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By null, Times Staff WriterA quintet of teams has a legitimate chance to advance out of the 4A-8 tournament.
NEW PORT RICHEY - Just because River Ridge is coming off its first state final berth and is ranked second in the Class 4A state poll, don't believe it is a given to advance to the region playoffs.
Playoff berths are reserved for the winner and runner-up from the 4A, District 8 tournament that begins today at Ridgewood. Excluding winless Gulf and sixth-seeded Hudson, it appears to be a five-team race.
Three-time district champion River Ridge, Mitchell, Ridgewood, Land O'Lakes and Tarpon Springs took turns beating one another this season. That leaves no team with an unbeaten district mark.
River Ridge earned the top seed at 10-2.
"It's pretty wide open," said Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger, whose team is ranked 10th in the 4A poll.
"The first five teams in our district are about even. Anyone, one through five, can come out and win this."
Ridgewood (19-5) is seeded third behind Mitchell (14-9). It and Tarpon Springs beat River Ridge (22-3).
River Ridge coach Ernie Beck said he knows that with his team's success last season, everyone will be geared up for the Royal Knights, whose record is even more impressive because it came after losing six seniors from last year's team.
"At the beginning of the year, they weren't there," Beck said. "They slowly came together.
"These kids know what it takes," Beck said of his top returners that include pitcher Kiki Von Holt, catcher Mandy Udovich, shortstop Stefanie Simon and outfielder Stephanie Seaman. "They got the taste of (a state appearance). They want to get back."
None of the top five can be overlooked, even Land O'Lakes, which went 6-6 in the district. Bollinger noted the Gators could have something extra to play for, what with the pending retirement of coach Jerry English after 26 seasons.
"You know his girls are going to give their all," Bollinger said.
English, however, said he believes four teams might be fighting it out for one spot.
"Justly so," English said of River Ridge's top seed. "They've come down the pike and have played everybody consistently. Game in and game out, River Ridge is the most consistent."
As for the other four playoff contenders, English said, "We're up and down. We've been bunched together."
Mitchell coach Scott Bisbe agreed with English's assessment. The Mustangs earned the district's No.2 seed but lost three of four at the Ram Classic.
"Hopefully, we can come back and get it together," Bisbe said.
The county's best pitchers - Von Holt (13-3, 0.61 ERA, 115 strikeouts) and Ridgewood's Breanne Hill (16-4, 0.63 ERA, 177 strikeouts) - are in this tournament.
The tournament also includes standout hitters such as Michelle Hausman, Samantha Cronk and April Slate (Land O'Lakes); Cassie Markham, Jamie Case and Alicia Neelen (Mitchell) and Shauna Kortas, Krysti DiMartino and Tera McCleary (Ridgewood).