Five Palm Beach County high school baseball teams are competing in regional semifinals this weekend.
All series are best-of-three. The winners will advance to the regional finals, the last step before the state tournament May 13-20 in Fort Myers.
Region 3-7A
Jupiter (18-9) at Park Vista (18-5)
Schedule: Friday, May 1, 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 2, 1 p.m. (second game to follow, if necessary)
What to know: Game 1 will likely match two of the county’s top pitchers, Jupiter left-hander Ethan Trivision and Park Vista right-hander Cody Wexler. Both were dominant in the single-elimination quarterfinal round, with Trivision throwing five shutout innings against Palm Beach Central and Wexler pitching a complete game in a 2-0 win over Tohopekaliga. This is a rematch of last year’s regional finals, which Jupiter swept to earn a berth in the state tournament.
What’s next: The winner will face No. 1 seed Vero Beach or No. 4 Harmony.
Region 4-6A
West Boca Raton (19-10) at St. Thomas Aquinas (22-4)
Schedule: Friday, May 1, 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 2, 4 p.m. (second game to follow, if necessary)
What to know: After pulling out a wild 13-12 win over Miami-Braddock in the quarterfinals, the Bulls travel to Fort Lauderdale to face the defending state champions. St. Thomas swept West Boca in the regional semifinals last year. The Raiders feature a heavy-hitting lineup (.347 team BA, 22 home runs) that sometimes makes up for a pitching staff that lacks a true ace. Third baseman Brady Buxbaum (.397, 5 HRs, 33 RBIs) is headed for South Florida.
What’s next: The winner will face No. 2 seed Doral Academy or No. 3 Miami-Southridge.
Region 4-2A
Chaminade-Madonna (17-11) at St. John Paul II Academy (24-3)
Schedule: Friday, May 1, 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 2, noon (second game to follow, if necessary)
What to know: St. John Paul opened the season with a victory over three-time state champion North Broward Prep and hasn’t let up. The Eagles carry a five-game winning streak into the series against Chaminade-Madonna, a school known more for its powerhouse football program. The Lions edged Davie-University 2-1 in the regional quarterfinals. Game 1 will likely match St. John Paul RHP Jack Wilhoit (7-1, 1.08 ERA, 83 Ks), a North Florida commit, against Chaminade LHP Spencer Krasner (8-3, 1.99 ERA, 59 Ks), a Florida State commit.
What’s next: The winner will face No. 1 seed Miami-True North Classical or No. 4 Miami-Palmer Trinity.
Region 4-1A
Jupiter Christian (10-9) at Miami-Brito (8-13)
Schedule: Friday, May 1, 11 a.m.; Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. (second game to follow, if necessary)
What to know: Neither team was expected to make it this far. Seventh-seeded Jupiter Christian scored seven runs in the seventh inning, capped by Kyle Valcich’s three-run homer, to stun second-seeded Vero Beach-St. Edward’s 11-7 in the quarterfinals. Sophomores Harrison Craft (.429, 22 RBIs) and Matt Kutsukos (.365, 17 RBIs) lead the Eagles’ offense. Sixth-seeded Brito surprised third-seeded Atlantic Christian 6-0 with right-hander Claudio de los Santos pitching six shutout innings and striking out eight.
What’s next: The winner will face No. 1 seed Miami Christian or No. 5 Miami-Schoolhouse Prep.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County baseball: What to know for regional second round
Reporting by Rick Robb, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
