Pensacola State athletics: 16 PSC athletes take talents to next level after signing their LOI

Friday morning's college signings at Pensacola State College were a bit of a flashback for Jack Sokol.

Prior to his time in the Panhandle, the 6-foot-4 baseball player from New Albany, Ohio spent his freshman season pitching for Auburn University. However, after a year suiting up for a high-profile SEC program in 2021, Sokol opted to leave the Tigers due lack of playing time.

Enter into the equation PSC. Following a season with the Pirates as part of his comeback trail, Sokol will return to play Division I ball after signing with the University of Pittsburgh of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"It feels good. I've been through this, but Pensacola has helped me out a ton and helped me get back to that Division I level and the NCAA," he said. "I'm grateful for Pensacola State."

The right-handed pitcher was one of 16 Pirate athletes to sign their letter of intent to take their talents to colleges and universities ranging from the NAIA schools to NCAA Division I programs as part of a signing ceremony from the Lou Ross Center on the PSC Pensacola campus.

Five of the 16 players that signed are headed to play Division I in their respective sports. Seven others are bound for the Division II-level, which includes Darrien McDowell and Jake Cohen. That duo is set to join the University of West Florida baseball team.

While McDowell and Cohen opted to stay in Pensacola, Sokol has several reasons why he's shipping back up north.

"I have some family connections, my dad went there. I took a tour one time and I loved it," he said. "I'm really familiar with the city just because of family and growing up near there. Also, there's good connections past baseball and through the school, I feel like that's something that I need when baseball is done. I just felt like it was a really good opportunity for me."

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Under head coach Bryan Lewallyn, Sokol had a 3-5 record with a 4.13 ERA in 13 appearances for PSC. He racked up 68 strikeouts to only 11 walks.

"Freshman year I didn't get to play so much. Lew gave me a really good opportunity and I took a hold of that opportunity," Sokol said. "I'm forever grateful for that."

Two other players taking the D1-route are Tai'Sheka Porchia and Kristin Williams of the Lady Pirates basketball team.

Porchia will play for Troy University while Williams is headed to the University of Massachusetts.

"I feel like we worked hard for this," Williams said. "Your biggest goal is to go Division I, play for a national championship and try and win. For me, that's one of the goals that I have, along with playing overseas and in the WNBA. This was the start of my career being here, and now getting to play Division I with a great team that has a chance to do amazing, this is incredible."

Reaching Division I has been a goal of Porchia's since she was introduced to the sport as an eighth-grader in Arkansas. Prior to her sophomore campaign at PSC, the 6-1 forward made a visit to Troy and was immediately swayed.

"It felt like home," she said. "When I went there, they didn't treat me like, 'Oh, you're just a recruit.' They treated me like family. They took care of me."

A force on both sides of the floor, Porchia averaged 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds this past season en route to being named a WBCA All-American. In joining the perennial power in the Sun Belt Conference, she will play for former Pensacola State head coach Chanda Rigby.

The forward will be a perfect fit for a fast-paced system in which the bigs motored up and down the floor. Still, Porchia expects her game to grow under Rigby.

"They're going to help me work on the things I need to work on, like (shooting) the three and working on my handle," Porchia said. "They're not just going to expect to me to be a big, they are going to help me develop."

Meanwhile, Williams will add her outside touch to a UMass program fresh off winning the Atlantic 10 Conference. The San Diego, Calif. product knocked down three 3-pointers per game and averaged 13.4 points.

The Minutewomen also play with pace, but that wasn't the only reason why Williams is signed to play for head coach Troy Verdi.

"Coach Verdi is a family-type man, he has his whole family up there. I went to his house for family dinner and I loved the culture and everything that they brought," she said. "I loved being on the team, how their vibe was, how positive they are and what they said about the coaches. It was really nice to here. I know it's a different climate and I know it's a whole different world, traveling basically 2,000 miles away from my old home, but I know I'm ready for the experience."

Below is a list of all the PSC athletes that signed on Friday:

PSC Signings

Baseball

Bayron Acevedo, University of New Orleans

Jovanni Canegitta, Valdosta State University

Jake Cohen, University of West Florida

Darrien McDowell, University of West Florida

Jack Sokol, University of Pittsburgh

Jeffrey Wilson, Troy University

Mason Manriquez, University of South Florida (was not at the ceremony)

Men’s Basketball

D’Anthony Pennington, Tuskegee University

Paul Smith, Mississippi College

Softball

Avery Beauchaine, Eckerd College

Cameron Buzzell, Lynn University

Volleyball

Amaya Bazemore, Loyola University New Orleans

Sophia Ortega, University of Southern Tennessee

Katie Rutland, Blue Mountain College

Women’s Basketball

Tai’Sheka Porchia, Troy University

Kristin Williams, University of Massachusetts

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola State College athletes ink their LOI in signing ceremony Friday