Central is in a good spot

BROOKSVILLE -- Cynics in the crowd would suggest the championship plaque should be placed in Central's trophy case even before the Class 4A, District 7 Tournament begins there tonight.

Even at 13-12 overall, the Bears clearly established themselves as the class of a weak district by finishing 5-1 -- a game better than Lecanto, which went 4-2 in the district and 7-18 overall. Central's record looks better considering it has won three consecutively and six of seven.

Cynics would add that the Bears need only to beat 6-19 Springstead tonight -- after sweeping the season series and out-scoring the Eagles 15-2 -- to reach the final and qualify for the regional. But Central's Gary Buel was using all the right coach-speak Monday.

"We think this is a pretty evenly matched tournament," Buel said. "Anybody can beat anybody, so the seeding didn't really matter. Springstead's a scrappy bunch, and they hang in there and play hard. We have respect for others."

Buel is supporting his statement by starting staff ace Thomas Lobianco against the Eagles. The left-hander leads Hernando County with a 6-3 record and has a 3.10 earned-run average, 60 strikeouts and just 28 hits-allowed in 49 2/3 innings.

"You've got to win the first one first," Buel said.

Eagles coach Tracy Clark is using the "fresh start" angle as a motivator for his team, and emphasizing the difficulty of beating an opponent three times in a season. In 1999, the Eagles had beaten Ridgewood three times in the regular season, then lost the fourth, in the first round of regionals.

"(The Eagles) know that they can win this game and all the bad feelings of the rest of the season can be erased with one win," Clark said.

LEOPARDS: If Hernando is to reach the regional for the third straight year, it will have to bounce the winningest team on the North Suncoast (25-3 Crystal River) in a Class 3A, District 6 semifinal Wednesday.

The Leopards lost both regular season meetings.

-- Staff writer Brant James can be reached at (800) 333-7505, ext. 1407, or brant@sptimes.com.

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