GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 8 Santa Fe Baseball (29-11, 18-4 MFC), the 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Champions, had seven players receive All Mid-Florida Conference honors.
Additonally, there were three special awards, including Head Coach Johnny Wiggs as the MFC Coach of the Year,
Robb Adams as the MFC Pitcher of the Year, and
Tyler Shelnut as the MFC Fireman (Reliever) of the Year.
Head Coach Johnny Wiggs, 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year
In his 15th season at Santa Fe, Coach Wiggs and his staff led the Saints to another Mid-Florida Conference Championship, the program's 11th overall and ninth in the last 14 seasons.
SF will be making their sixth consecutive trip to the FCSAA State Tournament under Wiggs' direction, and 11th total in those 14 seasons since he became the skipper.
Wiggs has now been recognized as the Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year four times since 2016.
Robb Adams, 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Pitcher of the Year, Mid-Florida Conference First Team (Pitcher)
The 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Pitcher of the Year award went to
Robb Adams, the Saints' ace.
Adams holds a 6-1 record on the mound in a team-high 72 IP, which ranks No. 8 in the NJCAA Division I.
The lefty from Arcadia, Fla. has also recorded one save, throwing the 14th inning to clinch the MFC title in the 12-10 win over Seminole State on Monday, April 19.
Adams ranks No. 3 in the FCSAA with a 1.75 ERA, which is No. 10 in the NJCAA Division I.
He leads the team with 73 strikeouts (9.13 K/9), and has conceded just 14 earned runs in 14 appearances and 11 starts. Opponents were unable to produce an earned run against Adams in each of his first four starts of the season over the course of 27 innings pitched.
Additionally, Adams tossed a complete game shutout against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Feb. 16 in a 5-0 win, and then was chosen as the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 23
Tyler Shelnut, Mid-Florida Conference Fireman (Reliever) of the Year, Mid-Florida Conference Second Team (Designated Hitter)
Shelnut, a product of Lake City, Fla. and Fort White High School, was named the Mid-Florida Conference Fireman (Reliever) of the Year while being tabbed to the Second Team All Mid-Florida Conference as a designated hitter.
At the dish, Shelnut has typically produced from the heart of the order.
In 131 at-bats, he is hitting for a .282 average while flashing plenty of pop, clearing the fence on seven occasions. His 27 RBI rank second on the team to
Luis Rodriguez, and he has been walked a team-high 20 times.
Perhaps his best offensive outing was on March 15 against St. Johns River State College, when he crushed two home runs in a 14-3 victory.
Shelnut has been versatile in his first season, serving as the Saints' closer.
His 12 saves on the season are the second-most in all of the NJCAA Division I, and in 19 appearances, he boasts a 3.10 ERA while being credited for two wins as well.
Gross, a left-handed freshman from Gainesville, Ga. and Forsyth Central High School, has been a reliable starter all season long for SF on his way to Mid-Florida Conference First Team accolades.
In 13 appearances and 12 starts, Gross holds a win-loss record of 7-2, and he often has made it deep enough into games to aid the bullpen.
His 69 strikeouts on the season average out to a team-high 9.46 K/9 innings pitched, and he currently holds a respectable 3.29 ERA.
Gross impressively has struck out six or more batters in seven of his 12 starts, which included a season-high ten K's in a 4-3 win on March 12 over St. Johns River State College.
Luis Rodriguez, Mid-Florida Conference First Team (Infielder)
Rodriguez, a sophomore from Guarenas, Venezuela, plays primarily at the hot corner for the Saints and garnered First Team All Mid-Florida Conference.
No. 11 is currently in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit for a .400 average in April.
On the season, he leads SF in at-bats (142), hits (51), doubles (17), home runs (9), RBI (48), and slugging percentage (.683), while ranking second on the team in batting average (.359) and third in runs scored (33).
In the FCSAA, Rodtriguez is 4th in doubles (17), 5th in RBI (48), and 9th in home runs (9).
Eight of his nine home runs have come in Mid-Florida Conference play. He has notched two multi-HR games (at Daytona State, 3/10, vs. St. Johns River, 3/15), and was named the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week on March 16.
Jonathan Logsdon, Mid-Florida Conference Second Team (Infielder)
Logsdon, a sophomore middle infielder from Leesburg, Ga., has been a leader for the Saints in his 36 games played.
The Second Team All Mid-Florida Conference selection is batting .312 with 38 runs scored, 24 RBI, and a team-high 20 walks.
He has shown a knack for finding the gaps in the outfield, and leads the team with three triples.
Both of his home runs this season came in a 16-11 win at Seminole State College on March 29, which drove in four runs.
Defensively, he has played a role in turning 21 double-plays.
Dylan Mock, Mid-Florida Conference Second Team (Outfielder)
Dylan Mock claimed Second Team recognition as a freshman outfielder.
The Mayo, Fla. native and graduate of Lafayette High School leads the team with a .376 batting average, and has contributed 24 runs scored, 19 RBI, and three home runs in his 85 at-bats.
He has been especially potent in conference play, sporting a .431 batting average.
Mock held a hitting streak of 13 games this season, dating from Feb. 23 - March 29.
Two of his three home runs have come against Pasco-Hernando State College, including a ninth inning go-ahead, three-run homer on March 26 in a 4-3 victory over the Bobcats in New Port Richey, Fla.
Coy Phillips, Mid-Florida Conference Second Team (Outfielder)
Coy Phillips is the second Saints' outfielder on the All-Conference Second Team.
The freshman from Inglis, Fla. has contributed in a variety of ways for SF, and has often come up with timely hits when most needed.
Phillips' left-handed bat has produced for a .328 batting average with 38 hits, 21 runs scored, and 20 RBI.
Phillips has recorded a hit in each of his last 12 outings, and he turned on his first home run of the season in the 8-3 win over Seminole State on April 19.
After securing the Mid-Florida Conference Tournament Championship, Head Coach Johnny Wiggs and No. 8 Santa Fe Baseball continue postseason play at the upcoming FCSAA State Tournament.
The double-elimination, eight team tournament will run from May 5 – May 9 at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. The Saints will play the runner-up in the Panhandle Conference at 1:00 p.m. on May 5.
