6A-16 District Tournament Preview

Host: Belen Jesuit

Schedule:

Monday April 21st

4:00 PM (4) TERRA vs. (1) Belen Jesuit

Tuesday April 22nd

4:00 PM (3) Doral Academy vs. (2) Mater Academy

Thursday April 24th

4:00 PM Championship: Semifinal winners

Full Stats for 6A-16 can be found on the 6A-16 Stats Page!

Overview – Each of the four teams in this bracket won at least 15 games this season, and all of them have showcased enough talent and ability to win it all. Stalwarts Belen Jesuit and Mater Academy have welcomed both Doral Academy and TERRA Institute into the mix this year, and the district games have provided some great exciting baseball. With the stakes much higher now that the postseason has arrived, the best may still be to come.

1. Belen Jesuit – The Wolverines have put together a special season in 2014. In their third year under Manager Jerry Albert, Belen has played passionate and exciting baseball all season long. The club had some big walk-of home victories and also earned a measure of revenge by sweeping the regular-season series against district rival and defending district champion Mater Academy.

Belen hosts the district tournament this season, which is a huge deal for a team that went 12-2 on their home turf this year. It is a field that has undergone a lot of major improvements over the past few months, including building a new team clubhouse that is located along the third base side of the diamond. These improvements have created an even greater sense of pride for their home field, and the Wolverines have shown that in the way they have played there.

Pitching has been a big part of their success, as team ace Pablo Arevalo won nine games and posted a 1.74 ERA and a team-leading 45 strikeouts. Arevalo has been tough to hit and has given the team a lot of confidence whenever he is on the mound. Adding to this unit is the outstanding play of fellow hurler Eric Artigues, who has stepped into the number two slot in the rotation to give the squad the kind of depth they will need for a playoff run.

The Wolverines hit .300 for the season, as nearly every starter swung a big bat throughout the year. The unit averaged nearly six runs per game and got production from lots of different guys along the way. Alex Cabrera led both the team and the district with a .441 batting average, while Christan DelCastillo, David Guevara, Tonito Galvez and Marcos Perez all posted strong numbers this year.

The team spent the offseason bulking up to get bigger, stronger and faster this season, and the results off all that hard work have paid off in huge dividends. Now the Wolverines are hoping they can rely on that increased stamina to give them the extra push they need to chase after the district title.

”We have a good group of kids,” said Coach Albert. “They work very hard and they’re very consistent about being here everyday. I feel real good about them.”

2. Mater Academy – The Lions have enough talent and ability to beat anyone in the district. After sweeping the district last year, Mater returned just as dangerous in 2014 to earn its way into the second seed and home side in their semifinal against Doral Academy. The Lions took both meetings during the season, and should they get the job done the third time around they will return to defend their district crown.

“We have to still work hard, and it’s good to know we just can’t come on the field and roll over other teams,” said Lions first-year Manager Mike DiRosa.

Heading this deep roster is starter Mike Mediavilla, who led the district with a 1.21 ERA and 52 strikeouts. The bulky senior is also a force at the plate, batting cleanup in their dangerous lineup. Adding to the depth on the mound has been Luis Labarta, who has quietly put in a solid campaign to supplant himself as a reliable second option.

Offense has been the key to the Lions’ success, as they have proven they can slug their way past any team in their path. The offense hit around .325 for the year, and also showcased a ton of power by belting 11 home runs and 48 total extra-base hits. It is a deep lineup that can come up big from one to nine, and starters Danny Reyes, Deyvid Silva, Angel Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez all came up big in big moments throughout the season. Leading the way has been Chris Cabrera, who hit just under .500.

Mater faltered down the stretch heading into the postseason, but it is a program that has performed well in the playoffs in recent years. With the depth, experience and talent that exists on this ball club they have every reason to believe they can find the right formula to make another deep run this time around.

3. Doral Academy – The Firebirds are hoping that the third time is the charm. Doral lost two tough close contests to Mater Academy this season, proving they can compete in their new district after moving up to Class 6A following realignment. But now is not the time for moral victories, as the club must win their semifinal rematch if they are going to continue playing this season.

It has been a special season for the Firebirds this year, as the school unveiled their brand new home stadium on the school campus early in the season. Finally having their own place to call their home, Doral responded by going 8-3 at home this year. The team finished well above .500 and played great baseball all season long, as the ability to also cut down on travel for practices and home games provided the squad with more time to spend fine-tuning their abilities.

“We just try to preach to these kids to come here and work hard every day, and slow the game down when they are playing it,” said Doral Manager Steve Iglesias.

Offense has been the driving force for the team. Alejandro Juvier led both the team and the entire district in hitting, as he bated over .500 for the year and also led 6A-16 with five home runs. Christian Hernandez also showcased equal power and consistency, belting three longballs while hitting just over .450 on the season.

Eddie Escribano has been the key to the pitching staff, leading the roster in both strikeouts and wins this season. The Firebirds had a team ERA of 2.43 and displayed a lot of depth by using 10 different pitchers throughout the season. Kevin Alloroa has stepped up to serve as the number two on the staff, while Kylan Lopez has also proven to be very reliable both as a starter and also in relief.

The Firebirds are only two seasons removed from their last district championship, and should they claim the title this season it would serve as just another reason to celebrate during a special year for the program.

4. TERRA – The Wolves made team history a season ago by earning their first trip to the regional playoffs, but the road back has gotten much tougher this year. After realignment moved TERRA up to Class 6A, the club found itself right in the middle of one Miami-Dade’s tougher districts. Now the team must pull off an upset over the top-seeded Wolverines on their home turf in order to return for another chance at the program’s first district title.

The strongest factor that TERRA has is the heart with which each member of the team plays with. Starting with respected Manager Hernan Adames and rippling straigt down through the entire lineup, the Wolves have developed a mantra as a team that plas with every bit of passion and desire that they have. The players want it, they are willing to do whatever they must be successful, and it shows in their play.

“We have high expectations this year,” said Adames. “In years past we were pretty much the new kid on the block being a magnet school. At this moment in time we feel that we can take it all the way to jetBlue Park in Fort Myers.”

Pitching has been a big part of the team’s success this year. Hurlers Frank Bartow and Tyler Prichard have combined to provide a solid one-two combination the likes of which they will need during the postseason. Bartow led the team in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts this season.

The Wolves have gotten just enough offense when they needed it most throughout the year. The lineup has been reliable at coming through in the clutch, and hopes that trend will continue. Leading the way have been Rueben Pino, Yasser Santana and Alex Saavedra, three experienced veterans who have been the major producers in the batting order.

Although the program is still very young in existence it has come along quickly under Adames, and the Wolves hope that trend continues this postseason.

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