Baseball

The Layners’ love of sports runs deep

Published

1 year ago

April 30, 2020

Bob Putnam

Taylor Layner knew what he wanted in a relationship. The former Osceola baseball standout preferred someone who worked hard and was passionate about helping others.

One more thing. She had to be a sports fanatic.

He found that in Amanda Byers.

The two became friends at South Florida State College in 2012. He was a pitcher for the Panthers. She was an outfielder on the softball team.

They reconnected about two years later at a Florida State-Miami football game. A relationship developed, albeit long distance. Layner transferred to Webber International. Byers went on to Florida Gulf Coast.

“I found the perfect match,” he said.

Once their college careers were over, the couple got engaged and moved to the bay area. Both wanted to become high school coaches in their sports.

Last year, Layner was hired to take over Largo’s struggling baseball program.

Soon after, the softball position at the school opened up. Layner encouraged his fiancee to apply. She got the Packers job this season.

With their professional paths set at the same school, the two made plans to start a family. Byers found out she was pregnant in September of 2019. They were married two months later.

There was no lavish courtship or wedding.

After all, the diamonds that mattered most to them were on the field, not on any finger. In fact, Taylor proposed at Largo’s baseball stadium.

Their devotion to both sports goes back to when they were in high school. Taylor, a stellar pitcher, was the Pinellas County player of the year in 2011. He recently had his jersey retired at Osceola. Amanda hit .702 her senior season at Miami Dr. Krop, a statistic Taylor did not know until looking it up two weeks ago.

The teams they now coach have become just as much a part of their family. The Layners work tirelessly on fundamentals. They put together travel teams. They stress academics.

Given the time commitments imposed by classwork and coaching duties, the couple had little time together since school started in the fall. They knew the workload would increase with a child on the way. No matter.

“I was out there on the field until the doctor told me I couldn’t anymore,” Amanda said.

The players took notice of their dedication.

“I think it’s a great match up,” Largo junior Zach Wagoner pitcher said of the Layners. “They both take the game seriously and they always put the players first.

“There have been times during his wife’s pregnancy where the players questioned why (Taylor) was still at practice instead of with his wife. Both of the teams trust them and take their advice to help them grow not only on the field but off of it as well. They’re the best coaching duo you could get.”

Their son’s due date was in late March, the same time the Layners were supposed to be wrapping up their regular seasons. They knew there would be some major juggling with their schedules. Amanda would not be there for the stretch run of her debut season as coach. She would have to rely on her assistants, and her husband, if the season continued. Their parents were willing to babysit whenever needed.

They made it work. Everything was coming together. The softball team won two games, equaling the program’s total from the previous three seasons combined. In two seasons with the baseball team, Taylor has compiled a combined 15 victories despite dealing with injuries to key players. The win total was more than the two seasons prior to Taylor’s arrival. And the 10 victories Largo recorded in 2019 marked just the second time the program reached double-digit wins in a season in the past decade.

“Largo was known more as a football school,” Taylor said. “We were starting to put the softball and baseball programs somewhere on the map.”

Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Spring sports were initially postponed before being canceled.

The shutdown was beneficial. It allowed the Layners more time to prepare for Taylor Jr., who was born March 25.

“It’s sad for the season to end the way it did , especially for the seniors on both teams,” Taylor said. “Everything happened so quickly. We had so much going on in our lives. This gave us time to really be together. That’s the one positive. It’s a crazy time, something we’ll always remember. When the history books are written 10-15 years from now, we’ll be able to tell our son he entered the world in the middle of all of this.”

The Layners knew what they wanted in a son. Someone who was strong and smart.

And a sports fanatic.

The training has already started. Taylor tries to get his son to use his left hand as much as possible, in hopes of developing a left-handed pitcher. The parents are even figuring out potential positions their son could play based on his estimated growth charts.

“Maybe a left-hander or right-hander,” Amanda said. “Maybe a pitcher or middle infielder. We’re athletes. We’re competitive. We want what’s best for our son. But we’ll support him no matter what he decides to do.”

Baseball

FHSAA releases baseball class and district assignments

Published

3 months ago

July 21, 2021

Bob Putnam

The Florida High School Athletic Association released the classifications, districts and regions for baseball this coming season. The assignments are based on student enrollment numbers from October 2020. This is a one-year cycle that the FHSAA board of directors voted on earlier this year. There likely will be a two-year cycle starting with the 2022-23 calendar year. Below is the list for area teams. For the full baseball list click here.

Class 7A, District 6

Durant

Lakewood Ranch

Newsome

Plant City

Riverview

Class 7A, District 7

Alonso

East Lake

Steinbrenner

Palm Harbor University

Plant

Class 6A, District 5

Land O’ Lakes

Sunlake

Mitchell

Wharton

Wiregrass Ranch

Class 6A, District 6

Gaither

Largo

Leto

Pinellas Park

Sickles

Class 6A, District 7

Armwood

Bloomingdale

East Bay

Lennard

Strawberry Crest

Tampa Bay Tech

Class 5A, District 5

Clearwater

Countryside

Fivay

Lecanto

River Ridge

Springstead

Class 5A, District 6

Blake

Freedom

Hillsborough

Jefferson

Jesuit

Middleton

Class 5A, District 7

Braden River

Bradenton Southeast

Brandon

King

Spoto

Sumner

Class 5A, District 8

Boca Ciega

Hollins

Northeast

Osceola

Seminole

St. Petersburg

Class 5A, District 10

Auburndale

Cypress Creek

Groveland South Lake

Pasco

Zephyrhills

Class 4A, District 5

Central

Citrus

Crystal River

Hernando

Weeki Wachee

Class 4A, District 6

Anclote

Gulf

Hudson

Nature Coast

Tarpon Springs

Class 4A, District 7

Chamberlain

Dunedin

Robinson

Wesley Chapel

Class 3A, District 5

Bell Creek

Bishop McLaughlin

Brooks DeBartolo

Carrollwood Day

Tampa Catholic

Tampa Prep

Class 3A, District 6

Berkeley Prep

Calvary Christian

Clearwater Central Catholic

Lakewood

St. Petersburg Catholic

Class 2A, District 9

Admiral Farragut

Canterbury

Indian Rocks Christian

Keswick Christian

Lakeside Christian

Northside Christian

Shorecrest

Class 2A, District 10

Academy at the Lakes

Bayshore Christian

Cambridge Christian

Foundation Christian

Seffner Christian

Baseball

Final baseball stats

Published

4 months ago

June 28, 2021

Bob Putnam

Here are the statistical leaders among area baseball players for the season. The final stats were compiled from MaxPreps. There were a minimum of 10 games played.

Batting average

* Minimum 32 plate appearances

.533 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.532 P/SS Garrett Glasgow, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.522 OF/P Justin Corns, Jr., Armwood

.518 P/C David Stokely, Sr., Tarpon Springs

.475 UTIl Erik Scott, Sr., Fivay

.475 OF Kohl Robertson, Sr., Sickles

.467 1B/P Zen Hiatt, Sr., Alonso

.463 P/UTIL Colby Fanning, Sr., Strawberry Crest

.451 P/OF Kendal Spencer, Sr., Brandon

.449 SS Chase Maiden, Jr., Countryside

.443 SS/C Jeremy Galen, Sr., East Bay

.443 UTIL Tyler Gauci, Jr., Hudson

.442 SS/P Caleb Rogers, Sr., Keswick Christian

.441 RF Luke Bacon, Sr., Keswick Christian

.440 SS/C Dante Portillo, Sr., Bell Creek Academy

.439 3B/P Charlie Duffy, Jr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.438 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

.435 C/P Marco Dinges, Sr., East Lake

.435 C/SS J.C. Barrott, Jr., Shorecrest

.432 CF Marcus Brodil, Sr., Dunedin

.430 OF/P Raul Olivera, Jr., Freedom

.427 OF/P Andrew Duncan, So., Bishop McLaughlin

.425 P/1B Justin Gay, Sr., Central

.422 OF/P Justin Vanvliet, So., Fivay

.418 1B/P Ryan Martin, Sr., Brooks DeBartolo

.418 P/1B Antonio Delima, So., Anclote

.417 INF Bradke Lohry, Sr., Jesuit

.417 INF Nate Cannizzaro, Sr., Northeast

.417 OF/P Jacob Green, Jr., Hollins

.417 INF Miguel Pina, So., Gaither

.417 INF/C RJ Gutierrez, Sr., Leto

.417 OF/P Austin Coultas, Sr., Wesley Chapel

.415 2B/P Dylan Day, Jr., Hudson

.414 OF Andrew Williamson, So., Northside Christian

.413 CF/P David Martinez, Sr., Lakewood

.413 SS/3B Torry Jones, Sr., Lakewood

.412 OF/P Anton Ortega, Sr., Clearwater

.410 OF/P Hayden McElreath, Fr., Hudson

.409 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

.407 INF/C Johnathan Bruno, Sr., Berkeley Prep

.407 SS/P Travis Clark, Fr., Hudson

Home runs

8 1B/P Zen Hiatt, Sr., Alonso

6 SS/P Zeth Rodriguez, Sr., Nature Coast

6 INF/P Dylan DuPhily, Sr., Hernando

6 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

6 C/1B Oliver Hahn, Sr., Seminole

6 3B/1B Ryan Willis, Sr., Northeast

5 SS/P Cade Kurland, So., Berkeley Prep

5 1B James Hankerson, So., Berkeley Prep

5 OF/1B Jake Kulikowski, So., Jesuit

5 P/OF Harrison Povey, Sr., Largo

5 INF Colby Shelton, Sr., Bloomingdale

5 SS/P Caleb Rogers, Sr., Keswick Christian

5 1B/OF Sam Meade, Sr., Plant

4 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

4 1B/OF Amai Rivera-Martinez, Jr., Northeast

4 INF/P James Strom, Sr., Steinbrenner

4 C/P Marco Dinges, Sr., East Lake

4 OF/P Jaiden Duarte, Sr., Jefferson

4 P/INF Colin Shultz, Jr., Plant City

4 OF/1B Elijah Dukes, Jr., Wharton

4 3B/1B Evan Wainman, Jr., Newsome

4 1B/P Jack Zikmund, Jr., Shorecrest

4 SS/P Trey Santana, Jr., Sunlake

4 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

3 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

3 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

3 C/INF Cole Russo, Sr., Jesuit

3 OF/P Peyton Petry, Sr., Cypress Creek

3 3B/P Ethan Petry, So., Cypress Creek

3 INF Cayden Evans, Jr., Northeast

3 INF Gabe Tafelski, Jr., Hernando

3 OF/P Ryan Robinson, Sr., Plant City

3 C Collin Nelson, Sr., Nature Coast

3 3B/P Blake Albritton, Jr., Keswick Christian

3 1B/P Billy Eich, Jr., Wharton

3 RF Luke Bacon, Sr., Keswick Christian

3 1B/P Jac Caglione, Sr., Plant

3 OF/P Nolan Loland, Sr., Riverview

3 OF/P Sam Patrick, Jr., Pasco

3 1B/P Bobby Lavely, Sr., Boca Ciega

3 1B/DH Victor Figueroa, Jr., Sunlake

3 P/SS Garrett Glasgow, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

Slugging percentage

* Minimum 32 plate appearances

.957 SS/P Garrett Glasgow, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.933 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.907 1B/Zen Hiatt, Sr., Alonso

.833 OF/P Austin Coultas, Sr., Wesley Chapel

.786 P/C David Stokely, Sr., Tarpon Springs

.779 SS/P Caleb Rogers, Sr., Keswick Christian

.770 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

.756 OF/P Kendal Spencer, Sr., Brandon

.739 C/P Marco Dinges, Sr., East Lake

.739 OF/P Justin Corns, Jr., Armwood

.729 SS/C Jeremy Galen, Sr., East Bay

.720 INF/P Dylan DuPhily, Sr., Hernando

.709 P/OF Harrison Povey, Sr., Largo

.709 INF Colby Shelton, Sr., Bloomingdale

.706 RF Luke Bacon, Sr., Keswick Christian

.705 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

.704 1B/C Oliver Hahn, Sr., Seminole

.702 INF Bradke Lohry, Sr., Jesuit

.700 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

.700 SS/C Dante Portillo, Sr., Bell Creek Academy

.699 1B/P Justin Gay, Sr., Central

.696 3B/1B Evan Wainman, Jr., Newsome

.680 C/INF Cole Russo, Sr., Jesuit

.679 1B/OF Sam Meade, Sr., Plant

.671 3B/1B Ryan Willis, Sr., Northeast

.661 OF Kohl Robertson, Sr., Sickles

.657 1B/P Jack Zikmund, Jr., Shorecrest

.655 SS/P Cade Kurland, So., Berkeley Prep

.654 SS/P Zeth Rodriguez, Sr., Nature Coast

.642 OF/1B Jake Kulikowski, So., Jesuit

.636 CF Marcus Brodil, Sr., Dunedin

.634 3B/P Charlie Duffy, Jr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.632 OF Andrew Williamson, So., Northside Christian

.627 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

.627 1B/P Billy Eich, Jr., Wharton

.623 C/P John Perry, Jr., Anclote

.622 OF Keilen Johnson, Sr., Plant City

.614 1B/DH Victor Figueroa, Jr., Sunlake

.613 P/INF Colin Shultz, Jr., Plant City

.609 OF/P Jaiden Duarte, Sr., Jefferson

RBIs

35 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

34 INF/P Dylan DuPhily, Sr., Hernando

33 SS/P Caleb Rogers, Sr., Keswick Christian

32 UTIL/P Andrew DiMisa, Sr., Berkeley Prep

31 SS/P Cade Kurland, So., Berkeley Prep

30 SS Arjun Nimmala, So., Strawberry Crest

30 1B/OF Amai Rivera-Martinez, Jr., Northeast

29 C/1B Oliver Hahn, Sr., Seminole

28 3B/P Ethan Petry, So., Cypress Creek

28 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

27 C/INF Cole Russo, Sr., Jesuit

26 SS/P Zeth Rodriguez, Sr., Nature Coast

26 OF/1B Jake Kulikowski, So., Jesuit

26 INF/P Landen Maroudis, So., Calvary Christian

26 INF Nick Rodriguez, Sr., Jesuit

25 C/1B Daniel Busot, Jr., Land O’ Lakes

25 UTIL Nick Talpa, Sr., Hernando

25 1B/3B Josh Blake, Jr., Brandon

25 OF Marlon Bowen, Sr., Bloomingdale

25 1B/P Josh Wollerman, Sr., Wesley Chapel

25 3B/1B Ryan Willis, Sr., Northeast

24 P/1B Trey Beard, So., Dunedin

24 P/OF Harrison Povey, Sr., Largo

24 INF Colby Shelton, Sr., Bloomingdale

24 OF/P Nolan Lalond, Sr., Riverview

24 P/1B/3B Carson Kull, Sr., Foundation Christian

23 INF/C Johnathan Bruno, Sr., Berkeley Prep

23 2B Dylan Oester, Sr., Dunedin

23 OF/P Justin Montanez, Sr., Nature Coast

23 C/P Ryland Bozenhard, So., Hollins

23 C/UTIL Dylan LaPointe, So., Durant

23 P/1B/3B Austin Corn, Sr., Foundation Christian

22 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

22 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

22 OF Anthony Talpa, So., Hernando

22 C/1B Gunnett Carlson, Jr., Berkeley Prep

22 1B/P Billy Eich, Jr., Wharton

22 OF/3B Miles Curley, Jr., Calvary Christian

22 RF Luke Bacon, Sr., Keswick Christian

22 OF/P Wes Mendes, So., Jesuit

22 1B/P Shane Saunders, Sr., Foundation Christian

22 UTIL Brian Martin, Sr., Hernando Christian

Runs

38 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

36 2B/SS Anthony Castillo, Jr., Berkeley Prep

36 SS/P Zeth Rodriguez, Sr., Nature Coast

35 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

34 SS/P Cade Kurland, So., Berkeley Prep

34 P/UTIL Colby Fanning, Sr., Strawberry Crest

33 3B/P Blake Albritton, Jr., Keswick Christian

32 INF/OF Javier James, Sr., Jefferson

32 INF Bradke Lohry, Sr., Jesuit

32 INF/OF Josiah Boyona, Sr., Academy at the Lakes

31 INF/P Dylan DuPhily, Sr., Hernando

30 CF Marcus Brodil, Sr., Dunedin

30 C/INF Sean Esquinaldo, Jr., Wesley Chapel

30 CF/P David Martinez, Sr., Lakewood

30 OF BJ Graham, Sr., Jesuit

29 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

29 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

29 P/1B/3B Carson Kull, Sr., Foundation Christian

28 OF Drake Harman, Jr., Bloomingdale

28 OF Andrew Williamson, So., Northside Christian

28 UTIL Nick Talpa, Sr., Hernando

28 SS/2B Avery Cherry, Jr., Seffner Christian

28 LF/UTIL CJ Moore, Fr., Clearwater

28 SS/P Jake Duffy, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

28 SS/C Dante Portillo, Sr., Bell Creek Academy

27 2B Dylan Oester, Sr., Dunedin

27 OF/P CJ Hanson, Sr., Gaither

27 CF/1B Nelson Taylor, Sr., Clearwater

27 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

26 OF/P Peyton Petry, Sr., Cypress Creek

26 OF Anthony Talpa, So., Hernando

26 OF/P Hector LaPorte, Sr., Hollins

26 1B/OF Tyler Corish, Sr., Jesuit

26 C Dylan Silverstein, Sr., Seminole

26 INF Cayden Evans, Jr., Northeast

26 OF Dyllan Brown, So., Cypress Creek

26 OF/P Jacob Green, Jr., Hollins

26 1B/P Jack Zikmund, Jr., Shorecrest

26 UTIL Luke Puckett, Sr., Hernando

25 1B James Hankerson, So., Berkeley Prep

25 2B/P Tyler Renew, Jr., Nature Coast

25 UTIL Tyler Gauci, Jr., Hudson

25 UTIL Erik Scott, Sr., Fivay

25 OF/P Caleb Rodriguez, Jr., Bell Creek Academy

On base percentage

* Minimum 32 plate appearances

.667 1B/OF Jake Huff, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.641 C/P David Stokely, Sr., Tarpon Springs

.633 OF/P Justin Corns, Jr., Armwood

.607 P Aaron Deegan, Sr., Seminole

.607 P/SS Garrett Glasgow, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.590 UTIL Erik Scott, Sr., Fivay

.590 C Isaac Martinez, So., Bell Creek Academy

.574 3B/P Charlie Duffy, Jr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.571 INF Miguel Pina, So., Gaither

.571 C/P John Perry, Jr., Anclote

.571 OF/P Caleb Rodriguez, Jr., Bell Creek Academy

.562 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

.562 SS/C Jeremy Galen, Sr., East Bay

.559 UTIL Matthew Biel, So., Hernando Christian

.554 UTIL Hayden McElreath, Fr., Hudson

.552 C/P Marco Dinges, Sr., East Lake

.551 P/1B Curtis Williams, Sr., Canterbury

.545 UTIL Nick Talpa, Sr., Hernando

.545 OF/P Kendal Spencer, Sr., Brandon

.539 UTIL Dylan Carlos, Jr., Foundation Christian

.538 SS/C Dante Portillo, Sr., Bell Creek Academy

.537 IF/C Johnathan Bruno, Sr., Berkeley Prep

.537 SS Chase Maiden, Jr., Countryside

.536 INF Bradke Lohry, Sr., Jesuit

.535 OF/P Anton Ortega, Sr., Clearwater

.534 1B/P Zen Hiatt, Sr., Alonso

.534 INF/P Ben Lebron, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch

.534 INF Damian Lantigua, Sr., Leto

.531 INF Nate Cannizzaro, Sr., Northeast

.530 RF Luke Bacon, Sr., Keswick Christian

.529 UTIL Tyler Gauci, Jr., Hudson

.528 CF Marcus Brodil, Sr., Dunedin

.528 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

.528 OF/P Jacob Green, Jr., Hollins

.528 OF Marco Palaganos, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

.527 2B/SS Anthony Castillo, Jr., Berkeley Prep

.527 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

.527 C/SS J.C. Barrott, Jr., Shorecrest

.527 P Shane Saunders, Sr., Foundation Christian

.526 P/1B/3B Austin Corn, Sr., Foundation Christian

Stolen bases

33 INF/OF Josiah Bayona, Sr., Academy at the Lakes

30 OF/P Chris Moss, Jr., Nature Coast Tech

26 SS/P Zach Ehrhard, Sr., Wharton

25 UTIL Erik Scott, Sr., Fivay

25 OF Caden Santucci, Sr., Riverview

23 OF/P Jaylin Taylor, Jr., Riverview

23 OF/P Raul Olivera, Jr., Freedom

22 SS/P Avery Cherry, Jr., Seffner Christian

22 OF/P Anthony Vanvliet, So., Hudson

22 OF/P Andrew Duncan, So., Bishop McLaughlin

22 LF/UTIL CJ Moore, Fr., Clearwater

22 OF/INF Coltin Pizzio, Jr., Leto

21 SS/P Jake Duffy, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic

20 INF/OF Javier James, Sr., Jefferson

20 SS/P Cade Kurland, So., Berkeley Prep

19 2B/SS Anthony Castillo, Jr., Berkeley Prep

19 P/1B Antonio Delima, So., Anclote

19 CF/1B Nelson Taylor, Sr., Clearwater

19 INF/P Tanner Pelaez, Jr., Academy at the Lakes

18 OF Dylan McDonald, Sr., Wharton

18 C/INF Sean Esquinaldo, Jr., Wesley Chapel

18 INF/UTIL Christian Tavarez, Sr., Riverview

18 UTIL Tyler Gauci, Jr., Hudson

18 SS Chase Maiden, Jr., Countryside

18 OF Sean Smith, Sr., East Lake

18 OF/P Kendal Spencer, Sr., Brandon

18 INF Bradke Lohry, Sr., Jesuit

17 P/INF Jacob Syversen, Sr., Academy at the Lakes

17 OF/C Thomas Allen, Sr., Durant

17 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

17 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

16 OF/P Anthony Perkins, Sr., Lakewood

16 P/UTIL Colby Fanning, Sr., Strawberry Crest

16 OF Andrew Williamson, So., Northside Christian

16 INF/P Ryan Cerrone, Jr., Northside Christian

16 Dylan Silverstein, Jr., Seminole

16 OF/P Ezra Brennan, Sr., Mitchell

16 SS/P Zeth Rodriguez, Sr., Nature Coast

16 CF/P David Martinez, Sr., Lakewood

15 UTIL Josh Morin, Sr., Cambridge Christian

15 SS Arjun Nimmala, So., Strawberry Crest

15 SS/C Jeremy Galen, Sr., East Bay

15 OF/P Michael Wormack, So., Chamberlain

15 SS/P Caleb Rogers, Sr., Keswick Christian

15 2B/SS Cam Mallo, Fr., Hillsborough

15 3B/P Blake Albritton, Jr., Keswick Christian

15 INF/OF Cam Salter, Jr., Northside Christian

ERA

* Minimum 22 innings pitched

0.00 P Shane Saunders, Sr., Foundation Christian

0.25 P/3B Ben Cheek, Sr., Seffner Christian

0.31 P Kris Sosnowski, Sr., Jesuit

0.36 P Sean Hermann, Sr., Durant

0.51 P Zach Buelk, Sr., Cypress Creek

0.63 P Jonny Davis, Sr., King

0.67 P Cooper Consiglio, So., East Lake

0.74 P/OF Anton Ortega, Sr., Clearwater

0.76 P Cody Little, Sr., Seminole

0.81 P/C Bryan Rivera, So., Leto

0.82 P/INF Evan White, Jr., Clearwater

0.88 P Jackson Perkins, Sr., Wharton

0.91 1B/P Anthony Menendez, Sr., Cypress Creek

0.91 P Colin Sengkhounmany, Jr., East Lake

0.95 P Noah Palmese, Sr., Seminole

1.00 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

1.02 SS/2B/P Zander Fisk, Sr., Durant

1.02 P/1B James Hill, Sr., Mitchell

1.04 P/OF Jack Owens, Jr., Bloomingdale

1.09 UTIL/P Luke Percifield, Jr., Osceola

1.11 P Andrew Blackett, Jr., St. Petersburg

1.14 P Marcus Opolski-Roe, Sr., Springstead

1.14 3B/P Aidan Miller, So., Mitchell

1.20 3B/2B Ethan Burkhardt, Fr., Bishop McLaughlin

1.20 OF/P Zachary Showalter, Jr., Wesley Chapel

1.21 P/OF Justin Montanez, Sr., Nature Coast

1.22 P/1B Brian Erb, Sr., Nature Coast

1.26 P/INF Colin Jackson, Sr. Gaither

1.30 P Chase Havener, Sr., Newsome

1.34 P/OF Harrison Povey, Sr., Largo

1.34 OF/P Sammy Seplowe, Jr., Alonso

1.38 P Aaron Deegan, Sr., Seminole

1.39 P/UTIL Xavier Talbot, So., Bell Creek Academy

1.42 OF/P Lukas Chunn, Sr., Riverview

1.43 P Ashton Crowther, Jr., Mitchell

1.43 P Paul Guerne, So., Calvary Christian

1.52 P/DH Sean Melanson, Sr., Northeast

1.57 P/OF Billy Davies, So., Hollins

1.58 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

1.58 P/1B Corey Braun, Sr., Osceola

1.59 P/INFF Ethan Chana, So., Wesley Chapel

Strikeouts

157 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

135 P Sean Hermann, Sr., Durant

93 P/UTIL Marcos Herrand, Sr., Brandon

93 P/1B Justin Gay, Sr., Central

89 P/OF Jack Owens, Jr., Bloomingdale

88 P David Eckaus, Sr., Bloomingdale

84 P Carson Kull, Sr., Foundation Academy

84 P/OF Peyton Petry, Sr., Cypress Creek

83 P Dominic Castellano, Sr., Jesuit

83 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

82 P Holden Wade, Sr., Sickles

82 P Jack Cebert, Sr., Calvary Christian

80 P/CF Joey Jensen, Sr., Seffner Christian

80 P Marcus Opolski-Roe, Sr., Springstead

78 P Bryan Boully, Sr., Strawberry Crest

76 P Ryan Fry, Jr., Wharton

75 P/DH Sean Melanson, Sr., Northeast

74 P/UTIL Evan Chrest, Jr., Wharton

74 P/INF Colin Jackson, Sr., Gaither

72 P/1B Trey Beard, So., Dunedin

72 P Connor Crosby, Sr., St. Petersburg

71 P/3B Ben Cheek, Sr., Seffner Christian

70 P/1B Anthony Menendez, Sr., Cypress Creek

70 P Ashton Crowther, Jr., Mitchell

69 P/3B Anthony Anselmo, Sr., Nature Coast

68 P/UTIL Austin Grause, Sr., Gaither

68 INF/P Ethan Chana, So., Wesley Chapel

65 P/1B Jac Caglione, Sr., Plant

63 P/1B Jose Pena, Sr., Tampa Prep

62 P/OF Zachary Showalter, Jr., Wesley Chapel

61 P Noah Palmese, Sr., Seminole

60 P Cole Syversen, Jr., Academy at the Lakes

60 P/INF Matthew Johnson, Sr., Jefferson

60 P/DH Tanner Boccabello, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin

60 P/OF Hector Montilla, Jr., Alonso

59 OF/P Justin Montanez, Sr., Nature Coast

58 P/INF Cameron Horner, Sr., Keswick Christian

57 P Cooper Consiglio, So., East Lake

57 P/1B Corey Braun, Sr., Osceola

57 P Paul Guerne, So., Calvary Christian

57 P/OF Anthony Scarangella, Sr., Weeki Wachee

Wins

9 P Sean Hermann, Sr., Durant

9 P/OF Riley Fisher, Sr., Hernando

8 P Carson Moore, Sr., Jefferson

8 P Will Parkinson, Sr., Berkeley Prep

8 P Dominic Castellano, Sr., Jesuit

8 P/UTIL Evan Chrest, Jr., Wharton

8 P David Eckaus, Sr., Bloomingdale

8 P/OF Jack Owens, Sr., Bloomingdale

8 P/INF Brian Holiday, Sr., Land O’ Lakes

7 OF/P Justin Montanez, Sr., Nature Coast

7 P/CF Joey Jensen, Sr., Seffner Christian

7 P/INF Colin Jackson, Sr., Gaither

7 P Kris Sosnowski, Sr., Jesuit

7 P Holden Wade, Sr., Sickles

6 P Connor Crosby, Sr., St. Petersburg

6 P Paul Guerne, So., Calvary Christian

6 P Noah Palmese, Sr., Seminole

6 P Luke Richardson, So., Strawberry Crest

6 P Ryan Fry, Sr., Wharton

6 P/DH Tanner Boccabello, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin

6 P/UTIL Colby Fanning, Sr., Strawberry Crest

6 P/3B Anthony Anselmo, Sr., Nature Coast

6 SS/2B Zander Fisk, Sr., Durant

6 P/UTIL Marcos Herrand, Sr., Brandon

6 P/OF Augie Mojica, Jr., Bishop McLaughlin

6 P Jack Cebert, Sr., Calvary Christian

5 3B/P Ben Cheek, Sr., Seffner Christian

5 P Austin Corn, Sr., Foundation Christian Academy

5 P Jackson Perkins, Sr., Wharton

5 P Shane Saunders, Sr., Foundation Christian Academy

5 P/INF Christian Horner, Sr., Keswick Christian

5 1B/P Jac Caglione, Sr., Plant

5 P/2B Ethan Corscadden, So., Bishop McLaughlin

5 P Evan Palmer, Sr., Berkeley Prep

5 P Andrew Blackett, Jr., St. Petersburg

5 P/OF Peyton Petry, Sr., Cypress Creek

5 1B/P Anthony Menendez, Sr., Wesley Chapel

5 P/OF Robert Kocis, Jr., Northside Christian

5 P Nicholas Cotugno, Sr., River Ridge

5 P/OF Harrison Povey, Sr., Largo

5 P/OF Hector Montilla, Jr., Alonso

5 P Dontavious Johnson, Sr., King

5 P/LF Jake Viera, Sr., Lakewood

5 P Tres Toledo, Sr., Brandon

5 P/SS Alexander Alvarez, Sr., Shorecrest

Fielding

* Minimum 74 total chances

1.000 C Nick Sanchez, Jr., Cypress Creek

1.000 C/OF Keaton Howard, Sr., Mitchell

1.000 C Collin Nelson, Sr., Nature Coast

1.000 C Jake Levesque, Fr., Keswick Christian

1.000 C/UTIL Chase Ciatto, Sr., Clearwater

1.000 P/1B Trey Beard, So., Dunedin

1.000 UTIL Nick Talpa, Sr., Hernando

1.000 C/1B Ben Mensch, Sr., Tampa Prep

1.000 P Shane Saunders, Sr., Foundation Christian

1.000 C Owen Andress, Jr., Springstead

1.000 P/1B Brian Erb, Sr., Nature Coast

1.000 C/1B Alex Campbell, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch

1.000 C/UTIL Billy Young, Sr., Fivay

1.000 C Dom Albano, Sr., Sunlake

1.000 C Dylan Kregelka, Sr., Brandon

1.000 UTIL Tate Gran, Jr., East Bay

1.000 C Myles Vacharasin, Sr., Sunlake

.996 C/INF Wyatt Strickland, Sr., Bloomingdale

.996 C Frank Micallef, Sr., Wharton

.993 C/3B Atticus Huffstutler, Fr., Lakewood

.993 C Gio Mendoza, So., Freedom

.992 C/1B Daniel Busot, Jr., Land O’ Lakes

.992 C/1B Gunnett Carlson, Jr., Berkeley Prep

.992 C/INF Mikey Britton, So., Spoto

.992 C Nolan Fitzpatrick, So., Osceola

.992 C/P Israel Oliva, Jr., Gaither

Catching (caught stealing percentage)

* Minimum 24 stolen bases attempted against them

.516 C/P Gavin Hunter, Sr., Riverview

.429 C Jack Brosky, Sr., Plant City

.323 C Frank Micallef, Sr., Wharton

.315 C Gio Mendoza, So., Freedom

.286 C Josh Sorensen, Fr., Northeast

.241 C/1B Christian Revilla, Fr., Anclote

.129 C Cameron Williams, Sr., Middleton

.045 C/1B Alex Campbell, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch

Baseball

Bloomingdale’s Kris Wilken named 6A coach of the year

Published

4 months ago

June 11, 2021

Bob Putnam

Bloomingdale’s Kris Wilken, who guided the school’s baseball program to its first state title, was named the Class 6A coach of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers.

Wilken, who has coached the Bulls for 14 seasons, has a 221-123 overall record. He helped Bloomingdale reach the state semifinals in 2014.

This season, everything came together at the right time. The Bulls found the wherewithal to survive a series of close, low-scoring games en route to a state title. Three of Bloomingdale’s five postseason games were decided by a run.

The winners in each classification were selected through voting from a statewide panel of baseball coaches and media representatives. They are now eligible to be named the overall winner in the state, which will go through another round of voting and likely be announced next week.