Cypress Bay Pushing For A Title Run In 2014

In high school baseball, it typically comes down to pitching. Although Cypress Bay has a lot of pitching talent on its roster this season, it is primarily a group of unproven players that will take the mound for the team this season. As Manager Mike White puts it, his hurlers are “scary good”, a statement that can carry more than one meaning.

The team’s pitchers are very capable, confident and eager to get the ball. Yet at the same time the majority of them are new to varsity baseball, and as a result of that they bring a lot of uncertainty to the staff. With the returning veterans all coming off of minor injuries, the team will lean heavily on their younger pitchers to prove themselves in 2014.

The staff had a strong fall campaign, where they threw well while pitching by committee. But Coach White also understands that fall baseball and spring baseball are too different animals altogether.

“Pitching is our biggest question mark,” White admitted. “We have a lot of senior leadership and the pitchers have very good players behind them. We want to work guys in gradually so they get stronger and more confident, and hopefully they will be successful and work to earn more innings. Our pitchers just need to throw strikes because they have such a great defense behind them.”

Last season the Lightning had a nice playoff run in reaching the Class 8A regional playoffs. It was the club’s pitching that shouldered the load, and this season the team’s other units look to step up and put the weight on their backs. It was the furthest the squad had gone in a few years, and it helped to bring recognition to their program.

A year later the club is ready to accept the challenge that comes with that sort of recognition from their peers. Cypress Bay enters the season in a new district unlike what they have traditionally seen, and the team is widely viewed as the favorite to win this new district among the group that includes Cooper City, Piper, South Plantation and Western. The team knows their district foes will be gunning for them, and they accept that to be recognized as a contender is to also be targeted as the team to beat.

White admits it’s a little bit different this year, but they are set for a new challenge. Although the team is disappointed that they no longer play in the same district as their two biggest rivals, Flanagan and West Broward, they are excited to face the new teams they will see in 12-8A.

“These are teams we are familiar with, and they are tough competitors,” said White. “We split with Western the last few years and we always have great games with them. Coach Gomez at South Plantation is one of my best friends and we talk everyday, and Wayne Stofsky at Cooper City is someone I have become good friends with. All these teams are formidable challenges and they will be good friendly rivalries. For us it will all come down to pitching, which is the most important part of baseball at any level.”

The team has confidence in the returning pitchers, but are still cautiously optimistic on how much to use those guys since they are all coming off of injuries. Junior Ben Fits leads the returners after posting a 3.00 ERA and a 1-1 record with 11 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched last year. Senior Tommy Quintero was 1-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings, and Josh Ulino made five relief appearances in 2013.

“We just have to stay focused and throw strikes,” said Quintero. “We have to avoid walks because that is what kills us. I’m pretty optimistic we can get the job done, and as we keep gaining strength hopefully we will be fine.”

While the team has a lot of uncertainty in their pitching staff, they know exactly what they can expect to get from their defense. The coaches have been very adamant that their pitchers concentrate on throwing strikes and pitching to contact, and forcing their opponents to play to their biggest strength in their defense.

Headlining this strong unit is senior four-year starter Danny Cepeda, who anchors the infield from the shortstop position. Cepeda gobbles up baseballs like a machine, and also provides a dangerous bat in the lineup. In 2013 Cepeda hit .532 with nine doubles, 18 RBIs and 18 runs.

“All of our pitchers are young, but everybody is getting along perfectly,” Cepeda said. “We have a lot of team chemistry. I just want to show all the leadership I can for all the young guys. I am trying to do my best to get them hyped up to go win a state title. First we have to win districts, then regionals, and then states; that is the goal.”

Coach White is grateful to have a leader like Cepeda, who he considers one of the finest players he has ever coached in his 18 years of coaching. Cepeda is credited for doing a great job of leading by example, and he is typically the first one to practice and also tends to stay late afterwards to get more work in. His teammates love playing with him.

The defense is very solid, and even when the ball isn’t hit Cepeda’s way it is still very tough for it to find a hole against this unit. Juan De La Espriella will man the hot spot at third base, and the coaches have challenged him to improve on his .250 batting average from a season ago. White admits that De La Espriella needs to improve in his consistency, but that he is also the type of player who shows up in big moments. This fact was proven last year when the junior delivered walk-off hits against Western and Cooper City, finishing second on the team with 13 RBIs.

On the right side of the infield the team has Enzo Clemente locked in at first base, after the senior transferred to the team from Western. Second base is up for grabs between a pair of sophomores in American Heritage transfer Jose Natera and newcomer Raul Quintero.

The outfield defense is just as solid, with returners Joey Rodriguez and Justin Moronto pairing with their new centerfielder Brandon Escalante, who came over from Everglades. Besides bringing speed and a great glove to the defense, Escalante brings plenty of offense after he hit .391 with six doubles and 14 RBIs last season for the Gators.

The team has a lot of depth on offense as well, with young guys like Alex Valledares and Matt Bernesby learning from veterans like Bryan Hernandez and Diego Maceda. Maceda hit .351 last season and figures to see a much larger role in his senior year.

To solidify it all is promising young sophomore Devin Ramirez, who has proven himself as the team’s starting catcher.

“Devin is very vocal and he knows the game. He keeps the pitchers intact and they like throwing to him,” said White. “We expect him to be bigger and better this year. He is one of eleven sophomores on the team, so we are good for the next few years too. But we have to get through tonight first.”

White knows when the first pitch is thrown it is going to be a battle for the district crown. One advantage the team has is that they do a great job of protecting their home field, where they were a perfect 9-0 last season. Their first five games of the 2014 season will all be played at home.

“We talk about that everyday,” White admitted. “We tell the guys to protect your home, the kids like playing at home and we never stop believing. We were down in a few and came back to win. We got that confidence playing at home, so now we’ve got to take that confidence on the road and it can be an exciting season.”

The approach is always to take one game at a time, and to stay grounded. The Lightning has traditionally done well with this, as they never went on a long losing streak at any point last season. The club has a lot of senior leadership and just enough spirited youth infused in there to keep everyone energetic.

“I think we’re going to do great this year,” said Cepeda, following the team’s second game in the HSBN Preseason Challenge. “We played Monsignor Pace and Florida Christian this preseason, and they are some of the best teams in Miami. We competed, our lineup was good and we played good defense. I think we’ll be just fine and it will be a lot of fun.”

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