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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
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News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Commodores’ Chance To Re-Load

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - After a team completes a disappointing season, the cliche thing to say is that it is in the rebuilding phase or a transition process.

That’s not the case for the Gulf Coast baseball team; it’s more like re-loading for the Commodores.  A team coming off it’s first Panhandle Conference title since 1998.

“It’s more of an attribute to the kids,” Gulf Coast Assistant Coach Steve Merchant said.  “They were a very special group and a tough act to follow.  Twenty kids really bought in.  It was a special time.”

Of those 20 kids, 10 earned All-Conference honors and five were drafted by the major leagues.

On Thursday, Coach Mike Kandler had an open try-out for ball players that may have “fell through the cracks” during the recruiting process.

“We still have some scholarship money left,” Kandler said.  “We’re looking exclusively for a few things.  If it’s the right guy, it doesn’t matter where you see him, it’s what you see.”

Kandler said he’s always looking for some good arms and infielders.

The 2006 season swept away the Commodores biggest stars with only a handful of players returning.

But that’s the challenging part of coaching on the junior college level.

“Three-quarters of the team,” Kandler said.  “That’s what you’re losing every year for various reasons.  You never know the dynamics of a team.”

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