Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Can't deny greatness

Seminole set the standard for Pinellas County baseball last year, winning every game it played, winning a Class 5A state championship, staying atop the national polls all season, winning a national title and producing a handful of Major League Baseball draft picks.

Teams like that, coaches said then, come along once in a lifetime. Records were set that would not be approached or challenged for a very long time.

Does eight months count as a long time?

Dunedin coach Tom Hilbert is cautious about listening too closely to those telling him his team, one loaded with college and pro prospects, has greatness written all over it, but as the season takes off, it's getting harder to ignore.

The Falcons, 25-3 last year, are good.

Real good.

Seminole good.

"I'm not even fathoming that we'll go undefeated this year," Hilbert said.

Others are doing it for him. Here's why:

Dunedin hit .376 last year as a team, and Hilbert thinks that mark will fall this year.

The Falcons have immense power, led by first baseman Brian Dopirak, who hit 7 homers (playing mostly in huge ballparks by high school standards) and drove in 52 runs last year. Three others in his lineup can lose the ball with regularity.

There may be no better outfield in the state than Steve Doetsch (.483 BA, 21 steals), Jeremy Bellotti (.450, seven doubles, seven triples) and Ryan Harvey (nine home runs and 43 career RBI).

Two players who hit .400 this summer will be on the bench as pinch-hitters.

Five of the Falcon hurlers, led by Harvey and Bellotti, throw between 86 and 89 mph.

Eight players have been timed under 6.9 seconds for 60 feet.

The team is loaded with seniors.

Does any of this sound familiar?

"I was good friends with all those Seminole guys, and we'd talk about it," said Doetsch, a transfer from Northside Christian. "I've thought about going through (what they did). Ever since I came here. Everybody's saying it; it's on our minds. I think we have a lot in common with Seminole last year. "

Right down to the coach trying to keep expectations low. After all, this is Dunedin, which annually has greatness predicted for it and perpetually falls short.

Hilbert is 1-3 in the playoffs the past three seasons.

"Right now, this team has to find it's own identity," Hilbert said. "But we do have a ton of talent again. And the kids seem very focused. Last year, we didn't fulfill our main goal, obviously (losing in the first round of the regional playoffs to a 16-10 Jefferson team). But we have just as much talent, if not more."

There is not a coach in the county that will argue that point. Even Scott Miller, the Seminole coach, thinks the Falcons have the goods.

Will they deliver them to Legends Field, though?

"Geez, I wish them the best of luck," Miller said. "You can't look ahead, though; you have to, and I know it's a cliche, play one game at time. We talked about (the national ranking and upcoming season) one time last year before the season started, and then that was it.

"Can they do it? I think it would be awesome for Pinellas County to go back-to-back. I wish every coach in the county could have that feeling.

"It'll be fun to sit back and watch someone else deal with the pressure."

Some coaches think Dunedin has a can't-lose squad. Seminole's impressive run last year is under attack by a determined Falcon squad, says Lakewood coach Angelo LoGrande, who coached many of the Dunedin players in a fall wooden bat league.

"Oh God yes, there's no doubt in my mind they could go undefeated," he said. "I think this club here can be better than Seminole."

Talent-wise, that may be true. But Hilbert is right to be concerned about team chemistry and identity, said East Lake's Lee Byers. If the team doesn't come together as the Warhawks did so impressively last season, another Falcon flameout could be in their playoff future.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright