June 29, 2026
Lake Minneola Senior Dylan Montrowl Commits to University of North Florida
By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola Senior Dylan Montrowl Commits to University of North Florida
Dylan Montrowl, a senior at Lake Minneola High School who helped lead the Hawks to a district championship and the FHSAA Regional Finals during a strong 2026 season, has committed to play baseball at the University of North Florida.
The two-way prospect will continue his career with the Ospreys, where UNF plans to develop him on both the mound and at the plate. Dylan pitched 38 innings with 53 strikeouts this past season while batting .277 with 13 hits and 17 RBIs.
“Thank you Joe Mercadante, Coach Parker Bangs, Brad Wilkerson and the entire UNF staff for this opportunity. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of my parents, coaches and teammates. Thank you,” says Dylan.
The Montrowl family is no stranger to athletic prowess. Dylan’s older brother, Brady Montrowl, is a freshman playing at UCF. The siblings shared the field together during Dylan’s sophomore season when Brady was a senior at Lake Minneola. One of Dylan’s favorite memories came when the brothers hit home runs in the same inning during a game in which Brady joined his younger brother’s team.
Dylan first picked up a bat at age 6, introduced to the game by his father, Steve Montrowl, and brother Brady. He credits his parents, Steve and Ashlea Montrowl, as his biggest role models.
“My parents Steve and Ashlea Montrowl are my biggest role models,” Dylan says. “They taught me the values and qualities needed to succeed. My dad coached me throughout my childhood and taught me the skills. My brother Brady is another big role model. Learning the game with him and being able to play together will always be one of my favorite memories. My mom is my biggest cheerleader!”
Baseball has shaped Montrowl beyond the diamond.
“Baseball has taught me skills such as hard work and perseverance, which I will use throughout the rest of my career and life,” he says.
Dylan also offers his advice to future young players of the game. “Don’t compare yourself to others. Use their success as motivation to work harder.”
Dylan knows a thing or two about hard work including what it takes off the field. He carries a 4.0 unweighted and 5.0 weighted GPA. He plans to study electrical engineering at UNF while of course continuing his baseball career.
Dylan described playing for Lake Minneola as “one of the best baseball schools in the area” and a privilege to compete alongside talented teammates.
Off the field, Montrowl gives back through volunteer work with The Miracle League, New Beginnings and Building Blocks Ministries.
“It’s always rewarding to give back to the community, there’s nothing like it,” he says.
When not playing baseball, Montrowl enjoys spending time at the beach, golfing, playing pickleball or hanging out with friends.
Congratulations to Dylan and the entire Montrowl family.
Photos provided by University of North Florida and Steve Montrowl
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
