Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Jeff Odom

The Steinbrenner baseball team has enjoyed its fair share of success during the last three years — in the regular season.

While the Warriors (9-0) have put together records of 18-6, 19-5 and 17-7 since the school opened in 2009, they have hit a wall when it comes to the district tournament. Last season, they blew two major leads and lost to eventual Class 7A-District 9 champion Gaither in extra innings as the No. 1 seed.

Fourth-year coach John Crumbley, who won three state titles in 22 years at the helm of Jesuit, said things have just not gone as planned when it comes to big games, but hopes experience and talent changes that this season.

“You got to hope they want to be the first group to get us to the postseason,” Crumbley said. “We’ve had some heartbreaking situations, but the thing I’m most proud of is that we’ve took something and improved every year because of the guys who went before. We have a saying that potential is interesting, but performance is everything.”

Getting past the district semifinals will rest largely on a new cast of characters after Steinbrenner lost much of its top talent from a year ago to graduation.

Gone is No. 1 starting pitcher Chris Williams (7-0, 1.66 ERA*), second baseman Christian Diaz, shortstop Stone Ramsey, left fielder Sammy May and third baseman Gerald Bautista, who plays in the Cleveland Indians organization.

Junior right-handed pitcher and first baseman Cole Gordon (6-1, 0.95 ERA*) has moved to the top of the rotation in place of Williams. The No. 2 spot is still up for grabs between right-handed junior and first-year varsity player Gideon Dunn and lefty senior Nick Sucarichi.

“The main thing we have to do is replace Chris Williams’ innings on the mound and the workhorse he was for us for three years,” Crumbley said. “We think our pitching with coach (Steve) Morgan working with them that we’ll be able to find out where we’ll get those quality innings from and be competitive in each of our games.”

Gordon, a 2012 Perfect Game USA All-American honorable mention, said he isn’t rattled by the expectations he has to live up to.

“It’s an honor to do it on this team, because there’s a lot of pitchers that have stepped up here before and there’s a lot of juniors and seniors coming up this year,” said Gordon (.273, four homers, 21 RBI*). “It’s not about carrying the load. It’s about sharing it with everyone else, and I think we’ll be able to handle it all.”

Steinbrenner is looking to its seniors to continue making strides and improve from the squad that hit just .288 last season.

Senior first baseman and Florida Gulf Coast University signee Chase Turner (.354, nine RBI*) said there cannot be an individual mentality if the team wants to go far.

“We have some big bats this year and hopefully we can get it done, and hopefully it will be exciting,” Turner said.

One of the advantages the Warriors have this season, according to Crumbley, is the pool of talent brought up from the programs developmental squad.

First-year players like third baseman Mijon Cummings, sophomore catcher/infielder Chase Debonis and outfielder Alex Hanson have made an early impact.

Hanson, who gave up football to make baseball his top priority, is excited to play at the top level.

“It was really hard (leaving football), but I loved baseball,” Hanson said. “It’s a big relief that now I can play with all my friends, and that hopefully we can go far this year. I know that I’ve trained hard, and I should be prepared to do what I can do for the team.”

The journey to a district title won’t be easy for Steinbrenner with rivals Wiregrass Ranch and Gaither the favorites to challenge for the championship. Gordon isn’t sold on that, though.

“I don’t think they’re necessarily the favorites for the district; I think we should be the favorite,” Gordon said. “Getting past them, I think we’re just going to have to play our baseball and not conform to them. If we want to get to the next level or states or regionals, we’re going to have to beat teams like that and step up.”

*Stats from last season

By Kyle LoJacono

The Land O’ Lakes boys tennis team lost its rock this season.

It lost its big force.

To put it bluntly, it lost arguably the best player that has ever come through the program in 6-foot-4 Colin Roller, a four-time state qualifier who signed to play at Division I East Carolina University following last year.

To further complicate things, two of the Gators’ projected top five has been severely limited by injuries. Junior Tyler Sanders re-injured a badly pulled hamstring suffered while playing soccer, and fellow junior Erik Thielbar is just returning from a broken toe.

The changeover has been large, but Land O’ Lakes (5-1) has a four-year playoff streak, has three district titles in the last four years and a state appearance as a team in 2010.

The Gators have no interest in taking a step back.

“We want to keep winning,” said sophomore Eric Lee. “I wouldn’t say it’s pressure. We just want to win and keep that title.”

Land O’ Lakes got an infusion of young talent from freshmen Samvit Iyer and Jeffrey Gu, who have filled in at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Third-year Gators coach Jasalyn Gerazounis said such additions have added an “aspect of competitiveness” to the squad.

“In the past when I set the lineup they kind of went with it,” Gerazounis said. “Now they want to fight for those positions. That’s nice to see.”

The transition has been made easier because sophomore David Dollbaum, Land O’ Lakes’ new No. 1, hit in the top slot for about half of last year when Roller was away because of his extremely demanding training schedule.

“I didn’t know he’d miss so many matches going into last year, so I thought it would be really hard on us now without Colin,” Gerazounis said. “Since he wasn’t there consistently last year, David played a lot at that No. 1 spot, so this isn’t new to him.”

Lee added, “I think David is a very good No. 1 for us. He did it a lot last year, and he’s gotten a lot better since last year.”

Dollbaum and Roller also qualified for the Class 3A state meet as a doubles team. They went 12-1 as a duo.

“I didn’t think I’d be going to states when I started the year,” Dollbaum said. “Colin really pushed me to get better, and it was really cool getting to states.”

Dollbaum has gone 5-1 at the No. 1 spot this year. He is realistic about replacing Roller as Land O’ Lakes’ ace, but does believe the squad can still compete at a high level.

“Last year was more centered toward the top, but this year it’s more spread out,” Dollbaum said. “I’m clearly not as good as Colin, but Chris (Mo) has gotten much better at No. 2, and we have really good freshmen who came in. That really helped even out the team.”

Gerazounis agreed: “I have a more evenly distributed team now. It was very Colin-heavy at the top when he was here. Now it’s not quite as distinct. Now it doesn’t just rest on one person. Before we were pretty much guaranteed two points with his singles and doubles. Now they know they have to step up just to get those points. They’re competitive guys and all want to win.”

Iyer said the commitment he saw from Day 1 showed him why the Gators are on a four-year playoff streak.

“Some of the teams don’t take it as seriously,” Iyer said. “We take it very seriously. We think we can win every time we play.”

Gu said that serious nature comes from Gerazounis.

“There’s a lot of hard work at practices and everyone wants to do well,” Gu said. “Coach puts a lot of conditioning into our practices, which is tough, but she also uses a lot of humor to keep it fun. She’s overall a good person, and she teaches us a lot.”

Gerazounis said she isn’t nervous about this year’s prospects.

“I do feel like there’s some unsaid expectation for myself, but I don’t put that on them,” Gerazounis said. “I do expect great things out of them because they are very talented. It is a pleasure to coach them.”

The Class 3A-District 6 tournament is at River Ridge April 1 and 2. Land O’ Lakes hosts Anclote March 12, followed by road matches against Sunlake March 13 and Wiregrass Ranch March 14.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

The traits of Wiregrass Ranch senior Hannah Eder

By Kyle LoJacono

Hannah Eder can’t do everything — it just seems that way.

The Wiregrass Ranch senior has not only demonstrated versatility and athleticism during the last four years on the Bulls soccer and track and field squads, but also a selfless nature to do whatever her teams need.

“She’s a natural leader, and she does what you ask her to do,” said Wiregrass Ranch girls track coach Don Howard. “I asked her to high hurdle, and she tried it. She didn’t like it, so I didn’t make her do it again, but she was willing to do it. I put her in the 100, the 200; she’ll do whatever I ask her to do. Athletically as a sprinter and jumper, she’s capable of doing anything that you ask her to do.”

Soccer was the first sport Eder started playing, picking up the game around age 7. She added track at John Long Middle in Wesley Chapel, where she also competed in volleyball and basketball while also becoming a cheerleader.

“I like to stay active, and in middle school I wanted to meet more friends, so I did everything,” Eder said. “I like being outside and running around and competing with people.”

She decided to stick with soccer and track in high school.

Her focus in track has been the long and triple jumps and running with the 4×100-meter relay. Eder had a breakout season last year when she collected championships in the jumps and with the relay team at the Class 3A-District 6 meet, which was where she also demonstrated her unselfish nature.

Howard entered the meet knowing they would be in a battle with Belleview for the district title. He asked his athletes to enter extra events with the hopes of scoring additional points to help win their fourth league crown in as many years.

Eder was one of those who rose to the challenge by placing third in the 100, an event she hadn’t competed in all year. The finish scored six points for the Bulls, who ended up winning districts by 9.5.

“I felt I had to step up to the plate and help my team,” Eder said. “Coach Howard asked me to do it, so I agreed. Track is individual, but it’s also a team sport, so I wanted to help the team and win that title.”

Eder was again challenged this soccer season.

First-year Wiregrass Ranch coach Eddy Costa needed a central defender, so he asked Eder to move from midfield. She did willingly despite not playing the position since seventh grade.

“She did a tremendous job with no training,” Costa said. “She doesn’t play club soccer, so to put her in that position and see her perform so well was fantastic. That’s not an easy thing to do, but with her speed and her intelligence she took right to it and was an impact player for us.”

The Bulls allowed only 13 goals en route to a 20-3 record, a district championship and a trip to the Class 4A regional semifinals. Eder was named The Laker/Lutz News Girls Soccer Defensive Player of the Year for her efforts as a senior.

“It’s a different kind of pressure than offense, but it was a nice change,” Eder said.

Eder said the extra running that comes with playing defense helped prepare her for the track season. Her goals are to extend her personal records in the long (17 feet) and triple (34-11.5) by about a foot, retain her district titles and make the state meet for the first time.

“She’s very determined, very committed,” Howard said. “She’s always the last one out here. She’ll jump until you tell her not to. We have to tell her that she’s wearing herself out and that she needs to go home. She’s athletically just very natural. She’s lean and strong, and that’s a great combination for a jumper. She’s built to do it. In my opinion, and of course anyone can come up and beat her, but she’s the top triple and long jumper, or at least compete for it again, in the county.”

Eder was named Wiregrass Ranch’s co-valedictorian last week with track teammate Nikita Shah.

“Grades are actually even more important to me,” Eder said. “In middle school I was in the gifted program, and that translated to high school and showed me what I can do.”

Eder will attend the University of Florida next year. She has no plans to be a student-athlete for the Gators, but said she will play as many intramural sports as school allows.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

Alexis Bredeau and Marley Opila have combined for countless goals during their time together on the Steinbrenner girls soccer team.

It was only fitting for the Warriors to do it one final time to help lead the Hillsborough County all-stars over Pinellas 4-2 March 8 in the 20th annual Senior Soccer Challenge at Countryside High.

Or at least, one last time in high school.

The University of North Florida (UNF) signees put Hillsborough on the board in the fifth minute on a scoring play they’ve nearly perfected. Opila took a corner kick from the right side, which Bredeau headed home.

“We’re so comfortable playing together,” said Opila, a central midfielder. “We’ve played together for about 10 years now, and now we’re going to UNF together. It’s a great way for us to end our high school career and go off to college.”

Bredeau, who was named The Laker/Lutz News Girls Soccer Player of the Year early in the week, said she didn’t recognize that the challenge was her final high school game until Steinbrenner teammate Stephanie Hirsch said so once it was over.

“I’ve been excited for this game all week, and I didn’t even think about it being my last high school game,” said Bredeau, a forward. “It’s sad that it’s over, but I’m really excited for the next four years.”

Bredeau, who’s 34 goals this year was a season record for Steinbrenner, added another tally with a little more than 13 minutes left in the contest to put Hillsborough ahead 3-1. Opila put in her squad’s fourth tally about a minute later by firing in a loose ball in front of the Pinellas net.

Opila said it was a “confidence boost” posting a goal and an assist in the challenge.

“I’ve grown up watching this game, and I’ve had a lot of former teammates play in it, so it’s so exciting to actually get to play in it myself,” said Opila, who had 15 assists and three tallies this year. “I think I’ll always remember it.”

Gaither midfielder Jessica Lawless, who was added to the team after Wharton’s Leah Chisolm pulled out of the contest because she was out of town, scored Hillsborough’s second goal three minutes after halftime by cleaning up a rebound shot from Opila.

Wharton’s Denis Vukorep, who coached Hillsborough with Plant’s Pam Smith, said they made a push in the second half of the final period, which resulted in two goals.

“We knew that our strength was our midfield and forwards,” Vukorep said, who’s been coaching in the challenge the last four years. “We knew that we were kind of piecing things together defensively. We subbed in Alexis, Marley, Ashni (Deschenes) and all those other girls for the final 20 minutes. We knew these were our top players, and these are the girls who are going to win it, and they did.”

Hillsborough showed off its offensive prowess by posting four goals, but a defender made the play that likely propelled it to victory.

Tampa Catholic’s Sheila Ramos preserved a 2-1 Hillsborough lead midway through the second half by deflecting away a rebound in front of wide-open net.

“That was huge because Pinellas was pressing, and I think that kind of took the wind out of their sails, and then we came right down and scored,” Vukorep said. “Sheila’s save was one of those turning points. It deflated them and elevated us.”

The victory is the second straight for the Hillsborough girls, which are now 10-9-1 in the challenge.

The Hillsborough boys were unable to carry the momentum in the second game of the night, falling in a shootout. It’s the sixth straight victory for Pinellas (11-9) in the challenge.

Dunedin’s Jonathan Dos Santos put Pinellas ahead 1-0 in the 28th minute, but Strawberry Crest’s Mazeed Aro-Lambo answered just before halftime on a through ball from Berkley Prep’s Tyler Sacone.

In the second half, East Lake’s Mathias Ghiena, the Pinellas boys’ MVP, fired a rocket from 35 yards out that found the top left corner, but Aro-Lambo rose up again to tie the contest with nine minutes remaining.

Pinellas took the victory in a shootout 4-2.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Jeff Odom

The Saint Leo University (SLU) baseball team has dealt with its share of ups and downs the past few seasons.

The Lions (14-6) got off to a 15-5 start last season, but struggled once Sunshine State Conference play started. They dropped 18 of their final 25 contests to post a 22-23 record.

The year before, SLU finished 19-30.

Changes have come with a new attitude and set of expectations brought in by first-year coach Sean O’Connor, a member of SLU’s athletic hall of fame. He replaces Russ McNickle, who guided the Lions for five seasons before joining the San Diego Padres organization.

O’Connor said it took some time settling into his new role.

“It was unusual to come in the middle of an academic season before our season started, but I’m sure it was just as awkward for them as it was for me in the beginning,” O’Connor said. “I was fortunate that I already knew the assistant coaches here, so it wasn’t like I had to get to know everyone.”

SLU’s offense has been led by slugging outfielder Bobby Twitty (.474, 17 RBI), centerfielder Chris Newcomb (.453, six steals) and second baseman Ryan Brnovich (.405, 10 RBI).

Brent Krauss has racked up a 2.30 ERA in 31.1 innings of work as the pitching staff’s ace.

Twitty, a sophomore, said they have to stay sharp to avoid another midseason meltdown.

“We’ve just got to focus every day and play to the best of our abilities every single day,” said Twitty, a sophomore. “We can’t lighten up when it’s time to step up.”

Though the team jumped out with a quick nine-game winning streak and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Top-30 poll, a four game skid with three conference losses made O’Connor question his players in what he described as “poorly played” contests.

SLU rebounded to win four straight, something the coach credits to the squad’s new approach.

“We have 15 seniors on this team, and for us to play in that fashion was unacceptable,” O’Connor said. “Are we loaded? No, but we have some depth and a lot of moving parts. That allows me to make some changes and move people around, and a lot of other teams don’t have that option.”

Besides setting his Lions up for success now, O’Connor is making sure he has the pieces in place to continue playing winning baseball in the future, and it starts with his young players.

Among the underclassmen are freshman starting shortstop/third baseman Taylor Perez (.950 fielding percentage), Wesley Chapel High graduate and sophomore pitcher Brandon Mumaw (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and freshman pitcher Chris Williams (1-0, 2.45 ERA). O’Conner said the trio is expected to be the foundation for the future.

Williams finished as Steinbrenner’s career leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA. He said the transition to college ball was eye-opening, but credited the guidance of O’ Connor and his former coach John Crumbley for making it easier.

“It’s pretty tough, because everybody is a lot bigger and stronger and the game is a lot faster,” Williams said. “You still have to go out there and win. So on that, it’s not too different from the high school level and I miss those guys, but my job is to be here and to win here, and Crumbley really helped me out with that.”

The ultimate goal for SLU is to stay competitive in the conference and improve on last season’s 4-16 SSC record to possibly compete for a championship.

Brnovich, a senior, said those days aren’t far away.

“We just have to know that we’re a good team, but we’re not going to come out here every day and think we can roll over teams,” he said. “This is the best pitching staff I’ve seen in four year, and it’s really kept us in the games. Once we get our bats going, I don’t think anybody can beat us.”

The Lions host Kentucky Wesleyan College March 12 at 11 a.m. They play at SSC rival University of Tampa for a three-game series March 15 to 16.

By Jeff Odom

Pitching was the key to success for the Land O’ Lakes baseball team last season.

The Gators (10-0) had a team ERA of 1.95, paced by the left arm of pitcher Brad Hencke, who was 5-4 with a 1.43 ERA in 12 appearances.

Hencke is now playing at the University of Tampa, leaving Land O’ Lakes with plenty of quality innings to replace if the Gators hope to improve on last year’s 18-10 record and runner-up finish in Class 6A-District 10.

“We’re not going to replace (Hencke); we’re just going to have to have other guys that can come up and do the job,” said Land O’ Lakes coach Calvin Baisley, who is in his 29th year at the helm.

One of the players Baisley is expecting big things from this season is Saint Leo University bound second baseman and right-handed pitcher Dylan Harris.

Harris led the squad with a .412 batting average last year while adding nine RBI. He also made six appearances on the mound (4.38 ERA) and is expected to take a spot in the Gators’ rotation.

“I think we’re going to have a solid team this year,” Harris said. “We just have to make plays at the end, and I think we’ll be really competitive. … All our pitchers throw good, and we’re looking solid on the field. We just have to put it together.”

Aside from pitching, Baisley points to the team’s defense as a major improvement from last season. Land O’ Lakes committed 32 errors and gave up nine passed balls a year ago, but Baisley said it’s been a complete turnaround from what he has seen in practice and early games.

“I see defense as our strength, believe it or not,” Baisley said. “I think this is one of the best infields I’ve ever coached, and this is definitely going to be our strength. We’re not going to be overpowering, but our guys will throw strikes, and I expect the fact that we can throw strikes and play defense to be our biggest strength.”

Shortstop and pitcher Zachary Whitaker (.329, 16 RBI*) echoed his coach and added that the team’s newfound defensive stability will make the pitching staff better.

“We did lose Brad, and that’s a big loss and a hole in pitching that someone’s got to fill in,” said Whitaker, a Shorter University signee. “I think if our defense plays well, then we’ll have a great year, and we just have to find pitching, which may be our only hole. I think we’ll be good, though.”

The Gators return plenty of pop offensively in third baseman Josh Nissen (.273, 12 RBI*), right fielder Alex Reynolds (18 RBI*), Whitaker and Harris. However, with the loss of Hencke (.244, two homeruns, 18 RBI*) and other key seniors in the lineup, the team will have to give a better effort top to bottom if it wants to return to the playoffs and contend with Mitchell and Tarpon Springs for a shot at the district championship.

“We have to develop some more depth and get more production through the rest of the lineup,” Baisley said. “We hit the ball good for the first three guys in the lineup, and then we struggle after that. So, some other guys have got to get better, and if we’re going to get to the point where we were last year we’ll have to have more than three guys swinging the bat. We’ll get there. We have guys that are capable.”

*Stats from last year

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

By Jeff Odom

The Steinbrenner baseball team endured its first big test of the season by downing Wharton 2-1 at home March 5 to remain undefeated this season.

The Warriors’ (9-0) offense, which has outscored its opponents 80-9 through nine games, was kept quiet at the plate for most of the night. The defense rose to the challenge thanks to a pair of highlight-reel catches in the outfield and a near-flawless pitching performance to hold on to the win.

“We’ve had some pretty good offensive games and we had some pretty good batting practice (the day before), so we thought we were going to continue with some good swings,” said Steinbrenner coach John Crumbley. “We just took some uncharacteristically bad swings, and we’ll have to work on it in practice.”

The Warriors got on the board in the first inning thanks to an error by the Wildcats (3-6).

Alex Hanson led off the first by smashing a double to the left field fence. Wharton pitcher Mike Gonzalez retired Kevin Merrell for the first out, but walked Chase Turner on four pitches.

The mistake would come back to bite Gonzalez as Hanson scored from second base after a throw by Wildcats catcher Reed Gray during an attempted pickoff sailed into the outfield.

The Warriors doubled their lead in the second as Mijon Cummings belted his second home run of the season to make it 2-0. The junior third baseman was just 1-of-3 at the plate, but his solo blast proved to be the difference maker.

“It felt great,” Cummings said. “We’ve really been playing with a lot of intensity and high energy lately, and to get that (run) was big for us and it helped us win the game.”

Right-handed pitcher Gideon Dunn and the Steinbrenner defense were forced to carry the team from there as Gonzalez was dominant after the rough start, allowing one earned run on three hits in six innings.

The Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs in the third and looked poised to score their first run of the night. However, a diving catch in centerfield by Steinbrenner’s Michael McGuire ended the threat.

Wharton broke through on Ryan Lawson’s homer to lead off the sixth, but that’s as close at it got.

Dunn struck out seven and scattered five hits in six and a third innings to earn his third win of the season.

“I had a commanding fast ball and a great slider and change-up,” Dunn said. “(I knew) if the change-up worked for me, then the tone of the game is set for me and that is what helped.”

The Wildcats made one last bid for a comeback in the seventh by stringing together a pair of hits up the middle to put two on with one out. Steinbrenner right-hander Logan Lapace came on in relief of Dunn and quickly thwarted any hope by forcing Wharton’s Alex Kranick to pop out to Merrell at second base.

Hanson finished the job by robbing shortstop Tuck Neuhaus, a Louisville commit, of an extra base hit with a headfirst diving catch in left field for the final out.

“(I told them coming in) you’ve got to win games like this,” Crumbley said. “We’re just glad we came out with the 2-1 victory, and we’ll go work on the things that we have to work on.”

Steinbrenner and Wharton are both currently playing in the Saladino Tournament.

By Kyle LoJacono

Steinbrenner girls soccer player Dani Eule committed March 7 to play at East Carolina University, a Division I program in Conference USA.

The junior central midfielder, who received a full-ride scholarship, also had offers from the University of South Florida, the University of Miami, Belmont University and Colgate University.

“There were a lot of things about it that I really liked,” said Eule, who plans to study biology. “I love the coaches. I loved the girls on my visit. Their facilities are amazing. The school itself has a lot of school spirit in their sports programs. Once I asked myself where would I be happy, it was the place that came to mind.”

Eule picked up soccer at age 5, but wasn’t completely sure she wanted to play in college until she entered high school.

“The past two years I really realized that I don’t know what it would be like without soccer, and there was no way I wasn’t going to play,” Eule said. “I really realized how much I love soccer.”

Eule was a first-team The Laker/Lutz News and Western Conference selection this year. She totaled 14 goals and 10 assists as a junior.

Eule’s physical play was one of several parts of her game that interested East Carolina’s coaches.

“They told me my physicality was a reason, but also my athleticism because at the next level there’s going to be girls who are a lot stronger and bigger than me out there,” Eule said. “They also said they liked how I distribute the ball and see the field. They said they needed that one missing link and thought I’d come in and impact right away.”

Eule said committing has given her something more to work toward.

“Everyone says that it’s such a relief to commit, and it definitely is a weight off my shoulders,” Eule said. “At the same time it’s an even bigger burden. Now I know where I’m going, and I want to work twice as hard because I want to be able to go in there and earn playing time right off the bat. It’s a whole new challenge.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker