SHADY HILLS — For the second time in three seasons, Bishop McLaughlin is one of the four best teams in Class 3A, but this Hurricane team couldn't be more different than its predecessor.
While the 2015 club smashed 15 home runs and had two stellar hurlers (Nate Pearson, Carson Ragsdale) shutting down opponents, this year's version of the Hurricanes gets the job done with grit and determination.
"We don't have multiple Division I arms at the top of our rotation like we did (in 2015)," coach Jeff Swymer said. "(This year's) guys don't stop scratching and clawing, and the result is us winning games, sometimes with only three or four hits."
Five players on this year's roster made significant contributions two seasons ago during a run that ended with a 3-1 state semifinal loss to North Florida Christian. Those five — Paul Coumoulos, Dillon Morton, Zack and Chris Berglund, and Dominic Diaz — are seniors now.
Coumoulos is not only a defensive wiz in the outfield, but his leadership offensively has been a spark plug. A career .378 hitter, he hit his first career home run this season, the lone longball for Bishop. It's a stark contrast to the 15 homers the program hit in 2015 and even last year's eight.
"Early in the season, I tried to move (Morton) to shortstop, but there was an obvious effect on our pitching," Swymer said of his catcher, who had five homers as a junior and leads the team in batting average (.400) and RBIs (19) this season. "Once we moved him back behind the plate, things began to click."
The Berglund brothers are a solid tandem in the lineup. Zack stepped in as Bishop's starting shortstop after the Morton experiment failed. He brings experience and a calming presence to the dugout. Chris is fourth on the team in batting average (.357). It is his second straight season over .300.
Without the cadre of arms that the previous state semifinals team boasted, the Hurricanes have relied heavily on southpaw ace Diaz. He has set career bests in wins (eight), innings (72), and strikeouts (81) this year.
His complete-game victory in the region semifinals over Master's Academy was stellar. Throwing 102 pitches, Diaz struck out 10 without issuing a walk. He will be counted on to start for Bishop McLaughlin on Friday afternoon against Fort Myers Canterbury, the defending state champion in Class 3A.
Diaz was unable to start the region final because of back spasms, and the Hurricanes received great performances from senior Manny Sado and freshman Hunter Gillespie to edge Cambridge Christian 3-2. Diaz has worked all week to get back to 100 percent.
"We've done everything to get Dom ready short of acupuncture," Swymer said. "He's even seen a masseuse."
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Explore all your optionsHe will face a team that could not be more opposite of Bishop McLaughlin on paper. Canterbury has 32 home runs this season as a team. The Cougars will likely start Clemson commit Sam Keating on the mound, a right-hander that sports a low-90s fastball and three-pitch arsenal.
"(Canterbury is) loaded," Swymer said. "(Cougars coach) Frank Turco does a great job. We know it's going to be tough, but who wants the easy road? No one thinks we can beat these guys."
While the previous state appearance was also in Fort Myers, it was at JetBlue Park, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox. This year's venue is Hammond Stadium, the spring training home of the Minnesota Twins and a more conventional field setup than that of JetBlue, which is designed much like Fenway Park in Boston.
Swymer, who in his fourth season as Bishop coach, also served as the Wiregrass Ranch coach for four years. He sports a 163-59 overall record and hopes the experience of a couple years ago combined with the heart of his roster will be enough to push the Cougars.
"The biggest thing you learn is that everything is different, from the pre-game routine to the venue," Swymer said. "If you talked to me at the beginning of the season and told me we'd be in this position, I'd have called you crazy.
"I can promise one thing: We're going to show up on Friday and give Canterbury all we got."