8A-13 District Tournament Preview

Host: Flanagan

Schedule:

Tuesday April 22nd

4:00 PM (3) Everglades vs. (2) West Broward
7:00 PM (4) McArthur vs. (1) Flanagan

Thursday April 24th

7:00 PM Championship: Semifinal winners

Overview – With no disrespect to the other teams in the bracket, all signs are clearly pointing towards a showdown between West Broward and Flanagan for the district title. The two top-ranked seeds have both delivered stellar seasons in 2014, and swept the rest of the district during the regular season. It’s a nice new rivalry that has developed between the Falcons and Bobcats in recent years, and a championship meeting would be a great way to close out district play.

1. Flanagan – The Falcons have had perhaps their strongest season ever. The team’s only loss was a one-run decision in a Spring Break tournament they went on to win. Down the final stretch Flanagan beat several great teams such as Dr. Phillips, Park Vista and four-time defending state champion Archbishop McCarthy in an epic Game of the Week showdown.

“I just hope this carries over and we don’t just sit on this game. For us to go toe to toe with these guys and come out on top it feels great,” said Falcons Manager Ray Evans after beating the Mavericks. “We started with West Broward and the last five games of this season, it’s been like a gammit we’re running.”

Although the team is focused right now on winning its eleventh district title, the overall goal is to return to the state finals and chase after its fourth state championship. The Falcons have shown more than enough talent in all three facets of the game to accomplish exactly that. The team has depth, experience and a very senior-laded roster that is as hungry as any in the playoffs.

While team ace Gentry Fortuno has been his normal dominant self all year, the pitching staff has been better then ever as a whole. Senior Chris Rodriguez has stepped up to play a huge role, leading the club in ERA while picking up some big victories along the way. Karlin Sued has also been a big force on the hill, giving Flanagan plenty of arms to match up during the playoff stretch.

The offense is lethal from one to nine, as best evidenced by nine-hole hitter Miguel Presno coming up with the big double in the bottom of the seventh that ultimately led Flanagan to the victory over McCarthy. Each member of the order understands the team concept, and each has the ability to swing big, hit to location to move guys around and also the ability to lay down a bunt as needed. Oscar Rodriguez and Eric Rivera have been the top guys for average, while clean up hitter Ryan Dodge has been a big part of the power production.

The Falcons have all the signs of a team of destiny. With all the stars aligning to give them a golden opportunity to make another historic playoff run, the moment is theirs to seize and squeeze and force anyone else to try and pry it from their fingers.

2. West Broward – While he may not get the attention and recognition that he deserves, there is no doubt that Bobcats ace Michael Schappell has been one of the best pitchers in the county this season. The right-hander went deep into the season before surrendering a single earned run, finishing with an amazing 0.16 ERA. Schappell has been crucial to his team’s success, and with the playoffs now at hand his role will be as critical as ever.

“I thought it was a good secret, but unfortunately it is out now,” West Broward Manager Sergio Ambros said of his ace.

West Broward had a great 2014 campaign, going 17-4 and hanging in just about every contest it played. The two biggest blemishes both came at the hands of the top-ranked Falcons, who won both meetings by a combined score of 18-2. Now the club is hoping it can make the right adjustments should they earn the right to compete in the district championship.

The Bobcats have every right to feel confident going into the district semifinals, as they won by huge margins in both meetings with the Gators this year. Now it will be all about clamping down and making it three-in-a-row, and then shoving all the chips to the middle of the table against Flanagan.

As great as Schappell has been, the club has not had to rely solely on him to be the only one to get the job done. Christian Dearman has quietly emerged as a reliable second option, leading the club with a 7-0 record. The bullpen has been effective and also balanced, meaning it should be well-rested and ready for its turns in big games.

But for the Bobcats to get their hands on the district trophy, they will have to figure out the Falcons pitching staff. The offense was solid all year, hitting over .300 as a group, but has not been able to find much success against Flanagan yet this year. Now the hitters will lean on their big guys like Chase Hay-Eldon, Dalton Brockman, Richie Garcia and Devin Hadley to help generate a spark and start a rally.

For a young program that is still only in its sixth year of existence, The Bobcats have seen success in the playoffs, have earned the recognition of their peers, and have shown growth as an organization. They’ve learned that they can compete against most any team in the county, and they’ve established great traditions both on and off the field. Now they wish to top those great aspects off by bringing home a district championship trophy for their school and fans.

3. Everglades – The brightest spot on the year for the Gators has been the development of many of their younger guys. The team rolled out a lot of new starters in the lineup this season and despite its struggles they have slowly come along to give the program a lot to build on for the future. It is a process that is still in its earliest phases, and one with a lot of potential.

The Gators are a junior-laden team, and the majority of the biggest producers this season will all return in 2015. The offense has been led by juniors Raul Quesada, Yabel Arzano and Michael Van Ryn, while senior Enrique Perez has also been among the biggest contributors. Quesada has also emerged as the leader of the pitching staff, while fellow juniors Dominic Desisto and Juan Sanchez have been cemented the bullpen.

But playoff baseball is all about the present, not the future. Therefore the Gators will need to grow up fast and embrace the underdog role.

“It takes an awful lot of things to go right,” said Gators Manager Odibe McDowell. “You can be very good as a team and have one off day and that ends your season. The kids that have come to the program have learned the basic routine plays are the things that win ball games. My coaches have implanted this into the kids with repetition, and I think it is catching on. There is no real recipe to winning other than execution. We have consistently taught the kids if we don’t give the opponents extra opportunities then we have put ourselves in a position to win every time we take the field.”

4. McArthur – Should the Mustangs pull off an upset in the district semifinals, it would serve as the biggest win in the long history of the school. After a very trying and difficult 2014 campaign, there is very little reason to believe a monumental upset can be dialed up and delivered. McArthur would need to shake off a season of offensive and defensive woes and play the greatest game ever. But the biggest advantage they have is being able to go into the meeting with no pressure or expectations, two aspects that can make any team very dangerous.

Although wins and losses have rarely been in their favor, what McArthur has done well is play the game with class and enthusiasm. Many times teams that struggle have a hard time staying together and supporting one another. Yet for all their struggles, chemistry has been the Mustangs strongest weapon. Nowhere are there fingers being pointed, blame being doled out or excuses being made. Guys are accountable, are working hard and are giving it their all. It is simply a young and inexperienced team that still needs more time to grow together.

McArthur has a nice nucleus from which to build on, with great leaders such as catcher Brandon Frantz, Jason Alderette and freshman Aaron Ward. Frantz led the club in hitting with a .349 batting average, setting a great example of putting the ball in play by only striking out four times in 43 at bats.

Alex Schultz, Daniel Trummert and Jose Navarro have been the primary guys on the mound for McArthur. With everything on the line, the team may opt to use all three hurlers during the semifinal meeting.

The Mustangs have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and now the team must play as if their shoes are on fire to go after the monumental upset.

Leave a comment using your facebook account!