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2017 Central Florida 85 Nos. 51-68: Big Expectations

By Philip Rossman-Reich

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 23: Giles Barnes #14 of Orlando City SC in action during the New York City FC Vs Orlando City SC regular season MLS game at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 23: Giles Barnes #14 of Orlando City SC in action during the New York City FC Vs Orlando City SC regular season MLS game at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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54. Joe Perry, Orlando Solar Bears

Joe Perry was a three-time NCAA champion for Division III St. Nobert College. He found a nice fit in the ECHL. But he may have found a home with the Orlando Solar Bears. Perry scored a team-record 35 goals and dished out 19 assists last year for the Solar Bears, making him a stalwart in the lineup. Perry re-signed with the Solar Bears in July and will be a featured player for the team throughout this upcoming season.

53. Carlos Castro, Florida Fire Frogs

Carlos Castro has had a solid season for the Florida Fire Frogs in their first year in Kissimmee. He has a .283 batting average and a team-high 55 RBIs. Impressive too considering he only has 10 home runs this year.

52. Giles Barnes, Orlando City

Orlando City needs attackers, especially from the midfield. The team has struggled to score goals this year, scoring the second fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. That has led to a lot of the team’s problems and their eventual drop in the standings. The problem is not goal scorers — Cyle Larin is one of the best and Kaka is Kaka. But rather it is about how they transition from the midfield to the attack.

That has been the place where newcomer Giles Barnes has tried to deliver. The results have been somewhat mixed. Barnes has two goals and two assists this year. He has not quite produced the way Orlando City has wanted. And his play has been inconsistent.

But when Barnes gets going, he is a difference maker. He has great speed and can crack a shot from outside the box with fair accuracy.

It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the team moving forward. But Barnes has been about one of the few positives for Orlando City through a difficult season.

51. Rylan Thomas, UCF Baseball

Rylan Thomas had quite a freshman year for UCF last year. The Winter Garden native who went to Windermere Prep, batted .303 with a team-high 54 RBIs in last year’s run to the NCAA Tournament.

Next: Orlando Magic create clearer rotation, path to identity

We will be back later today with part three of our series ranking the top 85 figures in Central Florida sports. Be sure to put in your thoughts and who you think should make the list in the comments below!