New South Plantation Manager Brings Fresh Approach

Kendrick Gomez has been through the good times at South Plantation when the program was competitive.

The team’s new manager, a former assistant coach at the school, said times are different now after the program has been left unstable through the course of managerial changes over the past few seasons. Gomez is working to change the negative attitudes and turn around the program.

“We’re going through some rough times because the kids are just not used to winning. They’ve had three different coaches in the past three years,” Gomez said. “They just don’t trust what I’m trying to build here. They don’t trust what I’m telling them, especially the seniors. We return nine starters, so we should have a successful season in that sense, but by the same token, having those seniors back again, is having a bunch of seniors who have had three different coaches. If it was only three or four seniors, I would only have to have three kids believe in me, but right now, I have to have nine guys believe in me. That’s the hurdle we have.”

Gomez, who served as assistant coach for former managers Mike White and Paul Liotti, said he has the respect of the players through his position at the school. The players are familiar with him and that has made the transition manageable.

“I’m the school resource officer at the school, so I believe in the discipline and the character,” Gomez said. “These kids have a coach on campus that they can always come up to me and talk to me about situations. It’s a great opportunity. I’m honored to be given the opportunity. I’ve been here at South Plantation for 15 years, been through a couple of coaches and also coached JV football. This is a plan. It’s not going to turn around overnight, but the core is there.”

Ryan Terrill, a junior in his third year on the varsity team, said Gomez’s attitude is a big difference from that of former manager Dominic Campeau. Terrill said he and his teammates are inspired by Gomez and his approach to the game. Under Gomez, younger players have just as much of a chance to start as a senior does.

“Last year, it was more about looks,” Terrill said. “It wasn’t about winning. It was about looking good in the uniform and just trying to look good and impress the other people rather than killing the people on the team. This year, it’s more about winning. We’re going to play the top-notch players. We’re not going to have any daddyball or anything like that. The best nine players play on the field regardless of whether you’re a senior. You can be a freshman and start. We’re doing whatever is in our best interest to win games. Last year, it was all about the seniors regardless of how good they were. It wasn’t a team. It was just a group of players playing baseball.”

Gomez said the fall season is giving him the chance to evaluate the team and decide who the best players are around the diamond.

“I love this fall ball,” Gomez said. “They didn’t have this years back. And now it gives me a great opportunity to come in here and not have to rush into anything, give kids opportunities. Kids that didn’t play a lot last year, step up and show me what you got. Everybody is starting off fresh. I’m giving seniors like Gabe Correa and Kyle Hesse, seniors that didn’t get a lot of playing time last year, I’m giving them opportunities to show me why you should be playing.”

To bolster his effort to inspire the players to develop a winning attitude, Gomez built his coaching staff with that in mind. One of Gomez’s assistants is Peter Cacciatore, a former player who was on the team that went to regionals a few years ago.

“He’s pitched in college and is a great local kid,” Gomez said. “I wanted to bring in positive attitudes. I have my son, Ryan, who just graduated from Florida State. He’s going to coach with me. He’s actually going to be teaching at the school soon. And then I have Matt Miller. He knows the good times because when he came in here in ninth grade, they had a lot of success and had the same coach and stability. He’s doing a great job and is going to run our JV for us.”

Along with improving the team, Gomez also has worked to improved its facilities. The bullpen has been fixed up and the mound redone. New nets were put up and the team is working on its hitting facility. Meanwhile, the team is getting to use the indoor hitting facility at The Box, courtesy of owner Trevor Chang.

“Sometimes just to have your surroundings be presentable and look winnable kind of maybe changes the mentality,” Gomez said.

Gomez noted the support he’s received from not only the school, including new principal Christine Henschel, but from parents as well.

“We have a whole new booster club,” Gomez said. “They’re doing a great job. They’re raising money. We have a real good core of parents and kids, the school’s been fantastic. Everything is positive right now.”

The team brings back experience across the diamond. Senior Brian Lorente returns as catcher, and senior Ryan Duty and sophomore Steven Seager are vying for first base.

Over at second, Moses Matos returns along with Mike Mele. Senior Sal Rodriguez, a .333 hitter last year, anchors short stop and Dustin Birchall third base.

“[Dustin’s] the guy I’m expecting to be solid in the corner,” Gomez said. “He makes all the plays and he’s been hitting the ball, but I need him to step up as a leader. Right now, I’m looking for a leader.”

Josh Matos is the returning center fielder, and Tyler Kreisler and Anthony McKenna are vying for the right fielder’s job.

Freshmen Zachary Birchall, Nick’s younger brother, and Zachary Hudson also battling it for left field.

“I can put them in anywhere,” Gomez said. “They can pitch, they can catch, they can play in the outfield. To get two ninth-graders like that is awesome as a coach coming in.

The team’s success with pitching may come down to how well Terrill performs as the team’s ace.

“Our guy Ryan Terrill is going to be the guy,” Gomez said. “He’s really going to have to come through.”

Terrill said he know what he has to do to be successful.

“What makes me effective is getting in the hitter’s head,” he said. “If you get ahead in the count that you want to throw, you’ll be a lot more effective than if you get behind in the count and have to throw fastballs.”

Beyond Terrill is a work in progress at this time. Duty is among the returners who will be looked at to pitch.

“We’ve been working on our pitching because we don’t have that many pitchers,” Lorente said. “We need to get stronger arms. Last year, our calls were all over the place, so as a catcher, I’ll talk to the coach and we’ll figure out what we’re going to pitch and get that organized.”

Gomez is hoping the team can give a better showing in its district this year and plays to its ability in that respect. The team finished just 2-11 last year in the district and 5-17 overall.

The district games last year provided lessons for the team, Terrill said.

“We were playing tough competition, so it really matured us mentally and physically coming into this year,” Terrill said. “This year, we get to come into the tougher competition more aware of what we’re going to face and how we can prepare.”

Being better prepared can make getting past teams that are traditionally solid a possibility.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you we’re going to come back and win our district, but there’s teams in our district that we should compete with every week that we play them and get an opportunity to knock someone off,” Gomez said. “You know, those guys Taravella, Douglas, Coral Springs, they’re used to winning. And I think we have a good core of kids, you know what, we get a good seven innings out of somebody and we can beat them. Stay in the game and at the end, let things happen.”

Gomez said although winning always is a positive thing, there are are other ways in which a team can feel good about itself, such as cutting down on mental mistakes, which are still hampering the team right now.

“As long as the kids go out there and you have nine guys who make the routine plays, you get good innings out of your pitchers, and you don’t make mental mistakes, you don’t give up a run here, a run there that at the end of the game you lost 5-4 and you’re thinking how did we lost 5-4 when they had three hits,” Gomez said. “But we have two errors, three mental mistakes, a wild pitch. And guys I respect, like Evans at Flanagan, McQuaid at Nova, White at Cypress Bay, you listen to what they say and they all say the same thing. You have a good core of kids, you make a few mistakes, but you have to believe. I need them to believe. Like I said, our motto this year is play smart. Play smart and I think everything else will take care of itself.”

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