Bloomingdale’s Navas-Hoyer spins Saladino Final shutout
Saladino Tournament Co-MVP Javier Navas-Hoyer pitched 6 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing one hit and striking out a dozen.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
Photos by Mike Camunas, Creative Director
TAMPA – It turned out the only thing getting the better of Bloomingdale junior Javier Navas-Hoyer in Thursday’s Saladino Tournament Gold Division championship, was the FHSAA pitch-count rules. The righty was flat-out dominant in his 6 2/3 innings of work against Strawberry Crest, limiting the Chargers to one hit, three walks and one hit batter while striking out 12 as the Bulls won the tourney title 3-0 at the University of Tampa.
Game. Face. Up there – Bloomingdale head coach Kris Wilken.
Down there – Strawberry Crest head coach Eric Beattie.
In the Bulls last game before the tournament got underway, Navas-Hoyer set his then-personal best strikeout total with 10 in a complete game 3-1 win against Robinson last Thursday. The start late in the week and delivering 100 pitches, meant the junior was unavailable until Tuesday, and he admitted to some disappointment when Bulls coach Kris Wilken opted for Luke Long to start in Wednesday’s semifinal win.
Mike Camunas’ gallery of shots from this game are incredible. Don’t believe me? Click here.
Those feelings though were a distant memory after his replacement Vaughn Osting fired in strike three and sealed the tournament crown.
“I remember yesterday being kind of bummed out that I wasn’t pitching against Carrollwood Day,” Navas-Hoyer said. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything now.”
An artful performance, indeed: with the Straz Center serving as back drop for the beautiful setting for Thursday night’s Saladino Championship at the University of Tampa Baseball stadium.
His performance, which included striking out the side in two innings and carrying a perfect game through four. A dominating showing, which earned the Bulls junior Tournament Co-Most Valuable Player honors to go along with the championship glory.
“It’s huge playing in this (tournament) every year,” he said. “We were just talking about it the other day, this is massive for the culture we have here. It shows that this (team) is real … even if we lose a game or two like we did (against Jefferson) in the tournament, we’ve shown we can come out and beat whoever.”
Wilken was impressed beyond description with his starters performance.
“I don’t know what to say about Javi’s performance tonight,” he said. “What do you say about one hit? What, 12 strikeouts? Honestly, we knew (Strawberry Crest) was the best-hitting offense we are going to see all year, so for him to step up like that against them was really remarkable.”
Strawberry Crest senior Chase Conti.
Sharing the Co-MVP honors was Navas-Hoyer’s counterpart on the mound for the Chargers, senior Chase Conti (seven innings pitched). Offensively, Conti proved the toughest out in town, going 10-for-15 at the plate in the Saladino, with one home run, 15 RBI and six runs scored.
Chase Conti attempts to stretch a ball to the fence in center to a triple.
But Bulls RF Luke Long started a relay, through 2B AJ Cruz to 3B Isaiah Perez for the out.
Conti struck out four in his loss on the mound, but broke up the perfect game with a double – his SIXTH of the tourney – to lead off the fifth. However, the relief of that moment was dimmed by Long in right, who collected the ball near the wall and fired a relay throw into second baseman AJ Cruz, who. in-turn fired to Isaiah Perez to catch Conti attempting to stretch his hit to a triple.
A Reuben Vasquez walk put another runner on immediately, but senior captain Vinny Dinzeo Jr. fired a dart to second to catch the would-be base stealer.
“Throwing that guy out at third was huge,” Navas-Hoyer said. “Vinny catching that guy the same inning – I needed that. It bailed me out.”
Bulls senior leadoff hitter Vinny Dinzeo Jr. is fired up after opening the game with a double.
Bloomingdale (13-3) took very little time to provide support, when Dinzeo hit a double to center to lead off the game and a few batters later, his catcher’s speed-up runner Jack Grant scored when Osting hit a ground-rule double center.
“It was a big opportunity, big crowd – I just wanted to stay relaxed as much as I possibly can,” Osting said. “I think the most relaxed player in the moment, wins. And that was all I was thinking.”
Vaughn Osting sends a double to center driving in the Bulls first run.
Cruz’s second double of the game started the fifth, and scored when Braxton Wilken lined an RBI single to right to build up some insurance. One inning later, Perez added his ninth RBI of the tournament driving in Mason Johnson (who reached on a single) for the game’s final run.
AJ Cruz knowing he’s about to put a run on the board with Braxton Wilken’s RBI single.
Navas-Hoyer returned to the mound to attempt to close out what he started, and though his leadoff free pass was erased on a double-play, he’d reached 106 pitches and had to come out.
“A little later I got into some positions I didn’t want to, but what really helped me through it was just really trusting my team,” Navas-Hoyer said. “I knew the guys behind me had my back no matter what.”
Energized by what Navas-Hoyer produced, Osting in relief was focused to draw a quick close to his longtime teammate’s win.
“I’ve played with the kid since I was nine,” Osting said, “and that’s the best I’ve ever seen him. … That was special out there tonight.”
Strawberry Crest rightfielder Matt Hall.
Just as the Bulls had done in the fifth, Strawberry Crest got an out at third as Perez attempted to stretch a double, with leftfielder Dylan Knight firing a throw into third baseman Yusvanny Parra.
Chargers 3B Yusvanny Parra drops a tag down in front of Isaiah Perez for an out.
Both rightfielders, Crest’s Matt Hall and Long for the Bulls, made great defensive plays for outs in the game, and Chargers catcher Toby Highsmith caught a runner of his own trying to swipe second.
The Saladino Title is the fourth in Bloomingdale history (including back-to-back crowns in the mid-1990s), and the second under Wilken’s guidance (last winning in 2013).
Even leaving the field after 106 pitches and 12 strikeouts, Bulls starter Javier Navas-Hoyer still has some fire to pass along to his replacement Vaughn Osting. Osting would get strike-three looking to end the game.
The 2021 state champion coach was thrilled with adding another Saladino title, but with this current Bulls squad, Wilken isn’t ready to be satisfied just yet.
“There is always stuff to chase as a coach,” Wilken said. “This group that I’m coaching right now is special. I’m just pushing them to keep working. We’ve got a long way to go.
“They play with a lot of heart and chemistry, and they have a chance to do some really cool things the rest of the way out.”
⚾
Bloomingdale 3
Strawberry Crest 0
B 100|001|1 – |3|7|0
B 000|000|0 – |0|1|0
W – Navas-Hoyer (4-0); L – Conti (2-1); S – Osting (2)
2B – Dinzeo, Osting, Cruz 2, Perez (B); Conti (S). Records – S (12-4); B (13-3).
