FHSAA baseball brackets are out. Which SWFL teams made the postseason?
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The FHSAA state baseball playoffs are finally here.
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Seeds and matchups were announced on Monday afternoon for each region in the state. Fourteen local squads earned playoff berths after some won district titles last week.
Canterbury's been rolling under coach Frank Turco, earning a national ranking after a strong regular season. ECS and St. John Neumann are coming hot though, having put together strong campaigns of their own. Island Coast is on track to potentially make a run to an Elite Eight or better, earning a high seed in Class 5A-Region 3. Barron Collier's tough schedule rewarded them with the No. 4 seed in that region.
The FHSAA playoffs are slightly altered relative to last season. Instead of three-game series on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday like last year, it's now a one-game regional quarterfinal, followed by three-game series in the regional semis and finals. Unlike last year, the higher seed gets all three games, and Game 1 will be played on Friday, with Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) being played as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Teams in bold denote district champions. Teams in italics denote local squads.
Class 1A-Region 3
(1) Canterbury vs. (8) Indian Rocks Christian
(4) Cambridge Christian vs. (5) Northside Christian
(2) Evangelical Christian vs. (7) SFCA
(3) St. John Neumann vs. (6) St. Pete Canterbury
Analysis: Four local squads made this region, three of which own the top three seeds in Canterbury, Evangelical Christian, and St. John Neumann. The Sentinels somehow held onto the No. 2 seed over the Celtics despite Neumann being ranked 18 spots higher on MaxPreps, something Derrik Lutz's squad will certainly take. ECS will host a familiar foe in SFCA, marking the third time in four games the two sides have faced. St. John Neumann gets a different Canterbury in round one, taking on the Crusaders from St. Petersburg. Should ECS and Neumann win, it'll mark the first time Neumann will play a true road game this season. The Celtics have played 18 home games this year and eight games on neutral sites, four apiece in Las Vegas and Louisiana. Canterbury enters as the favorite with a stout pitching staff and the best lineup from top to bottom in the area, making this one theirs for the taking in hopes of winning back-to-back state titles.
Alex's pick to win: Canterbury
Class 2A-Region 3
(1) Berkeley Prep vs. (8) First Baptist
(4) Clearwater Central Catholic vs. (5) Community School
(2) Tampa Catholic vs. (7) Tampa Prep
(3) Cardinal Mooney vs. (6) Bishop McLaughlin
Analysis: The two private schools in District 2A-12 got in as First Baptist stunned CSN for the title last week. The Lions were in a must-win scenario to make the postseason and shut out the Seahawks. CSN felt the effects of that loss on the bracket release, as it ultimately cost them a first-round home game against Clearwater Central Catholic. Berkeley Prep has three proven arms that should be able to get them to the finish line in this region, but rival Tampa Catholic beat them 11-7 early on in the season before the Buccaneers responded with a 5-2 win in districts. Cardinal Mooney is also sitting there with the No. 3 seed, having not lost a game since late February.
Alex's pick to win: Berkeley Prep
Class 3A-Region 3
(1) Calvary Christian vs. (8) Dunedin
(4) Jefferson vs. (5) Aubrey Rogers
(2) North Broward Prep vs. (7) Coral Springs Charter
(3) Bishop Verot vs. (6) McKeel Academy
Analysis: This top-heavy region showcases some heavy hitters in Calvary Christian, North Broward Prep, and Bishop Verot, all of whom are capable of making it to a Final Four. Each squad has the pitching depth necessary, headlined by Calvary Christian's Caden Schlotterbeck, Jake Henderson, and Kanin Summey. Bishop Verot's arms aren't bad either, headlined by North Carolina commit Joey Lawson, who's pitched to a 0.94 ERA this season facing the state's best. Blake Lavenia's put together a masterful senior season, pitching to a perfect 7-0 record, while Jhon Rodriguez, Tyler Reeder, Jessie Feast, and Boston Selig are all realistic options as well. North Broward's got its staff as well, which has pitched to a 1.59 team ERA and are hitting .290 against South Florida competition. Outside of a 14-1 loss to South Walton and a 6-1 loss to St. John Paul II to start the year, this Eagles squad has been lights out on the mound, making them a slight favorite by our modeling.
Alex's pick to win: North Broward Prep
Class 4A-Region 3
(1) Jesuit vs. (8) Lemon Bay
(4) Barron Collier vs. (5) Seminole
(2) Island Coast vs. (7) Countryside
(3) Osceola vs. (6) Port Charlotte
Analysis: As it has been for the last few years, it's the Jesuit Tigers and their friends. Miguel Menendez's team has been the epitome of consistent down the stretch, shutting out three straight opponents in St. Pete Catholic, Brandon, and Countryside. Jesuit has an MLB arm on the roster in Kaden Waechter, who's projected to go in the first round in some mock drafts. Wilson Andersen and Samir Mohammed are elite arms as well, with Mohammed conceding just two earned runs over 33 innings. The bats have been solid for the Tigers as well, batting .323 with four players over 25 hits, and seven in double-figure RBI territory. Not to say Barron Collier and Island Coast can't do something here, but that's a lot to overcome, especially considering the Gators barely got by Lemon Bay in the 4A-11 title game. Jesuit takes on the Manta Rays in the opening round, which should provide a pretty clear baseline on what to expect should it be the Gators who make it to the regional final.
Alex's pick to win: Jesuit
Class 5A-Region 3
(1) Charlotte vs. (8) Gulf Coast
(4) East Bay at (5) Northeast
(2) St. Petersburg at (7) Freedom
(3) Mariner vs. (6) Palmetto Ridge
Analysis: There was a lot of uncertainty as to what this region would look like, considering the top three seeds in the region heading into districts all lost their respective districts. Palmetto Ridge was in a must-win situation to make the postseason and found their way in after a 4-3 win over Gulf Coast, which barely held onto the No. 8 seed over Fort Myers. Had Tampa Freedom not upset East Bay in District 9, the Greenies would probably be in the postseason. Mariner was the big winner in Monday's release, drawing a 3 seed to take on the Bears at home in the quarterfinal round. Despite how good Charlotte has been this year, they're highly vulnerable in a three-game format, which could put them in a precarious position even in the opening round against Gulf Coast. Between Charlotte and the rest of the field in this spot, give me the field.
Alex's pick to win: Northeast
Class 6A-Region 4
(1) St. Thomas Aquinas vs. (8) Ida Baker
(4) Braddock at (5) West Boca Raton
(2) Doral Academy vs. (7) Flanagan
(3) Southridge vs. (6) Coral Springs
Analysis: This region is flooded with South Florida teams, headlined by St. Thomas Aquinas and Doral Academy up top. The Raiders won their district, while the Firebirds didn't, as Southridge took it from them. Ida Baker won their three-team district over Gateway and Immokalee, and are rewarded with a trip to Fort Lauderdale. Expect this one to come down to St. Thomas, Doral, or Southridge.
Alex's pick to win: Doral Academy
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: [email protected]. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FHSAA baseball brackets are out. Which SWFL teams made the postseason?