THE 8-1-3List Week 1
presented by The Hitting Academy
“8” Top Teams from Week 1
1. Sickles (2-0)
The Gryphons take the top spot in our Week 1 Rankings behind wins over Strawberry Crest and Gaither. Senior Caden McDonald held a potent Chargers offense to just three hits, while striking out nine and earn his first victory of the season (click here to read more). Ruben Sostre-Rosario paced the action against Gaither with an RBI sac fly, a three-run homer and a bases loaded walk to drive in five in his season debut. Sickles welcomes Jefferson (Tuesday) and Wharton (Thursday) this week.
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Previously: No. 2 in preseason
2. Jesuit (3-0)
Jesuit senior Grant Jordan.
The Tigers stretch the win-streak to 12 dating back to last season, picking up three in the first week of the 2023 season, including a successful trip with a pair of wins in Georgia against Lowndes and Parkview. Wes Mendes’ 6-for-9 week at the plate included a double and six RBI, with Grant Jordan tallying a double, home run and three walks, while driving in three runs. Senior Derek Westfall made two appearances on the mound this week, including earning the win with four innings of work against Parkview. Another three games on the calendar for Week 2, as Jesuit welcomes Mitchell, Venice and Tampa Catholic in a four-day stretch.
Previously: No. 3 in preseason
3. Plant (1-1)
Plant took an early lead in both of its games last week, supporting senior Robert Satin in a complete-game win against Durant (read about that game here), but the Panthers let a four-run lead evaporate against Steinbrenner on Thursday in a .500 opening week. Senior Jack Meade homered in the Panthers’ loss. The 6-5 loss to the Warriors was a minor letdown for our preseason top squad, but we’ll see how the Panthers respond with two tough games this week against Gaither and at Strawberry Crest.
Previously: No. 1 in preseason
T-4. Durant (1-1)
The Cougars battled back with RBI singles from Noah Morales and Devin Suero in the season opener at Plant, but couldn’t build on that with just three-hit night, falling to the Panthers in the opener. Morales swatted a pair of doubles in Durant’s 13-run victory against Brandon in the second game last week, while Tyler Macpherson (three hits, double, two RBI) and Pete Oderio (2-for-3, two doubles, three RBI) also had big nights at the plate. Blaine Rowland (seven K’s) and Gehrig Graham (six K’s) held Brandon to a single hit. Durant will host Spoto on Tuesday and go on the road to Gaither for a game on Thursday.
Previously: No. 5 in preseason
T-4. Strawberry Crest (1-1)
Chargers junior Akhil Nimmala homered to left in Crest’s win at King on Thursday.
The Chargers couldn’t mark the scoreboard in a season-opening, 2-0 loss at Sickles as the bats just couldn’t get going. But Crest picked things up on the road at King on Thursday, with Arjun and Akhil Nimmala both going yard for the Chargers. Senior Luke Richardson (one unearned run, 6 K’s) and Brayden DiCerb (1ip, 1 K) held the Lions hitless across five innings. Crest hosts Middleton tomorrow for its home opener, will welcome Plant on Thursday, and travels to Plant City on Friday in a big three-game week.
Previously: No. 6 in preseason
6. Plant City (2-0)
The City staved off a Freedom rally for a 7-4 win in its opener, then won a tough one at Newsome to close out the week as the Raiders put two in the win column. Senior Adan Longoria struck out nine in five innings against the Patriots, while Wyatt Fordham drove in a pair in the win. Zane Wright halted a Wolves rally with two-plus scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Fishhawk on Friday (click here to read all about it). PC travels to Lennard on Tuesday, and host Strawberry Crest on Friday.
Previously: No. 6 in preseason
7. Alonso (1-0)
Despite allowing seven hits, the Ravens kept Robinson off the board in Alonso’s lone game in Week 1. Senior Bryan Rivera struck out five in his three innings of work earning his first win. On offense, Rivera also chipped in three hits, including a double and drove in three. Christopher Morgan, Ben Drumheller, Austin Kirsch and Jaden Nazar each tallied two hits in the 9-0 win. The Ravens host Hillsborough today, travel to Calvary Christian on Tuesday, and cap the week on Thursday, welcoming Newsome on Thursday. The Ravens will also have a pregame celebration on Thursday where the team will retire the jersey of Alex Faedo (c/o ’14), who was a NCAA World Series champion and MVP at Florida, and made his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers in 2022.
Previously: No. 7 in preseason
8. Lennard (2-0)
Lennard’s Mattie Counts.
The Longhorns put up three runs in the fourth inning to defeat Jefferson in Game 1, with Logan Covey and Mattie Counts (double) driving in runs to support pitcher Jackson Mueller’s five inning of shutout baseball and six strikeouts. Lennard again came to life in the fourth inning against Spoto, putting up three runs on five hits, started by Covey’s leadoff double, leading to a 4-0 victory. In that win Zack Bird kept the Spartans hitters in check, striking out a dozen, and allowing just two hits in six innings.
Previously: No. 9 in preseason
“1” Team to Watch
Steinbrenner (2-0)
Steinbrenner junior Cayden Hessemyer was 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and scored twice in the Warriors comeback win against Plant.
Sophomore righty Austin Liss struck out 11 in the Warriors’ 5-0 win against Riverview, allowing just one hit in his six innings of work to earn the win. Charles Williams’ two-out, RBI single in the first gave Steinbrenner all it needed against the Sharks, but the senior added an RBI double later in the game as well. Welcoming Plant for the second game of the year, the Warriors again got a first-inning run, but saw the Panthers take control in the fifth and sixth innings stretching out a four-run lead. But Steinbrenner’s offense erupted with a five-run home-half with a liner single from JW Stephens tying the game, and Bryce Andrews lining an RBI single into left to give his team the edge in a 6-5 win. With the cancellation of Blake’s season, the Warriors are down to a single game this week, welcoming King on Thursday.
“3” Top Performances
Nelson Arbelaez, Hillsborough
The junior hit his first varsity home run in a loss to Gaither on Monday, and added another long ball in as many games with a two-run poke in Wednesday’s win at Armwood.
Yadiel Garcia, Chamberlain
The Storm junior struck out 12 in a complete-game shutout win against Brandon last week, allowing just a hit and a walk in a 94-pitch effort. At the plate, Garcia went 2-for-4 on the week with a triple, two RBI and a stolen base.
Brennan Leonhardt, Carrollwood Day
The senior paced the Patriots to three opening-week wins with an impressive outpouring at the plate, going 8-for-10 with a homer, a double, four RBI and seven runs scored.
