WINTER HAVEN – Polk State Baseball's sophomores are on the verge of leading the program to a third straight FCSAA Tournament appearance. Those second-year players will be celebrated prior to Wednesday night's series finale against St. Petersburg College.

For Polk State's sophomores, the last two years have not been without their challenges, but the players have overcome injuries and adversity while becoming better athletes.

"With this group, I'm probably most proud of how they've handled themselves through injury," Head Coach Al Corbeil said. "We've got some back here toward the end of conference play. I'm proud of their attitude. They've been positive all year and continued to work."

Battling injury

For many sophomores, this season was an injury-riddled one. Left-handed pitchers Jaydon Bishop and Josh Texidor were among those who missed time. After a solid freshman year and stellar fall, Texidor dealt with an arm injury that kept him out until April. The Florida Gulf Coast University signee has appeared in five games this season and is expected to be a key arm out of the bullpen down the stretch.

"This program has definitely made me a tougher person and a player," Texidor said. "Coach Corbeil has taught me how to have confidence in myself and made me a better competitor and baseball player."

An All-Suncoast Conference performer last season, Bishop missed more than a month before returning to action on April 8. This season, Bishop is 1-0 with a team-best 3.16 ERA. When he arrived at Polk State, the Florida International University signee had been out of baseball for a year.

"When I came to Polk State, I was coming off a gap year where I worked construction," the lefty recalled. "When I came here, I wasn't able to find the strike zone at all. Coach just told me to settle down. I did and started to lock in."

While Polk State is happy to have Texidor and Bishop back on the mound, Dawson Turner has been one of the Eagles' few lefty arms to have stayed healthy this season. Turner, who will continue his career at St. Leo University, ranks fourth on the team with 17 appearances.

"This program has made me a better person by teaching me an amazing work ethic," Turner said. "My coaches have made me better as a player and as a person."

An All-Suncoast Conference catcher last season, Cole Griffith returned as a key piece in the lineup. As a result of injury, Griffith played in just two of the Eagles' first 32 games. Since his return, Griffith has batted .268 with 10 RBIs while selflessly playing wherever he's been asked, including behind the plate, at first base, and in the outfield.

"What I'll remember the most about my time here is just being around my teammates and playing some good, hard baseball with my boys," he said. "This program has taught me a lot. I've gotten a lot tougher since I got here. That's the biggest thing – just being tough."

Being blue collar

Toughness is a key part of Polk State's "blue collar" culture. While neither elaborated, pitcher Breton Cusic and outfielder J'Quann Smith mentioned "driver's ed" and "mental health week" as two internal preseason events that test players' mental and physical toughness.

"My favorite time was definitely mental health week," said Smith, a Florida International University signee. "That's where you find out whether you have the dog in you to be at Polk State."

"Polk State has made me better as a person," Cusic said. "It's taught me that you have to work for everything and nothing is going to be given to you. That's the whole blue-collar approach that Coach Corbeil portrays here."

Becoming leaders

Offensively, outfielder Nelson Taylor is among the players who have enjoyed a breakout season. The Florida State University signee hit just .236 last year. After an All-State appearance in the Florida Collegiate Summer League this past summer and a promotion to the Cape Cod League, Taylor leads the Eagles in batting average (.377), doubles (15), home runs (6), RBIs (44), on-base percentage (.484), slugging (.699), and stolen bases (26).

"This program has allowed me to find myself and be a leader every day," Taylor said. "That's what I strive to be. Off the field, I've learned to be a man. This has been a great experience."

In addition to new teammates, there was another adjustment that the returning sophomores had to make – new coaches. First-year assistants Jordan Barrett and Dominic Anagnos said they were immediately impressed by how the sophomores showed initiative and became leaders.

"The leadership from them has been awesome – on and off the field," said Barrett, pitching coach who played at Polk State in 2014 and 2015. "They've really taken the freshmen under their wing and made sure they were doing what they were supposed to. They've done a really good job making sure things are done the right way around here."

"They show up on time, they get after their work, they handle their business the right way," he continued. "They take charge; I don't think I ever had a player show up late for the weight room and at 7:30 in the morning, that's not easy to do."

While the returning sophomores had to adjust to a new pair of assistants, one sophomore had to adjust to a new setting. Catcher Travis Stapleton spent his freshman season at the University of North Florida where he hit .333 in 11 games. Stapleton has shined this season, hitting.358 with a team-leading 59 hits while handling the pitching staff.

"I think I've improved a lot," he said. "I think I've grown a lot as a catcher, as a hitter, as a person, and as a teammate."

Accomplishments

Polk State can clinch an FCSAA Tournament berth with one win in any of its five remaining regular season games. Outfielder Ray Mercer and pitcher Caidan Peeples recalled clinching a spot in last year's tournament following a 6-2 victory over State College of Florida-Manatee.

"I'll always remember clinching the trip to Miami," Mercer said. "Celebrating with my teammates in the locker room is something that I'll remember forever."

"We had a pretty good team with a bunch of young guys," Peeples added. "We had to work hard and grind through conference to get there."

Polk State was ultimately topped by Miami Dade College in last season's FCSAA Tournament but hopes for better results this season. It would be the ninth appearance in 13 years under Corbeil.

"This program has made me better as a person and as a player," said pitcher Gage Allen, a Bethune-Cookman University signee. "Showing up here every day, putting in the work, and just being around everyone has made me a better person. My coaches have helped me get better every day."

During their tenures, the sophomores were also part of some milestone victories for their head coach. Last season, Corbeil collected his 400th career win at Polk State with a 9-8 victory over Florida SouthWestern State College. With a 9-7 win over Seminole State College of Florida earlier this season, Corbeil surpassed Bing Tyus as the winningest coach in program history.

"When I think back on my time here at Polk State, I'm going to remember all the good times we had here," Bishop said. "When you go to a (junior college), you're not really knowing what to expect. It's a real good program. Coach Al Corbeil cares a lot about his players and getting them on to the next school."

During Corbeil's tenure at Polk State, more than 130 players have gone on to play at a four-year school or professional baseball. Nine players have currently signed with four-year schools, including seven NCAA Division I signings.

"The advice I would give for players coming here is to learn to enjoy the journey and not just the destination," Taylor said. "You're going to compete here. Coaches are going to work with you and make sure you develop. You just have to trust the process."

Taylor is among a handful of players who have had breakout seasons as sophomores. Mercer is another. After batting .297 last season with just three extra-base hits, Mercer is hitting .305 with a nation-leading 10 triples – a Polk State single-season record.

"This program made me better by teaching me how to hold myself accountable," the University of Tampa signee said. "My coaches helped me change my swing and taught me the game within the game and raised my baseball IQ. They've really helped me get to where I am."

Cusic, Bishop, and Griffith all returned after being named All-Conference last season, but the Eagles also perennially excel in the classroom. Last season, 12 players earned FCSAA All-Academic honors and nine earned NJCAA All-Academic honors, including Mercer and Griffith. Polk State was also a finalist for FCSAA Academic Team of the Year.

"Corbs is a great role model," Cusic said of Coach Corbeil. "He's a man of high morale and does a lot for us as players and human beings. He teaches us a lot of lessons that we can use later in life."

Smith noted that his professors are also credited for the academic performance of the team.

"Polk State made me ready for more than baseball," he said. "It's not easy here. In school, the teachers never let up. They made me sure I did what I had to do in the classroom."

Admiration for coaches

While Corbeil's coaching accomplishments speak for themselves, Polk State players were fortunate enough to play for coaches who excelled during their playing career. Corbeil and Barrett each played professionally while Ryan Abrams remains a record holder at Lipscomb University and Aganos was an All-Conference performer.

"My coaches have had a huge impact," Stapleton said. "I know that I can always go to them with a question, and they'll give me an honest answer whether it's what I want to hear or not. It's good to know that the coaches are always looking to help us and do what's best for us."

For as accomplished as they have been in the game of baseball, it's the relationships that the players will ultimately remember when they think of their coaches.

"My coaches have never given up on me," Smith said. "They treated me right and made me earn everything I've got here at Polk State. The coaches love you here."

"My coaches are father figures to me," said Griffith, a Winthrop University signee. "They taught me a lot outside the field and on the field."

Bishop echoed those sentiments. Many of the lessons he learned at Polk State, he said, will stick with him long after his playing days are over.

"The impact my coaches have had on me will stay with me long after I leave Polk," he said. "They taught me how to own up to my mistakes and hold myself accountable. That's something I think everyone should learn."

Moving forward

Following Sophomore Night, Polk State will play a pivotal four-game series with State College of Florida-Manatee that will decide the Suncoast Conference championship. As Polk State aims to make it a championship season, many players offered advice for future Eagles.

"I'd tell future Polk State Baseball players to be ready to work," Bishop said. "This isn't an easy place. You can't just go through the motions and rely on your talent. You have to have a good work ethic and give it everything you got when you step on this field."

"The advice I'd have for future players is to be ready to work hard," Mercer added. "Come in and be yourself. Don't let the game get too big for you."

Polk State is set to make its third straight FCSAA Tournament appearance – the longest streak since making four straight appearances from 2014 to 2017. Cusic, another Winthrop University signee, advised players to savor the moment.

"You have to be ready to work and not afraid to compete with other guys," he said. "While you're here, enjoy it while it lasts. These are the good ole days and the times we'll be telling our kids about."

Now the pitching coach, Barrett recalled his two years at Polk State before going on to play at Elon University and enjoying a successful career in professional baseball. He hopes the departing sophomores continue to enjoy the game.

"My advice for them would be to keep it simple," Barrett advised. "The competition may get better, but it's still a game no matter where you're at. Whether it's after four years or after pro ball, one way or another baseball comes to an end, so you have to enjoy it while it lasts."

Over the years, Polk State has had many players compete professionally, including a handful of Major League Baseball players such as Alan Mills, Dan Miceli, Charlie Manning, and Alec Asher. Many are currently excelling in the collegiate ranks and in the minor leagues. Corbeil hopes to see that trend continue as this group of sophomores says goodbye.

"I tell them to take a little bit of Polk with them," the head coach said. "Take what they learned here to their next program and make that program better."