3A-13 District Tournament Preview

Host: John Carroll @ Lawnwood Baseball Complex

Schedule:

Tuesday, April 21st

6:30 PM John Carroll (3) vs. Melbourne Central Catholic (2)

6:30 PM Florida Air Academy (4) vs. Benjamin (1)

Championship:

Thursday, April 23rd

6:30 PM Semifinal winners

Overview – Benjamin has itself in prime position to make this a special season. The club has knocked at the door several times before, but now it has an excellent chance to make that playoff run finally happen. Such a path starts with a district championship, which would not just add a trophy to the case but also earn a home game in the regional opener.

The Bucs have taken care of business all year in games they should win, and therefore should handle Florida Air Academy. Who the team would face next is the most intriguing aspect of this district.

1. Benjamin – This could be the best Benjamin baseball has ever had to offer. A few seasons ago the club rattled off records just as successful, but the caliber of talent that this year’s group has defeated is vastly improved from those days. Not only has Benjamin been in every game this season, the club has some quality wins over teams such as Archbishop McCarthy, Jensen Beach, American Heritage-Delray and Trinity Christian.

This group is not about to start celebrating anything just yet. The real season is just now getting under way, and the Bucs know that all they have done up to this point means very little if they cannot put it together now. This club is still chasing a district championship, a home game in the regional playoffs, and a deep run in the playoffs.

This could be the year, though.

“I like our chances,” Bucs Manager Brian Kaplan said. “This is one of the more well-rounded teams I’ve coached. We have had years where we were really dominant on the mound and years where we were really good at the plate, but this is a team that is very well rounded. It will be tough to find a weakness.”

The team is deep on the mound with Matt Ellmyer, Kris Armstrong and Zach Zientarski all having fantastic seasons. Pitching wins championships, and Benjamin has the guys that can make it happen.

Zientarski has been equally important to the club’s offense, along with sluggers Isaiah Thomas and Baylen Sparks. The club hit over .300 for the season and has a lot of experienced hitters that hit behind one another very well.

“I think we are capable of going pretty far,” Sparks said. “A district championship would be nice but I want to see us make it past regionals. I think we are very capable of doing that.”

2. Melbourne Central Catholic – The Hustlers struggled against top-seeded Benjamin this season, but swept the other two district opponents with ease. Under longtime Manager Tom Dooley this club continues to live up the reputation as one that gets stronger down the stretch. Melbourne Central Catholic won eight in a row following a loss to Benjamin in mid-March.

There are still five members of this team that were part of its state championship group from two years ago. This includes junior Mark Potter, Will Erdman and Austin Nickle, as well as seniors Keaton Cederstrom and Alex Carpenter. The experience is there, as well as the confidence from winning big games in the past.

3. John Carroll – The Rams have a realistic chance to win in the semifinals and advance, thanks to ace Chase Solesky. Solesky is one of the top arms around and can pitch the club to victory, which would advance John Carroll into the district championship where it would likely face Benjamin for the title.

Senior Harrison Stacy is the club’s second option on the mound. The veteran hurler posted solid numbers in his final high school campaign and could be pitching in the game of his life if his team can first pull off the upset over the Hustlers.

John Carroll has a veteran lineup as well, led by senior Jarret o’Leary, who has hit in nearly every game this season. Joey Napolitano and Kohl Gilmore also lead the Rams batters.

4. Florida Air Academy – The Falcons have struggled all season long, and have a very tough task at hand against the top-seeded Bucs. Benjamin won both meetings by a combined score of 22-6 this season. A Falcons win here would be an enormous upset.

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