Co-players of the Year
All-around games, and 18 homers each, make Land O'Lakes' Caz Piurowski, Pasco's Robbie Shields stand out.
By FRANK PASTOR, Times Staff Writer
Published May 28, 2006
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Caz Piurowski doesn't want to be on a baseball field morning, noon and night. He isn't interested in traveling on buses and living out of hotel rooms.
So, when a Chicago Cubs scout visiting his home a few weeks ago described life in the minor leagues, Piurowski quickly came to a realization: his future lay in football.
At least he went out with a bang.
In his final baseball season, the recent Land O'Lakes graduate set a school and county record with 18 home runs, one shy of the state record held by three players. He ranked among the county's leading hitters and helped his team to a share of the Sunshine Athletic Conference title and a playoff berth.
It would have been a singular season had Pasco's Robbie Shields not reached the same heights.
"You can't say one was better than the other," Land O'Lakes coach Calvin Baisley said. "Take Robbie Shields away from Pasco, and that hurts them tremendously. Take Caz away from Land O'Lakes, that hurts them tremendously. They both had some of the best years ever in Pasco County."
The home-run chase picked up steam late in the season and provided a captivating backdrop to the district tournament and playoff games.
Piurowski got off to the quicker start, building a lead of six or seven home runs by midseason. His 13th broke the Land O'Lakes record Kevin Collins set in 1999. His 17th eclipsed the county mark of 16 shared by Zephyrhills' Danny Wardell and Brett Cimorelli.
Shields closed with a fury, hitting two in a game twice near the end of the season and a total of three in the district tournament. He tied Piurowski at 17 during the district final against South Sumter.
Both hit their 18th in season-ending region quarterfinal losses.
"It's a great accomplishment for me,," said Shields, who helped Pasco set a state record of 55 home runs. "I look at it, saying, "Not too many people hit 18 home runs in one year."'
Though their homers reserved them places in county history, the players' all-around games put their teams into the postseason.
Shields, the county's most complete player, batted .553 with eight doubles, 39 runs batted in and six stolen bases.
He went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a home run in a regular-season victory over South Sumter. He had four hits, including two home runs (leaving a dent on the scoreboard in right centerfield), in a win over Zephyrhills. He homered twice in the district final against South Sumter and made several sparkling plays at shortstop in a loss to St. Petersburg Catholic during the Dunedin tournament.
Coach Ricky Giles compared Shields to former Pasco player Danny Boyd, a prospect with the Milwaukee Brewers.
"I thought he was one of the greater players that came here, and Robbie hit with a lot more power," Giles said. "Robbie came in and hit with a lot of power and had a lot of production in his senior year probably compared to other kids."
Showing improved patience at the plate, Piurowski batted .466 with nine doubles, a triple and a county-leading 48 RBIs.
His 6-foot-7 height allowed him to reach throws that would have eluded other first basemen. He was one of his team's best baserunners and he provided clutch relief pitching when his team needed it most, including a playoff-clinching win over Central.
"Caz was pretty consistent all year round," Baisley said. "Teams had to prepare for him, and he seemed to meet every challenge."
Shields and Piurowski briefly crossed paths at an awards banquet last week at Saint Leo College. They exchanged pleasantries, compared careers and talked about the upcoming Major League Baseball draft.
Then, they went separate ways.
The Florida Southern-bound Shields played in front of pro scouts at the state all-star game in Sebring. Piurowski turned down the opportunity to play in the same game to prepare for his freshman football season at Florida State.
A tight end, Piurowski has been working with FSU quarterback and former Land O'Lakes teammate Drew Weatherford, attending Johnny Walters' speed camp at Mitchell and studying videotape.
"I'm going to let (baseball teams) know they can draft me if they want," Piurowski said. "But I'm not going to sign, so it's a wasted pick."
[Last modified May 28, 2006, 01:27:10]
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