Fagler scores after HR vs Crest on Saturday.

We started things off with the opening game at Lennard High, where Plant and Strawberry Crest battled into extra-innings behind excellent starts on the mound from Connor Scott for the Panthers, and Brent May for the Chargers. The game seemed to swing dramatically in the Chargers favor in the top of the eighth as Benny Pues cranked a two-run home run to left to break a scoreless draw. However, the Panthers (an eventual semifinalist) didn’t go away as senior Brock Fagler ended the game in a big way with his own three-run shot to left to walk off a 3-2 win. Read our coverage of Plant thrilling win by clicking here.

There was a speed showcase from Leto, setting a single-game record for stolen bases against Chamberlain with 13, and finishing the tournament with 25 as a team. The Falcons claimed the wild card slot allowing just three runs in the pool-play round.Brooks-DeBartolo got nice hitting from Logan Eade (5-for-11, two doubles and four runs scored) and Ryan Martin (4-for-9, with three RBI and two runs scored) to pick up two wins in pool play over TBT and Robinson. The pair of wins stopped a seven-game skid and has to be a big lift as the Phoenix continue on with the season.

Franco Aleman, Alonso

Alonso senior Franco Aleman continued his shutout streak on the year picking up dominating wins over Gaither (13 strikeouts) and Plant (six strikeouts). Perhaps more impressive is that the 6-foot-6, senior and Florida International commit has issued only three walks through the first 85 batters he’s faced on the year. He earned All-Tournament pitching honors and was also named the first recipient of the West Coast Umpires Association Jose D. Fernandez Pitching Award, named in honor of the late Ravens standout and Major League Baseball NL Rookie of the Year. To read about Franco’s 13-K, win over Gaither click here.

Wharton’s Zach Ehrhard scores against Sickles. (Photo by Will Turner, for 813Preps)

Wharton went 2-1 in pool-play and didn’t advance due to the runs allowed tie-breaker. But the Wildcats offense did all it could trying to lead the way to the knockout rounds. Wharton hitters posted a team .461 average through the three games. Led by All-Tourney selection Leo Alfonzo (read about Leo on the All-Tourney team below), Brian Baughman (7-for-10, four RBI), Zach Ehrhard (read about Zach in our hitting feature below), and Grady Maguire (4-for-9, six runs) the Wildcats put a hurting on opposing pitchers from Newsome, Sickles and Spoto. Read about the Wildcats win against tournament quarterfinalist Sickles by clicking here.

Sometimes the highest drama during pool-play happens with one of the teams standing outside of the fence. This year, Alonso had almost been written off (with three teams destined to be 2-1 to end pool-play on Wednesday) with Gaither in dominating control over Durant and eyeing a quarterfinal berth the next day. However, the Cougars had something left in the tank and played spoiler scoring three runs in the final inning of an 8-3, Gaither win and pushed the Cowboys runs-allowed total above Alonso and pushed the Ravens to quarterfinal play. Tough to get a solid team win, and have it seem a little hollow, we hope to see it light a fire for Gaither, as a battle with tournament champs King and quarterfinalist Leto in an exciting Class 7A-District 8 action, will be exciting the rest of the season. Read about Gaithers win against Durant by clicking here.

Pitching

Pitching was at a premium in the tournament where the finalists had to play six games in seven days, but a few stuck out for us:

Myles Caba, Bloomingdale – The junior lefty tossed a two-hit shutout for the Bulls in a victory over Freedom during pool-play, while striking out six.

Tyler Misla, Riverview – The Sharks sophomore made two, four-inning relief appearances, each time striking out seven and earning a win against Hillsborough in pool-play.

Wildiomar Roman-Morales, Brandon – Worked in two games for the Eagles striking out 11 batters, allowing just one run on five hits in six innings of work.

Sickles P Jordan Montes

Jordan Montes, Sickles – Was 1-1 in the tournament in two relief appearances, but his win came in a big spot entering against Bloomingdale with runners aboard early in the Saladino quarterfinal game and finishing the game with five strikeouts and allowing two unearned runs.

 

Matt Byars, Durant – His start and win over Alonso created high drama during pool-play. Byars worked five innings, allowing one run and striking out nine.

Josh Keding, King – The tournament MVP went to King’s Addison Barger, who scored at will all week and got a big, game-ending punch out to defeat Alonso in the final. But it was Keding, who did most of the heavy lifting on the mound for the Lions. Entering in relief and making his first pitching appearance of the season, Keding worked six innings on the mound allowing one earned run and striking out five, as King scratched back twice to defeat the Ravens.Hitting

King 3B Zarrian Brinson settles under a pop fly at Brandon High.

Zarrian Brinson and Keyon Floyd, King – The Lions corner infielders were a big part of an impressive offensive output this week.

Floyd, King’s senior first baseman, went 7-for-24, with a triple three RBI and four runs scored; while Brinson, a junior, drove in five runs and scored four for the Lions.


Zach Ehrhard, Wharton – The Wildcats freshman had some big Saladino shoes to fill, as his father Rodney was an All-Tournament selection in 1983 for Plant City, and his older brother Drew earned the County’s top baseball award – the Tony Saladino Award – in 2017 after helping the Wildcats reach the Class 8A region finals. He lived up to the challenge at the plate going 6-for-8 in Wharton’s three games, with four RBI and four runs scored.

Jackson Hobbs, Bloomingdale – The Bulls sophomore had a nice tournament going 7-for-13, with five RBI and helping his team win its pool.

Jon Santos, Leto – The speedy senior tied a tournament, single-game record with five against Chamberlain in pool-play and ended the Falcons four games with nine total swiped bags. He added five hits and five runs scored as well on the week.

Leto’s Jon Santos tied a tournament record with five stolen bases against Chamberlain.

Josh Costlow, Newsome – The Wolves senior outfielder was 6-for-10, with a double, five RBI, four runs scored and three stolen bases for Newsome, which went 2-1 in pool play.

Bryce Hazzard, Bloomingdale

Bryce Hazzard, Bloomingdale – A leadoff hoe run against Freedom highlighted a solid hitting performance from the Bulls senior this week as he was 6-for-14, with a pair of doubles, four RBI and three runs scored.

The baseball excitement on the field during this tournament is amazing, but the Saladino Tournament is so much more. It’s community and history. It’s family and tradition. From the old-timey baseball songs between innings at the host site Brandon, to the hot dogs, boiled peanuts and if your lucky, the treats and meals under the hospitality tent that carries on the traditions started by tournament founder and everybody’s team “Mom”, the beloved Bertha Saladino.

You see old friends and make new ones. Many players represented their teams and their family legacy, like Bloomingdale catcher Jake Gilbert, whose father Randall played in the Saladino Tournament, playing with Nico Saladino, the grandson of tournament founders Bertha and Tony Saladino – each continuing a long legacy of father-son playing stories for the event.

Anthem singer PJ Nunez

The sites and sounds of baseball are awesome, but so are the traditions like the ceremonial first pitch and the performances of the National Anthem. Some good work from some area youngsters on the Star Spangled Banner, along with some great renditions by Kat Langford, and of course my favorite, PJ Nunez prior to Friday’s championship final. That’s a tough song and these people knocked it out of the park.

And as a member of the ceremonial first pitch tradition (I think back in 2010), I always love seeing those things. There were quite a few arms out there that should have turned some heads, but there were five favorites for me from out at Brandon this year.

First, the emotional – Dori Reed Blanc: The Tampa baseball community lost a legend in December when longtime baseball and football coach Billy Reed passed away. Coach Reed was a talented three-sport athlete at Middleton and Florida A&M, before returning home to be an educator and coach first at Middleton, then spending a number of successful years at Hillsborough High leading the Terriers, whose field is named after Coach Reed. Mrs. Blanc was joined by a number of family members and honored her father with a great first pitch.

The out-of-town guest – Jeff Idelson: The tournament’s opening day play at Brandon had a little bit of history, or perhaps more to the point a keeper of baseballs history, as National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson spent the afternoon with tournament founder Tony Saladino. Idelson has served as the president of the Hall of Fame since 2008 and joined the long list of baseball bigwigs to have a Saladino toss.

The local media representative- Jay Recher: Look I’m not gong to pretend I gunned it in there and dazzled the scouts in attendance when I tossed my first pitch out back in the day. In fact, there is a former Wharton catcher out there that I still owe a steak dinner for bailing me out right at the plate, but I’ve seen some really terrible media first pitches at this tournament. Sadly, for my love of giving him the business, I can’t do that for my buddy and friend of the site – 620WDAE’s Jay Recher. The former Freedom High assistant coach and Long Island, NY native zinged in a first pitch that was impressive and may just have caught enough of the outside black to be called a strike.

Alonso alum and Detroit Tigers prospect Alex Faedo (Photo by Jason Behnken)

The former player – Alex Faedo – Alonso alum and star of last season’s University of Florida National Championship baseball team, Alex Faedo tossed out the first pitch prior to the championship.

Faedo, who was named the College World Series MVP last year, was a first-round selection by the Detroit Tigers last season and is participating in Spring Training with the Tigers in Lakeland.

Faedo came with a steady toss to the waiting catcher, but drew an audible “awe” from crowd, which hoped to see a little of the flame from the young Tigers prospect. But hey, it sounds like Alex will be starting the season off in Lakeland in high Class A this season, so everyone will have a chance to drive under an hour to see him. Good luck this year, Alex.

 

Bruce Burnham (Photo by J. Guthrie)

The “Mayor” – Bruce Burnham: Probably my favorite was a first pitch from the “Mayor of Armwood”, Bruce Burnham. Lovingly known as Mr. B by his students and Armwood’s student-athletes, Burnham was a longtime history teacher at Armwood, who retired from the classroom a few years ago, but has been the Hawks football announcer since 2002.

Each game he asks a trivia question and promises loudly over the microphone to make the winner “famous in Seffner.”

Burnham still speaks to a number of schools’ students each year about his experiences as a Vietnam War veteran, and now spends more time with his wonderful wife, Pam. He has been the voice of another team of Hawks – the HCC baseball team – for the last three seasons.

Lastly, and most importantly, this tournament could not survive without the tireless dedication of a huge number of volunteers. From the year-round efforts in fundraising and planning that go into the week-long event, to the setting up of the tournament, picking up of food and supplies, to the hours and hours of service during the week. These people have dedicated themselves for years to make this tournament enjoyable for everyone who steps through the gate – and as a longtime writer and fan I say a heartfelt, “thank you.”

The Lions senior scored 10 runs, including the eventual championship winner, while hitting .364 with six RBI. Barger then came to the mound in a tough situation to work out of a bases loaded jam with a strikeout to close the game out against Alonso. The outing on the mound was Barger’s first pitching experience in more than two years.

Barger on his Saladino Tournament experience: “I think Hillsborough County is the best county in the state for baseball, so winning this tournament is huge for us. We are so close, we do everything together and to win this I recognize what that means to me and to us as a team.”