The book is officially closed on the 2018 seasons for both the Bethune-Cookman baseball and softball teams.
The Lady Wildcats won their first MEAC title in six years two weeks ago, but went 0-2 in last weekend's Gainesville Regional, losing to No. 2 Florida and then to USF. Meanwhile, the B-CU baseball team nearly won its third straight conference tournament on Sunday — a feat that hadn't been done since 2003 — but fell to North Carolina A&T, 12-9. The Wildcats won four straight elimination games after losing the conference opener on Thursday, and led 5-0 midway through Sunday's game before succumbing to the powerhouse Aggies.
Here are three final takeaways before leaving the diamond for good in 2018, including who's coming back, who's leaving, and who will be in charge next season?
Returning firepower
Both teams return plenty of key pieces in 2019, and both should be positioned for another tournament run.
The B-CU baseball team will bring back ace Anthony Maldonado, who was named the MEAC's Pitcher of the Year last week, along with infielder Nate Sterijevski, catchers Giovany Lorenzo and Chad DeBonis, and outfielders Zach Spivey and Josten Heron.
Sterijevski hit a team-leading .325 this season with 63 hits, while Spivey hit .283 in his first year with the team. Heron, meanwhile, played in just five games and missed most of the spring with an injury.
The Lady 'Cats also return some key pieces next season, including Player of the Year Ryan Jackson, who belted 17 home runs this year. Outfielder Jacki Smith and her .340 average are also set to return, as is infielder Brianna Sanders and freshman pitcher Alexis Bermudez.
Bermudez was named the MEAC's Rookie of the Year two weeks ago and went 13-11 with a 3.32 ERA in 2018.
A final farewell
Of course, neither team is set up perfectly for 2019. The B-CU men, in particular, will have some major holes to fill.
Junior Danny Rodriguez will surely get looks in next month's MLB Draft, while starter Tyler Norris and closer Ivan Coutinho are both set to graduate. The Wildcats will also lose leadoff man Adonis Lao, captain Jameel Edney, DH Michael Deeb and infielder Jordan Stacy. If Rodriguez does get drafted and chooses to leave, the Wildcats will lose a longtime staple of the lineup, and solid first baseman. The junior led the 'Cats with eight home runs and 35 RBIs this spring.
If Rodriguez leaves, the 'Cats will lose their No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters heading into 2019.
On the softball side, the Lady 'Cats have four seniors they'll have to replace in Iesha Waters, Mariah Davis, Kailey Richard and Bryanna Campos.
Waters provided plenty of fireworks this season, including a dramatic 3-run home run in the sixth inning of the MEAC title game. The senior was a fixture in the middle of the B-CU order, hitting .341 with 46 RBIs. Davis and Richard were also key components in the B-CU lineup, with Davis hitting .302 and Richard right behind at .296.
Manning the ship
The big story last offseason was the departure of head coach Jason Beverlin, who stepped down after six seasons to take a scouting job with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Wildcats promoted assistant coach Barrett Shaft to fill the void in 2018, but Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lynn Thompson has said that the position would be re-opened nationally following the season.
With the season now over, the question becomes, what's next? Shaft and the Wildcats went an underwhelming 24-34 this season, but did finish strong, winning five of six games down the stretch to nearly repeat as conference champions. Will Shaft have the interim tag removed this summer, or will their be a new man in charge in 2019?