Journey starts now

Teams try to put it all together and take nothing for granted as they get ready for the postseason.

HUDSON - Deep pitching staff? Check. Timely hitting? Check. Luck? That remains to be seen.

The top teams in Class 4A, District 8 worked all season to earn a high seed in this week's tournament at Hudson.

On Monday, they start a journey into the postseason, one that could end seven innings later or carry into the region playoffs.

Only top-seeded Ridgewood, which earned a precious first-round bye, has the comfort of knowing it has a spot in Tuesday's semifinals. Second-seeded Land O'Lakes and third-seeded Hudson face first-round opponents who were a combined 3-21 in the district, but neither will take seventh-seeded Gulf or sixth-seeded Tarpon Springs lightly.

Even Gulf, which was winless in district play during a 2-21 season, will come at the Gators with sophomore ace Kevin Fagan, who threw a no-hitter against Zephyrhills and has both of the Bucs' victories. Hudson faces another potential killer in Tarpon Springs lefty Raleigh Evans, one of the area's most feared pitchers.

What the Gators and Cobras have are the county's top two hitters in Brandon Vari and Kenny Eva. Eva entered this week with a county-best .520 average, but that dropped to .448 after he went hitless in his last eight at-bats. That should give the county batting title to Vari, who entered the week with a .452 average but was on a 7-for-11 tear entering Thursday's game at Hernando.

Just as important are the batters insulating the two sluggers. Land O'Lakes has Chris Majowicz (.311), Michael Garcia (.308) and Trae Martin (.311) around Vari at the top of the lineup, while Hudson counters with Jimmy Clougher (.375), Shannon Eva (.286), Travis Simpson (.352) and Erik Burgan (.328). But before the Cobras and Gators can meet in the semifinals, they have to survive Monday's first round.

Cobras coach Jack Ledbetter is not sure who he will send to the mound. The Cobras are 11-15, but a 7-5 district record was enough to give them the third seed, avoiding top-seeded Ridgewood until the championship game.

His best pitcher has been sophomore Tommy Snow, who has a 4-2 record and 1.43 ERA, but Snow pitched in both games against Tarpon this season. To give the Spongers someone they haven't seen, he might instead start senior Todd Rickle (2-6, 2.69) with the hope of saving Snow for a semifinal showdown with Land O'Lakes.

He also will have limited use of senior right-hander Bryan Strawser, who had been sidelined five weeks with a shoulder injury but made two short appearances this week. Strawser, who has a 2.04 ERA in 341/3 innings, was kept on a strict pitch count, pitching an inning against Central and getting five outs in a loss to Springstead before he was lifted after 30 pitches.

As for Land O'Lakes, coach Cal Baisley has perhaps the county's deepest staff, led by seniors Ryan Nalls (5-3, 1.80), Dan Hoppe (4-0, 3.12) and C.J. Soril (3-0, 1.38). With two wins in two days, the Gators seniors can make the regional playoffs for the first time since their freshman year, when another trio of Land O'Lakes pitchers - Derek Thompson, Corey Doyne and Kurt Shafer, all now playing in the minor leagues - took the Gators to the region semifinals.

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