Mitzel drives in six as Berkeley Preps blasts First Baptist 22-1

Parker Mitzel (right) is met by teammates Lucas Farrar, Trey Hyatt, and Carson Binder after his first-inning, three-run homer, the key blow in a 12-run opening frame for the host Buccaneers.

By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer

TAMPA – With the high level of team unity as high as Berkeley Prep has, it was easy for them to rally around one of its own.

“Jett (Walters) has been going through a little bit of a hardship,” senior Parker Mitzel explained. “His grandmother has cancer and he asked for us to wear pink. We love the kid and we want to support him in any way possible.”

With Walters drawing the starting honors on the mound for the top-seeded Buccaneers’ Class 2A, Region 3 opener against No. 8 Naples First Baptist Academy, supporting the junior 100-percent was Job One. And boy, did they support him.

The @BPBucBaseball roster donned pink for today’s playoff game in support of teammate @JettWalters12 , whose grandmother is battling cancer. @813Preps pic.twitter.com/mWlz1XoGkR

— Chuck (@FryeChuck) April 26, 2026

Literally every member of Berkeley Prep’s roster had Walters’ back for Saturday’s quarterfinal and the additional motivation was palpable. Erupting for 12 runs in the first inning didn’t slow the team’s drive as the Bucs kept pounding their way to a 22-1 blowout shortened by mercy rule to 3½ innings.

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“We go into games like this and we’re trying to put up that score every single game,” Mitzel said. “That’s nothing new to us, the mentality that that should happen in every game. If nine out of nine players do their one job, we’re going to be in a good spot. It’s an example of our program’s pride.”

Even with a 16-run lead, Jett Walters is driven to shut down the FBA offense during regional quarterfinal action.

Mitzel went above and beyond for Walters and Berkeley Prep (23-5). After walking and scoring early in the first inning, Mitzel came up again and hammered a Lions’ pitch for a three-run homer over the right-centerfield fence, his fourth of the season, and a 10-run lead.

“(The pitcher for the now 16-11 Lions) didn’t give me one pitch that I liked in my first at-bat, but that 3-and-2 pitch in my second …,” Mitzel said. “I just took my best swing on it. Good things happen when you swing at good pitches.”

Mitzel continued to pack seven innings of production into just two, stepping up in the second with the bases loaded and coming within three feet of a grand slam, ending up with a bases-clearing triple and a team-high 32 runs batted in this year.

“I’m trying to build off last year where I had a pretty solid season,” 813 Preps’ reigning Hitter of the Year said. “Just getting back in the weight room, getting with my trainers, staying mobile, fast and explosive.”

The mindset was infectious.

Bucs leadoff man Jett Walters starts to smile after slapping a first-inning opposite-field single.

Lead-off man Walters and Ben O’Brien had a single and double with two RBI each, Lucas Farrar was hit by two pitches and walked once, Mason Warren added a run-scoring walk and a two-bagger, Carson Binder (single and walk, RBI) and L.J. Ulmer (two-run single and hit by pitch) reached base two times apiece.

After delivering a first-inning RBI single, Ben O’Brien sprints past coach Richie Warren and to the plate as part of DH L.J. Ulmer’s two-run base hit.

Even the subs lit up the scoreboard. When all nine starters were pinch hit for in the third inning, all that happened was that the Bucs sent 11 to the plate and scored six times. Carter Atwood blasted a three-run double, Briggs Tibbals – who scored twice as a courtesy runner – drew a bases-loaded free pass, while a Lions’ throwing error brought home the other two runs.

“There’s a reason why all 22 of our guys practice hard every day,” said Berkeley Prep head coach Richie Warren. “When they get their opportunity, they take advantage of it. This was one of those days where everyone had a chance to get in the game and did exactly what they were supposed to do.”

Berkeley Prep head coach Richie Warren (left) goes over his field’s ground rules with First Baptist Academy mentor T.D. Hicks (fourth from left), team captains, and the umpiring crew.

Walters the pitcher appreciated the support, giving up a lone run on a third-inning Joey DeSalvo sacrifice fly, before Nolan Parmer worked a 1-2-3 fourth inning to wrap up the win.

Asked whether his approach changes with a huge lead, Walters said: “You’ve got to just be in the same mindset, you’ve always got to attack, thinking that the hitter in the box is as good as it gets. You may throw more fastballs to get ahead and stay ahead in the count, but you’ve got to believe every hitter wants to get a hit and you’ve got to stop him.”

Berkeley Prep sophomore Mason Warren gets low to celebrate his RBI double that capped a 12-run first inning. Warren’s two-bagger was one of six extra-base hits the Bucs ripped against First Baptist Academy.

Walters will likely get to take that philosophy with him to the bump on Friday when Berkeley hosts No. 5 Community School of Naples, a 7-5 winner over fourth-seeded Clearwater Central Catholic.

“We tried to make our regular season schedule mimic the playoffs like playing a lot of Friday night/Saturday games with days off in between,” Warren said of the long breaks leading to busy weekends. “I’m not really too worried about it. We’re just going to worry about our guys every day in practice getting better, continuing to work on the little things that will win us baseball games.”