6A District 14 Preview

Junior lefty Tyler Lavery and the rest of the Suncoast Chargers are set to take on some new opponents this year.

A three-team district always presents a unique and challenging scenario. The team that earns the top seed automatically earns a berth into the district championship, and with that also comes a guaranteed spot in the regional playoffs. This reality shapes the whole approach differently and allows these teams to plan accordingly. Unlike in most other cases, these teams will only play one district game against each other as opposed to playing the traditional home and away contests. Those three total games will determine the approach each takes heading into the district playoffs.

“We’re looking to win the district,” said Suncoast manager Louie Siciliano. “I think that’s a positive outlook for us and we can move on from that. This gives us a lot of opportunity to really challenge our boys in the schedule by putting them up against top-notch teams when we are coming off those district games. It helps us develop, and if we are doing all the small things right in those games coming off our district games we should be very successful.”

Suncoast – Team Page
2015 Record: 14-14
Manager: Louie Siciliano
Coaching Staff: Cory Shaver, Bobby Devito, Paul Heckler, Josh Freedman, Dwayne Peavey
Key Returners: Nathaniel Brodsky, Alec Guerricabeitia, Aidan Whalen, Joseph Devine, Tyler Lavery, Jack Virden
Newcomers: Kyle Evans, Edward Mills, James Evans, Zachary Perez, Juan Alvarado, Justin Epstein, Daniel Coyle, Kevin Arsenault, Matthew Light, Dominic Bologna
Team strengths: Pitching

There is some changing of the guard this season for the Chargers. The program graduated 11 seniors who had been starters for several years together, and now it is the time for the remaining veterans like Alec Guerricabeitia and Tyler Lavery. The task is not as tough for these leaders since the players all get along so well and communicate so easily together.

“We’re a very tight team and all the players are very close,” said new manager Louie Siciliano. “We’re going to be young and scrappy, we’re going to be fast and well-disciplined. We’re going to focus on a lot of the small things executing in all the fundamentals. So we should have a successful year.”

With a new guy leading the team there is always a period of adjustments as the players adapt to the new system. Fortunately, this is a bright and intelligent group that pick things up quickly.

It’s a unique challenge for student-athletes at Suncoast, an academic school with a rigorous course load. Players mature without even realizing as they learn how to balance school and baseball, and it breeds players more responsible and more accountable for themselves.

“It gives us a good work ethic,” said junior Tyler Lavery. “It allows us to give it our all in practice and off the field in the classroom.”

*Also in District: Fort Pierce Westwood, Port St. Lucie. Reports unavailable.

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