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John Gant

MLB playoffs are here, featuring these locals

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This rapid-fire 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season has been anything but ordinary — from the condensed 60-game slate to the implementation of novel rules, such as expanded rosters, universal designated hitter, seven-inning doubleheaders, and runner-on-second rule in extra innings.

That’s not even mentioning the myriad health and safety protocols pro baseball organizations have been forced to navigate amid the COVID-19 pandemic — which included all games being played in stadiums without fans.

Maybe one of the positive benefits of the new 16-team expanded playoffs format is more opportunity for several locals with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area to showcase their skills and abilities in front of a national audience, with hopes of winning a World Series title this fall.

Here’s a closer look at the hometown products who may be seen this week and beyond throughout the postseason, which runs Sept. 29 through mid-October:

Zephyrhills High product Austin Adams is finding his groove after offseason knee surgery, for the San Diego Padres (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Austin Adams, San Diego Padres, pitcher
Local tie: Zephyrhills High School

Twenty-nine-year-old Austin Adams earned the benefit of being traded from the losing Seattle Mariners to the playoff-bound Padres (No. 4 seed National League) at the Aug. 31 trade deadline.

As it turned out, Adams’ first action in 2020 actually didn’t come until he put on a Padres uniform, as he was still nursing offseason knee surgery.

The righty looked reliable in his three late-season appearances with San Diego, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 4 innings pitched, exhibiting top-level four-seam fastball velocity and spin rates, to go along with a signature slider.

Adams grew up in Zephyrhills, playing little league at Sam Pasco Park. He went on to earn four letters in baseball (and one in basketball) at Zephyrhills High School from 2006 to 2009. He posted a 2.43 ERA and 80 strikeouts in his Bulldog career.

Adams’ high school success led to a baseball scholarship at the University of South Florida, a program that had its first Big East Championship final in 2012, during his junior year.

Other MLB players hailing from the Zephyrhills area are Dave Eiland (1988-2000) and Domonic Brown (2010-2015).

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher John Gant, a Wiregrass Ranch High product (File)

John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals, pitcher
Local tie: Wiregrass Ranch High School

Twenty-eight-year-old John Gant presently is on the team’s 10-day injured list (right groin tightness) and likely won’t make an appearance unless the Cardinals make a deep postseason run.

However, he played an integral bullpen role as a late-inning reliever and setup man for a Cardinals (No. 5 seed, National League) organization forced to play 11 doubleheaders after a rash of COVID-19 cases forced them to miss 19 days of competition in July and August.

In 17 appearances, the fifth-year MLB vet went 0-3, but compiled a career-best 2.40 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, striking out 18 batters in 15 innings pitched.

Gant starred on the Wiregrass Ranch High varsity baseball team from 2008 to 2011 — striking out over 200 batters and suffering just three losses in four years. He also was a member of the Wiregrass Ranch basketball and swimming teams, and also served as scorekeeper for the girls basketball program, which was coached by his father, John Sr., then a science teacher at the school.

Gant signed with the New York Mets out of high school and spent five years in the minors before making his big league debut in 2016 (then for the Atlanta Braves).

Matt Joyce, Miami Marlins, outfielder
Local tie: New Tampa resident/business owner

New Tampa resident and business owner Matt Joyce is going strong at 36 years old, for the Miami Marlins. (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Thirty-six-year-old Matt Joyce has played a key leadership and mostly everyday role for a Marlins (No. 6 seed, National League) organization that not only clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2003, but also had to overcome an early season COVID-19 outbreak that had 18 players test positive — forcing the team to find reinforcements in its minor league system and free agent market.

The corner outfielder began the season on the injured list, but went on to post a .252/.351/.331 line with two homers and 14 RBIs in 46 games.

In the playoffs, expect Joyce to continue to get consistent playing time, particularly against right-handed pitching — which he’s made his lengthy career on.

Through born and raised in Brandon, the 12-year MLB veteran has since made New Tampa home, living in the Hunter’s Green area and recently opening an F45 Training fitness center chain at The Walk at Highwoods Preserve neighborhood shopping center.

Oscar Mercado, Cleveland Indians, outfielder
Local tie: Gaither High School

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado is a Gaither High product (File)

Twenty-five-year-old Oscar Mercado has struggled mightily, offensively in his sophomore MLB season —posting a .128/.174/.174 line and just two extra-base hits in 86 at-bats across 36 games, as he dealt with swing mechanic issues all year long.

It’s a far cry from a showy rookie season in 2018 when he batted .269 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in 119 games, adding 70 runs scored, 25 doubles, three triples and 15 stolen bases.
Even with his struggles at the plate, Mercado has provided defensive value in the outfield and with his speed on the base paths — skills that could be put on display in the playoffs for the Indians (No. 4 seed, American League)
A native of Columbia, Mercado and his family emigrated to the United States and settled in the Tampa area when he was 7 years old. He became a four-year starter at shortstop at Gaither High School from 2010 to 2013, leading the program to back-to-back district crowns. Following a storied prep career, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after being a second round draft pick in 2013.

Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays, pitcher
Local tie: Odessa native, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Nate Pearson is an Odessa native and Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School product (File)

Twenty-four-year-old Nate Pearson entered the season as one of the most prized prospects in baseball, thanks to a fastball that regularly touches triple digits combined with multiple refined breaking balls.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander missed over a month of the season because of elbow tightness, but seems ready for the postseason after picking up his first career win on Sept. 25 — firing 1.2 scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles and hitting 101.5 miles per hour on the radar gun. He finished the year with a 6.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 18 innings.
The Odessa native starred at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, helping the program to the Class 3A state semifinals as a senior in 2015. He wrapped up his prep career with a career 1.24 earned run average and 144 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched, with a 12-1 record. He later became a first round draft pick in 2017 out of Central College of Florida in Ocala.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High alumnus (File)

Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays, manager
Local tie: Gaither High School

Kevin Cash, the 42-year-old skipper, seemingly has pulled all the right strings for a Rays (No. 1 seed, American League) club that went 40-20 despite a rash of injuries to its pitching staff (they had as many as 12 pitchers on the injured list at one point).

With that, Cash appears to be a front-runner for the AL Manager of the Year award, navigating a young, unheralded roster and putting players in position to succeed via unorthodox lineups, bullpens, platoons, defensive positioning and shifts, and more. The sixth-year manager also receives high marks for his leadership in galvanizing a clubhouse that features so many players from different countries, cultures and backgrounds.

Cash spent his younger days growing up in the Valley Ranch Drive neighborhood, situated across from Lake Park in Lutz. He first hit the national scene in 1989 — then a 12-year-old second baseman for a Northside Little League team that reached the 43rd Little League World Series.
Cash later starred at Gaither High School, penning that into a successful college run at Florida State University and eight-year MLB career as a journeyman catcher mostly.

Visit MLB.com for updated playoff schedules, and how and when to see these locals in action.

Published September 30, 2020

Check out these locals during 2020 MLB season

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The 2020 MLB (Major League Baseball) season will be unlike any other it has experienced,  thanks to COVID-19.

The condensed 60-game schedule is believed to be the league’s shortest season since 1878. Fans will have to watch the games on TV, online, or listen to the radio — as stadiums will be off-limits to them, at least initially.

There also will be myriad other social distancing and health and safety protocols, and some new rules — such as the universal DH (designated hitter) and extra innings beginning with a runner on second base.

The season kicked off on July 23, four months later than expected, after MLB elected to postpone play in early March because of the pandemic.

Though later than anticipated, and with far fewer games than expected, baseball fans will get a chance to watch their favorite teams and players battle for a postseason spot and World Series crown.

Meanwhile, a handful of players (and a manager) with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area look to take on prominent, even starring, roles with their respective MLB franchise this season.

Here’s a closer look at some of the locals to watch.

Austin Adams, Seattle Mariners, pitcher
Local tie: Zephyrhills High School
Fully recovered from offseason knee surgery, the 29-year-old right-hander is expected to make a sizable impact for the Mariners bullpen, sliding into the team’s late-inning pitching or even as a closer.

Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher Austin Adams, a Zephyrhills High School product (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Since being traded to Seattle from the Washington Nationals last May, Adams registered a 3.77 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched across 29 games. The breakout 2019 campaign was cut short after a stomach-churning moment where he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus. It happened while trying to avoid a near-collision fielding a play at first base in a late September game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Adams grew up in Zephyrhills, playing little league at Sam Pasco Park. He went on to earn four letters in baseball (and one in basketball) at Zephyrhills High School from 2006 to 2009. He posted a 2.43 ERA and 80 strikeouts in his Bulldog career.

Adams’ high school success led to a baseball scholarship at the University of South Florida, a program that had its first Big East Championship final in 2012, during his junior year.

Adams signed with the Los Angeles Angels later that year after being selected in the eighth round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

His road to the big leagues was a lengthy one, having thrown more than 250 innings across five minor league seasons before making his MLB debut in 2017 with the Nationals (from where he was traded to by Los Angeles in late 2016).

Also, Adams joins a respective list of former MLB players from the Zephyrhills area, joining Dave Eiland (1988-2000) and Domonic Brown (2010-2015).

John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals, pitcher
Local tie: Wiregrass Ranch High School
Entering his fifth big-league season, the 28-year-old right-handed pitcher is projected to slot in as the Cardinals’ setup man or late-inning option, after a strong 2019 campaign where he won 11 games and posted a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched.

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher John Gant, a Wiregrass Ranch High product (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Gant is known for having one of the most unique windups in baseball, whereby he takes a couple left-footed toe taps, then pauses before firing off a pitch. He’s also regarded for sporting a five-pitch repertoire, including a changeup nicknamed “The Vulcan” — gripping the ball between the middle and ring fingers, garnering its name from the Vulcan salute used by Spock in the Star Trek series.

Gant moved to Wesley Chapel when he was 11, from Savannah, Georgia. He wound up starring on the Wiregrass Ranch High varsity baseball team from 2008 to 2011 — striking out over 200 batters and suffering just three losses in four years.

Gant wasn’t only involved with baseball, though.

He was a member of the Wiregrass Ranch basketball and swimming teams, and also served as scorekeeper for the girls basketball program, which was coached by his father, John Sr., then a science teacher at the school.

Gant signed with the New York Mets out of high school after being selected in the 21st round of the 2011 MLB Draft. After four years in their minor league system, Gant was traded to the Atlanta Braves, where he made his MLB debut in 2016. He was traded offseason to the Cardinals, where he has been since.

Gant has customarily spent parts of his baseball offseason training in and around Wesley Chapel.

Oscar Mercado, Cleveland Indians, outfielder
Local tie: Gaither High School
The 25-year-old Mercado is penciled in as the Indians starting centerfielder. That follows a showy 2019 rookie season where he batted .269 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in 119 games, adding 70 runs scored, 25 doubles, three triples and 15 stolen bases.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado graduated from Gaither High School in 2013. (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

A native of Columbia, Mercado and his family emigrated to the United States and settled in the Tampa area when he was 7 years old.

He became a four-year starter at shortstop at Gaither High School from 2010 to 2013, leading the program to back-to-back district crowns.

As a Cowboy, Mercado was something of a prep prodigy. He was named ESPN’s No. 1 middle infielder in the nation and dotted multiple high school All-American lists — Under Armour All-American, MaxPreps Underclass All-American and Perfect Game All-American Classic and Underclass All-American.

In addition to his skills on the diamond, Mercado had a 5.0 weighted GPA at Gaither and originally planned to attend Florida State University on a baseball scholarship. That all changed when he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2013 MLB, electing to sign with the club for a $1.5 million signing bonus.

Mercado spent nearly six years working through the Cardinals minor league system until he was traded to the Indians in July 2018. He made his MLB debut on May 14, 2019, against the Chicago White Sox.

Also noteworthy, Mercado became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.

Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays, pitcher
Local tie: Odessa native, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School
Widely considered one of the game’s top prospects, the 6-foot-6 flame-throwing righty is expected to make his MLB sooner rather than later this season with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson, an Odessa native and Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School alum. (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Reports out of Summer Camp indicate the 23-year-old Pearson is indeed ready for The Show, having refined breaking pitches to complement a fastball that regularly touches triple digits.

Born and raised in Odessa, Pearson starred at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, helping the program to the Class 3A state semifinals as a senior in 2015. He wrapped up his prep career with a career 1.24 earned run average and 144 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched, with a 12-1 record.

Pearson went on to play college baseball at Miami’s Florida International University, then transferred to the College of Central Florida in Ocala. There, he was named the Rawlings/Perfect Game JUCO Pitcher of the Year, and subsequently selected by the Blue Jays in the first round (28th overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft, signing with the team for a $2.45 million bonus.

Pearson has proceeded to shine at each level of the minors, boasting a combined 2.19 ERA,

0.87 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 123.1 innings from rookie ball through Triple-A.

The budding major leaguer spent a portion of the leaguewide shutdown in Tampa, training with other professional athletes at Yo Murphy Performance.

Matt Joyce, a New Tampa resident (Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/MLB.com)

Matt Joyce, Miami Marlins, outfielder
Local tie: New Tampa resident/business owner
Through born and raised in Brandon, the 12-year MLB veteran has since made New Tampa home, living in the Hunter’s Green area and recently opening an F45 Training fitness center chain at The Walk at Highwoods Preserve neighborhood shopping center.

The left-handed hitting corner outfielder is the quintessential journeyman, having played for seven different MLB franchises, his longest tenure coming with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2009-2014.

He’s mainly played a platoon role throughout his career, almost exclusively getting action against right-handed pitchers. In recent years, he’s taken on a lesser role, as a spot starter and pinch-hitter.

The 35-year-old Joyce begins the 2020 season on the 10-day injured list, due to an undisclosed condition and having not participated in the team’s July Summer Camp activities. In more than 1,300 MLB games played, Joyce has accumulated 145 career home runs and 482 RBIs, along with a .243/.343/.432 slash line.

 

 

Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays, manager
Local tie: Gaither High School
Before enjoying eight years as an MLB catcher and now manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, the 42-year-old Cash fine-tuned his baseball skills and acumen in Lutz, playing at Northside Little League and Gaither High School.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash grew up in Lutz, playing at Northside Little League and Gaither High School. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Rays communications department)

He spent his younger days growing up in the Valley Ranch Drive neighborhood, situated across from Lake Park.

Cash first hit the national scene in 1989 — then a 12-year-old second baseman for a Northside Little League team that reached the 43rd Little League World Series.

Cash would go on to later play college baseball at Florida State University and earn spots with six different MLB franchises from 2002-2010 — including earning two World Series rings with the 2007 Red Sox and 2009 Yankees, respectively.

Once his playing career concluded, Cash ventured into coaching and has been the Rays manager since 2015. He’s widely regarded as one of the game’s best for leading a Rays rebuilding effort that embraces outside-the-box strategies, such as platoons, shifts, and openers, combined with strong leadership skills in dealing with players.

Baseball is undoubtedly in his blood, as his father and uncle both played professionally, the latter reaching the big leagues in the 1970s.

Published July 29, 2020

John Gant settles into major leagues

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At least one Major League Baseball player calls Wesley Chapel home during the offseason.

With pleasant weather and local ties, it’s a no-brainer for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Gant.

After all, the 26-year-old Gant spent half his childhood being raised in the area — moving there with his family from Savannah, Georgia, when he was 11 years old.

The major leaguer has been back in town since December, following the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Before he became a standout pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, John Gant starred on the Wiregrass Ranch High School baseball team from 2008 to 2011. He was 11 years old when his family moved to Wesley Chapel, from Savannah, Georgia. (File)

He’s used the downtime to catch up with family and some old friends from Wiregrass Ranch High School, where he starred on the varsity baseball team all four years (2008-2011) before being selected by the New York Mets in the 21st round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

He’s also made a point to stay in general shape in advance of the 2019 season. He works out with local trainer BB Roberts about once a week, splitting time between old high school stomping grounds and the Seven Oaks clubhouse fitness center.

Gant, surprisingly, is able to mosey about town in relative anonymity, both in Wesley Chapel and St. Louis.

“Nobody really recognizes me at all,” Gant said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

And, he likes it that way. “I’m kind of an undercover, under-the-radar type guy,” Gant said.

In baseball circles, however, Gant is anything but under the radar.

The 6-foot-4 righthander, who sports a five-pitch arsenal (sinker, changeup, four-seam fastball, curveball, slider), will embark on his fourth MLB season when pitchers and catchers report for spring training in February.

There, he’ll look to build off last year’s breakout campaign in which he posted a 3.47 earned run average and 95 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched, with a record of 7-6 in 26 appearances (including 19 starts).

While Gant’s efforts weren’t enough to help the Cardinals reach the playoffs, he was front-and-center at times throughout the season.

He pitched a seven-inning, one-hit shutout gem on June 26 against the Cleveland Indians that happened to be the historic franchise’s 10,000th victory as a member of the National League.

He made national headlines at the plate, too.

Gant’s first two hits in his MLB career — and only two hits thus far — are home runs.

Wiregrass Ranch High School product John Gant is entering his fourth MLB season. Presently with the St. Louis Cardinals, the right-handed pitcher also has spent time in the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves baseball organizations. (Courtesy of MLB.com)

According to MLB.com, Gant is believed to the only player in Major League history to hit at least two home runs while never having reached base safely by any other means.

The first dinger came on Aug. 14 in a home game against the Washington Nationals.

Gant entered the game 0 for 30 in hitting for his career before he drove a 1-1 pitch from Gio Gonzalez (who had never allowed a home run to an opposing pitcher) over the left field wall in the second inning — a two-run shot that measured 398 feet.

“Hitting that first home run was pretty cool,” Gant said. “That was a moment I’ll never forget.”

Gant also drew notoriety for his unconventional, yet impactful Vulcan changeup — gripping the ball between the middle and ring fingers, garnering its name from the Vulcan salute used by Spock in the Star Trek series.

“Some people think it’s weird; some people think it’s normal,” Gant said of the pitch.

“You’ve got to be able to change speeds as a pitcher or else you probably aren’t going to have too much success at all, really,” he said.

Gant has had a circuitous route to baseball’s highest level.

Since being a mid-round draft pick out of high school, Gant toiled in the minors for five years before making his debut in 2016 with the Atlanta Braves. He’s also battled injuries and has been traded twice — from the Mets to the Braves, then to the Cardinals.

After finally coming into his own this past season, Gant is self-assured he has staying power in the big leagues, for many years to come.

Said Gant, “I’m calm and confident to play at that level, and I feel like that’s where I belong. It definitely took some settling in, but I feel settled and comfortable.”

And, he certainly wouldn’t mind staying long-term with his current ball club.

“I think I’m in the right place now, with the Cardinals. I’m happy where I’m at. I really want to stay with this group of guys and this organization,” Gant said.

Aside from maybe hitting a few more dingers, Gant’s chief focus is on the mound — working to improve his control to pare down the 57 walks he allowed in 2018, one of the few blemishes on his resume last season.

“I’m going to try to hone in on that strike zone a little better,” Gant said. “Throw some more strikes. Fill up the zone. And, just work hard. Try to win some baseball games for this ball club.”

Meanwhile, those in tune with the sports scene in Pasco County may know of another John Gant  — head coach of the Wiregrass Ranch varsity girls basketball team, who’s won at least 20 games every year but one since being hired in 2011.

Well, it’s the pro ballplayer’s father.

The younger Gant described his father as “very” influential toward his success in professional baseball — mentoring him to excel in academics and athletics.

“He’s always pushing me in doing everything I’ve done,” Gant said. “He’s always told me, ‘If you do something, do it right.’”

Likewise, his father’s coaching achievements over the past decade don’t come as a surprise to the major leaguer.

“He works hard at his craft, and he’s good at it,” Gant said. “Just behind the scenes, he spent so much time on it, just watching video and just making sure he has everything that he wants and all the tools are there, and he’s using them all. He just goes out there and wins games.”

Like father, like son.

Q-and-A with St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Gant

On playing baseball at Wiregrass Ranch High School: “It was a blast. I had a lot of fun, and it kind of led me to where I am now.”

On his emergence as an upperclassman at Wiregrass Ranch that drew attention from pro baseball scouts: “Just (got) bigger and stronger. Grew into my body a little more and started to throw a little harder. That’s really it.”

On when he realized he might have a chance to play baseball professionally: “I was by no means a Little League prodigy or a child prospect or anything like that. I think things kind of started to click for me when I was probably a junior or senior in high school, and I started getting some college attention. I wasn’t really thinking, ‘Hey I’m going to be a big league pitcher,’ obviously, but we knew that I was going to go play baseball in college, and then if I had success there, then maybe a role at the professional level. But, there was never a real moment where I said, ‘Oh, I’m going to do this’ before I was drafted or anything like that.’”

On playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the MLB’s most revered and historic organizations: “It definitely means a lot to be able to put on that jersey and all the history that comes with it, and, everything that the St. Louis Cardinals have accomplished throughout the years and are still accomplishing. It’s pretty unreal the success they’ve had and the pride that they have in all their successes, and, just how they care about people’s attitudes and people’s character is very important. …I think they’re really going about their business the right way.”

On his favorite player growing up: “I wouldn’t say I modeled my game after this person in any way, but as a kid I was a pretty big (Atlanta) Braves fan and my favorite player was the catcher, Javy Lopez.”

On the best hitter he’s gone up against: “I guess, maybe my rookie year in 2016, facing Big Papi (Boston Red Sox great David Ortiz) at Fenway Park was a pretty cool moment.”

On his career options if he wasn’t playing professional baseball: “Hard to say. I’ve never really seen myself coaching. I was going to school to be an athletic trainer. Now seeing all the behind-the-scenes things that they’re responsible for, I don’t think that I’d really like to do that. Honestly, I’d probably be working some type of manual labor job somewhere — outside, hard work with my hands, getting dirty every day.”

Published January 9, 2019

Wiregrass Ranch’s Melosky eclipses 1,000 points

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A high-scoring basketball player in her junior year might consider scoring 1,000 points a realistic goal before her senior year. But Wiregrass Ranch’s Amanda Melosky won’t even be thinking about that milestone next year.

Not many players reach 1,000 points in a high school career, and even fewer accomplish it their junior year like Wiregrass Ranch’s Amanda Melosky. (File Photo)
Not many players reach 1,000 points in a high school career, and even fewer accomplish it their junior year like Wiregrass Ranch’s Amanda Melosky. (File Photo)

It’s not that Melosky isn’t a talented scorer. In fact, she’s so good that she didn’t need her senior year to reach 1,000 points. She eclipsed that mark on Jan. 23 in a win at home against Anclote.

When that 1,000th point was scored, the game was stopped and her teammates came out to cheer her for reaching the milestone. Melosky even received a game ball to commemorate the accomplishment.

And according to Bulls coach John Gant, she didn’t get those points with uncontested baskets or a lot of long-range shots. She collected them in hard-fought battles to the basket.

“She’s earning them in the trenches, in the paint, working hard and getting put-back, getting rebounds, working to get position,” he said. “She’s earning everything she’s getting. She’s one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever coached.”

That’s high praise from Gant, who completed his third year at Wiregrass Ranch, but has been coaching for more than three decades. He said that it’s one thing to find a player with talent, but the really good ones — like Melosky — have a lot of drive, a strong desire to succeed and consistently work hard to improve their skills and abilities.

Melosky is proud of achieving the 1,000-point mark, but is especially happy it occurred during a successful campaign for Wiregrass Ranch.

“I feel like it’s a big milestone. It was a good year to do it because we’re having a very successful season,” she said. “I’d rather the team have a good year than me reach a milestone any day. I like winning more than anything.”

While Melosky was scoring, the Bulls were certainly winning a lot of games. Although they fell in the playoffs to Strawberry Crest on Feb. 6, they finished with a 26-4 record, including a 13-game win streak in the middle of the season. She said that team success is important to her, so while she takes shots when she thinks she has an opportunity to score, she also won’t hesitate to pass to a teammate if they’re open.

Big numbers are a part of Melosky’s basketball game, but they’re also present in her records off the court as well: She’s maintained a 3.9 GPA. She attributes a successful balance of sports (Melosky also plays soccer) and school success to time management and making sure that neither side of her school career is neglected.

“When I’m not practicing, I’m normally doing my homework. I don’t normally have time to do much else, but that’s more important,” she said.

While she’s already eclipsed the 1,000-point mark, Melosky still has a couple of goals in her sights for next season. She has a realistic shot of reaching 1,500 points for her career, and she’s just 310 rebounds away from recording 1,000 there as well.

Gant recalled when college football great Herschel Walker was a junior at Georgia, his coach said the best thing about him was that he’d be coming back for another year. Walker ended up turning pro, and didn’t come back.

But this isn’t college, and Gant can be more confident in Melosky’s return to help the Bulls continue putting up points and winning games.

“Since it’s high school, I’m comfortable saying that the best thing about Amanda Melosky is she’s coming back,” he said.

Published Feb. 12, 2014

Wiregrass Ranch girls hoopsters create buzz with fast start

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With nearly three decades of basketball coaching experience, John Gant usually knows what to expect from his players. And going into his third season coaching the Wiregrass Ranch High School girls, he expected to have a strong team.

But even he admits he didn’t see 19 wins in their first 20 games.

Wiregrass Ranch captain Logan Seoane goes for a jump ball back in her early days on the Bulls varsity team. Now Seoane and her teammates are charging through the regular season, picking up 19 wins in their first 20 games.
Wiregrass Ranch captain Logan Seoane goes for a jump ball back in her early days on the Bulls varsity team. Now Seoane and her teammates are charging through the regular season, picking up 19 wins in their first 20 games.

“I did expect a good year. I did not anticipate quite this good a record, but I did anticipate a good year for my kids,” he said.

But the Bulls have done just that, starting out hot with a six-game winning streak before losing on the road at district foe Steinbrenner. However, they bounced back from that defeat and have rattled off 13 straight wins (nine of those by double-digits), including an eight-point victory over Steinbrenner in the rematch.

Gant identifies a couple of important team traits that has led to the Bulls’ success. First, the team is unselfish, with scoring relatively evenly distributed and no one player dominating the stat sheet. And second, the Bulls play an up-tempo game with an eye for fast break opportunities and plenty of running up and down the court.

While Wiregrass Ranch’s record is a marked improvement over previous seasons, Gant said his coaching philosophy hasn’t changed. The difference is the team’s receptiveness to what the coaching staff teaches and their ability to come together and excel behind that philosophy.

“It is not difficult to teach” unselfish play, he said. “It is sometimes difficult for kids to buy into it. Really, it comes down to the kids and do they want to buy into it and really make themselves a team, a cohesive unit.”

Bulls captain Logan Seoane, a senior in her fourth year playing for her school, believes her teammates have done just that.

“A lot of us have played together for a long time, and we just clicked this year,” said Seoane, who plays center for Wiregrass Ranch. She also said that developing a fast-break philosophy has meant challenging practices with a lot of transition work, efforts to limit turnovers and a full-court mindset.

But the hard work has been worth it, and other teams have had trouble keeping up with the Bulls.

Still, with all the team’s success, Wiregrass Ranch sits tied with the Steinbrenner Seahawks for the lead in Class 7A-District 8. Both teams have lost just one district game — to each other. If both teams win out, Gant said that regular tiebreakers probably won’t settle the issue. A simple coin toss could determine the tournament seeding, in which the top two teams will advance into the playoffs.

The fact that a 19-1 record doesn’t assure them the top seed in the tournament for a playoff berth isn’t lost on Gant. But he said that tournament seeding isn’t that important, since there will be tough games no matter where they finish.

“We have one of the toughest districts in the state,” he said. That includes Sickles, currently 14-4 overall and 2-3 in the district, as well as Freedom, which is 13-3 overall, and 2-3 in the district.

Of course, no one can forget Steinbrenner, which is currently 19-2, and 5-1 in the district.

“And we’re all very good,” Gant said. “You’re going to have a tough opponent no matter where you are.”

Rather than worry about tournament seeding, part of the team’s philosophy is to just take things one game at a time and not look ahead or take anything for granted. In fact, the coach believes that there’s nothing to take for granted yet, since they haven’t guaranteed themselves anything.

“We’re 19-1, and we’re 5-1 in district,” Gant said. “What’s it mean? Absolutely nothing if you don’t take care of business.”

Their next piece of business is a home game against Freedom on Jan. 8.

His team has also bought into that message as well. When asked how far she thought the team could go this year, Seoane responded with an answer that would make her coach proud: “We just have to take it step by step.”