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2008 Tribune Baseball Preview
By Adam Adkins of The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 11, 2008
Top Hitter:
Preston Tucker
Plant, Sr.
The Panthers were the area's most dominant offensive force in Hillsborough County last season, and their left-handed first baseman was the most dominant in the lineup. The Florida signee was the county's Triple Crown winner as a junior after hitting .561 with nine home runs and a school-record 51 RBIs.
Tucker didn't let up during the summer, either, swinging his way to an invite to the U.S. Junior National Team Trials with a standout performance at the invitation-only Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C., where he hit a tournament-best .615. This season, Plant's offense should be among the county's best again, especially with Tucker hitting cleanup for the Panthers.
COACHSPEAK: "When you see a guy have a year like that and you get to watch it every day ... I mean, when you hit .561 it means you hit every freaking ball hard pretty much the whole entire year. And even for great hitters that doesn't happen every year. The power numbers and his ability to drive in runs, that's truly something special to watch on a daily basis."
- Plant coach Dennis Braun
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5 More Hitters To Watch
(in alphabetical order)
Sean Buckley
King, Senior
The USF signee led the Lions in virtually every offensive category as a junior, hitting .349 with 15 RBIs. His effort on the field has led longtime King coach Jim Macaluso to define him as a "throwback player," and his work this summer led to his Division I scholarship with the Bulls.
Will Knox
Tampa Catholic, Senior
A four-year starter for the Crusaders, Knox earned team MVP honors in 2007 after posting a team-best .446 average with five doubles, 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored. The Chipola Junior College signee also was named to the Saladino all-tournament team.
Mike Lashbrook
Plant, Senior
The powerful lefty has been a staple in Plant's lineup since his freshman season, and each year he's been one of the Panthers' top sluggers. In 2007, Lashbrook turned in a great season with a .500 average, with nine doubles, four homers, 36 runs scored and 29 RBIs.
Jamie Mallard
Middleton, Senior
One of the area's top power hitters, the UCF signee hit .411 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 2007 to help the Tigers advance to a 4A region final. Mallard put his power on display in last year's Saladino Tournament Home Run Derby when he muscled enough shots out at Brandon to defeat former Hillsborough star Michael Burgess.
Michael Smith
Brandon, Junior
He was one of the Eagles' top hitters as a sophomore, but he exploded on the scene with a breakout summer playing for the All-American Prospects and has received scholarship offers from Florida, FSU, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss and Louisville.
Top Pitcher:
Alex Panteliodis
Alonso, Senior
Panteliodis' fourth start of the 2007 season was almost symbolic of how his entire junior year went. The Ravens' hulky left-hander tossed a perfect game against Mitchell in that outing, and he did nothing but excel from that point on. Panteliodis went 11-0 with a 0.53 ERA in 2007, striking out 93, walking just eight and allowing only 36 hits in 65 1/3 innings.
His domination helped Alonso reach a Class 6A regional final, where the Ravens fell to eventual state champion Sarasota. Panteliodis, who has signed with Florida, also had a great summer with the Midland Redskins, an elite summer travel team that won the Connie Mack World Series, and he returns this year as Hillsborough County's top hurler.
COACHSPEAK: "He had a phenomenal year. Everything went perfectly for him. And he is very deserving of it because he works so hard. He's also a quality kid and a great person to be around and we're fortunate to have kids like that."
- Alonso coach Landy Faedo
5 More Pitchers To Watch
(in alphabetical order)
Matt Brazis
Jesuit, Senior
The right-hander had perhaps the best season for a Jesuit pitcher in 2007, posting a 6-1 record with a 1.38 ERA. In 45 2/3 innings pitcher, the Boston College signee struck out 77 while allowing 30 hits.
Ray Delphey
Alonso, Junior
The hard-throwing right-hander dominated in a closer's role for the Ravens in 2007, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.05 ERA while striking out 47 and allowing just 12 hits in 26 2/3 innings pitched. This season, Delphey, who has verbally committed to USF, will step into a starting role.
Anthony Ferrara
Riverview, Senior
The Sharks' hard-throwing lefty was an Aflac All-American as a junior and considered one of the nation's top pitching prospects; the USF signee went 5-0 in 2007 and struck out 44 in 27 innings pitched.
Aaron Gerbasi
Plant City, Senior
The University of Tampa signee didn't have an impressive win-loss record in 2007 (2-4), but his work on the mound was overshadowed by defensive miscues. In 49 innings during the regular season, the right-hander struck out 76 and yielded only 33 hits, just three for extra bases.
Kyle Parker
Newsome, Senior
The Wolves left-hander had a breakout junior season, posting an 11-2 record and a 1.50 ERA to help his team make a run to the state tournament; two of his wins came in the postseason. A USF signee, Parker struck out 63 and allowed 61 hits in 69 2/3 innings in 2007.
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Tribune Preseason Top 10
1. Plant
The Panthers are loaded with talent. Dennis Braun's squad lost just one starter from 2007 and has five Division I signees on the roster, including senior Preston Tucker. The question is not if the Panthers will win, but will they win when it matters most after failing to get out of the district tournament the last two seasons?
2. Alonso
The Ravens lost just two starters from last year's region-final squad that lost to eventual state champion Sarasota; Sickles transfer Tito Martinez will fill one of the voids at shortstop. With Alex Panteliodis and Ray Delphey in the rotation, the Ravens are set up for another postseason run.
3. Jesuit
Richie Warren's squad lost three Division I signees from last season, but returns five starters from a team that advanced to a region final. The return of senior right-hander Matt Brazis is a big boost to the pitching staff, and the Tigers never really have much trouble hitting the ball.
4. Newsome
The Wolves lost some key players and their coach from last year's team that reached the state tournament, but new coach Zach Walker has the luxury of welcoming back two left-handers and Division I signees - Kyle Parker (USF) and Kris Castellanos (FSU) - and that means Newsome likely will be a force.
5. Middleton
Ace pitcher Nevin Griffith is gone and so are a few other notable players from 2007, but Vernon Slater has some talent coming back, including Division I signees Corey Thomas (USF) and Jamie Mallard (UCF), two players who can hit with anyone in the county.
6. Riverview
Bill Leiby has some lively arms to choose from in lefty Anthony Ferrara and right-handers Colby Fairfax and Chris Knott. Brett Clements returns behind the plate, and Spoto transfer Trinton Jones should help offset the loss of two Division I signees who roamed the Sharks' outfield in 2007.
7. Hillsborough
While the Terriers lost a ton of pitching from 2007, the junior trio of outfielders Jay Laurienzo and David Richardson and catcher Marlon Mitchell should help provide enough offense for Kenny White's club until the arms come around.
8. Sickles
The Gryphons return their top four pitchers from 2007. Three of the top five hitters from 2007 also are back, including senior outfielder Kenny Wilson. That's good news for Coach Bob Pagano, especially considering his team won 15 games last season.
9. Bloomingdale
The Bulls lost nine seniors from last year's regional-final team as well as longtime coach K.B. Scull, who retired. New skipper Kris Wilken welcomes back lefty Zach Payne, but he's still got to deal with the loss of six of the Bulls' top seven bats from 2007.
10. Brandon
Coach Matt Stallbaumer doesn't believe they're ready yet, but the reason the Eagles are here is because of potential. Brandon has young, talented players like junior Michael Smith and sophomores James Ramsay, Eric Arce and Austin Browder. They showed what they could do in 2007 by finishing above .500.
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District Outlook
Class 6A-District 7
Alonso returns enough talent that Landy Faedo's group should repeat as district champs barring any unforeseen setbacks, with the standout pitching duo of left-hander Alex Panteliodis and right-hander Ray Delphey leading the way.
Tribune's pick: Alonso
Runner-up: Sickles
Class 6A-District 8
Defending Class 6A state champion returns a ton of talent, so barring any upsets, Lakeland, Riverview and Durant likely will be slugging it out for second place.
Tribune's pick: Sarasota
Runner-up: Riverview
Class 5A-District 8
These teams always beat each other up during the season, and the one left standing at the end is always the one with the pitching. Newsome - with Division I signees Kyle Parker and Kris Castellanos - has that this year.
Tribune's pick: Newsome
Runner-up: Brandon
Class 5A-District 10
This was arguably one of the toughest districts in the state before Jesuit jumped into the picture, so now it just seems unfair that Plant, Jesuit, Hillsborough, Middleton, Jefferson and Chamberlain, among others, have to fight for just two postseason spots. District seeds won't mean much here; any one of those teams can win this tournament and make a deep postseason run.
Tribune's pick: Plant
Runner-up: Jesuit
Class 4A-District 9
With Jesuit moving up to Class 5A this season, Spoto is the lone Hillsborough County representative. The Spartans were competitive as a first-year program in 2007 and should be again this season.
Tribune's pick: Bartow
Runner-up: Lake Wales
Class 3A-District 11
Defending state champion Clearwater Central Catholic is tops here, especially with ace right-hander Ryan Weber back. Tampa Catholic and Berkeley Prep each lost a ton of pitching from 2007, but those two teams should battle with St. Pete Catholic for the runner-up spot.
Tribune's pick: CCC
Runner-up: Tampa Catholic
Class 2A-District 9
Calvary Christian and Bishop McLaughlin, a playoff team in its first season, each move up from Class 1A to join Tampa Prep and Indian Rocks Christian.
Tribune's pick: Tampa Prep
Runner-up: Bishop McLaughlin
Class 1A-District 9
This one is a toss-up in the truest sense - only two teams in the district.
Tribune's pick: Seffner Christian
Runner-up: Lakeland Sonrise Christian
Class 1A-District 10
Cambridge Christian has made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, and the Lancers should do so again in 2008.
Tribune's pick: Cambridge Christian
Runner-up: Bayshore Christian
Class 1A-District 11
St. Petersburg Canterbury has been a region finalist in each the last two seasons, so the Crusaders should have the inside track to the postseason.
Tribune's pick: Canterbury
Runner-up: Academy at the Lakes
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10 Games To Watch
Tuesday: Middleton at Jefferson - Opening-night tilt features two 2007 region finalists.
Wednesday: Tampa Catholic at Jesuit - First of two meetings between bitter rivals.
Feb. 22: Hillsborough at Plant - These two aren't just football rivals.
Feb. 29: Jesuit at Plant - Plan on a standing-room-only crowd.
March 11: Middleton at Hillsborough - Backyard brawl between district foes.
March 18: Gaither at Alonso - District rivals usually play a tight one.
March 26: Durant at Riverview - Sharks out for some revenge.
March 28: Brandon at Bloomingdale - Rivals always turn in a good one.
April 15: Durant at Newsome - One of more intriguing late-season non-district games.
April 18: Tampa Prep at Berkeley Prep - Bucs host rival Terps on Senior Night.
Local Tournaments To Watch
March 14-15: Tampa Prep Baseball Festival
March 25-28: Inaugural Jesuit Invitational
April 5-11: 28th annual Tony Saladino Tournament
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