The College of Central Florida Patriots baseball squad is heading back to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 baseball championships after falling short last season. The Pats won back-to-back state championships in 2022 & 2023. The 2023 team would go on to win the JUCO World Series and be crowned national champions for the first time in school history. This year's final four tournament is being held at the Tampa Bay Rays spring training complex in Port Charlotte, Florida May 9th - 12th.

The field is made up of four schools that each won a regional best of three series last weekend. The tournament format is a four team double elimination. The winner earns a trip to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado starting Saturday, May 24th.

#1 seed Florida Southwestern State College (41-14)

#2 Seed Gulf Coast State College (35-14)

#5 Seed State College of Florida, Manatee (37-19)

#6 Seed College of Central Florida (36-16)

The Patriots are coming in hot after disposing of the #3 seed Indian River State College Pioneers (34-16) by scores of 13-4 and 12-1 in Ft. Pierce last weekend. "We're excited to get back to the final four. We have a good bunch of players that seem to be peaking at the right time." Said Assistant Coach Jon Koenigsfeld 

Only one of the four teams playing this weekend has made it to the JUCO World Series within the last 15 years and that would be Central Florida. SCF-Manatee last appeared in 2010, Gulf Coast in 1973, and FSW has never made it to Grand Junction.

CF will open tournament play on Friday, May 9, 5:00 PM against the Gulf Coast State Pioneers.

If anyone is interested in attending the tournament tickets can be purchased at www.raysbaseball.com/FCSAA

Games will also be streamed live on the FCSAA website: https://team1sports.com/fcsaa/