ORANGE PARK - St. Johns Country Day School baseball recently returned from a Spring Break excursion to the Florida Panhandle with five games against a Texas state champion, an Alabama state champion and a Florida superpower too good to play in the FHSAA rankings.

"You play teams like that to see just where the team is and what needs to be worked on," said Spartans coach Tom Lucas. "We put a lot of players in tough situations, bad windy game days and against some of the best players in the country."

When the Spartans returned, they had a 16-0 loss to the Texas state champion, a solid 8-6 loss to IMG Academy (FL) and a final 9-7 close loss to Alabama state champion Hartselle High.

On their return against the mere mortals of area Florida teams, Lucas got some momentum for a Thursday, Friday doubleheader against Clay High with shutout wins over Sandalwood and West Broward; 5-0 and 8-0. The West Broward game was a 4-0 game into the sixth before a grand slam homer from Kaeson Johns showed off the batting prowess of the Spartan lineup.

"We can hit the ball up and down the lineup," Lucas said. "We are looking for a strong third or fourth pitcher with Brayden Harris and Ethan Bissell both having solid games last week in the Panhandle."

St. Johns, now 11-4 with games played Monday and Tuesday against Flagler Palm Coast and Baldwin, got a 12-strikeout effort for Gavin Coffey in the 5-0 win over Sandalwood with Coffey also delivering an RBI double.

For Clay, also taking on state powers, the trip north for Tampa Jesuit proved fruitful for Jesuit, who came in ranked sixth in Florida in number one in Class 4A with a 13-3 record. Jesuit also had the right arm of LSU commit Samir Mohammed known to chuck a few 100-mile-per-hour fastballs.

For the week, Clay High was enjoying a batting frenzy with an 8-0 win over Fleming Island and a 12-2 win over Menendez in anticipation of a visit from Tampa Jesuit. The Blue Devils batting lineup hit for six doubles for both games.
Clay coach Josh Persinger, 8-8 on the season and ranked 17th in 4A prior to the 12-0 loss to Jesuit on that fateful Friday last week, got the best duel off the mound against Mohammed with junior Rylan McMahan, coincidentally a U of Florida commit, going toe to toe with Mohammed; 11 strikeouts to 10 whiffs by McMahan and just a fourth inning set of singles and a sixth inning homer the lone blemishes for McMahan.

"It stinks about the game, but, and I don't talk about moral victories, but we hung for six innings," Persinger said. "I stress to our guys and we have young players that have probably not been in a game of this caliber and if they want to stop hearing about the 2014 team or the 2024 Clay team, make your mark. This game may have been a quick look at how good we can be."

With the solo homer by Jesuit in the sixth, Persinger went to the dugout and got awakened with Jesuit getting 10 runs off a series of errors—one a dropped fly ball at the centerfield fence with bases loaded, the other a grounder to shortstop. Jesuit unloaded on the Blue Devils relief pitching staff with singles and doubles for the barrage.

"A lot of things happened in those last two innings that can't happen against a team like this," Persinger said. "Rylan was Rylan and did his thing against a batting lineup and the other pitcher who both get a lot of press. He is as good as anyone."

Clay had just one game prior to the St. Johns series with a road game at Orange Park on Wednesday, March 25.

"Hey, Coach Etheridge has a six or seven game win streak going out there and they can be dangerous," said Persinger, maybe remembering a district title the Raiders stole from Clay a few years ago. "We can't look past Orange Park because St. Johns is next. This is a good week to replicate the three-game playoff scenario."

The Raiders are 9-5 with a six-game win streak featuring wins over Fletcher (twice), Mandarin and Stanton. The Raiders have three .300-plus hitters in their batting lineup top of the order with Brian Allen (.364), Yaziel Del Valle (.357) and Cameron Nixon (.321).

Fleming Island returned from their own panhandle road trip with a 4-1 record with wins over Macon-East Montgomery Academy (MEMA) of Alabama, 9-2 (an 11-8 record, ranked fourth in Alabama 1A); North Florida Christian, 13-3 and a region playoff nemesis to St. Johns Country Day School; and McMinn Central of Tennessee, 2-1 and ranked sixth in Tennessee 2A. The Golden Eagles lost to McMinn County 3-0 on their final day. McMinn was 8-1 and ranked seventh in Tennessee; sixth in Tennessee 4A.

Fleming Island got an inside the park two run homer from Caden Swartz against MEMA and three doubles from Connor Massey. Massey was big against NFC with five runs off two singles and a double. Fleming Island scored runs in the first and third innings then held strong defense to beat McMinn Central with a double from Landon Reilly and a grounder by Eli Sevilla scoring runs. McMinn County ended a scoreless first six innings with three runs in the seventh for their win.

Middleburg, still rolling at 10-4, has their own four game win streak going minus a cancelled game against Fleming Island for weather with the Broncos scoring games of 11-0, 11-1 and 9-2 this week. The Broncos are utilizing lots of hits, solid baserunning and good defense with singles and doubles putting runs on the scoreboard. For doubles, Cole Conte has four, Jackson Ingram and Johnny De Antonis both have three and Ethan Karaim, Koen Hester, Mason Greene and Liam Cooper all with two doubles each.

Oakleaf is 5-11, but continues to play a rugged schedule with a win over West Nassau surrounded by losses to Fernandina Beach (14-2, ranked fourth in 3A), lost 3-0, Baldwin (13th in 3A) and Trinity Catholic (13th in 2A) last week with Bishop Kenny, St. Joseph Academy (10th in 1A) and Orange Park all having road games this week.