January 29, 2025
Umatilla High’s Wyatt Strawbridge & Tate Bagwell Sign with Lake-Sumter State College Baseball
By Kyle Coppola
Umatilla High’s Wyatt Strawbridge & Tate Bagwell Sign with Lake-Sumter State College Baseball
UMATILLA, Fla. — Umatilla High School senior standout Wyatt Strawbridge and Tate Bagwell are taking their talents to the next level. Wyatt Strawbridge is a senior pitcher and utility player has officially signed to play college baseball at Lake-Sumter State College after a stellar 2024 season that helped propel the Bulldogs to their first district championship in over two decades.
(Wyatt Strawbridge is a great two way player. He can pitch and hit the ball. Strawbridge is coming into his senior season at Umatilla High. Photo Credit – UHS.)
Strawbridge was dominant on the mound for Umatilla during his junior season, pitching 40 innings while recording 39 strikeouts and surrendering just eight earned runs. His impressive 1.40 ERA was a key factor in the Bulldogs’ success, making him one of the most reliable arms in the rotation.
In addition to his contributions as a pitcher, Strawbridge made a significant impact at the plate. He posted a .266 batting average with 21 hits, 16 RBIs, and 19 runs scored. His speed on the basepaths also stood out, as he stole 16 bases—second only to teammate Trey Craft, who is now playing at Florida A&M.
(Wyatt Strawbridge and Tate Bagwell stand with Umatilla High School head coach Tanner Clark who was beaming with pride. Photo Credit – UHS.)
Strawbridge’s well-rounded game and leadership were instrumental in Umatilla’s historic season last year, and he now looks to continue his success at Lake-Sumter, a program known for developing local talent. We are also looking forward to his senior season coming up at Umatilla High as the Bulldogs look for yet another district championship in 2025.
“I’m excited for this next chapter,” Strawbridge said. “Lake-Sumter is the perfect place for me to keep growing as a player, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Wyatt Strawbridge joins fellow senior Tate Bagwell on the Lake-Sumter State College roster. Bagwell had a monstrous year in 2024 for Umatilla High School. He had a team leading .438 batting average along with 35 hits which also led the team. Bagwell contributed 16 RBIs, 23 runs scored and had an on base percentage of .516. Both students are going to have massive impacts at Lake-Sumter State College. Like Strawbridge, Bagwell will also be returning for his senior year looking to lead the Bulldogs to yet another championship run.
(The Umatilla High School baseball team stood behind Wyatt Strawbridge and Tate Bagwell. This team is destined for great things in 2025. This was a huge moment for both players. Photo Credit – Umatilla High.)
Congratulations to the Strawbridge and Bagwell families. Thank you to everyone who have impacted these young men to get them to this point.
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.
