8A-12 District Tournament Preview

Host: Western

Schedule:

Tuesday April 22nd

3:45 PM (4) South Plantation vs. (1) Cooper City
6:30 PM (3) Western vs. (2) Cypress Bay

Thursday April 24th

6:30 Championship: Semifinal winners

Full Stats for 8A-12 can be found on the 8A-12 Stats Page!

Overview – This is a very intriguing bracket, one that features four worthy teams that are all capable of winning big games and making a run for the district title. It was a competitive district during the season, one in which most games typically came right down to the wire. After realignment brought an unlikely group together, the teams have quickly built new rivalries against one another to add to some of the exciting existing rivalries already established. Most of the players on these teams know one another well, and it only works to add more excitement on the field in facing opponents in which each side knows the other’s strengths and weaknesses inside and out.

“In this district it’s going to be all about who gets hot at the end,” said Western Manager Paul Barnes. “No one is really out there smashing 15-20 runs a game, so pitching and defense will be the most important.”

Since each of these four clubs actually finished the year playing well, it sets up for a very exciting slate of payoff games to look forward to.

1. Cooper City – 2014 has been a good year for the Cowboys. Under second-year Manager Wayne Stofsky the club has come together to play great baseball against very tough competition, and is a battle-tested team that has truly earned its top seed. The team has showcased the type of formula that generally leads to championships, with strong pitching and great defense to compliment timely hitting.

Every loss that Cooper City took was against a team that is also contending in their respective district, and the Cowboys have rebounded from each defeat and have only lost consecutive games once all season. While many of the county’s most recognized programs have lived up to their reputations Cooper City has been able to quietly fly under the radar the entire time. Now in a great position to make some noise in the postseason, the Cowboys have a strong likelihood of doing just that.

Cooper City was very tough at home, going a perfect 11-0 on their home turf. Although the district tournament is hosted at Western High, the fact that the team will always have the luxury of the final at bats should provide comfort and familiarity for what has worked to make them so tough at home.

Pitching has been the strength of the club. The team has enjoyed a lot of depth and versatility, which has allowed it to put a lot of guys into pressure situations. Now the Cowboys are hoping that experience can pay off when it matters most.

Johnny Haney has been the leader of the rotation, going 6-0 with a 1.28 ERA in just over 38 innings. The left-hander also led the team with 31 strikeouts, although their formula has focused more on pitching to contact and relying on the defense to get the job done just like they have all the way through. Joey Cutrone and Luis Maldonado have both added valuable starts to give the staff great depth for the playoffs, while Chris Diaz has been excellent to lead the relievers.

The offense has also gotten the job done. The Cowboys batted well over .300 as a unit, and they averaged nearly seven runs per game. Leading the way has been slugger Philip Tomasulo, who has emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the county. Tomasulo led the club with five home runs, a .516 batting average, 25 RBIs and 33 total hits.

The lineup is very deep, as many role players also did their part to compliment the great production from the regulars. Quest Hopler, Nichols Saltare, Cole Kantor and Brett Marks have all been consistent throughout, while Ethan Kraus, Tyson Burch and Angel Almonte all came up big with their limited opportunities.

The Cowboys are a team that has shown they have the right pieces for a playoff run. On top of this they can also use motivation in knowing that they may not have gotten the sort of recognition they might deserve for the season they have put in. Now is their chance to prove what they are capable of.

2. Cypress Bay – Heading into the season the Lightning had a lot of question marks about their young and relatively inexperienced pitching staff. With the few veterans on the staff all banged up and working back form injury, the team turned to a lot of young unproven guys to weather the storm while the staff molded into form. The staff responded to put in a solid regular-season campaign.

Cypress Bay has a ton of talent and experience on the offense and defense, and with the pitching also getting the job done the club has rounded out perfectly according to design. The Lightning went to the regional semifinals last year, and with all the pieces in place the club has the capability to go even further this season.

Even despite their potential, the Lightning could see it all end before it begins if they do not take care of business against rival Western. The club lost both meetings to their longtime rivals this year, and should have plenty of motivation heading into this crucial match up.

While the pitching has given them a big boost, there is no mistaking that senior shortstop Danny Cepeda is the heart and soul of this ball club. The three-year starter had a stellar 2014 season, hitting .522 on 36-of-69 batting, and also posted a team-high 26 runs, 15 RBIs and five home runs. Cepeda added a .903 fielding percentage to anchor the defense.

As a unit Cypress Bay had a very strong showing at the plate. The team hit .323 overall, and Tommy Quintero, Alex Valladeres and Enzo Clemente all recorded at least 20 hits, and all three posted 14 RBIs. Devin Ramirez and Raul Quintero also supplied important contributions.

Now healthy and built up according to the game plan, the Lightning has a pitching staff as capable as any. Starters Luis Sucre and Alex Rodriguez combined for nine of the team’s victories, while closer Ben Fits has been superb out of the bullpen with nine saves and a 0.60 ERA in 15 appearances.

Cypress Bay and Western have always put on a show whenever they play one another, and now they will meet yet again for all the playoff marbles.

3. Western – The Wildcats had a tough regular season, as consistency was something they struggled to attain all year long. Fortunately for Western the club still managed to save their best games for their district, and that paid off to put them back into the district tournament after missing out a season ago.

Not only are the Wildcats in the district dance, they are in a good position to make some noise there. The team is hosting the tournament and will therefore have the luxury of playing on its home turf in front of its home fans. The Wildcats also go into the semifinal meeting against their rival Lightning having won both regular-season meetings. They know they can beat Cypress Bay, and now it will be simply about making it happen.

Even though it is a senior-laded roster, it has been the addition of a talented young sophomore who has provided the biggest spark for the team. Center fielder Brannigan Hart burst onto the scene this year, finishing tops on the club in hitting and also providing their biggest highlight of the year when he delivered the winning hit in a walk-off home victory over the Lightning.

Western has performed best when it mattered most, which should give the club confidence and enthusiasm to take with them into the postseason. When the Wildcats needed a district win over Piper to clinch a playoff spot, the club delivered another of their biggest games of the year. Sophomore David Flores was the hero in that contest by slugging two home runs, one of which was a grand slam, to lead the way to that crucial victory.

Flores has also been a part of the team’s youth movement, leading the team in RBIs. Hart led the offense in hits and runs scored, while senior Anthony DiFabio was also a big part of the batting order by hitting in nearly every game throughout the year.

Pitching helped to offset the inconsistent offense. Western used a total of 11 hurlers on the mound this year, mixing and matching in situations and playing match ups to their favor. This approach helped get experience for each of their arms, and also worked to keep everybody fresh for the stretch run at the end.

Trent Massaro and Alex Artaza have been the main starters in the rotation, and Massaro found the most success in posting a team-leading 41 strikeouts and a 1.58 ERA. Ian Romano, Richard Medina and Arniel Abreu have been the primary middle relievers to work at getting the ball into the hands of closer Austin Brooks. Brooks went 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA, striking out 14 in 11 total innings over six relief appearances.

The Wildcats were devastated to miss the postseason last year after closing the 2013 season on a very strong note. Now the club has a great chance to play its best of the season in front of its home fans against its biggest rivals. It’s all any baseball team could ask for, and a victory would put the Wildcats into the championship game and back into the regional playoffs.

4. South Plantation – There is no question that the Paladins have faced a lion’s share of adversity this year. The club lost its coaching staff at the start of the season, weathered through some tough injuries and also saw some key players choose to leave the program. The most positive result of all these trials has been that the remaining players have shown both character and grit to stay the course and put their club into position to chase after a district title.

Although South Plantation has the toughest path to a title, it is a scenario that they are more than familiar with after enduring such a tough road throughout the entire regular season. To pull off some upsets and win a district title would be a great reward for a team that rallied together this year rather than falling apart under such tough circumstances.

Manager Ryan Manuell returned to the baseball diamond to take the reins for the team, and as the year unfolded the Paladins have slowly molded into form. The team went 3-2 down the stretch to account for half of its wins this season, and with that should have some momentum heading into the playoffs.

Youth has been a big part of the team’s evolution this year. After so much turnover shook up the roster, Manuell took the chance to bring some young guys along and build the foundation for the future. Freshman Dylan Arnett and junior converted-infielder Andrew Huegele have stepped up to lead the pitching staff. Huegele made three starts on the year, went the distance each time and earned the win in all three contests. Two of those wins were in district play, and that was the difference that put South Plantation into the district tournament.

Nick Gado and Rhys Friedman have supplanted themselves as key pieces of the bullpen. Friedman led the staff with a 0.78 ERA, and veteran reliever Mike Mele also played his part by leading the team with 19 strikeouts in 15 innings of work.

Meanwhile juniors Aaron Sigal and Steven Seager emerged to pace the offense. Seager led the team with a .318 batting average, while Sigal hit .280 and led the Paladins in RBIs.

The keys to South Plantation’s success have not been through individual accolades, but rather through team execution. With a depleted roster affecting their depth, the Paladins have squeezed the very most out of every man on the roster. Now they will look to rally together and make a spirited charge as they look to upset the top-seeded Cowboys and chase after the district championship.

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