming with a wife and two children. Humphreys said he spoke with Miller shortly before Miller's death. "Then you hear his name (that he died) and you think there's no way possible this could have happened," Humphreys said. Humphreys said the ceremony is a nice gesture by Kandler and the GC baseball program. The ceremony will be brief and not lavish by any standards, which is precisely what Miller would have preferred. "He was never one that wanted a whole lot of recognition," Humphreys said. "You always knew he was there, though. This is how he would have liked it."
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January 26, 2009
Kandler hopes talent overcomes youth this season
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - A lot of what Mike Kandler has on his Gulf Coast baseball team is raw. It just needs its feet held to the fire. Kandler enters his fourth season with the Commodores with the youngest team he's had in his nine years as a junior college head coach. Gulf Coast has 16 freshmen to six sophomores, with five of those seeing extensive playing time last season. "It's not an ideal thing, you'd like to have it more even," Kandler said Monday. "But it's just the way it worked out for us." Kandler sees much talent mixed in with the youth. He said Gulf Coast has more depth than in recent seasons, and the group's baseball IQ is higher than last season.
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January 23, 2009
Commodores ink transfer from Indiana
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant ) - Mike Kandler recently received a signed letter of intent from an outstanding prospect from Indiana. Tyler Reimer (Indiana University / Zionsville HS / Zionsville, IN), put his name on the dotted line during the JUCO signing period which began January 15th.

Reimer, is a sophomore transfer from Indiana University. He was a two-sport star at Zionsville High School ... was named to the Indianapolis Star Super Team in both 2006 and 2007 and was named to the Class 4A All-State Team ... helped Zionsville to a sectional championship in 2007 ... earned Hoosier Crossroads All-Conference honors in each of his last three seasons ... also quarterbacked the football team to an 8-3 season in 2006 ... was named the Zionsville High School Male Athlete of the Year in both 2006 and 2007 ... emerged as an Indiana Mr. Baseball candidate as a senior, hitting .432 with 15 home runs, 15 doubles, three triples and 64 RBIs ... on the mound, threw 65 1/3 innings for Zionsville, posting a 2.79 ERA with 55 strikeouts ... as a junior, hit .456 with 10 long balls, 12 doubles and 36 RBIs.

January 17, 2009
Coach Kandler Preview's the 2009 Squad
The 2009 Gulf Coast Commodore baseball season promises to be exciting and action packed. In spite a young roster with 16 freshmen and only 6 sophomores, the 'Dores are filled with talent and enthusiasm. Gulf Coast will once again play one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Commodores will open up with a three game series against the defending Georgia state champions, Young Harris College. It won't get much easier from there with series against the defending Alabama state champions (Shelton State CC) and Mississippi state champions (Pearl River CC).
09 Season Outlook

January 12, 2009
Gulf Coast diamond teams beginning anew in 2009
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - This time of year is enough to make anyone feel like a kid again. The Gulf Coast Community College baseball and softball teams opened spring practice on Saturday. They were the first of many leading up to season openers in late January for the baseball team and the first week of February for the softball squad. Saturday's practices were filled with the youthful enthusiasm of freshmen and sophomore athletes. The excitement gave baseball coach Mike Kandler something to feed off to soothe a tired arm throwing many rounds of batting practice. "The first day really has a way of bringing out the little boy in you," the 44-year-old Kander said. "But this is what I do. This is what they do. There's no better time of year." The weather also was pleasant, with mild temperatures and a light breeze. It was a welcome surprise, though the weather likely won't remain so accommodating. "Come January 30 it will be minus-7," Kandler joked.
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January 6, 2009
Commodore Baseball Schedule Released
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant ) - Head Baseball Coach Mike Kandler today released the Commodore 2009 Baseball Schedule. The Commodore's will play 33 non-conference games and 20 conference games this season. The Commodores open the 2009 campaign with their annual three game series with Young Harris College. Game 1 will be Friday, January 30th - first pitch is 3:00 pm.

Click Here for 2009 Schedule

November 15, 2008
GC's Morrison signs with Louisville
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner ) - PANAMA CITY - Louisville got its man. Mike Morrison took advantage of the NCAA's early signing period this week, joining the Cardinals' 2009 baseball recruiting class. The Gulf Coast Community College sophomore first baseman now has the decision behind him to solely concentrate on next season. Louisville sought Morrison out of Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. Morrison felt it was best to play for Gulf Coast rather than take the chance of sitting on the bench at Louisville for at least one season. "Louisville was pretty much where I wanted to go," Morrison said Friday. "They recruited me early and stuck with me." Morrison also was targeted by Ohio University as a linebacker, but he said baseball was a more obvious choice. "This was my best career path," Morrison said. "It's hard to succeed in football when you're short and wide." Morrison, at 6-foot, 215 pounds, knew using his stocky frame as a power hitter would suit him best. He didn't flash a lot of power as a freshman at GC, hitting three home runs, but he did amass 48 RBIs. He had solid power numbers in high school, setting a freshman mark of 13 homers.
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October 24, 2008
Commodore Fall Baseball Camps
Winter Pitcher/Catcher Camp - Gulf Coast Men's Baseball team will have a pitchers/catchers camp for players age 8-18 on December 6, 2008 (9 am - 4 pm / bring your lunch) at Frazier Field. The camp will feature the Gulf Coast Baseball staff and players as well as area professional players, major league scouts, and local high school coaches. Each player will receive individualized instruction from the best baseball coaches in the area. The cost of the camp is $75. To register, contact the Gulf Coast Office of Admissions. Same day registration will be done at the field one hour before the camp begins. Child's Social Security Number is REQUIRED for registration. For more information you can call 872-3897.

Winter Hitters Camp - Gulf Coast Men's Baseball team will have a hitters camp for players age 8-18 on December 13, 2008 (9 am - 4 pm / bring your lunch) at Frazier Field. The camp will feature the Gulf Coast Baseball staff and players as well as area professional players, major league scouts, and local high school coaches. Each player will receive individualized instruction from the best baseball coaches in the area. The cost of the camp is $75. To register, contact the Gulf Coast Office of Admissions. Same day registration will be done at the field one hour before the camp begins. Child's Social Security Number is REQUIRED for registration. For more information you can call 872-3897.

Camp Brochure     >>     Click Here

September 30, 2008
Alumni Weekend, what a blast!
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - A blast from the past brought some of the greatest Commodore baseball players in history back to Frazier Field for the annual Baseball Alumni Weekend. The weekend began with the crowning of our annual golf outing champions; Scott Frazier (85), Scott Clemo (84), Jon Hudson (86) , and Keith Baker (86). The team of Jim Prater (64), Richard Neves (63) and Jon McFatter (83) finished 2nd; and the team of Steve Merchant (80), Brandon Carlton (04), Dan Jones (06), and Kyle Debos (06) finished 3rd. The golf outing was highlighted by Keith Baker's 105 yard wedge for eagle on hole #2. Day 1 continued that night with the crowning of our annual Alumni Homerun Derby Champion. Cody Chizmar (07) defeated Daniel Jones (06) in the finals. Chizmar and Jones blasted towering homers into, over and off of the lights in left field.

Up next would be the feature event - The Alumni Baseball Game! The day began with opening ceremonies recognizing Jim Clark our first baseball coach at Gulf Coast. Then we recognized the families of former Commodores Bill Frazier (Hall of fame Coach), James Carswell (63), Wayne Boyd (62), and Kevin Miller (93). Then we awarded Charlie Grayson official Honorary Alumni status for his 20 plus years as a loyal Commodore fan. The alumni introduced themselves and then the game was on. Players from many generations played hard and enjoyed re-living some fond memories. Tim Fox (72) can still throw a curveball, Scott Clemo (84) can still hit, Tim Becker (85) may still be an all-american, and many found out how old they really were. Kevin Humphreys (93) still has his slider, Michael D'Aoust (00) stole a base, and Steve Breland (93) showed that he is more athletic now than in 1993 when he cut down Becker at the plate on the defensive play of the day.

The Alumni Weekend wrapped up with a cookout at the "White House". Pictures, stories and fond memories were shared. What plans to be an annual event was special to all. We encouraged everyone to be actively involved with supporting our baseball program. All in all - what a weekend it was. We encourage everyone to expand on your contact with players from their generation to attend future events. Great job everyone! GO COMMODORES!

For Alumni Weekend 2008 Pictures       Click Here

September 30, 2008
Commodore Baseball Alumni Weekend - October 3-4, 2008
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - Come help us celebrate 48 years of baseball history! The Gulf Coast Athletic Association welcomes you back for Alumni Weekend, October 3rd & 4th at Frazier Field on the campus of Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, FLorida. Make your plans and confirmations early as former players and coaches are reuniting for a weekend of story telling, good times, and baseball.

What plans to be an annual event includes a fun-filled weekend featuring a Golf outing, Homerun Derby (Friday, October 3rd @ 5:00 pm), and of course the feature event - the Alumni Game (Saturday, October 4th @ 10:00 am)!

September 11, 2008
Commodore Baseball Opens Fall Season
GCathletics.com (Steve Merchant) - The Gulf Coast Commodore baseball team will open its fall season this Saturday, September 13th vs Northwest Shoals CC (2:00 PM) and Tallahassee CC (7:00 PM). The 2008 version of the Commodores have been practicing hard and look forward to kicking off their fall season. Check your calendars and come out and support the Commodores.