Five baseball teams from the Sarasota area made the FHSAA regional playoffs.
The FHSAA baseball bracket was announced on Monday, April 20, including regional quarterfinal matchups for Venice, Sarasota, Cardinal Mooney, Palmetto, and Parrish.
While the regional quarterfinals on April 24 and 25 will be single-elimination, the semifinals and finals will be a three-game series. The higher seed gets all three games, with game one on Friday and games two and three, if needed, being played as a doubleheader on Saturday.
Class 7A-Region 2
1. Venice vs. 8. Sumner
Venice is the No. 1 seed in the Class 7A-Region 2 bracket and will host No. 8 Sumner on Friday, April 24.
The Indians have been dominant this year, ranking No. 3 in the country according to MaxPreps. Venice has a 26-1 record, winning the District 7A-8 championship against Sarasota, 12-0, on Friday, April 17. It was head coach Craig Faulkner’s 19th district title.
The six-time state champions have a strong bullpen, led by FAU commit Carter Cox. In 2025, the left-handed pitcher finished 11-3 with a 1.35 ERA. He’s continued to be a cornerstone for Venice. In the district championship, Cox only allowed one hit.
Brothers Kohen and Kason Poplin have also been dominant on the mound. The Poplins can throw 90 mph or faster, while Mississippi State commit RJ Shields can hit 95 mph. August Backman, freshman Macade Carey and sidearmer Aiden Cary complete the staff.
Last year, Venice fell to Alonso in the regional championship, losing the last two games of the series. Venice is searching for its seventh state title and first since 2019.
No. 2 Sarasota vs. 7. Plant City
Sarasota is 19-7 this year, with three losses coming against Venice, who the Sailors could meet again in the regional championship.
Senior Kole Ayrault tops Sarasota in batting average (.405), on-base percentage (.478) and hits (32), while senior leadoff hitter Mark Metcalf leads with 31 runs and 28 stolen bases.
Class 2A-Region 3
No. 3 Cardinal Mooney vs. 6. Bishop McLaughlin
Cardinal Mooney will Bishop McLaughlin on Saturday, April 25.
The Cougars finished 22-3 and defeated Out-of-Door, 6-3, on Thursday, April 16, for the District 2A-11 championship.
Cardinal Mooney’s staff is led by UCF commit Jake Armstrong. The right-hander has a 1.92 ERA over 43.2 innings, striking out 36 batters. Junior Kevin Brinkworth leads the team with a .706 batting average and .769 on-base percentage. Both pieces will be huge as Cardinal Mooney faces Bishop McLaughlin (12-13), who the team fell to in game three of last year’s regional semifinals.
In 2026, Cardinal Mooney is searching for more. The Cougars want to win a regional championship for the first time since 1988.
Class 6A-Region 3
No. 4 Palmetto vs. 5. Sickles
No. 4 seed Palmetto will host No. 5 Sickles on Friday, April 24.
Palmetto is 18-7 this season, winning the District 6A-12 championship against Parrish, 4-2, on Thursday, April 16. Palmetto has won five of its last six games and is on a hot streak heading into regionals.
Senior Christian Cole leads the Tigers with a .289 batting average and a .522 on-base percentage, while junior Chase Nye has a .571 slugging percentage, the second-best in the district.
No. 8 Parrish vs. 1. Gaither
No. 8 seed Parrish will travel to face top-seeded Gaither in Tampa on Friday, April 24. Parrish is 13-12 this year, while Gaither is 21-4.
After making it to the District 6A-12 championship, Parrish fell to Palmetto, 4-2, and will need to bring its best baseball to defeat Gaither.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: FHSAA baseball brackets. Which Sarasota area teams made the postseason?
Reporting by Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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