Six seniors from the Apopka Blue Darters represented the program one final time Friday night at the Cure All-Star Game presented by the Florida Collegiate Summer League, while head coach Scott Garland added another milestone to a memorable first season by winning Metro West Coach of the Year honors. 

Held at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, the Orange County vs. Seminole County showcase featured some of Central Florida’s top graduating senior baseball players recognized for both their athletic and academic accomplishments. The exhibition ended in a 9-9 tie after nine innings. 

Apopka had six players along with Coach Garland selected to represent Orange County: Anthony Raymond, Camron Pennock, Jez Hamrick, Nico Posluszny, Ty Livingston and Tyler Spaid.  

Hamrick, who is committed to Coker University, made an immediate impact on the mound. As the first pitcher for Orange County, he tossed a scoreless inning. Posluszny flashed his versatility defensively, making multiple highlight plays at both shortstop and third base. Livingston delivered one of the biggest offensive moments for the Blue Darters, ripping an RBI triple during the game. 

Pennock is committed to Ave Maria University, while Spaid will continue his career at John Melvin Christian College. Spaid also earned first team All-Metro, while Livingston earned second team honors. Garland noted that Livingston, Posluszny and Raymond are still working through their college decisions. 

For Garland, the night represented more than just an all-star appearance. It served as a celebration of the senior class that helped reshape the program during his first year leading the Blue Darters. 

“I’m incredibly proud of those guys,” Garland said. “Those guys helped us do everything that we accomplished this year, and those guys set the tone for my tenure as head coach. Every class behind them now has big shoes to fill because they did such a great job and bought into the new schemes and ideas.” 

Garland’s impact during his first season extended far beyond the field. 

In addition to leading the Blue Darters to a 15-9 season, Garland focused heavily on revitalizing the baseball program on campus and around Apopka. That approach ultimately helped him earn his first coach of the year accolades. 

“For me, it was just the way that we were able to reconnect with the community,” Garland said. “We were able to reach out within the school, going to different sporting events as a group and getting people to see what the baseball program sees every day — what great kids we have and how supportive they are.” 

Garland said his vision entering Year 1 was about restoring pride in Apopka baseball. 

“The biggest mentality I had was knowing where the baseball program was in the eyes of the community, the school and even the players,” Garland said. “My real goal was to rejuvenate the kids, rejuvenate the parents, rejuvenate our fans and get everybody to buy back into Apopka baseball the way it used to be.” 

One of the most memorable moments from the season came when Garland invited the Apopka band to attend games, creating an atmosphere rarely seen at high school baseball games. 

“A highlight for me this season was having the band out,” Garland said. “I always thought it would be really cool to have them at a baseball game. We ended up having them at two games, we won both games, and the energy from them and what they produced was unbelievable.” 

Beyond the wins and atmosphere, Garland said the relationships built throughout the season also stood out to him. 

“My favorite thing was just how close of relationships I built with the players and our parents,” Garland said. “Everyone was so willing to change and willing to adjust to a new style, new coaching and new philosophies. That made my job so much easier.” 

While Apopka graduates a large senior class, Garland believes the future remains bright. 

The Darters are returning catcher Collin Van Fleet, who had a phenomenal junior season, earning a spot on the All-Metro second team. 

The Blue Darters are expected to be one of the younger teams in the area next season after losing 11 seniors, but Garland said the foundation established this spring should help the program remain competitive moving forward. 

“We’re going to be really young, obviously,” Garland said. “But I think we’re still going to be very talented. I think we’re still going to be very competitive, and we’re going to continue to build off everything we did this year.” 

Garland added that the program plans to stay active throughout the offseason with summer workouts and a full fall season, continuing to develop younger players while maintaining the culture established during his first year.