QUOTABLE: "I've never played so many extra-innings games in my life." - SALVY URSO, Robinson coach on the amount of "free baseball" Knights fans have been treated to this season. Five of Robinson's 12 games went into extra frames and two of its four wins have come that way.
TAMPA CATHOLIC-JESUIT, PART II: Yes, Jesuit and Tampa Catholic play tonight and, yes, the game is an important district game, not to mention a major rivalry. When the teams faced off earlier this season, the game ended with a 5-2 Tigers win, highlighted by an outstanding pitching performance from Jesuit's Mike Branham. Branham tied a career high by striking out 14 and held the Crusaders down long enough for Jesuit to rally from a 2-0 deficit against TC ace Charles Cleveland. Don't look for a pitching performance like that tonight, at least from Branham. Or Cleveland. J.J. Crumbley will start for Jesuit, with Branham available in relief. The ideal situation for Jesuit is that he is able to start against Land O'Lakes on Wednesday. Cleveland pitched five innings of TC's 4-3 loss to Cardinal Mooney on Tuesday and likely will only be available in relief.
UN-LOCKE-ING HIS POTENTIAL: King pitcher Stephen Locke may have ended one impressive streak, but that doesn't mean he has cooled down. First Locke saw his streak of not allowing an earned run end at 53 innings when Leto scored twice in the first game of the Saladino Tournament. Then, after the tournament ended, Locke had a no-hitter vs. East Bay in a 10-0 win Tuesday. Against the Indians, Locke walked the first batter , then struck out eight to raise his season total to 43.
THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Jefferson's Josh Collazo hit two home runs this season but only has driven in three runs. ... Plant's team ERA is 0.90. ... Gaither coach Frank Permuy is two wins from his 500th career victory. That number includes wins he earned as a college coach. The Cowboys' next games are home against Chamberlain tonight and at Leto on Tuesday. ... Middleton's Josh Johnson has stolen 16 bases in 17 attempts this season.
HEY, PLANT! THIS IS YOUR WARNIN: Everything is fine and dandy at Plant since the Panthers secured the Saladino Tournament trophy. Now comes the hard part: making the season successful on the state level. Of the 23 previous Saladino Tournament winners, 13 didn't make it out of their district tournaments. That includes five teams that stayed home despite the 1993 rule change that sends the top two teams from each district to the postseason. Gaither, last year's tournament winner, became the latest number in that statistic after losing 9-0 in the district semis to Sarasota. Only one team has won the Saladino, then advanced to the state tournament, even though that wasn't enough to shake the curse. Brandon lost in the 1990 championship. The last time the Panthers won the Saladino Tournament was 2000. That was the year they lost in the region quarterfinals to Land O'Lakes after finishing runnerup in the district to Brandon.
BEST BETS (AND WHY)
TODAY: Jesuit at Tampa Catholic, 4 (Always a big crowd and good game.)
TUESDAY: Alonso at Sickles, 7 (A competitive game for Northwest Tampa fans.)
WEDNESDAY: Tampa Catholic at Tampa Prep, 6 (The small schools battle it out. Mr. Cleveland, meet Mr. Buchman.)
WEDNESDAY: Robinson at Plant, 7 (As heated a rivalry as there is in Hillsborough County.
THURSDAY: Chamberlain at Hillsborough, 7 (No matter what sport or where it's played, you know this will be a tough one.)
