GREEN COVE SPRINGS - A four-run seventh inning doomed the Clay High baseball season while St. Johns Country Day School made the "Show" but had a terrible first inning as area baseball teams gear up for another shot at baseball dominance in 2024.
St. Johns Country Day School's storied program ran the table to the state final against Lakeland Christian with big bats; scores of 8-0, 5-2, 10-5 and 8-3, to get to the Class 2A final, but gave up four runs in the first inning to a defending champion with a wild pitch, a walk and a hard single to centerfield; all uncharacteristic of the Spartans precision level of play.
St. Johns coach Tom Lucas loses a handful of seniors; notably Shawn Andrade, Jacob Thomas and Isaiah Mamea, but brings back a wealth of returners plus new faces that will put the Spartans back in the hunt.
For Clay, a shocking (to them) district championship loss to rival Ridgeview may have been the wake-up call for coach Josh Persinger as the Blue Devils rebounded with region wins against Escambia and, in the region semifinal, Ridgeview, before getting to the region final against a 24-6 Columbia team that was working five straight wins including their district title game; a 9-0 bombing of Tallahassee Lincoln.
Columbia's hard-hitting, run-scoring offense put up games of 14-0 and 8-4 before Clay in the region 1-5A final where Clay had just four hits on the night and had the game in reach until the dreadful seventh inning. Columbia bombed away with nine singles, a double, a triple and a homer.
Six seniors leave the Blue Devils including Josh Rouw (17 RBIs) and Chase Haggard (16 RBIs) while on the mound Elijah Roberts (74Ks).
Over on Blanding Blvd., Middleburg (4-15), (20-7)and Orange Park (8-16) created some chaos on their schedules with significant momentum at the end of their seasons; Ridgeview with a district title win over Clay; Middleburg with near 7-5 upset of Clay in district semifinals and Orange Park getting eeked 5-4 by Ridgeview in their district opener.
Middleburg, as history will attest, has traditionally had subpar won-loss records but much success in playoff time under coach Daniel Pierce and his predecessor Alan Burnsed. The Broncos, who lost a 6-5 regular season game to Clay and had five games decided by one or two runs, like to play possum throughout the season and then play the Snake in the playoffs.
Top hitter Jacob Baxley graduated (.387, 11RBIs), but the pitching staff could be solid; Logan "Worm" Wehrmeyer (37Ks), a junior; Austin Larson (19Ks) a senior, and Daniel Lee (31Ks) a senior.
Ridgeview coach Saul Jimenez built a strong foundation in his dugout and got mileage with enthusiasm and a 20-7 slate; five straight to open the season, two losses, then five more straight wins, then seventh straight to finish the season as district champion and region semifinalist with a 12-6 win over Ponte Vedra in quarterfinals.
Jimenez loses the glue for the team; Billy Girgis (30RBIs, 42Ks), who will be playing at FSCJ, and playmaker Xavier Harris (.441, 13RBIs, 5 doubles), but returns a strong lineup led by Doug Langley (.431, 10RBIs) and pitcher Keegan Roach (5-1, 1.47 ERA, 33Ks).
In the 6A ranks, Oakleaf opened on fire with eight wins before a stop in Clay (6-2 loss) and St. Johns (3-2 win in 10 innings) that set the mode for the season as an explosive team with a strong pitching backbone.
Oakleaf and Fleming Island look to battle again in their district with the Knights depleting their lineup with the likes of Devin Outlaw, Antonio Diaz, Devin Dizon and Steven Farina while the Golden Eagles lose stalwarts like Abram Summers, Jackson Mercer, Gavin Billingsley and Anders Chadwell.
Fleming Island, 16-9 under coach Gil Morales, will respond with a stronger second Morales season as the wily coach has been a winner wherever he has been in the dugout.
Oakleaf coach Matthew Carter has instilled a good work ethic mentality for the Knights and deep playoff runs are forthcoming.
Keystone Heights plays a surprisingly strong schedule against top Gainesville programs as well as most of the Clay County powers including Clay, Middleburg and Orange Park; all classes above the Indians 4A.
The Keystone Heights vs. Clay game is a strong indicator of the Indians' potential as the game has been wrested in final innings' theatrics.
Indians coach Chris Roach loses three .300-plus hitters; Jesse Stanley (.375), Noah Branch (.362) and Chase Packham (.359) and will need the next man-up mentality in the batting lineup.