Advertisement

District baseball preview (w/ schedules)

 
Alonso's Jordan Butler. (Scott Purks, Special to the Times)
Alonso's Jordan Butler. (Scott Purks, Special to the Times)
Published May 1, 2017

As the regular season turns into the postseason, what have we learned? Which baseball teams are peaking at the right time? Who is hot? Who is not? So many questions. Here are five burning questions as district tournament week begins:

Which districts are wide open?

Class 8A, District 7

Lately, there have been some upsets in this one. East Lake is the top seed and has beaten No. 2 Countryside twice this season. But one was in extra innings. Then there is Seminole and St. Petersburg. Those teams are good enough to win a semifinal, so both East Lake and Countryside likely will use their aces in the first game.

Class 7A, District 8

Hillsborough is probably playing the best baseball right now, with an 18-4 record and a 13-game win streak. But Gaither is the defending state champ in Class 7A and finished an identical 6-2 with Hillsborough in the district. And King has won 15 games. So it won't be easy picking a champ here.

Class 7A, District 10

Northeast earned the top spot with a 9-1 district record. Mitchell is right behind at 8-2 and beat the Vikings in the regular season. The Mustangs are 20-3 and may be playing the best right now. No. 3 Sunlake and No. 4 Osceola both have winning records, so if either team can get good pitching and some clutch hits it could contend.

Class 6A, District 7

Go figure this district. Wesley Chapel won seven games all season, but they were all district wins so the Wildcats are the top seed. Land O'Lakes, Zephryhills and Pasco were all 6-4. And No. 5 seed River Ridge was a respectable 13-10 overall. No district is more wide open than this one.

Class 3A, District 4

Bishop McLaughlin got the top seed, but Cambridge Christian was also 6-1. Then there is No. 3 Carrollwood Day, which advanced to the Saladino Tournament semis, and No. 4 Seffner Christian, which beat Carrollwood Day in the regular season. Any of these teams can win it.

Does the new pitch count rule matter?

The general feeling is no. Starting this season the Florida High School Athletic Association implemented a new policy. It released a chart with the daily maximum for pitchers of certain ages and how much rest they must get. For example, if a 17- to 18-year-old junior or senior throws more than 76 pitches they must rest at least four days. If they throw over the maximum of 105, it's seven days.

During district tournament week, most teams play at least two games, so they will need two starters regardless. Once region games start, there is only one game per week, so unless a starter goes over 105 pitches, which most do not, then that pitcher can throw again the following week.

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

"It really shouldn't affect us much," said Alonso coach Landy Faedo, who has a true ace in Jordan Butler (7-1, 1.12 ERA, 93 strikeouts). "Where it could affect us is the relief pitching. If we used a guy a certain amount of pitches then we won't be able to use them for at least two days."

Steinbrenner rode starter C.J. Van Eyk all the way to a state championship last year. Gaither did the same with Gavin Gillespie. Teams with a true ace have an advantage.

Can Calvary Christian keep the streak going?

The Warriors had a perfect regular season with a 24-0 record. But there were a few close calls. None of that matters now that the postseason has arrived. One loss and it's over (unless it's in the district final).

The Warriors have never advanced to the state semifinals, and there are sure to be some roadblocks along the way.

"Our guys have been playing hard on every pitch, we don't give up," Warriors coach Greg Olsen said.

Senior Graham Hoffman has both hit (.400, 29 RBIs) and pitched (1-0, 0.50 ERA, five saves). Eric Kennedy is hitting a ridiculous .545 and Matheu Nelson is at .414. Sophomore pitcher Nolan Hudi is 7-0 with a 0.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts.

"The best thing about our team is that it is a team," Hudi said. "Everyone wants to help each other out. It's one team. There are no individuals."

Can Steinbrenner and Gaither repeat as state champs?

If so, it will be a big upset.

The Warriors are not bringing a lot of momentum into the postseason. And it doesn't help that senior ace C.J. Van Eyk has shut himself down. He has not pitched in two weeks and is used only as a designated hitter, according to coach John Crumbley. Crumbley said he will either start senior Patrick Morris (3-3, 3.00 ERA) or junior Huston Richter (3-1, 1.81) in Tuesday's district semifinal against Sickles.

"It's been an interesting year, let's put it that way," Crumbley said.

The Cowboys are a pedestrian 12-10 and have lost three straight. They won 10 straight to finish off last season, but the difference is ace Gillespie graduated. The Cowboys have been looking for pitching this season and it clearly has to shore up this week.

Are there any other teams to watch?

Yes.

Springstead has been very good. The Eagles finished the regular season 22-3, their second straight 20-plus win season, and have won 14 of their past 15. A district tournament championship is expected, but No. 2 Dunnellon did beat them in the regular season. The Eagles have only won three district tournament titles in 47 years. And they have never advanced past the region final. But this team can pitch and hit, which could lead to a historic season.

Hillsborough is hot at the right time. The No. 1 seed in Class 7A, District 8, the Terriers have won 13 straight and didn't lose at all in April. Tim Elko and Nick Romano are each hitting over .400. Matthew Lutton and Jarrod Cande each won five games on the mound.

And in Pinellas, East Lake has the pitching to go far. Connor Churchill is 7-0 with a 0.15 ERA, so there is the ace. Jon Kostansis and Nic Daniels have also pitched well. And Jacob Sessa is hitting .511 as the offensive leader. The Eagles beat Boca Ciega for the PCAC championship, then beat them the next night, 2-1 in nine innings.