The newest 'Nole: Lakewood Ranch outfielder commits to Florida State

The biggest choice of Colin Apgar’s life wasn’t much of a choice at all.

The outfielder/pitcher moved to Lakewood Ranch from the Sparta Township of Sussex County, N.J., when he was 10. He joined the Myakka City-based Sarasota Sting travel team, and his team’s head coach, Bubba Browning, was a Florida State University fan.

His Seminoles' shine injected itself into Apgar’s mind, and it stuck.

“In Florida, you’re either a (University of Florida) Gators fan, a Seminoles fan or a (University of Miami) Hurricanes fan,” Apgar said. “I fell in love with FSU.”

Throughout his baseball career, Apgar, now 17, attended camps at FSU and followed the team’s progress. As his own profile rose, Apgar drew interest from Division 1 schools across the country, including from Florida and the universities of Georgia and Mississippi.

Perfect Game ranks Apgar, who will be a junior next semester, as the 261st-best player in America for his class, and the 50th-best outfielder. Through it all, Apgar had been waiting on one particular offer.

When it finally came, Apgar wasted no time in committing, on July 2. He is FSU bound, despite current Seminoles coach Mike Martin announcing his retirement after the 2019 season on June 18.

“It just felt right,” Apgar said. “I never wanted to go anywhere else.”

He’s both an outfield and pitching prospect, though he believes he has to get his velocity up if he wants to actually pitch in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It sits in the upper 80s right now, and Apgar wants to get it into the low 90s, at least. He throws in that range from the outfield, so he knows he can do it, he said.

Signs pointing toward Apgar’s stardom were always there. Like the Cooperstown tournament he played with the Sting when he was 12, in which he hit a three-run homer in the final inning to send his team to the semifinals. Or when his dad, Brian Apgar, would pitch so hard to him as a 7-year-old, it ruined his timing against kids his age, putting him in front of the ball. One game, Brian sarcastically told his son, a natural right-handed hitter, to try hitting lefty as a timing exercise. Colin did, and smoked a ball up the middle.

Over the years, the duo realized it would be beneficial for Colin to become a switch hitter. It’s worked so well that he is now a better hitter from the left side of the plate, he said, and it’s one of his biggest selling points.

Apgar used to play football, too, and the sports would fight for his training time. In the late summer and fall, baseball would lay dormant. Apgar quit football last fall, deciding his future was in baseball. This is his first summer with a total focus on baseball, and schools know if Apgar got this good while splitting time, he can get even better.

“He’s more dedicated now,” Brian Apgar said. “There are a lot of great moments ahead for him.”

When Apgar takes the field next high school season, he will be doing so in a new uniform. Following a family move, he is transferring from Braden River to Lakewood Ranch, where he will team with fellow FSU commit Grant McCray, who will be a senior, to form a formidable outfield duo. He’s excited for the opportunity, he said, and he already knows most of the kids on the Mustangs, which should make the transition easy.

According to MaxPreps, Apgar hit .242 with Braden River last season, but led the team with a .451 on-base percentage and was solid on the mound, recording a 2.37 ERA and a 2-1 record in 11 appearances.

To the delight of area FSU fans, those numbers should only improve with Apgar’s renewed focus.