By STEVE JACKSON
All five high school baseball teams from the South Shore 5 completed the regular season last week and opened the grind in the district playoffs this week. District play started early this week with a loss meaning elimination and the end of the season. Winners advance in district play to next week’s regional best 2 of 3 series and then on to the state championship semi-finals, which start May 15 for 5A and May 16 for 6A and 7A in Ft. Myers. State championship finals continue in the same site at Hammond Stadium.
SUMNER, RIVERVIEW
ELIMINATED APRIL 14
Alonso 4 – Sumner 3
Horizon 5 – R’view 0
The East Bay High Indians are the only SS5 diamond squad to finish the regular season over .500. The Indians, of Coach Rowland Ruiz, barely accomplished this noteworthy mark, winning their last four games of the season to go 12-11 overall and 2-2 in district. East Bay is seeded number 1 in 5A-D9 and drew a bye in the first round, which started Monday this week.
The Indians’ opening game in district play was at East Bay April 15 versus the winner of the #4 seed Freedom Patriots versus #3 seed Hillsborough Terriers in the opening round. The winner of the East Bay semi-finals contest Tuesday goes on to the District 9 Championship game, which is at the higher seed on Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m.
East Bay Senior Mike Mowell takes warm-up throws prior to start in win vs. Freedom last week.
Sumner High, of Coach Kennedy Duran, also completed its regular season on a winning skein. The Stingrays claimed their last two games last week and opened 7A-District 7 action as the #6 seed at #3 seed Alonso, which is 14-9 overall. The Stingrays finished the regular season at 11-11 overall and 1-3 in District. If they got past Alonso earlier this week, the next foe is the #2 seed, Newsome Wolves, at Lithia April 15. Newsome has an overall mark of 17-6 and 2-1 in District 7. A win over Newsome would place Sumner in the district championship game on Thursday, April 17, probably against the District 7 top seeded Strawberry Crest Chargers, who finished the regular season at 18-6 and 3-0 in district. The championship game will be April 17 at either Strawberry Crest, Palm Harbor or Plant City, whichever team survives the top part of the bracket.
Francis Fedor Photos
Dane Moore, Freedom head coach, and Rowland Ruiz, East Bay head coach, talk baseball prior to the Indians’ senior night festivities.
Coach Victor Martinez’ Lennard High Longhorns split its two games of the regular season last week. The Longhorns still received a #2 seed in 6A-District 12, which gave them a bye in the opening round and a date with 6-18 overall and 2-4 Palmetto High in Ruskin, April 15. The winner of that duel, most likely, goes on to tangle with Parrish High, a formidable foe that carried a 19-4 record overall and 5-0 District 12 record into its opening district fracas with weak 6-17, 1-4 Lakewood Ranch on Tuesday. If it is Parrish, the championship is set for Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. Entering the District 12 playoff, Lennard was 10-12 overall, 1-0 in district.
Riverview High also plays in 6A but in District 6. The Sharks, of Coach Garrett Thompson, have struggled down the stretch, losing both games last week for a three-game losing skid. Seeded at #6, Riverview, 10-14 overall, 0-1 district, opened Monday at Horizon High in Winter Garden, FL. The Hawks are seeded #3 with a 13-11 overall mark and 0-0 in district. A Monday win for the Sharks would mean an April 14 semi-final district game, probably at Durant High, which is seeded #2 and opens with Lake Gibson a #7 seed at 6-17 and 1-1. Durant is 13-8 and 0-1 and should prevail to advance. The big favorite in its District 6 playoff is top seed 20-4, 2-0 Bloomingdale, which should make it to the district championship game unless upset by the Lakeland Dreadnaughts or the Bartow Yellow Jackets.
Francis Fedor Photos
East Bay Indian seniors (L-R), Mike Mowell, John Viane, Rory Beauford, Derek Gutierrez, David Reyes, Eddie Smith and Daniel Castro pose together on senior night.
Spoto High, of Coach Lastings Milledge, and East Bay High are both in the 5A District 9 playoffs, both receiving a first round bye and both opening April 15. East Bay, the top seed, needs a win versus Freedom or Hillsborough to make it to the district championship game, played at the higher seed April 17 at 7 p.m. Spoto slammed Middleton High last week to make it a split for the week, after losing to Lennard. The Spartans completed an 11-13 mark for first-year Coach Milledge and were 3-1 in District 9 to warrant a 3# seed. They open district playoffs at #2 seed Leto Falcons, a 12-12 team overall and 3-2 in district, April 15. The winner probably faces East Bay for District 9 championship, April 17, at East Bay at 7 p.m. if the Indians can win their semi-final game earlier in the week.
For more articles and photos of Summer High by Francis Fedor see The Observer News print and ObserverNews.net digital.