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Farm Bureau Insurance Baseball Classic has deep field

 
Published March 11, 2015

The second annual Farm Bureau Insurance Baseball Classic begins Monday at four venues around the North Suncoast.

Last season, the inaugural tournament included 16 teams from Pasco and Hernando counties. In the end, Central topped Pasco 5-4 in a 12-inning thriller thanks to a walk-off RBI single from Thomas Sorrentino.

Central will be back to defend its title this year, and Citrus and Marion counties have added some teams to the field of 16. The championship will be decided over four days with games at Lecanto, Hernando, Central and Weeki Wachee.

Several of the Hernando County teams in the field look pretty tough.

Hernando should find itself in position to get to the final. Tim Sims, in his 20th season as Leopards coach, had 333 career wins under his belt coming into 2015. He has led the program to five straight postseason berths, and Hernando looks ready to extend that streak.

Senior catcher Owen Morgan has been stellar offensively, leading the club with a .407 batting average and 12 RBIs. Senior pitcher Justin Young is also doing a phenomenal job on the mound and at the plate. Hitting .346 with six RBIs, Young is also 2-0 with a 2.33 earned-run average.

Springstead began the season 5-0 under new coach Shawn Laferty. After falling to Hernando in extra innings, the Eagles came back to earth, losing a 2-1 heartbreaker to district rival Osceola and a 7-1 stunner to Bishop McLaughlin. Senior outfielder Eric Correa continues to lead at the plate with his speed and discipline.

Everything looked good for Central early in the campaign when the team won three of its first four games. From there, the Bears began a string of difficult losses, including a 2-1 extra-innings loss to Hernando, a 5-4 loss at Pasco, and a 4-2 loss against Wesley Chapel. In fact, each of the games played by Central has been against teams in the tournament field.

Bears coach Al Sorrentino will need production from his two sons, seniors Zach and Thomas Sorrentino, if the club is going to repeat for the title. Thomas is 1-2 on the mound, but he has a 1.27 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 22 innings. Central, however, has been slumping at the plate. Zach Sorrentino is the team's second-leading hitter with a .273 average, while Thomas Sorrentino is hitting only .208, though he does have the team's lone home run.

Nature Coast is led by first-year coach Frank Vitale. The former Springstead coach is off to a slow start with the Sharks, but a solid 2-1 extra-inning win at Zephyrhills was a confidence builder. Nature Coast will be using this tournament as a barometer for where the program is heading into the second half of the season.

Though it is one of the host schools, Weeki Wachee is still searching for its first victory this year. Fourth-year coach Patrick McHugh has had a tough time getting the program on track, winning only three games in his span at the helm. Senior shortstop Chris Flaherty leads the Hornets with five RBIs. He's hitting .250 this season.

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The Pasco County clubs, notably Wesley Chapel and Bishop McLaughlin, should provide tough competition. Much like last season's installment, the Farm Bureau Baseball Classic will be unpredictable and provide an opportunity for teams to vault themselves into the second half of the schedule.