Florida Sports Hall of Fame: Florida Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Month

May 2013

Luke Weaver
Pitcher
NCAA College Baseball
Florida State University

BY PATRIK NOHE

SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

TALLAHASSEE -- Luke Weaver has had some stellar outings for FSU this year — but never anything like Saturday night in front of a packed house at Dick Howser Stadium.

Pitching in a winner’s-bracket game of the Tallahassee NCAA regional against Troy, Weaver was beyond dominant for the No. 7 Seminoles, working eight scoreless innings and striking out a career-high 14 batters without surrendering a single walk with an 11-0 win over Troy.

“The story of the game was Luke Weaver and how he pitched,” Troy coach Bobby Pierce said.

“His fastball was jumping on us, we couldn’t really make an adjustment to it, we were trying to, but he hid the ball very well, had good velocity.

“We never really could get much stirring in any inning, really.”

While Weaver was dominant and center fielder Seth Miller continued to get on-base and set the table for the Seminoles, Florida State moved to 2-0 in regional play.

“We’re just very proud of the way we played overall today,” FSU coach Mike Martin said. “We knew it would be a tough ball game — it was. I know people might see the score and think it was a so-called cakewalk, but it was a long way from it.”

In two regional games, Miller has led off five innings and gotten on base four times (two doubles, two walks). The Seminoles have scored in three of those four innings, 12 runs in all.

Miller was the sparkplug again Saturday, fighting back from behind in the count to earn a walk in the top of the 5th and set the Seminoles up for a three-run inning to break open the game.

“My job when I lead things off is just to get on base,” Miller said. “We just manufacture runs ... that’s Seminole baseball.”

After Miller’s walk, shortstop Giovanni Alfonzo singled up the middle and both runners advanced into scoring position on the throw. Then Florida State used a couple of sacrifices to plate its first two runs of the game. John Sansone hit a grounder to second to bring in Miller and Alfonzo scored on a Josh Delph sacrifice fly.

DJ Stewart capped the inning with a solo home run for the Seminoles to make it 3-0.

That would prove to be all Florida State starter Weaver needed (though it was far from all that he got). Weaver faced 26 batters and struck out 14 of them.

Even more impressive, he did it battling the flu. The sophomore had been taking prescription medicine since visiting the doctor in the middle of the week with a fever.

The Seminoles poured it on late, scoring seven runs in the last two innings. First baseman John Nogowski was 2 for 4 with a homer, a triple and three RBI while DJ Stewart was 2 for 3 with a pair of walks and a pair of RBI.

FSU has now won its first two regional games by a combined score of 21-0.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/02/3428633/luke-weaver-seminoles-trump-troy.html#storylink=cpy

About the Florida Sports Hall of Fame

“Athlete of the Month” Award

The FSHOF has created a monthly recognition award for any male or female athlete, all ages, amateur or professional, and is a current Florida resident. The Athlete of the Month Award will create an opportunity for the grassroots sports fan to make nominations and to learn more about the mission of the FSHOF to help fight childhood obesity and children’s diabetes. A special panel chaired by FSHOF Board of Director Russ Sloan including FSHOF Enshrined Members, FSHOF Staff, and local media will review nominations and vote to determine the award winners. Athlete of the Month recipients are featured on the FSHOF website, have a plaque showcased at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, and receive a certificate of recognition.

Simply click on our Nomination Chairman's

email link below and make your nomination.

Russ Sloan

Florida Sports Hall of Fame

Board of Directors

Nominating Committee Chairman

Click to Submit Your Nomination

Past Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Athlete of the Month Award Winners

April 2013

Andres Arroyo
Track and Field
Florida Dairy Farmers
Track Athlete of the Year

March 2013

Sherwood Brown
College Basketball
Florida Gulf Coast University
NCAA March Madness Star

February 2013

Kali Davis White
National Track Athlete of the Year
Boyd Anderson High School

January 2013

Lindsey Owens
Orlando Bishop Moore
High School Volleyball
State Championship Team
National High School Player of the Year