Reel In Florida Fun On License-Free Fishing Weekends In June
June 2, 2023
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites Florida residents and visitors to go fishing during two license-free weekends: June 3-4 for saltwater and June 10-11 for freshwater.
License-free fishing weekends offer a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and experience the many fishing opportunities the Fishing Capital of the World has to offer. The FWC encourages everyone to take advantage of these weekends to spend time enjoying the beautiful Florida waters.
“Fishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and experience Florida’s abundant fishing opportunities,” said Roger Young, FWC’s executive director. “License-free fishing weekends allow Floridians and visitors to get outdoors, connect with nature and create lasting memories with family and friends.”
During the license-free weekends, all bag limits, size limits and fishing regulations still apply. Anglers must also follow all other fishing rules, such as gear restrictions, seasons and closures. To help ensure a fun and safe fishing experience, the FWC encourages all anglers to review the regulations before heading out on the water.
Blue Wahoos Rally Late For Win Over Shuckers
June 2, 2023
For the second night in a row, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame a late deficit to beat the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday. Trailing three different times, the Blue Wahoos scored eight runs in the final four innings on their way to a thrilling 8-6 win.
After tying the game twice on home runs from Dane Myers and Norel González in the sixth and seventh innings, the Blue Wahoos took the lead for good with a three-run eighth. Will Banfield delivered the eventual game-winning hit, a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the inning.
Pensacola starter Evan Fitterer labored through 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits and a walk, but only allowed three runs. Tristen Lutz and Ethan Murray went deep in the second inning to give the Shuckers an early 3-0 lead.
The Blue Wahoos managed just a single over their first five innings against Biloxi starter Christian Mejias, but broke through in the sixth when Myers launched a game-tying three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field.
Biloxi quickly responded to claim the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, as Carlos Rodriguez scored on an Isaac Collins double play grounder. Norel González tied the game back up in the seventh at 4-4 with a solo homer, his second in as many nights, but once again Biloxi pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh on a Lutz RBI single against Cristian Charle (W, 2-1) to claim a 5-4 edge.
The Blue Wahoos got a pair of baserunners in the eighth as Zach Vennaro (L, 1-2) issued walks to Nasim Nuñez and Victor Mesa Jr. José Devers tied the game with a two-out RBI double, and Banfield delivered the big blow with his two-run single.
Troy Johnston added some insurance with an RBI single in the ninth, and Zack Leban (S, 1) struck out the side in order in the ninth to lock down the save.
The Blue Wahoos increased their lead in the South Division to 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 21 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Friday.
written by Erik Bremer
Rosters Announced For All-Star Softball, Baseball Games. See Who Made The Teams.
June 1, 2023
The Pensacola Sports High School All-Star Series baseball and softball team rosters have been announced.
West teams are comprised of just-graduated seniors from Escambia County. West teams are players from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Softball begins at 6 p.m. and baseball at 6:30 p.m. on June 8 at Pensacola State College. For each game, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students from GoFan.
West Baseball
Head Coach: Justin O’Quinn, Washington High
Zachary Beaver — Pine Forest — SS/P
Allen Beasley — Pine Forest — 1B
Tate Sanders — Escambia — 1B/3B
Tait Anderson — Escambia — C/OF
Jacob Smith — Escambia — RHP
Chandler Gither — Escambia — RHP/C
Blake Clonts — Escambia — 2B/3B/OF
Drew Reaves — Tate — SS/RHP
Frankie Randall — Tate — 2B
Rilee Lowery — Tate — RHP
Ethan McAnally — Tate — 1B/RHP
Jay Davis — Tate — OF/RHP
Tyler Pinney — West Florida — 1B/P
Gavin King — West Florida — 3B/2B
Jay Henderson — West Florida — CF
Anthony Longo — Washington — C
Avanti Anderson, Jr. — Washington — 3B/2B
Mike Smith Jr. — Catholic — CF/OF
Will Barter — Catholic — C
Zack DeJesus — Catholic — LF/OF
Will Krehely — Catholic — P/OF
Jonah Cook — Catholic — P/1B
Rustin Pope — Northview — C
Kaden Odom — Northview — SS
Jamarkus Jefferson — Northview — 3B/1B
East Baseball
Head Coach: George Sands, Rocky Bayou High
Brock Marello — Niceville — SS/OF
Kai Bailey — Niceville — 1B
Jackson McKenzie — Pace — 1B
Alex McCranie — Pace — SS/2B/P
Ty Humphreys — Pace — RF/1B
Matthew Musgrove — Pace — C
Josh Senterfitt — Laurel Hill — 1B
Javin Shoemaker — Crestview — C/SS
Bryson Martin — Crestview — OF/RHP
Robby Kopp — Crestview — OF
Aiden Justice — Crestview — CF
Eli Lowry — Jay — P/OF
Kade Gilbreath — Jay — 2B/SS
Brayden Dykes — Milton — RHP
Deyton Powell — Milton — OF
Hudson Bartolomei — Rocky Bayou — OF/P
Ben Cline — Rocky Bayou — CF/OF
Donovan Monsees — Choctaw — RHP/1B
Ashton Wasielewski — Choctaw — C/RHP
Alex Kruse — Fort Walton Beach — P/CF/1B
Josh Noll — Fort Walton Beach — P
Troy Coughlin — Gulf Breeze — 1B/2B
Seth Frantz — Gulf Breeze — RF/CF
Jacob Pinardo — Gulf Breeze — C/2B
Quinton Renfroe — Gulf Breeze — 1B/P
West Softball
Head Coach: Holly Brown, Catholic High
Alissa White — Pine Forest — OF/INF
Patrice Rudolph — Pine Forest — SS/3B
Rheanna Bourgeois — Escambia — SS
Abbie McNair — Escambia — 2B/OF
Trinity Brown — Escambia — OF
Belle Clark — Escambia — OF/1B
Leah Smith — Escambia — OF
Aubrey Stuckey — Northview — P/1B
Emma Gilmore — Northview — P
Mariah Golson — West Florida — OF
Karah Barajas — West Florida — Utility
Amissa McDaniel — West Florida — 3B
Charli Vinson — Tate — 1B/3B
Mackenzie Cook — Tate — 3B/2B
Caitlyn Cameron — Washington — P/1B
Kelly Cameron — Washington — 1B/P
Rachael Ludwig — Catholic — P/1B
Victoria Bruder — Catholic — 3B/1B
Kimsey Lawrence — Pensacola — 2B/SS
East Softball
Head Coach: Chelsea McGehee, Gulf Breeze High
Morgan Kronlage — Gulf Breeze — 1B/OF
Kaylee King — Gulf Breeze — SS/3B
Erika Earl — Gulf Breeze — CF/OF
Kamille Lucas — Milton — OF/P
Audrey Luedtke — Milton — C/1B
Ashley Leach — Laurel Hill — SS
Riley Forbes — Pace — OF/CF/LF
Bethany Dean — Pace — 2B/OF
Mary Owens — Niceville — 3B/C
Grace Langston — Niceville — CF/SS
Halaigh Sallee — Niceville — 3B/P
Alaynah Smith — Baker — P/RF
Jolee Sloan — Baker — SS
Caitlyn Gavin — Jay — 2B/SS
Kassidy Nevels — Jay — RF/OF
Jenna Toups — Jay — P/1B
Cailyn Cooke — Navarre — C/OF
Harmony Stafford — Navarre — SS/OF
Jessi Farrer — Navarre — OF/P
Alyanni Enriquez — FWB — SS/2B/OF
Tess Tolliver — FWB — 1B/3B
Alex Carrol — Crestview — C
Riley Bowles — Crestview — CF
Late Homers Lift Blue Wahoos To 4-3 Win Over Shuckers
June 1, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got back in the win column on Wednesday night, beating the Biloxi Shuckers 4-3 thanks to some late heroics.
Trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Will Banfield led off the inning with a game-tying homer against Robbie Baker (L, 2-1) and Norel González followed with a go-ahead blast to put Pensacola ahead for good.
The home runs made a winner out of Luis Palacios (W, 3-1), who set new personal Double-A highs with 7.0 innings and eight strikeouts. The lefty allowed three runs, two earned, to tie Pensacola’s longest start of the season.
Biloxi took a 1-0 lead in the second as Lamar Sparks doubled and scored on a Nasim Nuñez fielding error. Pensacola answered back in the top of the third, as Dane Myers walked, stole second base, and scored on a Victor Mesa Jr. double. Mesa’s liner deflected off the head of Shuckers starter Tobias Myers, who finished the inning but made an early departure from the game.
Troy Johnston led off the fifth with a solo homer, his team-leading ninth of the year, but the Shuckers responded in the bottom of the fifth on an Isaac Collins RBI single.
Felix Valerio gave the Shuckers a brief 3-2 lead with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, but Palacios wriggled out of any further trouble by stranding two runners in scoring position with a strikeout of Biloxi outfielder Jackson Chourio.
After Pensacola’s two homers in the eighth, Sean Reynolds (S, 
got the final six outs to earn his league-leading eighth save.
The Blue Wahoos increased their lead in the South Division to 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi with 22 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers in Biloxi.
written by Erik Bremer, photo/Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Fall 3-2 To Shuckers
May 31, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their series opener against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night by a score of 3-2.
Biloxi was held scoreless and hitless from the third inning on, but their early run support for Justin Jarvis (W, 5-2) held up. For the second straight game, the Blue Wahoos left the tying run at third base in the top of the ninth.
Jonathan Bermudez (L, 0-2) allowed an unearned run in the first, as Jackson Chourio reached on an error and scored on a Wes Clarke double. Tyler Black capped a two-out rally in the second inning with a two-run triple to put the Shuckers ahead 3-0.
The Blue Wahoos finally broke through in the fifth when Troy Johnston laced his third hit, an RBI single, to right field. José Devers led off the sixth by reaching on an error, and scored on a Griffin Conine RBI single to bring the score to 3-2.
A trio of Pensacola relievers worked 4.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Brady Puckett and Zach Willeman were followed by rehabbing Marlins closer A.J. Puk, who struck out all three batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth.
Conine led off the ninth with a walk against Abner Uribe (S, 3), but pinch runner J.D. Orr was left at third base as the Blue Wahoos dropped their third in a row.
The Blue Wahoos’ lead in the South Division decreased to 4.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 23 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series at the Shuckers on Wednesday.
by Erik Bremer
Thrilling Comeback Falls Short As Blue Wahoos Drop Braves Finale
May 29, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came agonizingly close to completing a dramatic comeback on Sunday night, but fell 6-5 to the Mississippi Braves in their series finale.
Trailing 6-3 going into the ninth, the Blue Wahoos rallied back as Nasim Nuñez narrowly missed a game-tying three-run homer, instead settling for an RBI single off the right field wall. Nuñez was stranded as the tying run at third as Victor Mesa Jr. lined out to right field to end the game.
In an uncharacteristically shaky outing, Patrick Monteverde (L, 5-1) allowed six runs over 3.0 innings to take his first loss of the season.
The Blue Wahoos took two early leads against Luis De Avila (W, 2-4), as Cody Morissette and José Devers hit RBI singles in the second and third innings, but the Braves answered back against Monteverde each time. Mississippi took the lead for good with a four-run third, capped by an RBI single from Beau Philip.
In a rarity, each team finessed a steal of home on a double steal attempt. Pensacola brought home Mesa from third on a Devers steal in the third inning, marking their second steal of home in a week but just their sixth in team history. The Braves returned the favor in the bottom of the third as Justin Dean came home on a Luke Waddell steal.
With two on and two out in the ninth in a one-run game, the Braves called upon Trey Riley (S, 1) to go after Mesa. The Pensacola center fielder blistered a liner to right-center, where it was caught by Jesse Franklin V to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 24 games to play in the first half.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos continue their road trip on Tuesday as they travel to Biloxi to take on the Shuckers.
written by Erik Bremer, photo/Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Battered By Braves In 10-1 Loss
May 28, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season on Saturday night, falling 10-1 to the Mississippi Braves.
After a pregame rain delay, the Blue Wahoos managed just one run on three hits as the Braves rode a six-run fourth to a blowout victory.
Troy Johnston led off the fourth inning with a double against Scott Blewett (W, 2-2), and scored on a José Devers sacrifice fly to give Pensacola a brief 1-0 lead.
M.D. Johnson (L, 0-2) cruised through 3.0 hitless innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth. The righty loaded the bases with a hit batsman and a pair of walks, and Drew Lugbauer made the Blue Wahoos pay with a three-run double. Three batters later, Landon Stephens capped the big inning with a three-run homer.
Tyler Tolve added an RBI single in the fifth, and Beau Philip hit a homer of his own in the sixth. The Braves ended their night with two more runs in the eighth against Noah Gotsis in his first Blue Wahoos relief appearance.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi in the South Division with 25 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Braves on Sunday.
by Erik Bremer
Myers Homers In Wahoos 4-0 Win Over Braves
May 27, 2023
Dane Myers hit an inside-the-park home run to start off a fun Friday night for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, who defeated the Mississippi Braves 4-0 for their second win in a row.
Myers circled the bases in the first after his sinking liner got past diving Braves center fielder Jacob Pearson. It was just the fifth inside-the-parker in team history, and the first since Ivan De Jesus Jr. in 2019.
Evan Fitterer (W, 4-1) worked the first 5.2 innings of a four-hit shutout for the Blue Wahoos. The righty worked out of trouble in every inning, and got help from relievers Austin Roberts and Josan Méndez to complete the scoreless game.
Alan Rangel (L, 1-4) took the tough-luck loss for Mississippi, allowing only the Myers homer in 5.0 innings of work. The Blue Wahoos added some insurance with a three-run eighth, as Cody Morissette and Griffin Conine punched RBI singles past a drawn-in infield.
Norel González was 3-for-4 with a double, and José Devers finished 2-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and impressive double play on the defensive side with a diving stop at third base.
The Blue Wahoos gained a game in the standings, and are now 6.0 games clear of second place Montgomery and Biloxi in the South Division with 26 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Saturday in Mississippi.
by Erik Bremer
Palacios Leads Pensacola To 6-2 Win Over Braves
May 26, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got back in the win column on Thursday night, defeating the Mississippi Braves by a score of 6-2.
Luis Palacios (W, 2-1) took charge in a strong pitching performance, allowing two runs over 6.0 innings to earn the win.
The Blue Wahoos scored three runs on four singles in the first against Domingo Robles (L, 3-3), with RBI singles from Victor Mesa Jr. and Will Banfield followed by a double steal and a throwing error on catcher Tyler Tolve.
Banfield added another RBI single in the third as part of a three-hit night to extend the Pensacola lead to 4-0. Drew Lugbauer hit a two-run homer in the fourth, his third homer in as many nights, to account for Mississippi’s only offense of the night.
Ynmanol Mariñez drove in a pair with a two-run double in the eighth for his first Double-A hit, and Sean Reynolds locked down the win with a pair of hitless innings of relief.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games clear of second place Montgomery in the South Division with 27 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Friday at Trustmark Park.
written by Erik Bremer
Blue Wahoos Walked Off By Mississippi Braves
May 25, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos suffered a frustrating defeat on Wednesday night, falling 2-1 to the Mississippi Braves in 10 innings after taking a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the ninth.
Drew Lugbauer tied the game for Mississippi in the ninth with a solo homer, and Tyler Tolve ended the game in the tenth with a two-out RBI single to bring home the winning run.
Pensacola managed only four hits in the game, with a Nasim Nuñez sacrifice fly in the third sending in their lone run of the night.
Jonathan Bermudez was outstanding in his second Blue Wahoos start, fanning eight batters over 6.0 scoreless innings. Cristian Charle worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief before Brady Puckett (L, 0-1) allowed the game-tying homer to Lugbauer in the ninth and the walk-off single to Tolve in the tenth.
Lugbauer’s homer was his second in as many games for Mississippi, and the 13th in his career against the Blue Wahoos to lead all active Southern League opponents.
José Montilla worked the first four innings for the Braves in a spot start, and Hayden Deal, Jake McSteen and Kyle Wilcox (W, 1-0) each contributed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to keep Pensacola from adding to their lead.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games clear of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 28 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Thursday.
written by Erik Bremer, Blue Wahoos; photo Chris Harris Mississippi Braves