1. Bloomingdale (19-3)

Bloomingdale junior Isaiah Perez

Last Week: Win, 8-1 v Spoto; Win, 8-0 at Armwood; Win, 10-0 v Leto
The Bulls ran its current win streak up to nine with a trio of dubs last week, but business picks up considerably closing out the regular season with a trip down Lithia Pinecrest this week to face Newsome on Tuesday and a home game against Sickles on Friday. The Bulls pitching staff continued its dominance last week, with its three starters holding things down with no runs allowed across 14 1/3 innings and just six hits. Izzy Perez upped his team RBI lead to 16 with three against Armwood, John Ferger went 4-for-6 with a homer three RBI and two runs in two starts, and Brady Kappaz hit a three-run home run against Leto.
This Week: at Newsome (Tues); vs Sickles (Fri)

2. Gaither (16-7)

Gaither junior RHP Noah Locklear

Last Week: Win, 10-7 v Plant; Win, 6-3 v Sickles; Win, 2-0 at Freedom
Can’t remember if we’ve had an eight-spot jump on this list, but hard to deny who the hottest team in the county last week was, as Jimmy Johnson once quipped, “How ‘bout them Cowboys?” Eight different pitchers combined in the three wins last week – four of those making multiple appearances including TWO relief wins for Noah Locklear (3.1ip, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K) against Plant and Sickles. David Pina went 5-for-11 with a homer against Sickles and two huge defensive plays, gave Gaither the lead with an RBI single against Plant and had a pair of doubles in the win against Freedom; Jackson Mirza drove in five, had a double and triple on the week, and earned two saves pitching a combined 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out four; and Eddy Rojo had a hit and RBI in each game going 4-for-9 with three runs. The Cowboys run it back against Sickles on the road on Tuesday and host Strawberry Crest on Wednesday to close the regular season.
This Week: at Sickles (Tues); v Strawberry Crest (Thurs)

3. Jefferson (15-6)

Jefferson senior RHP Ja’Marques Benton

Last Week: Win, 10-1 at Robinson; Win, 5-2 v Wharton; Win, 9-5 at King
If three wins jumps Gaither eight, then fair is fair – how ‘bout them J-Boys? Aside from dropping a pair of games to those Cowboys, the Dragons have won nine of the last 11, and five-straight. Senior Ja’Marques Benton pitched a complete game against Robinson, striking out three and allowing one run, then capped the week with two doubles and three RBI against King; junior Ethan Savinon gave up two first-inning runs to Wharton, then settled in for five more scoreless innings as Jefferson pulled away and had a triple and two RBI on the week; junior Logan Galban struck out eight against King, holding the Lions to one earned run in five innings; and senior Nate Brewer was 5-for-11, scored three runs and drove in one.
This Week: at Leto (Tues)

4. Wharton (18-4)

Wharton senior 2B Justis Meadows

Last Week: Win, 2-0 v Strawberry Crest; Loss, 5-2 at Jefferson; Win, 5-2 at Indian Rocks Christian
Daniel Duno sun six shutout innings, striking out six as the Wildcats topped Strawberry Crest to open last week; Wharton struggled against Jefferson’s Ethan Savinon in a loss; but then closed out the week with an extra-inning win at IRC. Senior Drew Cobb made a key diving catch-and-throw double play from right field in the first inning against the Chargers, then drove in the deciding run in the bottom half of the inning, and his RBI sac fly in the eighth of the game at Indian Rocks gave the Wildcats the lead for good in the week’s closing win. Lucas Sauer struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings against the Eagles, allowing no earned runs; and Justis Meadows scored two against IRC, walking once and being hit by a pitch but was hitless – snapping an incredible 17-game hit streak. The Wildcats senior is hitting .425, with 10 doubles, three homers, 29 RBI and 26 runs scored.
This Week: v Hillsborough (Tues); at Alonso (Thurs)

5. Strawberry Crest (17-5)

Strawberry Crest C Toby Highsmith

Last Week: Loss, 2-0 at Wharton; Win, 3-2 v Alonso
The Chargers offense struggled to find its footing in its Week 8 opener at Wharton and only managed three hits in support of senior Chase Conti, who allowed just one earned run across six innings of work. But Crest was able to shake off an early deficit of two-unearned runs at home against Alonso, scoring three in the fourth and Brisen Tweedy finished off the Ravens with a complete game effort and eight strikeouts. Tweedy also doubled and scored in the win, Conti was 2-for-2 with a run, and Toby Highsmith and Tripp House singled in runs.
This Week: at Freedom (Tues); at Gaither (Wed)

6. Sickles (16-6)

Last Week: Win, 17-2 v Blake; Loss, 6-3 at Gaither
Sickles took care of Blake on senior night in four innings, but saw a pair of errors haunt them against the Cowboys as Gaither snapped the Gryphons on-field win streak in the rivalry dating back to 2017. Senior Jordan Yost went 2-for-4, with an RBI double, two runs scored and a stolen base – those two hits putting the four-year varsity member over 100 for his career. The Gryphons are hardly easing into the district tournament with a tough three-game slate starting tonight at the Spring Training home of the Toronto Blue Jays to face Dunedin, then a rematch with Gaither at home, and a trip to top-ranked Bloomingdale on Friday.
This Week: v Dunedin at TD Ballpark (Mon); v Gaither (Tues); at Bloomingdale (Fri)

7. Plant (16-6)

Plant 2B Brody Vermette

Last Week: Loss, 10-7 at Gaither; Win, 4-0 at Jesuit; Win, 12-2 v Riverview
A six-run inning against Gaither erased a Panthers lead sparked in-part by a two-run Danny Cerelli home run, as Plant fell in its first game of the week. However, the Panthers would regroup behind a complete-game, shutout performance from Nick Townley (6 H, 1 BB, 2 K) at Jesuit; and get multi-hit games from Jordan Olivia (HR, 4 RBI), Cash Strayer (2 R) and Brody Vermette (2 R, RBI) in a lopsided win against Riverview to close out the week. Cerelli was 6-for-9, with 4 RBI, 2 runs, a homer and a double last week.
This Week: at Robinson (Tues); at Durant (Thurs)

8. Tampa Catholic (17-5)

Tampa Catholic senior SS Cal Johnson

Last Week: Loss, 4-3 v Hamilton (Ohio) Badin; Win, 10-1 Sarasota Cardinal Mooney
In a mix of long-balls and small-ball, Tampa Catholic narrowly fell to Ohio’s Badin to start the week. Cal Johnson homered, Jose Carrero doubled twice and scored a run, and Jack Smythe had an RBI in the loss. But the Crusaders got back in the win column with a decisive victory against Cardinal Mooney with Smythe going 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs and Johnson going yard for the second straight game, all supporting six innins from Dominic Woodward (0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K).
This Week: v Glasgow (Ky) Barren County (Mon); v Cambridge Christian (Tues); at Calvary Christian (Thurs)

9. Newsome (16-5)

Newsome junior Ocean Cozart

Last Week: Loss, 6-5 at East Bay; Loss, 2-1 at King
Newsome saw a five-run first-inning lead erased and fell in nine innings on the road at East Bay and dropped another one-run decision at King in a tough week for the previously No. 2 ranked Wolves. Ocean Cozart hit an RBI double to start the Newsome scoring at East Bay last Tuesday, then Evan Plusquellic singled in one and Kaden Aguiar tripled the bases clear, but the Indians chipped away at the lead, tied it in the bottom of the seventh and won on a groundball in the ninth. On Thursday at King, an error and then a dropped third strike spoiled a nine-strikeout performance for JP Glassford giving Lions pitchers Owen Leever (Win) and Caden Harrier (Save) all they’d need to close out the Wolves, 2-1. Newsome has rival Bloomingdale at home on Tuesday and a visit from TBT to close the regular season.
This Week: v Bloomingdale (Tues); v Tampa Bay Tech (Thurs)

10. Jesuit (15-8)

Jesuit sophomore Bryce Besece

Last Week: Win, 3-1 v Hamilton (Ohio) Badin; Loss, 7-2 v IMG Academy; Loss, 4-0 v Jesuit
Kaden Waechter (RBI single) and Robby Santana (RBI sac fly) put the Tigers up early against Ohio’s Badin and Wilson Andersen took things from there, striking out seven across six innings to earn the win before Keane Hyer locked down the save. But the Tigers dropped the next two home games on the week, falling to IMG and Plant as the offense has gone a little quiet. Bryce Besece drove in both runs for the Tigers against IMG (RBI sac fly, RBI single). Jesuit will be without the bat and defensive skills of standout CF Cannon Murtagh who has undergone wrist surgery, which will not help things. A 22-2 Blessed Trinity will be another big challenge to start the final regular season week for the Tigers.
This Week: v Roswell (Ga) Blessed Trinity (Tues); v Jefferson (Ga) Jackson County (Thurs)

On the Bubble

11. Carrollwood Day (13-7)
12. Berkeley Prep (16-7)
13. Durant (12-6)
14. Tampa Prep (11-10)
15. Cambridge Christian (14-8)

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