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By PETE YOUNG
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 14, 2001
East Lake, Dunedin Post 275 and Gulfport Post 125 have emerged from a forfeit-laden season in the north division to qualify for the eight-team double-elimination Southwest Area American Legion B tournament at Bradenton Lakewood Ranch High.
East Lake (15-4-1), the north No. 1 seed, opens play at 10 a.m. today against the south No. 2 seed, Port Charlotte Post 110.
Dunedin (15-5), the north No. 2 seed, plays at 12:30 p.m. today against central No. 1 seed Bradenton Manatee Post 24.
Post 125 (13-7), which earned the final berth in a tiebreaker, also plays at 12:30 p.m. today against the host Mustangs Baseball Club (Lakewood Ranch).
Almost all of the teams in the north division played less than a full schedule primarily due to rainouts. Dunedin, for example, went 15-1 on the field (the lone loss to East Lake) but had four double-forfeits for unplayed games.
The other opening game is at 10 a.m. today between central No. 2 seed Seminole Baseball Club (Bradenton Southeast) and south No. 1 seed Punta Gorda.
The title game is at 1 p.m. Monday. If the loser's bracket champion wins, the finalists will play again at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
LASTINGS IMPRESSION: Northside Christian's Lastings Milledge was one of four county players, along with teammate Steven Doetsch, Osceola's Jimmy Kubek and East Lake's Jeff Germano, at the Team One National Showcase July 5-7 in Tempe, Ariz.
Milledge, one of just two rising juniors (the rest were seniors) among the 120 players, and Doetsch had some of the most impressive feats at the showcase.
In the 60-yard dash, Doetsch, an outfielder, had the fastest time, 6.46 seconds. Milledge was second at 6.55. On the first day, in spacious Tempe Diablo Stadium, all of the players took batting practice with wood bats. Only two hit home runs, Milledge and Prince Fielder of Melbourne Florida Air Academy, the son of former major leaguer Cecil Fielder.