District 8A-14 Preview: A Fight To The Finish

With a lot of competitive teams, District 8A-14 should be a fight to the finish.

Here is a preview of what to expect from the district competitors this season.

CORAL GABLES CAVALIERS
2012 Record: 16-10
Head Coach: Phillip Wisser
Key Returners: Alex Pinero (3B), Robert Montes (SS), JC Rodriguez (P), Jesus Pineda (LF)
Newcomers to Watch: Elih Marrero (C), German Reyes (CF)
Team Strengths: Defense
Team Weaknesses: Youth, inexperience, 6 returning players and 5 starting sophomores
Our season will be a success if….

“…we do all the little things right. Our pitching needs to throw strikes and stay competitive. They need to allow our defense to make the plays.”

The Cavaliers will be a tough team to beat this year, albeit they lost some good bats from last season. Coral Gables will not be too worried about their absence of power hitters as they have prepped this team to be a solid defense and well-knit program.

Gables will have to deal with one of the youngest teams in the district, but the talent from their sophomore class will make it unnoticeable. Manager Philip Wisser feels confident that their first and second year classmen will surprise teams with their efficiency on the field and on the plate.

“It’s the definition of all our 10th-graders,” Wisser said. “They’re all up there and they don’t try to do too much at the plate. It’s a lot more about putting the ball in play and making contact, and that approach finds holes.”

The small-ball tactics will prove to be effective for these young Cavaliers, but they will be getting some assistance from older players as well. Alex Pinero, the third baseman, will be one of the older guys stepping up. The All-Dade senior will be looked on to skipper the younger players and add some threat to the lineup.

“This year we have a smarter team,” said Pinero, who hit .432 last year. “We have great talent on the field, so everyone is a leader here it’s not just me.

Other players that will be engrossing attention are Ryan Maya, whose brother was Coral Gables number one ace last year, Dillon Maya, and Robert Montes, who is still young but has already received offers while starting on shortstop.

The Cavaliers will rely on consistency and the fundamentals to try and regain a second chance at the district title.

GOLEMAN GATORS
2012 Record: 15-10-1
Head Coach: Jose Lopez
Key Returners: Rolando Martinez (OF), Sean Carrasco, Kevin Gomez (INF, OF), Chris Abad (P)
Newcomers to Watch: Jose Santos
Team Strengths: Speed, experience, pitching
Team Weaknesses: Lack of depth
Something people not around your program need to know about your team?

“We were last year’s district champions with three freshmen in the lineup. All are returning again this year. We only graduated two players last year.”

MIAMI BEACH HI-TIDES
2012 Record: 2-14
Head Coach: William Baez
Key Returners: Leoni Lamanna (Jr. C), Jonah Dermer (Jr. 1B), Gabriel Obregon (Jr. CF), Trent Bryan (So. SS), Yovani Soso (Sr. P/2B)
Newcomers to Watch: Cristian Almonte (Jr. P/IF), Themi Pinieda (So. P/IF), Moises Cabrera (Jr. P), Jonathan Gonzalez (Jr. OF), Alex Beer (Fr. P)
Team Strengths: Defense, catcher with hold the running game, speed, positive vibe wanting to bring back Beach Baseball
Team Weaknesses: Lack of big-game experience, youth
Our season will be a success if….

“…we win state. We play this game to win it all. Believing we can win it all gives us the best chance to be champs. Put the bar to its maximum.”

Attitude will be the defining feature for the Miami Beach Hi-Tides. With a new coaching staff and players who are pining for a district title, the Hi-Tides will be refreshed for this upcoming season.

Miami Beach is ready to come out of a slump for 2013 and they have the right demeanor to do so. William Baez, the new manager for Miami Beach, wants to reawaken the talent in this dormant team and embrace what they are capable of.

“Right now, a lot of the mentalities for the coaches are to take two or three years to develop your program, but I got a whole bunch juniors that if I take the back seat for this year it will be another year waiting without a championship for them,” said Baez, who was the assistant coach for Hialeah Gardens for three years.

Baez knows what he’s doing with the program and with the kids. He has made them confident of their skills and has trained them to play the fundamentals of baseball and not always swing for the fences.

“Last year we were a little lost, but this year we have that leadership and command in the program.” Said starting catcher Leoni Lamanna, who is one of only three seniors on the team and will be commanding and leading his teammates from behind the plate.

The take-charge approach has reverberated throughout the team and has made players committed to the team’s objectives. But attitude isn’t the only thing this team is bringing into the 8A-14 district. Miami Beach will have good bats and team speed that will be scoring in runs and damaging opponents early in the game.

MIAMI SENIOR STINGAREES
2012 Record: 3-19
Head Coach: Willie Vazquez

Manager Frank Suarez is putting together his team from scratch. The Miami Stingarees will be young coming into the 2013 spring season. They will be striving against many challenges, including practicing away from their home field , since it is currently going through repairs, but this will not dampen their spirits or their motivation to get back on the hot list for the 8A-14 district.

The Stingarees will be taking this season headlong with a seasoned pitching staff. Danny Rodriguez will be returning to the bullpen. The senior will be keeping batters on their toes with his endurance and movement that has developed over the years. Christopher Herrera, left-handed pitcher, will be in the vanguard for pitching as well and will be useful in tight situations. The sophomore has future promise and will be a crafty tool for this seasons pitching.

Although the team may seem young, Suarez has figured out who’s going to play what positions on the field. Shortstop, center field, first base and catcher will have key returning players that will add familiarity to the field.

Suarez has had both of his sons play for him under the Stingarees and are now division 1 players. His goal is to make sure that his players get the exposure they deserve and accomplish what his sons before him have gone.

MIAMI SPRINGS GOLDEN HAWKS
2012 Record: 11-9
Head Coach: Frank Suarez
Key Returners: Nick Bello, Nayit Napoles, Madison Kreitner, Scotty Lopez, Emmanuel Alfaro, Gabriel Gali, Julio Mendez
Newcomers to Watch: Pedro Rivera, Anthony Diaz, Domingo Cedano, Josh Smith, Juan Kirk, Christ Losada
Team Strengths: Hitting
Team Weaknesses: Speed
Something people not around your program need to know about your team?

“That Miami Springs baseball is on the rise. A team that hasn’t made regionals in five years is trying to make its way back there.”

Miami Springs will have a lot of key returners and upperclassmen that will bring strength to this team’s lineup and field. Willie Vazquez will be managing the Golden Hawks for his first year this season and has some new ideas that he wants implement in their baseball.

“This year is a whole new atmosphere,” Vazquez said about his team’s attitude entering the spring 2013 season.

Although the Golden Hawks didn’t finished with 9-13 overall record last year, the numbers don’t speak well for the success within the team. Out of 11 seniors this year, almost all of them will be signed by the end of the year and will have some key positions secured for Miami Springs.

The mound will also be taken care of with some good diversity that will apt to different team strategy. Nick Ballo will be one of the Golden Hawks’ aces and will carry the pitching load with his crafty pitching. Sharing the hill with him will be Nayit Napoles, who is a little bit more cocky than Ballo and will deliver the speed that Miami Springs will need to keep their opponents chasing the ball.

What will define this team among the rest, though, will be their hunger to show their district that they aren’t the same team from last year.

“This team has come through a drought, so we want to go to regionals and give that to this group of kids,” Vazquez said about his team’s goals.

With the oldest team in 8A-14, the Golden Hawks will be patrolling the skies for any unwary opponents to test their might against.

REAGAN BISON
2012 Record: 10-13
Head Coach: JC Huguet
Key Returners: Paul Menendez (Sr. OF/1B), Luis Rincon (Jr. C/INF), Joe Diaz (Jr. OF)
Newcomers to Watch: Pedro Pages (Fr. C)
Team Strengths: Team has many returning players with many upper classmen
Team Weaknesses: Lack of pitching. Only one pitcher returning who had more than 10 innings pitched last season. Team defense.
Something people not around your program need to know about your team…

“Ronald Reagan is looking for it’s first .500 season since it’s
inception in 2006.”

Ronald Reagan Senior High will be thrown into the mix this year with new manager JC Huguet. Reagan will have some talent to work with and redemption on their minds after last year’s turnout. The Bison finished with a 10-13 overall record and are looking to improve for this year.

“I think scoring sticks will be determining the game for us this year,” said Huguet when asked how his team will respond from last year’s record. “We’ll be good on hitting.”

The Bison will have powerhouses like Paul Menendez, who hit .483 last season, to tally up the scoreboards, but there are still holes on defense that will need to be filled as the season progresses. Many positions are still being decided and will not pan out until the season begins, but the left side of the field seems to have already picked their starters and will be more sure of who can do what.

Pitching will be another issue for Reagan, but it will have more success and experience. Right-handed pitcher Arguro Rincon, will be their top ace for the year and will take charge on the hill with good speed and consistency. Huguet will take notice of any younger players that can fill the role for the following years of the program.

“No one has really stepped up for that number two role, but there are a lot of kids competing for the spot,” Huguet said.

Reagan’s struggles will be veiled by their vigorous batting lineup and a seasoned team, which will prove to be tenacious in 8A-14.

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