District 8A-16 Playoff Preview: Tense Battles Loom

Site: Varela High School

Monday, April 22nd

4PM – Game 1 – (4) Varela vs. (1) South Dade

Tuesday, April 23rd

4PM – Game 2 – (3) Killian vs. (2) Southridge

Wednesday, April 24th

Rain Date

Thursday, April 25th

4PM – Championship – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Full stats for 8A-16 can be found on the 8A-16 stats page!

Overview – Looking for some of the best baseball in the area? This district has it from top to bottom as all four teams have a chance to take the title. They’ve proven they can compete with one another all season. Sit back and enjoy the ride as these four teams prepare for more of the same type of desire, competitiveness and drive that has fueled them all season.

1. South Dade – The Buccaneers earned the top seed in the district by battling all season. Six of South Dade’s 10 district games were decided by a run. The team they had trouble with the most was Varela, who beat them 3-2 and 5-1. Palmetto also defeated South Dade 2-1. South Dade will get a shot at redemption as it has to face the Vipers in the district semifinal on Monday.

Some of South Dade’s bigger non-district wins this season included Ferguson (15-0, February 12) and Southridge (1-0, February 19). The Buccaneers opened the GMAC Tournament on Monday by defeating Reagan 2-1.

As a team, South Dade is batting just .290, but heavy hitters include Ricky Garcia and Jaden Garcia, both of whom are hitting around .400, and Erik Manoah, hitting around .360.

Manoah and Adam Rousch lead on the mound, each winning four games and combining for more than 100 strikeouts. Their ERAs are just over 1.00 as well.

2. Southridge – Although they sport a record just above .500 at 10-9, the Spartans have been quite competitive, never losing by more than three runs and falling by just a run three times.

Southridge, which was 6-4 in the district, was in a scrape every time it took the field against those foes. All of the games but one were decided by two runs or less.

Arlain Sessin has been the Spartans most dominant hitter, batting around .350. Diandre Amion and Christian Khawam have scored at least 12 runs each.

Dayron Moreno has pitched the most this season, throwing at least 49 innings and winning at least three games while striking out at least 57 batters.

3. Killian – The defending district champion Cougars came out of the gate hot, winning the Flanagan Tournament by defeating the Falcons after knocking off Douglas and Monsignor Pace, who combined have just seven losses this year. Other big wins for Killian this year include LaSalle (7-5, March 25), Miami Brito (14-3, March 26) and American (2-1, April 4).

Killian will open the playoffs against Southridge, a team it has beat 1-0 and lost to 1-0. You can’t ask for better competition than that between two district rivals.

The Cougars are hitting just .269 as a team, but they’re led at the plate by Mike Perez, who’s hitting around .460 with at least 20 RBI and at least 17 runs. Nick Mira is hitting around .310 and has scored at least 14 runs.

Killian has spread its pitching around this season, but Keith Stevens has logged the most innings, throwing at least 42 innings with at least four wins.

4. Varela – A glance at Varela’s season schedule shows the Vipers are more competitive than their record indicates. They’ve split in their district games evenly.

The Vipers have to face top-seed South Dade in the opening game of the district tournament, but that’s a team that has lost twice to the Vipers this year, so Varela should be going in confident.

Varela also will be coming in with the big bats of Francisco Rodriguez, who’s hitting around .380, and Jesus Rodriguez, who’s hitting around .325 with at least 11 RBI.

Juan Pimentel (around 48 strikeouts, 3-2 record) and Joshua Rosquet (4-3) have logged around 38 inning each.

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