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The Buzz

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published February 28, 2007

We were there in case you couldn't make it

The mighty River Ridge softball team ventured into Land O'Lakes. The Wesley Chapel girls tennis team tries to show who's the boss against Central. The Pasco softball team sees if it can stay perfect against Hernando in key district action. And more, including a baseball/softball roundup, in today's Sports section.

Tonight's best bets

BASEBALL

Pasco at Ridgewood: Pirates ace Aaron Brandt, coming off a 14-strikeout performance, takes to the hill in a battle of the unbeatens.

SOFTBALL

Zephyrhills at Gulf: The Bucs have won four straight since dropping their first games of the season (both times blowing leads).

TRACK

Quad Meet at Gulf: Back in the day, the River Ridge-Ridgewood-Gulf rivalry was all the rage.

Rubik's District

Gulf softball coach Rick Hohenthaner thinks that if a team misses the playoffs with 20 wins this year, it's probably coming from his district - Class 4A-8.

With five quality teams - Gulf, Hernando, Pasco, Springstead and Zephyrhills (and you could make a case for Nature Coast) - the race for two postseason spots should be thrilling.

Consider: Gulf beat Springstead last week 1-0, and Hernando beat the Eagles 10-0. But Springstead beat Zephyrhills. Then Zephyrhills beat Hernando, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to win 9-8. The same Hernando that opened the season by knocking off five-time defending state champion Bartow.

And we haven't even mentioned Pasco, which hasn't lost to anyone.

The district favorite? The winner of Tuesday's Pasco-Hernando makeup game, which you can read all about in the Times sports section.

Quotable

"I think most people got a No. 1, and maybe they are getting that consistency with the rest of their pitchers. It being so early, it's kind of hard to figure."

- Pasco baseball coach Ricky Giles, on the early-season rash of 10-run, mercy-rule finishes.

Got Buzz? Shoot John C. Cotey an e-mail at johncotey@gmail.com or call (727) 869-6261.

[Last modified February 28, 2007, 00:42:46]