By Kyle LoJacono
The Saint Leo University baseball roster reads like an all-star team from Pasco and northern Hillsborough county high schools.
“When I took over the program two years ago I wanted to do it with youth, and I felt like there was plenty of good talent right here in Pasco and Hillsborough counties,” said Lions coach Russ McNickle. “Fortunately for us we were able to get a lot of the best talent from here. The high school coaches are teaching them the game the right way and it translates to the field.”
The Division II program, which plays in the Sunshine State Conference, has 10 players from area high schools, including three apiece from Land O’ Lakes and Gaither. Third and first baseman Anthony Santa and pitchers Matt Smith and Jeff Bloomer are Gator grads, while catcher Jason Hamm, pitcher Patrick Schelah and infielder Kory Wan are former Cowboys.
“It’s awesome having three guys from Land O’ Lakes here because you feel like you’re close to home,” Santa said. “We grew up playing with each other. I’m so used to having guys from Land O’ Lakes by my side.”
Having three Gaither grads on the team has helped Schelah transition into college.
“I roomed with Kory and we graduated the same year,” said Schelah. “I know it helped me get settled.”
Bloomer gave different reasons for picking Saint Leo.
“It’s close, so the parents liked that,” Bloomer said. “I went to South Florida Community College before coming here. The Saint Leo coaches got to see me there and getting the chance to stay in Florida in the best Division II conferences around made it the perfect place.”
While the team is unified in its goal to win a conference championship, occasionally old allegiances come surface.
“We always talk about Hillsborough versus Pasco baseball and there’s no doubt that Hillsborough is way better than Pasco,” Hamm said with a laugh. “It goes on and on and the Gaither guys talk about how we used to beat them every time we played them. It’s a big friendly rivalry, but we’re still teammates and we all love each other.”
Santa had a similar feeling.
“When I first got here it was interesting because you knew about the guys on the other team, but you didn’t know them as a person,” Santa said. “You play together here and you get to know them, but we still have rivalries whenever we’re doing drills to see who’s better. Land O’ Lakes, Gaither, Pasco and all the different schools. The rivalry is still there, but it’s a friendly rivalry now.”
Sometimes the players go to the numbers to show which county is better.
“There’s always the going back and forth between the guys,” Bloomer said. “Some even have newspaper articles with their stats from high school to compare. It’s all good fun.”
The old rivalries between Pasco schools also come up in the back-and-forth.
“It’s funny because I played against Aaron Brandt and Dustin Brown when they were at Pasco,” Smith said. “Dustin Brown would have had a no hitter in one of those games in my senior year, but I got a hit off him. Dropped one into right field and ended that no hitter.”
Those friendly discussions remain because all the players had good relationships with their high school coaches.
“I loved playing for coach (Calvin) Baisley at Land O’ Lakes,” Santa said. “My older brother (Jose) played there and I grew up watching them. I couldn’t wait for the first time I played as a Gator. Everyone on that team grew up playing with each other on Little League and in middle school. We were like a family out there.”
Baisley has been the Gators coach for 27 years, while coach Frank Permuy has been at Gaither the last 26 seasons.
“It unbelievable playing at Gaither,” Hamm said. “There’s so much pride in Gaither baseball built through coach Permuy. He’s won a lot of games and tournaments there. He’s been the only coach they’ve had there since the school opened and it was an honor to play for him.”
That pipeline of local talent going to Saint Leo is far from drying up. Next year Wesley Chapel senior pitcher Brandon Mumaw will join the Lions.
“There are still some guys in this area we’re looking at,” McNickle said. “I think that for us, player development is huge. To get a high school kid to come in and develop for three or four years in the best Division II conference in the country is a big draw.”
Area baseball talent at Saint Leo
- Jeff Bloomer LHP Sr. Land O’ Lakes
- Spencer Bowles C Fr. Wiregrass Ranch
- Aaron Brandt RHP Jr. Pasco
- Dustin Brown OF Jr. Pasco
- Jason Hamm C Sr. Gaither
- Henry Johnson RHP So. Pasco
- Anthony Santa 3B/1B Jr. Land O’ Lakes
- Patrick Schelah RHP Fr. Gaither
- Matt Smith RHP Sr. Land O’ Lakes
- Kory Wan SS/3B So. Gaither
