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Playoffs turnaround uncertain
By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer DADE CITY -- From 1997 to 2000, county baseball teams went 7-2 in the first round of the playoffs and made three trips to the region finals. Last spring, with three teams in the playoffs, there were three first-round losses. The uncertainty of postseason baseball will give way to the unwavering scoreboard when region action begins for three teams tonight, but there's no telling whether they'll continue last year's early exits or the success that came before. "There's no magic formula, I know that much," said Hudson coach Jack Ledbetter, whose team upset Ridgewood in Thursday's Class 4A, District 8 championship and will host Leesburg at 7:30 p.m. "I think these things run in cycles, and last year we all went out early. It's just the luck of the draw -- we got a favorable one, that's for sure, but Pasco kind of shot themselves in the foot." The county's dominant teams, Pasco and Ridgewood, face unexpected challenges after losing in their district finals. Not only must the Pirates and Rams rebound from close losses, but they must do so on the road against a pair of district champions. For Ridgewood, it faces a more palatable first-round draw in Central (15-12), a team the Rams handed an 11-0 loss to last month. Pasco, however, will open the playoffs in Tampa against No. 4 Jesuit, which beat the Pirates in the state championship game five years ago. Pasco coach Ricky Giles said his team likely would have had to face Jesuit at some point if it wanted to fulfill its preseason goal of reaching the state final four at Legends Field, so the Pirates might as well deal with their biggest obstacle right away. "If you're planning on going anywhere, you have to play through them anyway," said Giles, who will start junior left-hander Chris Nyman against Jesuit. "They know they should have had that ballgame (against Bartow), but we can go back and second-guess ourselves from now to next season. It happens." And if Giles is to reach back to the Pirates' playoff run in 1997, it isn't for revenge against Jesuit, but to remind his team that Pasco played every game on the road on the way to the state finals that year. Hudson won't have to worry about that because the Cobras will enjoy the first home playoff game in the team's 28-year history tonight. Ledbetter hopes for more of the same things that guided his team to three district wins: big pitching performances, including two relief appearances by junior Kenny Eva, and stellar defense, capped by double plays to end the final two innings against Ridgewood. "A double play is just the other team hitting the ball in the right place, but it was well-timed," said Ledbetter, who will start senior Rob Petrucci (5-3) against Leesburg. "Rob's been a three-year player with me, so I'm going with my heart a little, but he's a senior and I want to give him the ball for regionals." Ridgewood will also have a senior on the mound tonight at Central, where the Bears (15-12) will face Rams ace Ronnie Lowe (10-1, 0.69 ERA). The Rams' No. 3 pitcher, Matt Laliberte, held Central to three hits in their regular-season victory, but coach Larry Beets isn't taking the Bears for granted. "That win wasn't indicative of the type of team they have," Beets said. "We know the opportunity, and we know we're not facing an overpowering pitcher like we did last year (in a loss to Countryside). They know what's at stake, and when our backs have been against the wall, we've played better all season." The county never has had three teams win playoff games in the same year. The trifecta wouldn't be an easy one tonight, but each coach is cautiously optimistic about holding up his end of the bargain. "This is a great state for baseball, so there's going to be tough competition all over," Beets said. "But hopefully Hudson, us and Pasco, all of us can get through and have a shot at another round together."
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