By STEVE JACKSON
High school baseball—with the 2023 season concluded, with state championships determined, with seniors already graduated, with uniforms and equipment already put up until next year still offers one more grand exhibition game. And it’s all free, including the parking. The site of this high school baseball encore is also quite special. Tropicana Field, the home of the awesome Tampa Bay Rays of MLB, has its diamond just waiting for the boys from the South Shore on the Hillsborough
County squad, facing the Pinellas County “just-graduated” high school seniors.
High schools concluding the recent baseball season, winning state crowns in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association), include the following: 7A-Parkland Douglas High beat Plant High, 6A-Sickles High beat Viera High and 5A-Plantation American High beat Jesuit High. Other 2023 champs are 4A-North Marion High, 3A-Clearwater Calvary Christian High, 2A-Lakeland Christian High and 1A-Chipley High.
DEJA VU???—The head coach for the Hillsborough County baseball team set to play Pinellas County in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is Victor Martinez, the baseball head coach of Lennard High of Ruskin. Shown above at the Trop with his family, wife Taylor and two sons, after winning last year’s game, Coach Martinez would be glad to win again this year in the June 12 game.
Lennard High of Ruskin is represented on the Hillsborough County team by Victor Martinez, in his third season as head coach at Lennard. Two of Coach Martinez’ pitching stalwarts from this past season’s 18-10 Longhorns are two of nine tremendously talented high school seniors available for Coach Martinez to put on the mound at the Trop. Last year at this time, Coach Martinez was also the head manager of the Hillsborough County team, which cruised to an 8-2 victory.
This season Lennard High, which opened in 2006, probably had its top baseball team in the history of the school. Kennedy Duran was the Longhorns first baseball coach. When Coach Duran departed for new Sumner High baseball three seasons ago, his longtime assistant coach, Victor Martinez, slid into the top position on the diamond in Ruskin.
Aiding Martinez with top players are a few of the other high school baseball coaches in Hillsborough County. From the South Shore is the East Bay Indians coach, Ruiz Rowland. Other baseball coaches on the Hillsborough staff include Paul Russo, Tampa Catholic, and Spencer Nunez, Jefferson.
The gates at Tropicana open for free at Gate 5 at 11:30 a.m. with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will attempt to go nine innings instead of the usual seven for the high school game. However, the deadline for the game is 4 p.m., as per the owners of the field, the Tampa Bay Rays.
Coach Victor Martinez, center, poses at the fairgrounds with seniors from Longhorns’ outstanding 2023 baseball squad. Players, left to right, are Tyler Ewell, Carter Payne, Alex Brazer, Jack Mueller, Logan Covey, Coach Martinez, Carter Menotti, Tim Mendizabal, Trey Miranda, and Joseph Rivera. All players except Menotti have signed college baseball scholarships
Starting pitchers have not been named yet, but Coach Martinez has the option of going with one of his Longhorn aces, Carter Payne or Jackson Mueller. Other stalwart arms include Galvin Florio-Durant, Alejandro Aquilar-Jefferson, Danny Lazaro-Tampa Catholic, Luke Richardson-Strawberry Crest, BJ Rivera-Alonso, Adan Longoria-Plant City, and Zane Wright-Plant City.
The Hillsborough non-pitchers ready for action are
Catchers-Gio Mendoza-Freedom and JW Stephens-Steinbrenner;
Infielders-Rolando Jiminez-Tampa Catholic, KJ Leshko-Armwood, Chris Morgan-Alonso, Tyler Clinton-Bloomingdale, Luke Peterson-Newsome, Antonio Rodriquez-Armwood, Anthony Palestrini-Plant City, James Hankerson-Berkeley Prep;
Outfielders-Joseph Fritz-Jefferson, Maddox King-Tampa Catholic, Ben Drumheller-Alonso, Connor Vance- Sickles, Jayden Vasquez-Jefferson and Michael Wormack-Chamberlain.
Twenty-four top seniors from public and private schools in Pinellas County are prepping for the June 12 clash under Johnny Lancaster, the head coach for Northeast High School.