Three Teams Vying For District 6A-14 Title

The Pembroke Pines Charter Jaguars like to set their team goals at the beginning of the spring, at which point they put forth a vision and a plan for how to achieve those goals. Ultimately the team has its sights set on winning a district title, which in itself also earns a home game to start regional play. Get there and they will take it one game at a time.

In this new three-team district, the Jaguars deserve the distinction as the favorite to win the district title. Both Boynton Beach and Stranahan enter the season with new managers at the helm, while the Jaguars are a veteran team under a veteran manager in Carlos Iglesias.

With just one district contest per team, the club who wins both will reap big rewards. Earning the top seed in the district playoff will earn a first-round bye, putting that squad into the district championship while also securing a berth in the regional playoffs. The Jaguars are hungry to earn these things and play at home, where they are 15-7 the past two seasons.

“We think it opens a great window of opportunity for us,” said Jaguars junior Daniel Rodriguez-Velez. “We’re just trying to get better each day and be ready for it.”

The Tigers welcome John Drouin to lead the way this year, and if ever there was a guy capable of turning a team into a contender right away it is this coach. Drouin has a solid reputation earned from winning a state title with a Summit Christian program he helped build from the ground up. Now the Tigers are counting on him to bring that same magic to return their program to its glory.

“People laughed about Boynton Beach baseball for the past five or six years, and made fun of the program. But they’re not going to make fun of us anymore,” said Drouin. “We’re going to change that philosophy. Hopefully that’ll change.”

Stranahan begins the year under first-time manager Marc Iannatto. The program has made strides over the last few years, and now they are eager to see how well it can translate into wins against their new district opponents. The Dragons did not win a district game last year, and they are working hard to change those fortunes going forward.

“It will be interesting to see how it all plays out,” said Iannatto. “We are familiar with Pines Charter, but Boynton Beach is a team we’ve never even played before.”

None of the three teams in this district even posted a winning record in 2013. This year brings a new season of change and opportunity, and all three are eager to take the field knowing they have a great chance to reach the state playoffs.

Boynton Beach

2013 Record: 5-19
Manager: John Drouin
Coaching Staff: Evan D’Angelo
Key Returners: Victor Hughes, Luis Cepeda, Stephen Kaczmarek, Ian Acevedo, Kyle Tedesco, Malik Horne, Christian Perez, Derrick Lewandowski, Erik Dietrick
Newcomers to watch: Brandon McCabe, Angel Matos
Team strengths: Defense

John Drouin knows what it takes to be a winner. Now the former Summit Christian coach is taking the recipe for success he used at the school to turn things around at Boynton Beach.

Drouin took over as manager this year with that goal of returning Boynton back to prosperity. The program reached the state semifinals in 2003 under Brian Joros but has since fallen off the baseball map.

So far at Boynton, Drouin has received nothing but support.

“I love it here. There’s great support here,” Drouin said. “The principal is phenomenal. The AD is great. The assistant principal is great. Everyone is here to help you.” [ Read More… ]

Pembroke Pines Charter

2013 Record: 11-12
Manager: Carlos Iglesias
Coaching Staff: Willy Hernandez, Andy Moser, David Monge, Marcos Gonzalez
Key Returners: Danny Melgarejo, Daniel Rodriguez-Velez, Alex Monge-Rodriguez, Jake Jacobs, Anthony Nogueiras, Brett Alayon, Derick Garcia, Anthony Gomez, Micah Baxter-Miller, Trent Herzog
Newcomers: Anthony Garcia, Ryan Smith
Team strengths: Hitting & Defense

It is a great comfort for a coach when he returns the vast majority of his roster like the Pembroke Pines Jaguars do.

Entering his eighth season at the head of the program, Carlos Iglesias knows that all the right pieces are in place for this group to have a special season. These players know what it takes and the kind of baseball they have to play to achieve their goals, and they have the experience to reach them. [ Read More]

Stranahan

2013 Record: 9-12
Manager: Marc Iannatto
Key Returners: Chris Ford, Jose Lopez, Austin Ford, John Johnson, Logan Castellanos, Kenny Stanley, Wilfred Santiago
Newcomers to watch: Andy Vargas
Team strengths: Pitching Depth

Marc Iannatto is ready to take hold of the reins and lead the Dragons further down the path they began under their former manager.

The team’s new skipper takes over after serving as an assistant under John Drouet last year, replacing the Stranahan alum after Drouet’s business commitments moved him to Jacksonville. The program has evolved over the past few years, and Iannatto is proud to help them maintain familiarity as they work to take the next step. [Read More]

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