Hot Tots Add Junior College Talent to Roster
Published on February 17, 2023 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Minot Hot Tots News Release
MINOT, ND - Teammates from Seminole State College of Florida will make there way up to Minot for the 2023 Inaugural Hot Tots Season. After adding multiple pitchers and catchers to the roster, the Hot Tots are filling in their infield with Nic Pepe and Ryan Recio. These two have started this college season off strong and will be bringing high-quality play up to North Dakota.
Seminole State College of Florida is a Junior College located in Sanford Florida. The program is an NJCAA Division I program in Region 8 (Florida) in the Mid-Florida Conference (MFC). The last few years have been strong building years for the program. In the MFC the teams placed anywhere from 6th-4th placed in regular season play. However, since 2019 the program has seen consistent growth, finishing in the top 3 or higher for 3 of those 4 years. 2021 was the most recent strongest success for the program as they finished in 2nd place in the MFC and clinched a playoff birth. They won 2 of the 3 games against St. Johns River State College and in the MFC Tournament and advanced to the South Atlantic District Tournament.
Nic Pepe is the first athlete who will represent Seminole State College of Florida this summer with the Hot Tots. Nic is a freshman 2nd and 3rd baseman from Sarasota Florida. He attended IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida, which is the world's leading sports education brand. Their goal is to provide access and opportunity for student-athletes and are the only education brand responsible for filling one-fourth of all college roster spots annually. In 2021 they placed 30,000 kids in college athletic programs, and in baseball specifically, they have had 200 Division I commits since 2006, have 35 athletes selected in MLB First Year Player Drafts, and have 6 alumni who have made MLB appearances. While attending IMG Academy, Nic played 15 varsity games and had the leading on-base percentage. In his first 11 collegiate appearances, Nic has had 31 at-bats behind the plate and in the field 4 put-outs and 6 assists. Nic is excited to see what he can bring to the Hot Tots this summer. "Can't wait to get up to Minot this summer. Go Hot Tots!"
Ryan Recio is a sophomore 2nd and 3rd baseman at Seminole State College of Florida, from Boca Raton Florida. He is a transfer student from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia which is an NCAA Division I program in the Atlantic 10 Conference.. As a freshman at VCU, he made his college debut with a pinch-hit at-bat against Old Dominion and was on the team when they won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Championship. Before attending VCU he played varsity baseball at Boca Raton Community High School where he earned MVP honors, was an All-State player, and was the ranked 52nd shortstop in Florida by Perfect Game. Currently, Ryan is in his first season with Seminole State College of Florida where he has had 45 at-bats in 12 games. He's ranked 2nd for overall batting statistics and 1st in extended batting statistics. He's gained 34 total bases with 10 resulting from extra-base hits, 4 of which have been home-runs.
These two future Hot Tots have already made headlines in Florida. During their home opener, Nic hit a double and Ryan hit an RBI to win the game. These two athletes have impressed coach, Mitch Gallagher with their first few games of the college season. "I'm excited to get Nic and Ryan up for the summer," said Gallagher. "Seminole State consistently produces quality hitters and after seeing these two multiple times this fall, I know they will a high-energy style of play to our lineup."
Fans that are ready to see what Gallagher means by "high-energy style play" can find information on purchasing tickets at the Hot Tots website. Any fans interested in being involved in other aspects of the game like game-day staff, host families, corporate tickets, fundraising, or group outings are encouraged to go to www.hottotsbaseball.com as well. Anyone who wants to be the first to know about all Hot Tots news can sign up for the e-newsletter on the website as well.
Northwoods League Stories from February 17, 2023
- Hot Tots Add Junior College Talent to Roster - Minot Hot Tots
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