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Colleges, pros set to stargazeBy KEITH NIEBUHR © St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2001 Sunday is an important day for a handful of Citrus County seniors looking to continue their careers after high school. At the North Central Florida Coaches Association All-Star Game in Gainesville, Kevin Bradley, Danny Caron and Ryan Lindeman of Crystal River and Matt Maggiore, Sam McLain and Flint Whitelaw of Citrus will showcase their skills before college coaches and professional scouts one last time with the hopes of catching somebody's eye. "All year college teams are playing, and now they're to a point where a lot of them are getting eliminated from tournaments, which means they're looking to next year," Crystal River coach Brent Hall said. "This is a good opportunity." Among the local contingent of players, only McLain, who will attend the Air Force Academy, has selected a college. Caron, a catcher, is looking into the possibility of walking on at Central Florida; Bradley, a third baseman, has gotten interest from Daytona Beach Community College; and Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga., is showing interest in Lindeman, a pitcher. Maggiore and Whitelaw, who each pitched and played in the infield for the Hurricanes, are considering options that include playing in junior college. "I think they can give somebody some depth out of the bullpen," Citrus coach Mike Taylor said. "Hopefully, something will work out." Players will be coached by junior college coaches. "Last year we had a good turnout from coaches and pro scouts, and we're expecting even more this year," said game organizer Des Hamilton, a Pittsburgh Pirates scout. The game will be at P.K. Yonge and begins at 5:30 p.m. HEAVY HITTERS: Hall said he plans to beef up Crystal River's schedule next season and wants to add games with Alachua Santa Fe, Eustis, Tampa Catholic, Tampa Jesuit and Seminole. Tampa Catholic and Seminole, No. 1 in the country, are playing for state titles this week in Tampa in their respective classifications. "We're looking for home-and-homes," Hall said. "I feel like we've gained respect. We were the little guy last season, but now I feel like we can play, and we want to play those guys. When you see our schedule next year, you'll see some of those teams." The Pirates tried scheduling a home-and-home series with Jesuit -- the 2000 Class 4A state champ -- this past season, but the Tigers were unwilling to play at Crystal River, Hall said.
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