Area spring sports alumni excel in college

Spring is here — in 11 days, anyway — and with it comes the spring sports season. 

It's always a weird time for me. I can see the end of the high school sports season on the horizon at the end of May. (That's just over two months!) And going from winter, where there are only a handful of sports to cover, to spring, where there are almost too many, is jarring. But I also like to take out time to look at our area alumni. 

This year especially, tons of our alums are excelling at the college level. I guess that explains the success that the area's high schools have historically had in the spring. But seriously: below is a collection of athletes who you should keep an eye on this spring. I could have added a dozen more, easily, but for some reason I don't get 3,000 words in this column. Regardless, the group below is absolutely deserving of your attention. They're going to be names to know — not just in our area, but on a national level, at least within their respective sports. 

Former Cardinal Mooney High star M.J. McMahon is taking off in his sophomore season on the upstart Utah men's lacrosse team. McMahon did fine in 2021, scoring 13 points (11 goals, two assists) in 11 games, but he already has nine points (five goals, four assists) in four games this year, good for third on the team. Three of those games have been wins and the loss came in a 14-13 game against No. 12 Denver. The Utes themselves are ranked No. 18 in the country, the first top-20 ranking in program history. As the Utes continue to ascend the ranks, McMahon will be a large part of the team's success. 

At Florida State, two Sarasota High alums — Conner Whittaker and David Barrett, have taken the mound for the Seminoles' baseball team. Whittaker, a freshman, has thrown 6 1/3 innings over four appearances through the team's first 11 games. A stumble in his most recent outing against California, when he gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings, puts a damper on his overall numbers, but Whittaker has only allowed one run on two hits in his other 4 2/3 innings. He also has yet to walk a batter in 2022. That's a good sign for a pitcher with a bright future in Tallahassee. 

Barrett, too, has seen work. His appearances have been more specialized, having thrown 1 2/3 innings over three appearances, but Barrett — a sophomore who transferred to Florida State after a year at the State College of Florida — has been effective. He's allowed zero runs, one hit and zero walks. That type of production is how trust is built. If it continues, expect to see Barrett get the ball more often as we approach the heart of the season. 

Staying in Tallahassee, we can rotate from the baseball diamond to the softball diamond. Former Riverview star Devyn Flaherty led the Seminoles to a Women's College World Series appearance in 2021, though the team came up just short in the finals against Oklahoma. Florida State seems determined to make up for that loss this year, going 19-1 in its first 20 games, and Flaherty is once again at the forefront of the charge. The shortstop has started all 20 games and is hitting .453, the highest average of the team's six lineup mainstays. Flaherty has hit five doubles, a home run and 12 RBI while scoring 21 runs and stealing nine bases. The Seminoles are ranked No. 4 in the nation by D1Softball as of March 8. 

A few hours south, former Sarasota softball player Alexis Johns is also finding success. The South Florida junior outfielder leads Bulls regulars with a .429 batting average and a .982 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), which basically means she's been the Bulls best hitter by every meaningful metric. Johns has a double, a triple and seven RBI in 19 games played. She also leads the team, by a vast margin, with 18 steals and has yet to make an error. Her play is a large reason why the Bulls are 17-3 and ranked No. 22 by D1Softball. 

Circling back to the baseball diamond — but taking a sharp southeastern turn — we can find Riverview alum Karson Ligon sparkling for the Miami Hurricanes. Ligon, a pitcher, has made three appearances for the Hurricanes including two starts. Of the six Miami pitchers who have earned starts this season, Ligon has the second-lowest ERA at 1.80, only bested by sophomore Carson Palmquist's 1.17 ERA. But Ligon has a lower WHIP than Palmquist (0.67 vs. 0.93), so you could argue that he's actually been the team's best starting pitcher in the early going. Ligon has struck out 18 hitters and walked just two. His most recent start came against Florida (ranked No. 11 by D1Baseball) on March 5; the Hurricanes lost 8-1 but Ligon went seven innings and allowed just one earned run. I don't know what happened to Miami once he left the game, but it must not have been good. Ligon, however, is quite good, and should continue proving that throughout the year. 

At Harvard, former Sailor Ben Hartvigsen is busy getting on the Crimson's all-time lists. He's a cross-country star, yes, but he also runs track and field. Hartvigsen competed in the Valentine Invitational at Boston University on Feb. 12 and ran the 5,000-meter race in 14.14.85. That time was good for seventh in Harvard history. Hartvigsen, a sophomore, still has plenty of time to climb those record books, too. 

By the way, he's not a spring athlete, but you'll have a chance to watch Riverview alum A.J. Caldwell on national television soon. He and his Tennessee-Chattanooga men's basketball teammates will be playing in the NCAA Tournament this month thanks to a wild buzzer beater from senior David Jean-Baptiste to beat Furman 64-63 in overtime of the Southern Conference Tournament championship game on Monday night. The game-winning shot came one possession after a clutch shot from Caldwell, a junior, that tied the game at 61. He finished with six points, two rebounds and two assists. The Mocs will find out who they play in the first round on Sunday. 

March Madness, indeed.