WINTER HAVEN – During Al Corbeil's tenure as head baseball coach, Polk State has prided itself on watching players move on from the diamond of Bing Tyus Yard to four-year schools.

For the fall semester, nine Polk State sophomores have signed to do just that. That includes seven NCAA Division I signees.

"I always enjoy watching these guys develop and take the next step," Corbeil said. "I've been really pleased with our sophomore class this fall. These guys have all seemed to have gelled pretty well."

Teammates Breton Cusic, a pitcher, and catcher Cole Griffith will remain teammates at the D-I level. The two were among the most recent signees as they pledged their services to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

"I felt like a lot of us were underdeveloped coming out of high school; to see how we've progressed and are moving onto four-year schools is pretty sweet," Cusic said. "I felt like Winthrop had a lot to offer on the development side. I think it's a great fit for me."

Cusic and Griffith were each second-team All-Suncoast Conference selections last season and helped the Eagles reach the FCSAA Tournament. Griffith hopes to build on those accomplishments this season.

"I want to be an all-conference player, win a lot of games, and get to Grand Junction(,Colo. for the NJCAA Tournament)," he said.

Cusic and Griffith aren't the only pair of Eagles who will remain teammates at the Division I level. Pitcher Jaydon Bishop and outfielder J'Quann Smith will each be headed to Florida International University.

"It felt like a really good fit," said Bishop, a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection in 2022. "They have a brand-new coaching staff taking on a rebuild and I wanted to be part of that rebuild. Before that, I'd like to be all-conference, all-state, and bring home a championship for Polk."

"Polk State made me mentally tough," Smith said about the opportunity to continue his playing career at his head coach's alma mater. "(FIU) felt like home."

Pitchers Josh Texidor and Gage Allen will also be staying in-state to play Division I baseball.

"Polk State really helped me grow as a person, a player, and helped me a lot mentally," said Allen, a Bethune-Cookman University signee. "BCU gave me a really good offer. I'm excited to play against a lot of good schools."

Texidor, a hard-throwing lefty, signed with Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.

"It's a good area and a solid D-I program," he said. "I think Polk State has definitely made me tougher and prepared me for this opportunity."

Outfielder Nelson Taylor is headed north to play at Florida State University. Taylor had a stellar summer, earning All-Star honors in the Florida State Collegiate League before helping the Bourne Braves win the Cape Cod League championship.

"It felt like a great fit for me," Taylor said. "They have great coaches, a great program, and this is a good opportunity for me to showcase my talents. At Polk State, I feel like I've become more of a man responsibility-wise. Physically, I've become bigger, stronger, and faster. That's what you want to be as a college athlete."

Outfielder Ray Mercer and 6-foot-7 pitcher Dawson Turner will each remain in Florida as they head to Division II programs. Mercer will be headed to the University of Tampa.

"It's one of the top (Division II programs) in the country and it's in Florida -- you can't beat Florida baseball," Mercer said. "Polk State prepared me very well. Coach Corbeil and his assistants put us through several trials and pushed us to do things we didn't think we could do."

Turner has signed with St. Leo University. Turner and Mercer could face each other in the future as both schools are members of the Sunshine State Conference.

"Polk State has really helped us grow as ballplayers and as people," Turner said. "I like winning ballgames. They do a lot of that at St. Leo."

Entering its 13th season under Corbeil, Polk State is coming off a 34-19 campaign in which it reached the FCSAA Tournament for a second straight year. The Eagles will be searching for their first Suncoast Conference title since 2017.

"We're quite a bit younger offensively, but it's nice to return some arms with experience," Corbeil said. "We'll see what happens."

Signees
Name, position, signed
• Gage Allen, P, Bethune-Cookman
• Jaydon Bishop, P, Florida International
• Breton Cusic, P, Winthrop
• Cole Griffith, C/1B, Winthrop
• Ray Mercer, OF, Tampa
• J'Quann Smith, OF, Florida International
• Nelson Taylor, OF, Florida State
• Josh Texidor, P, Florida Gulf Coast
• Dawson Turner, P, St. Leo