8A-11 District Tournament Preview

Host: Coral Springs

Schedule:

Tuesday April 22nd

4:00 PM (3) Coral Glades vs. (2) Taravella
7:00 PM (4) Coral Springs vs. (1) Douglas

Thursday April 24th

7:00 PM Championship: Semifinal winners

Full Stats for 8A-11 can be found on the 8A-11 Stats Page!

Overview – It seems only fitting that the battle for the Coral Springs district title will take place at the city’s namesake high school. With each of the four qualifying teams in this bracket coming from this baseball-rich area, this tournament certainly has the feel of a local city championship bracket. It was a tight race during the regular season, with four teams that all have the right tools to make a playoff run. Now it is anybody’s guess which club will emerge victorious to hoist the district trophy and claim the local bragging rights.

1. Douglas – Eagles Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald has challenged his players to step up and make this season something special. After falling in the regional semifinals a season ago, Douglas returned a veteran roster full of talented and hungry players in 2014. The team has all the right pieces in place to contend, but now it is about translating what they project on paper into success on the field.

“I’m really excited about this group,” said Fitz-Gerald. “I think finally these are our kids now. I haven’t inherited somebody else’s kids. The previous two teams these last two years did a great job for us, and I think they actually set the foundation for what we’re doing now.”

Douglas has gotten great starting pitching this year. Starters Jesus Luzardo and Tyler Norris have combined to provide the team with a great one-two punch that is capable of winning a playoff series for their team. Luzardo led the club with 58 strikeouts, while Norris had a 1.80 ERA to lead the club. Jake Mednik and Alec Duffy have also been a big part of the pitching staff this season.

Offense has always been a staple of Fitz-Gerald’s programs, and this year the lineup has come along to fit that mantra. Colton Welker and Max Boling have been the top two producers in the lineup, finishing neck and neck to lead the club in most hitting categories.

The Eagles found a lot of success at the plate in their two meetings with Coral Springs this year. Should they continue to swing the bats like that they will find themselves right back in position to play in their third consecutive district championship. The club is the defending district champions and has also won each of their last three trips to Coral Springs High.

2. Taravella – The Trojans proved they are a worthy challenger this season. The team played a tough schedule and performed well in all facets of the game throughout the course of that tough grind. They have been road warriors, going 8-3 away from the friendly confines of their home ballpark, and also have the added confidence in knowing they have already beaten each of the other teams in their bracket.

It is a veteran and experienced group that make up the Trojans’ roster this year. The players have also been together for several seasons now, and that cohesion has shown in their game play. In their second season under Manager Alan Clark the team has put together its best season in a few years, and now they are hoping to make that next big step by getting into the district championship and also the regional playoffs.

Pitching has been the driving force on the team. Left-hander Justin Walker has shown he can match up against anybody’s top arm, as he led the club with 43 strikeouts and five wins. Depth has also been a big boost for the staff, as Jack Kelley and Chris Verardi have also been big parts of their success on the hill.

The offense did not find quite as much success in 2014, averaging less than four runs per game. While consistency has lacked at times, the Trojans have gotten key hits when they needed them most. When the lineup gets hot it can be very dangerous, as was proven when the club came back for six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun Douglas in their first meeting of the year.

Joseph Libio has been the main guy in the Taravella batting order, leading the squad in hitting and runs scored, while Lino Bravo and Manny Pantaleon have also been reliable and consistent to finish among the top producers in the lineup. Speedy outfielder Gavin Robinson has also stepped up to provide a reliable presence in the batting order.

“We have seen a lot of improvement in our hitting,” Walker said. “Last year if we gave up a run, as a pitching staff, we’d get nervous. But now if we give up a run we’re not nervous at all. We know we can put up some runs.”

3. Coral Glades – The Jaguars made a late push this season to shake up the district bracket. After enduring a bevy of tough off-field circumstances that distracted the team from baseball, the program rebounded just in time to play its best baseball down the stretch heading into the district tournament. Glades had to deal with the loss of some key players, a short stint without its Manager Jorge Miranda, and also the loss of Assistant Coach Jeff Silverman for personal reasons. Yet through it all, the club has become a tighter and more unified group, and now the Jaguars hope they can parlay that unity into some playoff success.

The Jaguars have come along at just the right time, and they have enough of the right pieces to make a return to the district title game this year. The team recently downed Taravella during the stretch run, which should give the players enough confidence to know they are capable of doing it again with the season on the line.

“I’m very proud of what we do here,” said Miranda. “We try to run things as close to a college program as we can, from the practices to the type of schedule we put together for the kids. It’s an evolution where we’re trying to get the kids better and trying to play some really good teams. We play really good baseball. These kids love the sport and they love to go out there and play. They mesh together well and it’s like a big old family. I’m very proud of these guys.”

One calming aspect that the Jaguars have enjoyed is the presence of senior starter Christian Dominguez, a bulldog with a huge heart who plays with a passion and fire in every second of every game. The right-hander led the squad on the mound, toeing the rubber for the Jaguars biggest games and leading them in strikeouts and innings pitched. Dominguez has only gotten stronger as the year waned on, and nearly tossed a no-hitter in the Jaguars recent win over the Trojans.

Depth on the hill is also a nice aspect of their roster, as TJ Williams also stepped up this season to lead the team in victories and ERA.

While the offense has been a bit inconsistent this year, the strength of the order has come in the sum of its parts rather than relying on just a few guys to get the job done. The Jaguars have gotten big hits from many different guys throughout the season, and they are hoping to see that trend continue now that the stakes are raised. Dominguez has also been a big part of the offensive success, while Nick Diaz and TJ Densmore have also been reliable and consistent throughout the season.

Until a team has proven itself, none will ever make the boast that they are the ones to beat, and the Jaguars are no different. Players on this team do not carry themselves with swagger, nor do they boast like they have won anything yet. It is a group that shows its drive and passion to succeed with every bounce of the ball. They playas a group, they play with passion, and they have all the chemistry and talent of a team that can win whenever they take the field.

4. Coral Springs – The district hosts have had an up-and-down 2014 campaign. At times the Colts have been as dangerous as any club in the dance, while at other moments the team has been plagued by inconsistencies. Now Coral Springs hopes to pull everything together at just the right moment and make a run with a few upset victories.

The Colts have a nice advantage in playing on their home turf, a unique environment that has long been a great baseball venue. Coral Springs earned the majority of its victories at home this year, and the club is hoping to keep that trend going in its opening round battle against the top-ranked Eagles.

Senior lefty Mark Montalvo is the key to the club. The veteran has been a big part of their success, earning almost half of their victories while leading the squad in innings pitched and strikeouts. Also adding to the starting rotation’s success has been youngster Philip Quinn, who led the team in innings pitched and went 3-3 in his first year as a starter.

Davis Alessio has emerged to provide the most dangerous bat in the lineup. The senior outfielder led the club in extra-base hits, slugging four home runs and accounting for nearly half of the team’s power production. Colton Smith, Cody Callan and Montalvo have also been a big part of the batting order.

The Colts were upset in the opening round of the district tournament a season ago, and every since they have been chomping at the bit to get back in position to make another postseason run. Just two years removed from their last district championship, Coral Springs has a nice opportunity to celebrate another title on its home field in front of its home fans this year.

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