1. Bloomingdale (22-4)

Bloomingdale junior RHP Vaughn Osting

Last Week: Win, 2-1 at Newsome; Loss, 3-0 v Sickles
Luke Long’s two-run double in the seventh inning helped Bloomingdale break up a no-hitter against neighborhood rival Newsome and win it’s 10th straight game, 2-1; but the Bulls offense couldn’t solve Sickles pitching, dropping its first game in almost a month. But the Bulls remain the lone Hillsborough County team with 20-plus wins, as a trio of talented arms senior Hayden Porter (5-1, 0.88 ER), juniors Javier Navas-Hoyer (6-1, 0.77 ERA) and Vaughn Osting (5-1, 1.48 ERA) lead the way into this week’s 6A-6 district tournament. Junior Isaiah Perez (.368, 14 RBI, 17 runs) and senior Vinny Dinzeo (.304, 10 runs) pace the offense as the top-seeded Bulls will host a district semi game on Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s game between Bartow and Lakeland.

2. Gaither (18-7)

Gaither junior RHP Matt Altman

Last Week: Win, 5-3 at Sickles; Win, 1-0 v Strawberry Crest
Gaither runs the win streak to seven with a thrilling comeback at Sickles, where seniors Jackson Mirza (.395, 23 runs, 21 RBI, 21 SB) and David Pina (.377, 15 RBI, 15 runs) played hero with RBI hits as the Cowboys scored four runs in the top of the seventh to rally for a win. Then the two combined in the first against Strawberry Crest, Mirza singling and Pina doubling him home before junior Matt Altman took the Chargers to task with six-plus no-hit innings, before Mirza picked the save. Anthony Linares went the distance against the Gryphons, striking out six and allowing two earned runs. Gaither will host Steinbrenner in the Class 6A-10 district semifinal on Tuesday at 7 pm, the Cowboys won a close 2-1 game in the two team’s regular season back on February 18th.

3. Sickles (18-7)

Sickles senior 1B Braden Ross

Last Week: Win, 7-6 v Dunedin; Loss, 5-3 v Gaither; Win, 3-0 at Bloomingdale
The Gryphons road a wild wave last week, scoring six against Dunedin in the seventh to win, dropping one to Gaither with a rough seventh, and then stifling Bloomingdale with Jake Taylor (6-3, 1.34 ERA, 42 K) dealing from the hill. Senior Braden Ross was 4-for-9 with a homer and 4 RBI on the week, and leads the team with 33 hits, while Jordan Yost enters the district tournament with a county-leading 34 runs scored and a .455 batting average. Sickles is No. 1 in 6A-11 and will host Largo (17-7) on Tuesday at 7 pm in the semifinals, with senior righty Brandon Gonzales (4-1, 3.65 ERA, 33 K) getting the start.

4. Plant (18-6)

Plant senior Danny Cerelli

Last Week: Win, 4-3 at Robinson; Win, 12-4 at Durant
Plant’s seniors battled to score two seventh inning runs to rally for a win over South Tampa rival Robinson, as Cash Strayer doubled and scored on a Dany Cerelli single to tie the game and Jackson Cucchi (23 runs, 20 RBI) singled to give the Panthers the edge. Then Plant continued its winning ways on the road jumping out early on Durant with five runs on five hits in the first. Plant’s offense has seven players with 20-or-more hits, Cerelli leading the way with 33 (.478 avg), along with 29 RBI and 21 runs; sophomore Jordan Olivia leads the team with 31 RBI and has four homers; and Strayer also has four homers and has scored 31 times. Plant’s pitching staff has a combined 1.56 ERA and the Panthers have the No. 1 spot in the 6A-10 tournament and will host a semifinal game on Tuesday (7pm) against the winner of Monday’s came between Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech.

5. Wharton (19-5)

Wharton senior RHP Luke Sauer

Last Week: Win, 11-1 v Hillsborough; Loss, 4-3 at Alonso
Senior Justis Meadows homered and drove in five in Wharton’s win against Hillsborough and enters the playoffs leading the county (and sixth in the state) with 34 RBI; but the Wildcats dropped a game in extra innings at Alonso being held scoreless for the final five innings. Daniel Duno is 3-1 on the mound this season with a 1.82 ERA and 41 K; and Luke Sauer has 40 strikeouts in 28 innings, with a 2.86 ERA, leading the way on the mound. Meadows, and fellow seniors Drew Cobb (22 runs, 13 RBI, 10 stolen bases) and Antonio Fawcett (.357, 23 runs, 16 RBI, 5 HR) have mixed it up at the top of the lineup all season, and lead top-ranked Wharton as it hosts Wiregrass Ranch (6-13) in the 6A-9 district semifinal on Tuesday.

6. Strawberry Crest (18-6)

Strawberry Crest junior SS Nico Cappucci

Last Week: Win, 7-0 at Freedom; Loss, 1-0 at Gaither
Strawberry Crest split its games last week, picking up a win at Freedom when Gabriel Blount’s two-run double to right drove in a pair of runs in the third inning to support five shutout innings from senior Chase Conti (3-2, 1.18 ERA, 27 K); but the Chargers couldn’t find much success at the plate against Gaither, despite a strong complete game effort from Brisen Tweedy (6-3, 0.65 ERA, 44 K). Tweedy also leads the team at the plate with a .408 average, with 22 runs scored and 18 RBI; Conti and Nico Cappucci are both hitting .340ish, with 25 runs scored. The top-seeded Chargers will host the winner between Palm Harbor and Plant City on Tuesday in the 7A-7 district semifinals.

7. Jesuit (17-8)

Jesuit senior 1B Robby Santana

Last Week: Win, 10-0 v Roswell (Ga) Blessed Trinity; Win, 8-0 v Jefferson (Ga) Jackson County
The Tigers got back on track with two big wins, first shutting out Georgia’s top ranked team according to MaxPreps, Blessed Trinity, as junior Wilson Andersen struck out eight in four innings, giving up just one hit and a walk. Samir Mohammed was 2-for-2 with four RBI in the win, Kaden Waechter doubled and scored twice in the win, and then made his season debut on the mound pitching two innings against Jackson County with two strikeouts. Robby Santana homered and doubled in each game, and senior Vincent DeCarlo is hitting .343 after homering in the win over Blessed Trinity. Jesuit will host the Brandon/Middleton winner on Tuesday in the 4A-9 district semifinals.

8. Newsome (17-6)

Newsome junior Alec Chin

Last Week: Loss, 2-1 v Bloomingdale; Win, 10-0 v Tampa Bay Tech
Aiden Dolan was spectacular on Tuesday against Bloomingdale holding the Bulls hitless for 6 1/3 innings and striking out eight before a tough play error and a walk chased him from the game and the Wolves fell 2-1. But Newsome heads into the 7A-7 semifinals as the No. 2-seed (will host the Alonso/Sumner winner on Tuesday at 7:30 pm) after taking down TBT in six innings. It was a long go ago, but in Week 1 – their only meeting of the regular season – Newsome waxed district top seed Crest, 9-0, and snuck by Alonso, 2-1. This tournament with Plant City, Palm Harbor and Sumner thrown in going to be a battle. Senior starting pitching tandem of Dolan (6-1, 0.69 ERA, 65 K) and JP Glassford (6-2, 2.14 ERA, 62 K) have been outstanding this season, while an offense keyed by juniors Ocean Cozart (.400, 16 runs) and Alec Chin (.368, 20 runs, 16 RBI) have expectations Newsome.

9. Berkeley Prep (19-7)

Berkeley Prep junior C Carson Binder

Last Week: Win, 4-0 v Bishop McLaughlin; Win, 14-1 v Brooks DeBartolo; Win, 10-2 v River Ridge
The Buccaneers stopped a three-game skid, getting back on track with a shutout win over Bishop McLaughlin, where ace Rivers Kurland struck out eight (leads the county w/ 85 – seventh in the state) in a complete-game one-hitter; Carson Binder drove in three in the win over Brooks DeBartolo and scored three against River Ridge; senior Trimble Henderson picked up the win against the Phoenix with three no-hit innings and five punchouts; Ben O’Brien struck out nine in five innings in his win over the Royal Knights; and Parker Mitzel (.412, 30 RBI) earned Player of the Week honors with a two-homer, nine-RBI showing. #2-seed Berkeley Prep will open the 2A-9 district tournament as the home team, but at #3-seed CDS on Tuesday at 4pm.

10. Carrollwood Day (14-7)

Carrollwood Day senior Steven Vargo

Last Week: Win, 13-2 at Clearwater Central Catholic
We’re curious to see how the strategy of having just two games in the 18 days prior to Tuesday’s district opener plays out for the Patriots, but in its lone game last week Carrollwood Day was in control from the jump against CCC. Allen Soriano singled in the first of his three RBI (team-leading 23 RBI) in the game in the first inning, and then Ashton Brown (3-for-4) gave the Pats all the team would need with a two-run homer to right to cap a four-run inning. Ace Nick Riedel struck out four in five innings and Matt Porta pitched two no-hit innings of relief. Steven Vargo added to his team lead in hits (24) with three in the game and runs (21) with two in the game; and fellow senior Julian Earle is right behind with 23 hits this year, adding two hits, two runs and two RBI in the win over the Marauders.

On the Bubble

11. Jefferson (15-7)
12. Tampa Prep (14-10)
13. Cambridge Christian (17-8)
14. Tampa Catholic (18-7)
15. East Bay (12-11)