Every year, the University of Tampa baseball team is amongst the best in the very competitive Sunshine State Conference and in Division II in general. Last season, the Spartans won the SSC with an 18-6 record and went 38-10 overall. However, the Spartans lost several key contributors from last year due to getting drafted or graduating. This offseason, Coach Joe Urso had to pay a lot of attention to pitchers, but he was able to bring in a big bat as well. Transfer Mike Danner, from Polk State College is a key addition to the Spartan baseball team. Danner, who primarily played left field the last two seasons, is durable enough to play other outfield positions and third base.
“Mike is an extremely well rounded ball player,” said Polk State baseball coach Al Corbeil. “He played every day for us for two years and he did a great job out there. He’s a good outfielder who gets good jumps, runs the bases well and obviously he’s a very good hitter. He led our team with 10 homeruns and about 70 RBI this year.” Tampa only has two current outfielders that have played even one game for the team. “The guy is a special talent and we’re extremely pleased to have him,” said University of Tampa head coach Joe Urso. “He’s projected to bat somewhere in the front half of our order. He was the best bat we brought in this year.”
With two years of college ball already under his belt, Danner is expected to come in and do some damage immediately. “Offensively he can beat you different ways,” said Corbeil. “He’ll get a single and steal a base or he’ll get extra base hits. Defensively, he gets great jumps and knows what to do when the ball is hit to him. I think he’s got a chance to get into professional baseball.”
Coach Urso is excited to add Danner for his academic prowess as well as his athletic ability. “He is a University of Tampa kind of guy,” said Urso. “We liked that he excels in the classroom. He’s a hard worker on and off the field. The ball just explodes off his bat. Yes he hit 10 home runs last year, but he is a line-drive hitter. We’re looking to put him in left field for now, but we like his versatility and ability to play other positions like third base.”
Despite being such a talent, Danner chose the University of Tampa over several Division I options. Danner is from the Tampa Bay area and has had UT and Coach Urso on his radar since high school.
“Mike had a number of schools that he was interested in and quite a few offers, but from the beginning, Mike’s number one choice was the University of Tampa,” Corbeil said. “You guys reciprocated that interest. He had Division I offers, but he wanted to go to Tampa.”
In the two years Danner played at Polk State, he formed a terrific relationship with his Coach, Al Corbeil. “[Corbeil] was great; he works with everyone day in and day out and never took a break,” said Danner. “Ever since going to Polk, I’ve grown tremendously. I play the game so much better now than I did in high school.”
Coach Urso acknowledges that this year’s team will be very different from last year’s. “We’re losing our number one and number two pitchers as well as our closer, so we have some big spots to fill, but here at Tampa we don’t rebuild, we reload,” Urso said.
Danner wants nothing more than to win. “I wanna go in there and win the conference and win a lot of games,” Danner said. “I think Coach Urso works with the players a lot and it seems like a great fit for me to be going into this program.” The UT baseball team will have the entire fall semester to practice and get ready for the season beginning in the spring.
John Hilsenroth can be reached at john.hilsenroth@theminaretonline.com