Transition from baseball not so bad

Change is stressful for anyone, but for Joey Fernandez, it is probably tougher than on most.

By SCOTT PURKS
Published March 3, 2007

TAMPA - Change is stressful for anyone, but for Joey Fernandez, it is probably tougher than on most.

"I avoid change," Fernandez said. "I'm not a change kind of guy."

So when Fernandez left Armwood's baseball team last year after nine seasons as coach, he was swamped with doubts as he headed to his new assignment: softball coach at Wharton.

"I played baseball my whole life (including at the University of Florida and a brief stint in the minors)," Fernandez said. "Then I went straight into coaching baseball. Baseball is in my blood."

So was Armwood, a place he said he loved.

Mostly, he was sick of the drive from Armwood to his home in New Tampa, "at least 45 minutes one way and sometimes more depending on the traffic," he said.

He wasn't moving from his house, so when the option came open at Wharton, he took it.

As it turns out, he couldn't be much happier.

"We had 14 girls come out for the team, and they have all been great," Fernandez said. "It's so much fun to teach them the fundamentals and then to see them learn and get better. I've liked it more than I ever imagined."

After Wednesday's 6-3 loss to Bloomingdale, Wharton was 3-4 but, Fernandez said, "we're improving every time out."

ROUGHEST START - EVER: Mike Clamon has coached at Bloomingdale 14 seasons and never in that time has his team been 4-4, which it was before Wednesday night's game with Wharton.

"I'm a bit frustrated," Clamon said. "We're making too many mistakes."

Clamon said he hadn't counted up the errors, but "it's definitely already more than we made all of last year."

The trouble has been a group of underclassmen playing positions they've never played. Still, Clamon said, "I know these girls can do it. We'll just have to keep working at it, and I feel confident we'll get better."

Clamon said his starting pitchers, senior Kristen Kelly and sophomore Kaylyn Camacho, are throwing just fine, but when the ball is put in play, "it can sometimes turn into an adventure."

The next week is crucial, Clamon said, because Bloomingdale is playing Brandon and King, two teams he feels the Bulls should beat.

"This week could affect our confidence a great deal one way or the other," he said. "So we'll see."

HITTING, HITTING, HITTING: Batting averages are through the roof with more than 25 girls in the county hitting better than .400. On Chamberlain alone, seven are hitting more than .400 and four better than .500. One, leadoff hitter and second baseman Marissa Menendez, is 13-for-17 for a .765 average.

"To put it in perspective," Chamberlain coach Bob Diez said, "in my 16 years I've had three girls hit better than .500 for the season. This year alone, I could have up to four or five."

Diez has a simple theory: Pitching is weaker.

"It's not the fact the mound is moved back (from 40 to 43 feet two years ago)," Diez said. "That might have a little to do with it. I think, for whatever reason, it has more to do with the fact there aren't as many good pitchers out there this year.

"I guess it goes it in cycles. But I've never seen a cycle like this."

[Last modified March 2, 2007, 22:59:46]