THE 8-1-3List Week 7
presented by The Hitting Academy
1. Sickles (15-2)
Sickles senior Connor Vance.
The offense has come alive for the Gryphons, scoring eight runs each in wins against fellow Top 8 teams Plant and Alonso. Senior Caden McDonald has homered in five of the last six games and driven in 14 runs in that stretch. Connor Vance is hitting .395 with 19 runs, and Hayden Yost is hitting .458, with 20 runs scored and 12 RBI. The Gryphons travel to Leto on Tuesday and host Plant City on Saturday.
Last Week: #2
2. Jesuit (16-2)
Jesuit freshman Wilson Andersen.
Jesuit dominated Louisville’s Male and Nature Coast last week in a pair of mercy-rule wins, as Tigers pitching combined for 23 strikeouts in 10 innings – highlighted by a combined perfect game from Wes Mendes and Wilson Andersen against NCT. Mendes also homered against Male, and went a combined 4-for-7, with three RBI and four runs scored. Jesuit travels to Bradenton to face IMG on Wednesday, and will head to Tampa Catholic for a game on Friday.
Last Week: #3
3. Tampa Catholic (14-4)
Winners of nine-straight, the Crusaders took care of Male (Ky) and Berkeley Prep last week (click here to read about this game), and lowered its team ERA to 1.16 with just 20 earned runs in 18 games. Junior Alex Sotiropoulos struck out eight in earning his fifth win, and Roman Coriniti struck out seven, finishing one out shy of a complete-game against the Buccaneers. TC takes on Bradenton Inspiration Academy, hosts Jesuit on Friday, and travels to Sarasota Cardinal Mooney on Saturday.
Last Week: #5
4. Durant (12-3)
Durant senior Dylan LaPointe.
Senior Dylan LaPointe has homered in three-straight for the Cougars, and is now hitting .479, with five longballs and 12 RBI. Gavin Florio pitched six-plus innings in a 3-2 win against Bloomingdale last week, and Blaine Rowland earned the save and also a win against East Bay. Durant has a tough, three-game week at Riverview on Tuesday, before seeking revenge of Week 6’s loss to district foe Newsome on Friday, and hosting Wharton on Saturday.
Last Week: #6
5. Gaither (13-5)
Gaither senior Steven Rojas.
The Cowboys are as hot as anyone in the county, stretching its win-streak to eight with victories against Sumner, Robinson and Steinbrenner last week by a combined score of 15-2. Last Thursday’s win against Steinbrenner (which you can read about by clicking here), featured a complete-game shutout from Steven Rojas, who struck out eight and gave up two hits. Nico Lopez has doubled in five of the last six wins, and is hitting .415 with 19 RBI for Gaither. The Cowboys visit Wharton on Thursday, and host Tampa Bay Tech on Friday.
Last Week: #7
6. Newsome (10-5)
The Wolves pitchers were sitting them down last week as Wade Walton struck out 10, allowing just two hits in his five, shutout innings against Brandon, and Evan Dempsey likewise struck out 10 in a 4-2 win against Bloomingdale last week. Newsome has won its last six contests with Braden Moon driving in 10 runs during the stretch, including a three-triple game against the Eagles. Newsome has a challenging week ahead with a trip to .500 Spoto on Tuesday, a home tilt against Armwood (10-5) on Thursday, and traveling to Durant on Friday.
Last Week: #8
T-7. Alonso (12-5)
The Ravens clicked in all phases in a 7-0 win against Steinbrenner on Monday, as Landon Nunez held the Warriors to just three hits in six innings of work, but Alonso ran up against a streaking Sickles squad in an 8-3 loss on Thursday. Jaden Nazar hit a three-run homer against the Gryphons, while Juan Munoz (two RBI) and Austin Kirsch (three RBI) provided the offense against the Warriors. Alonso faces a tough week ahead, welcoming Plant on Tuesday, before going on the road for a Thursday game at Plant City, and a Saturday breakfast game at Strawberry Crest.
Last Week: #4
T-7. Plant (11-4)
Plant senior Jack Meade.
Plant battled back and traded the lead with Sickles, before falling 8-6, but the Panthers got back in the win column with a 9-1 win against South Tampa neighbor Robinson on Thursday. Senior Jack Meade was 3-for-7 with two runs and two RBI last week, and junior Garrett Hill (4ip, W, run, two hits) and senior Nicholas Hanson (3ip, no hits, one walk, two strikeouts) held the Knights to a single run. A Tuesday trip to Alonso, and home defenses against Sumner (Thurs) and Bloomingdale (Fri) lay ahead for the Panthers.
Last Week: #1
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“1” Team to Watch
Seffner Christian (10-5)
Seffner Christian senior Collin McNeal.
The Crusaders have won five-in-a-row, including an 11-1 win against Brooks DeBartolo and a 5-3 district win against Carrollwood Day last week. Ethan Duncan hit his second homer and drove in three against the Phoenix and is now hitting .422 with 19 runs and 12 RBI; and senior Ian Bast homered and picked up the win on the mound against the Patriots. A deep senior class featuring Shay Dean (.391, 21 runs, 17 RBI), Collin McNeal (.400, 16 runs, 16 RBI), and CJ Koenck (.375, 17 runs, 11 RBI) make for a very difficult time for opposing pitchers. The Crusaders go on the road against Bradenton Christian (Tues) and St. Pete Shorecrest Prep (Thurs), and round out the week at home against Largo Indian Rocks Christian.
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“3” Top Performances
Zach Callahan, Gaither
The Cowboys junior held Sumner to one unearned run in a complete-game effort last Monday, finishing with eight strikeouts. Callahan has a 1.54 ERA across 22 2/3 innings pitched this season, with 23 strikeouts.
Arjun Nimmala, Strawberry Crest
The Chargers senior has a hit in all but one of the 16 games he’s played this season. Last week, Nimmala hit his fourth homer of the year in a win against Wharton, and went 3-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and three runs scored in a win over Hillsborough. For the season, Nimmala is hitting .542 with 21 runs and 20 RBI.
Michael Wormack, Chamberlain
The Storm’s senior was 4-for-8 last week with a double, three RBI, a run scored and five stolen bases as Chamberlain beat Hillsborough and King last week. His ninth-inning RBI single against the Terriers also gave himself a win on the mound, after pitching five innings of relief.
