Fort Meade's Carson Montsdeoca hits 300 strikeout mark ahead of regional baseball playoffs
Fort Meade’s Carson Montsdeoca was wheeling and dealing in a game against Lake Placid on April 30.
He already knew before the game started that he was at a career 294 strikeouts, but Lake Placid, a team that had already beaten Fort Meade on April 15, had a squad that was geared up to hit Montsdeoca’s fastball.
But it didn’t matter.
Montsdeoca was focused on winning their Class 3A, District 7 semifinal game. En route to an 1-0 victory, he got to six strikeouts and 300 for his career. The sequence to 300 was the following: A fastball that painted the outside corner, an inside fastball that induced a swing and miss, and a slider on which the batter swung and missed.
“It feels amazing to be able to accomplish something this big because it shows all the hard work I’ve put in over the years to get my command to be able to throw lots of strikes,” Montsdeoca said.
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A lot has gone into the 6-foot-3 pitcher hitting the milestone. He started pitching when he was 8.
When first trying out the sport, he struggled throwing strikes. But the summer before his freshman year at Hardee, he was dialed in.
By the time his freshman year rolled around, he was locked in. He ended up throwing 43 strikeouts that season. While the Hardee native also was a quarterback in the fall ― Montsdeoca was The Ledger’s 2023 Small School Player of the Year — in the spring, he focused on baseball and ended his sophomore season with 74 strikeouts.
That year, he was recruited by the University of Florida. And that decision to be a Gator was made well before he eventually struck out 88 as a junior at Fort Meade and 104 as a senior Miner.
Montsdeoca was on the mound for a final time Wednesday night in the Class 3A regional quarterfinals. He allowed only two walks and two hits with 11 strikeouts over six innings, but took four unearned runs in a 6-2 loss at Berkeley Prep.
He finished the year with 115 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings and a 1.85 ERA. He also hit .352 with four home runs, 19 RBI and a .427 on-base percentage.
For Montsdeoca, self-motivation was behind it all.
“I really didn’t have anyone that inspired me to start pitching,” he said. “It was just fun to me and I wanted the ball as much as I could get. Pitching allowed me to make a name for myself. I strive to go out and be the best pitcher I can be, all while winning games. ...
“I am just more experienced. I have more knowledge of the game. Knowing my pitches and being a year older has helped me. The conversations look different this year, and I understand more of what the coaches are wanting from me, whether it is at the plate or on the mound.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida baseball commit Carson Montsdeoca hits 300 strikeouts at Fort Meade
