Binder, Walters spark wins as Berkeley Prep takes region title
Berkeley Prep senior Carson Binder leaps his way toward the plate after smashing his sixth home run of the season – putting Game 2 of the Class 2A-Region 3 final out of reach. The Buccaneers dropped Friday’s opener, but won both games Saturday to earn a second-straight region title and a trip to the FHSAA state final four.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – With their backs to the wall, Berkeley Prep’s offense took advantage of Tampa Catholic mistakes to even the best-of-three Class 2A-Region 3 Final series with a 7-5 win to force a deciding Game 3, then just plain took over in the afternoon game – walking off a mercy-rule, 13-3 win against district rival Tampa Catholic and earning the Buccaneers a trip to Fort Myers and the state final four for the second-straight season.
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“We’ve hit the ball hard, we’ve scored a lot of runs and it’s because of our approaches, especially our two-strike approaches,” Berkeley Prep head coach Richie Warren said. “If we can keep that going – it’s why we won Bishop Gorman(‘s Spring Break National Invite), district and now regional – these kids just don’t give up.”
Buccaneers senior Trey Hyatt launches his helmet straight up after his two-run, pinch-hit double sealed Berkeley Prep’s Game 3 win via the mercy-rule.
The Crusaders, winners of Friday’s opening game, came out on the attack in Saturday’s early game getting leadoff DJ Ford aboard on a walk and taking a first-inning lead when junior Jack Smythe sending a home run over the wall in left, then building on when Jayden Mera doubled in a third run.
Tampa Catholic junior Jack Smythe gets a low-five from Crusaders’ third base coach Mike Wrenn after he hit a first-inning, two-run home run.
But the Buccaneers answered right back, with a little Crusaders help.
Tampa Catholic (finishing the year 25-8) junior Ty Fraga worked around a walk and a hit batter in the top of the first (the Crusaders were home on the scoreboard in Game 2), then retired two quick outs in the second before LJ Ulmer singled to left.
Tampa Catholic junior Ty Fraga was charged with seven runs (four unearned), pitching 5 1/3 innings and struck out three. Fraga’s outstanding season ended with his first loss, going 8-1 this year.
It appeared Fraga would escape with another scoreless inning, until Riley Zinober took off after his strike-three swing, when a passed ball sparked the Bucs offense. After a walk to junior Jett Walters loaded the bases, Lucas Farrar made it a brand-new ballgame with a bases-clearing double to centerfield.
“When I saw Riley get to first, I said I was going to do anything I can to get on,” Walters said. “Right after I walked, I pointed right at Lucas because there is nobody I trust more than him.
“He has done everything we’ve needed him to do all year. I knew he was going to come up big and we were ready to take any advantage we could and use it.”
Jett Walters points to Lucas Farrar in the on-deck circle after drawing a walk in the second inning.
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Lucas Farrar cleared the bases with a double in Game 2 of the Region Final series.
A dropped foul ball on the first pitch of the third inning was immediately impactful as Berkeley senior Carson Binder sent the next pitch down the left field line for a double, two batters later Mason Warren’s RBI sac fly gave the Bucs the lead.
“We preach about taking care of the little things, and I think that goes both ways, right? Defensively, and then if we get the opportunity offensively to take advantage, we’ve done that,” Coach Warren said. “Even in the second game, I think we took advantage on some of their missed chances.”
Berkeley sophomore Mason Warren sent an RBI sac fly to left field in the third inning to give the Buccaneers the lead.
With that lead, junior righty Nolan Parmer kept his team in the game, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one more earned run, on eight hits and two walks and struck out five to earn the win.
Berkeley Prep junior Nolan Parmer improved to 7-2 on the mound this season.
Helping a little more in that effort was his battery-mate Binder, who smashed a chin high pitch for a three-run bomb to right field to put the game out of reach.
“I’ve been really hot recently, like our whole team has been,” Binder said. “So, giving me another shot is a really bad situation (for them) in that spot … and then the home run, I think I saw three or four sliders in a row, and by the third one, I think I was on it.
“We had second and third and a sac fly would have done it, but thankfully I had the wind behind me and it got out.”
Carson Binder went after a very elevated slider and sent it the opposite way for a home run.
Binder was the first Buccaneers player to struggle with leg cramps in the 90-degree heat, first showing the effects from the crouch behind the plate in the sixth inning of the early-afternoon game.
“What a warrior,” Warren said about his senior catcher. “Not knowing in-between Games 2 & 3 here today if he would be able to go. Our head trainer here, Eddie Bunton did a great job to get him ready, and I went in there right before the game and asked Carson if he was going and he looked at me, like, ‘are you kidding me?’ It wasn’t even a question.”
Asked what the chances were he was missing the day’s second game, Binder’s answer was succinct: “Zero.”
Tampa Catholic senior captain and catcher Cole Bitman caught all 13 innings for the Crusaders and hit three doubles over the two games.
An error and a Cole Bitman double (the first of his three two-baggers in the two games) set up an RBI ground ball for Christian Serralles in the fifth, and Serralles would pick up another RBI in the sixth, wearing a bases-loaded pitch off the helmet.
But that was as close as the Crusaders would get, with Farrar wrapping up a save with three fly-ball outs in the seventh inning.
Game 3 saw the Crusaders again come out hot – scoring in the first inning in all three games this weekend – this time with Bitman hitting a two-out double and Serralles collecting the first of his three hits.
But Walters made sure the advantage was very brief.
Jett Walters crushes a grand slam in the first inning of Game 3.
The Buccaneers junior hit-leader opened the home-first with a first-pitch double to center, and scored one batter later on a Parker Mitzel (a double in each game) fielder’s choice (who reached second on an error), kicking off an 11 at-bat, eight-run inning where Walters (3-for-7, three runs on the day) added a grand slam – his sixth home run of the year.
“We know (Tampa Catholic is) a good team that thrives off energy, so we knew in the first inning we had to do something and make in impact,” Walters said. “I was just trying to be patient and get something I could do damage with and I got lucky enough to get that pitch.”
Freshman Owen Schmitt pitched all five innings and picked up his fourth win of the year.
With that lead in hand, right-hander Owen Schmitt was at ease letting his defense do the work. The Buccaneers freshman scattered 10 hits and just one walk, while allowing three runs in a 79-pitch, five-inning outing.
“They pounded the strike zone and did exactly what we needed them to do,” Walters said of the Buccaneers two starting pitchers on Saturday. “Nolan has been effective for us all year, same thing with Owen. Owen came in as a freshman, probably not expecting to pitch at all and he’s our best pitcher, statistically.
“They both just throw strikes, trust our defense and they both have the mentality that allows them to go out there and just dominate.”
TC’s Blake Brown (4-for-5 on the day) singled in a run in the third and plated a second in the fifth on a sac fly.
Crusaders junior Blake Brown had two hits in each of Saturday’s games.
But the Buccaneers were ready to end the day as senior Ben O’Brien belted his first high school home run to center and Ulmer singled up the middle to drive in a run. Walters stepped to the plate with two aboard, but two pitches into the at-bat went down with a leg cramp, which forced him from the game.
Bucs head coach Richie Warren congratulates Ben O’Brien as he rounds third on his first high school home run trot.
Taking over with a 1-and-1 count, senior Trey Hyatt worked the count full before smacking a double to deep centerfield to bring in the fourth and fifth runs of the inning and kick in the mercy-rule before being chased down by his dog-piling teammates in right field.
Riley Zinober steps on home plate to end the game due to a mercy-rule.
Tampa Catholic head coach Paul Russo Jr., who lead the Crusaders to 20-plus wins for the third time in his five seasons leading his alma mater, tipped his hat to his opponents after a tough losses.
“They hit today in both games,” Russo said. “They made at least seven outstanding plays in the outfield, where the made plays on balls that we hit really well. It went their way today, and we’ve got about 12 months to prepare for next year.”
Berkeley Prep now awaits the FHSAA seeding early next week to find out its opponent in May 18th’s state semifinal.
⚾ Class 2A-Region 3 Final – Game 2 ⚾
Berkeley Prep 7
Tampa Catholic 5
B 031|030|0 – |7|7|3
T 300|011|0 – |5|9|1
W – Parmer (7-2); L – Fraga (8-1); S – Farrar (3)
2B – Farrar, Mitzel, Binder (B); Bitman, Mera (T); HR – Binder (B); Smythe (T). Records – B (26-6); T (25-7).
⚾ Class 2A-Region 3 Final – Game 3 ⚾
Berkeley Prep 13
Tampa Catholic 3 – five innings
T 101|01x|x – |3|10|1
B 800|05x|x – |13|10|0
W – Schmitt (4-0); L – Serralles (1-2)
2B – Bitman 2, Cambero (T); Walters, Mitzel, Hyatt (B); HR – Walters, O’Brien (B). Records – T (25-8); B (27-6).
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Tampa Catholic senior 2B Christian Serralles squeezes his glove on a pop fly in the first inning of Game 2.
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Crusaders junior RHP Ty Fraga
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Buccaneers junior RHP Nolan Parmer
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Jayden Mera keeps his head down, driving an RBI double to centerfield in the first inning.
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Christian Serralles scores on Mera’s double.
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Bucs 2B Mason Warren throws for an out.
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LJ Ulmer’s two-out single started a three-run second-inning rally for Berkeley.
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Lucas Farrar yells into his dugout after his three-run double.
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Nolan Parmer had five strikeouts in the Game 2 win.
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After a dropped foul ball gave him new life, Carson Binder sent a double down the line in leftfield.
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TC sophomore LF DJ Ford catches a fly ball.
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Bucs CF Jett Walters runs down a ball near the track.
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Parker Mitzel makes a catch in rightfield.
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Oscar Cambero singles up the middle for the Crusaders.
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Berkeley 3B George Cook throws for an out.
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Parker Mitzel connects on a double to left field in the fifth inning of Game 2.
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Carson Binder (#10) is mobbed at the plate after his home run.
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Nolan Parmer celebrates getting out of a jam with a strikeout to close the fifth inning.
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Lucas Farrar earned the save in Game 2.
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Tampa Catholic reliever Finn Fluker.
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Bucs 1B Ben O’Brien runs down a ball in foul territory in the seventh inning of Game 2.
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Parker Mitzel brings in the final out of the early afternoon game in rightfield.
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Berkeley Prep RHP Owen Schmitt
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Audi Perez motors around third base, scoring the first run of Game 3.
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First baseman Ben O’Brien catches a fly ball at the bag.
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Tampa Catholic senior Christian Serralles got the start in Game 3.
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Jett Walters celebrates his leadoff double, he’d cap an eight run first inning with a grand slam later.
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A productive ground ball fielder’s choice from Parker Mitzel scored Walters in the first.
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Jett Walters beats a throw home to score the Bucs first run.
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LJ Ulmer drove in a run with a sac fly to rightfield.
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Tampa Catholic RF Blake Brown catches the sac fly.
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Mason Warren trots home in the background as Jett Walters heads to first base after belting a grand slam.
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Ty Fraga singled on a fly ball to left in the third inning.
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Bucs 2B Mason Warren went deep into rightfield for a catch in the third.
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Crusaders 2B Finn Fluker catches a weak pop fly.
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Bucs shortstop Lucas Farrar throws to first for an out.
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A leaping throw from Crusaders SS Jack Smythe.
