Hot Tots Add More Florida Talent
Published on March 24, 2023 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Minot Hot Tots News Release
MINOT, ND - The Minot Hot Tots are adding more talent from two more Florida Junior Colleges. Polk State College and Eastern Florida State College will make their way up to North Dakota this summer to play for the Minot Hot Tots. Travis Stapleton and KC Swords will be playing at Corbett Field this summer.
Travis Stapleton is a redshirt sophomore catcher from Polk State College. Originally from Clermont Florida, before starting his college career he played for South Lake High School and lettered in varsity baseball for four years and helped his team win a district title in 2019. Prior to playing at Polk State College, Travis played for University of North Florida, which is an NCAA DI program in the Atlantic Sun Conference. During the 2021 season Travis was their bullpen catcher and the next year started in 4 games and appeared in 11 before an injury to his hamstring.
Shortly after the injury he began his career at Polk State College which is a NJCAA DI Program in Region 8 in the Suncoast Conference. This program has been a strong contender in the last few years, with Conference Tournament appearances in 5 seasons since 2015, 3 of those resulting in a conference championship. Since 2010, the program has produced about 20 MLB drafted players. In Travis's current season he has appeared in 28 games so far with the Polk State Eagles. Currently he has 253 Putouts and a Fielding Percentage of .985. Travis is also accustomed to the fast paced, high caliber play of the Northwoods League as he played the summer of 2022 in Wausau for the Woodchucks. Travis is excited to get back into the Northwoods League in a new state. "I've never been to North Dakota so I'm excited to play in a new state and experience an area I'm not familiar with," said Travis. "I'm excited to compete on a new team with guys from all over the country. Looking forward to a good summer in Minot!"
The second athlete playing for the Hot Tots this summer is KC Swords, a sophomore left-handed pitcher from Eastern Florida State College (EFSC). Before starting his college career, KC played at Vero Beach High School and was ranked #74 overall players in the state as well by Perfect Game. Currently KC plays for EFSC as a pitcher and over his career has pitched 153 innings with 37 game appearances. EFSC is a NJCAA DI program in Region 8 in the Southern Conference. The program has seen conference tournaments in 5 seasons since 2015. The program has produced multiple MLB roster players including most recently Tommy Romero and Vinny Capra. KC also has experience playing in the Northwoods League, as he played for the Eau Claire Express in 2021. KC is also excited to experience this part of the country through playing with the Hot Tots. "I'm looking forward to a fun summer up in North Dakota. Being from Florida it's a great opportunity to spend a summer in a different part of the country most wouldn't get to see where I'm from," said KC. "I've previously played in the Northwoods and it was a great experience and super cool atmosphere. Can't wait to do it again for the Hot Tots!"
Coach, Mitchell Gallagher, is excited to bring more talent to the Hot Tots that he's been able to see up close and personal over the last couple of years while recruiting for EFSC. "KC's a veteran to the league and I'm thrilled to be getting him up here to pitch for us. He's a crafty lefty that lives up to his last name getting a ton of sing and miss," said Gallagher. "Travis impressed me immediately when he played against us this year. Really good defensively behind the dish and a pure hitter that I expect to drive in some runs for us."
Fans ready to watch all of the high-caliber athletes on the Hot Tots roster can find information on purchasing tickets at their 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 March 24, 2023
- Hot Tots Add More Florida Talent - Minot Hot Tots
- Rafters Continue West-Coast Signings - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
