FDTC Stinger baseball advance to JUCO World Series
Florence, S.C. - For the third time in Florence-Darlington Technical College’s history, the Stingers baseball team is headed to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
“I’m so excited that this group of guys gets to experience Grand Junction and the JUCO World Series,” Athletic Director and head baseball coach Preston McDonald said. “They’ve answered every challenge. We are just so proud of what they’ve accomplished so far and I know they’re excited for another opportunity.”
The Stingers bested Monroe in a best-of-3 series to win the East District Championship on Sunday, May 12. The team split their Saturday, double-header with Monroe winning the first game 2-1 and losing game two 3-0. The Stingers bats came alive in game 3 leading them to a 13-4 victory and cementing their trip to the JUCO World Series.
“We only scored 2 runs on Saturday in a doubleheader. We were really fortunate we pitched so well in game one or else our season could have ended,” McDonald said. “You can’t afford to have one bad day in postseason play. We didn’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves or make excuses. We had some guys step up and have some big-time performances in game 3, which was probably the biggest game of their career. I was really proud of how they responded to the loss.”
The win also increased the Stinger's record to 51-10 overall, which is a new school record for wins in a season. Earlier this season, the Stinger’s also set a new school record for consecutive wins at 26.
“We have tremendous depth on both sides of the ball,” McDonald said. “They don’t care who gets the credit or is the hero of the day. They work really hard on and off the field and prepare like champions. School record for wins, school record winning streak, regular season champions, tournament champions, district champions and advancing to the JUCO World series; I think you have to say this is the best team in school history. Just a special group of guys.”
The 2024 JUCO World Series begins on May 25 and the bracket reveal is on Tuesday, May 21 at noon. The Stinger’s will be one of 10 teams from across the nation participating in the double-elimination tournament.
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Tickets may be purchased at www.jucogj.org