Second-Annual HSBN March Madness Shootout Coming Soon
In less than three weeks, one of the top high school baseball Spring Break tournaments in the nation will take place right here in South Florida. The Second-Annual HSBN March Madness Shootout presented by Galeo Spices will begin on Saturday, March 21st and run until champions are crowned on Thursday, March 24th. This 48-team tournament pits some of the most accomplished baseball programs in the area, including 13 former state champions and one former National Champion.
Teams will be divided into three brackets of play, the Gold, Silver and Black Brackets. Brackets will be selected based upon overall seedings, which will be announced on March 7th. The teams seeded within the top 16 will compile the Gold Bracket, the teams seeded from 17 to 32 will make up the Black Bracket and teams seeded from 33 to 48 will make up the Black Bracket.
With the tournament just weeks away, everyone is getting excited.
“We knew that if HSBN is doing it, it will be a great one,” Archbishop McCarthy manager Rich Bielski said. “If you do well in this tournament it’s a very good sign for your team.”
With such high level of play, the HSBN March Madness Shootout expects to draw all the top college and pro scouts from across the country.
“I personally want to thank HSBN for the high school tournament it is hosting in the area of South Florida,” Chicago White Sox scout Jose “Pepe” Ortega said. “It is allowing us as scouts here in the area to be able to scout the talent here locally, and is allowing the players to be able to showcase their talents. The scouts here in South Florida completely back HSBN up 100%.”
Beyond the high level of competition are many other aspects that contribute to make the HSBN March Madness Shootout unique and exciting. Each team is guaranteed to play four games in all, and every team will play on Opening Day on March 19th. Teams that are eliminated from the winners bracket will then compete in the consolation pool, and consolation pool games will be assigned by HSBN to ensure teams face some fresh competition.
Most programs have a school or two out there that they have always wished to face, and yet never got such an opportunity. The HSBN March Madness Shootout could make those games a reality.
“It’s a great idea to do it that way,” agreed Bielski. “There are always teams you want to play but just don’t have room on your schedule, especially now that we are required to play two district games. This tournament enables the chance for some old rivalry games too, and that is exciting.”
After winning their fifth state title in the past six years last season, the Mavericks have enjoyed in recent years they know they will have a target on their backs. Yet in a field as deep and talented as this one, predicting an ultimate champion seems impossible to do. It is a tournament crown so many teams can realistically strive for, and the true winners will be all those in attendance to watch the best teams in the South Florida baseball community battle their way to the title.
Here are the important details:
– Tournament will run off of tournaments.hsbn.us. All teams and rosters will be entered. Also, scores, stats, and brackets can be found here each day. An all-tournament team will be selected at the end of the event.
– The entire schedule of times and locations will be found on the Tourney Schedule Page…
– Daily schedules can be found here, as well as on your county schedule pages.
– Schedules will be updated by 11 PM each night for the next day’s action.
– Seedings and first round match-ups will be announced Monday, March 7th.
Teams:
American (2014 State Champion)
Archbishop McCarthy (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 State Champion)
Belen Jesuit
Boca Raton (1965 State Champion)
Boynton Beach
Braddock
Chaminade-Madonna
Charlotte Christian, NC (12-time State Champion)
Coral Glades
Coral Park (1978 State Champion)
Coral Reef
Coral Springs
Coral Springs Charter
Cypress Bay (2004 State Champion)
Douglas
Dr. Krop
Ferguson
Georgetown, MD
Goleman
Hialeah (2001, 2002 State Champion)
Hialeah Educational Academy
i-Mater
Keys Gater Charter
Killian
LaSalle
Mater Academy (2014 State Champion)
Mater Lakes
Miami Brito (1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2015 State Champion)
Miami Senor (1926, 1958 State Champion)
Miami Sunset
Monsignor Pace (1978, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1988, 2006 State Champion)
Mourning
Norland
Palm Beach Central
Pine Crest
Pompano Beach
Port St. Lucie
Reagan
SLAM Academy (2015 March Madness Shootout Black Bracket Champion)
South Miami (2000 State Champion)
South Plantation
St. Thomas Aquinas (1995, 2003 State Champion)
Suncoast
TERRA Institute
The Master’s Academy
Western
Western Hialeah
Westminster Academy (1999, 2000 State Champion)