With the last regular season playing date for FHSAA baseball teams being Saturday, April 11, it’s an all-out push as teams look to shore up their records and prepare for district tournament play (April 14-18) — all in hopes of locking up a spot in the state tournament.
The FHSAA released its latest baseball rankings on Tuesday, April 7, giving us a measuring stick on how Ocala-area baseball teams stack up with the postseason right around the corner.
And while the same three teams make up the county’s top three, some shifting has happened since the last time we checked in on the rankings.
Here’s the latest:
Trinity Catholic
Record: 17-5
FHSAA ranking: No. 33 in the state, No. 7 in Class 7A
Coming in as the area’s top-ranked baseball team are the Trinity Catholic Celtics, whose recent loss to South Sumter — a team they’d beaten earlier in the season — put an end to their six-game win streak. Nonetheless, Trinity Catholic still boasts an impressive 17-5 record and is 4-1 against in-county foes.
Gavin Greathouse continues to lead Trinity Catholic’s offense with a .439 batting average and 23 RBIs. Meanwhile, Matthew Wetherell carries the big bat for the Celtics, posting a team-leading three home runs. In all, Trinity Catholic has five batters who are averaging above .300 through 65-plus at-bats.
From the mound, it’s Nate Colon, Oakley Hayhurst and Katcher Streit who lead the charge for Trinity Catholic. Colon and Hayhurst have each seen more than 30 innings of action from the rubber and are maintaining ERAs of 2.57 and 2.48, respectively. The two also post similar strikeout numbers, Hayhurst having 40 and Colon having 37. Streit, meanwhile, boasts the best ERA of the bunch at 2.01 across 24.1 innings with 25 strikeouts.
North Marion
Record: 13-6
FHSAA ranking: No. 49 in the state, No. 7 in Class 3A
The North Marion Colts have surged since the last time we checked in on the FHSAA’s rankings on March 22. Back then, the Colts were No. 121 in the state and No. 16 in Class 3A. Now, North Marion sits inside the top 50 in the state, much in thanks to its current seven-game win streak. In the span of that streak, the Colts are 3-0 against in-county teams and have posted four shutouts.
CJ Sayler has separated himself as North Marion’s go-to guy on the mound as he’s pitched a team-leading 28.1 innings and has maintained a 1.73 ERA with 33 strikeouts. Behind him is Ayden Gonzalez (20.2 IP, 4.06 ERA, 24 K) and Brandon Keen (15.2 IP, 2.68 ERA, 21 K).
Offensively, the Colts have been led by Troy Guynn (.533, 9 RBIs) and Tucker Jones (.400, 11 RBIs), while Sayler, Gonzalez and Keen have all showcased two-way ability as Sayler leads the team in RBIs with 17. Keen is hitting .333 and Gonzalez has been steady with a .238 average with 4 RBIs.
Vanguard
Record: 15-6
FHSAA ranking: No. 196 in the state, No. 22 in Class 4A
While the Vanguard Knights have dropped in the FHSAA’s rankings, they still find themselves among the top three teams in Marion County. Vanguard had strung together a nice win streak earlier this season. This time, however, the Knights are in the middle of a bit of a roller coaster, having not put together a win streak since their five-game run ended in mid-March.
The Vanguard offense is led by Brody Katich (.357, 6 RBIs) and Spencer Payne (.302, 20 RBIs, 2 HRs), who lead the Knights in batting average and RBIs, respectively.
On the mound, it’s also Payne who pilots the bullpen with a sub-1 ERA at 0.93 through 30 innings pitched with 67 strikeouts. Martin McKinney is on Payne’s heels with a 1.65 ERA through 34 innings pitched with 52 strikeouts. Isaac Dillard-Stiehl (2.55 ERA, 25 Ks) and Carson Oliver (1.29 ERA, 23 Ks) have also seen plenty of action for the Knights, both pitching more than 20 innings on the season.
Where other Marion County baseball teams are ranked
Forest: No. 302 in the state, No. 52 in Class 6A
Belleview: No. 308 in the state, No. 41 in Class 5A
Dunnellon: No. 409 in the state, No. 52 in Class 4A
St. Johns Lutheran: No. 435 in the state, No. 39 in Class 1A
Lake Weir: No. 494 in the state, No. 64 in Class 1A
West Port: No. 528 in the state, No. 74 in Class 7A
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Where each Marion County baseball team stands in latest FHSAA rankings
Reporting by Ainslie Lee, Gainesville Sun / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
