TXNL baseball makes its mark
The second-year TNXL baseball academy of Altamonte Springs is making noise on a national level after going 6-0 to dominate the 25-team Perfect Game High School ShowdownAcademies tournament in Georgia last weekend.
Perfect Game on Tuesday moved the Ducks (24-2), who have 10 Division I commits, up to No. 27 in its national high school top 50 rankings. That makes it the eighth Florida team in that poll and the highest rated team in the
coverage area. “This is a big deal for us. It’s like a public school winning a state championship,” TNXL coach and owner
said of the title. “It’s something we prepare for once the players step on campus in August.”
TNXL is a developmental baseball academy playing outside the Florida High School Athletic Association. It’s Twitter feed says it is “revolutionizing the high school experience for serious baseball players.”
Martinez said some of its players go to area public and private schools and check out early to train from 12-5 p.m. daily at the indoor facility that is headquarters for the esteemed Orlando Scorpions travel program, which Martinez also operates. Six players are doing virtual school, which frees their afternoons. Winter Park’s
a junior outfielder committed to LSU, was named most valuable player at the Showdown.
a University of Florida signee from Maitland, was named most valuable pitcher after striking out 10 in TNXL’s 5-0 semifinal win over San Juan del Puerto’s CBC Elite of Puerto Rico.
UCF signee allowed just one hit in five innings in the championship game against Alabama’s Next Level Academy and struck out 18 in 10 innings pitched.
The event included five teams from the state of Florida. Orlando’s Conrad Academy finished 3-1 and narrowly missed out on advancing past pool play. Kissimmee’s Central Pointe Christian Academy went 1-3.
TNXL is slated to play a 45-game schedule this spring against high school and lower-level college programs.
The Ducks are in the championship game of the Winter Haven Blue Devil Classic tournament tonight at 6.
West Orange and Colonial took different paths to get to today’s Central Florida Spring Break Slam championship game.
The Warriors (10-3), ranked No. 3 in the Sentinel Super Six rankings, were powered by their bats while putting up 33 runs in three games. They’ll face a Colonial (7-4) pitching staff that’s allowed just two runs in tournament play.
West Orange hosts the Grenadiers, winners of five consecutive games, at 1 p.m. The third-place matchup between Dr. Phillips and Wellington takes place at 10 a.m.
West Orange advanced past the Panthers 13-8 while Colonial won its fifth in a row by knocking off Wellington 1-0 in semifinal games Wednesday. Home runs by
and helped West Orange squeak out a 3-2 win earlier in the week over Wellington after winning 17-11 against Key West.
The Grenadiers, who started the season 2-4, opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Dr. Phillips then defeated defending Spring Break Slam champion Apopka 3-2.
Apopka entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in the Super Six. The Blue Darters dropped their second game of the week 3-2 to Orlando University on Wednesday.
Port Orange Atlantic senior was the MVP for the North in its 104-98 victory over the South in last weekend’s Florida Athletic Coaches Association boys basketball all-star game at Orange Park High School.
The North girls also won a scorefest, 90-89.
The Florida Association of Basketball Coaches will hold its player and coach of the year banquet and allstar doubleheader at Villages Charter School on Saturday.
of Seminole and Wildwood’s
are among the seniors chosen to participate in the 5:30 p.m. girls game. and of 9A state champ Kissimmee Osceola were selected for the 7 p.m. boys game to follow, as were of Oviedo, of Hagerty and The First Academy’s trio of and
Former Evans, Ocoee and Boone boys basketball coach led Brentwood (26-9) to the eight-team Tennessee Class AAA tournament in his second season at the school. The Bruins lost 53-45 to Oak Ridge (31-3) in a quarterfinal game at Middle Tennessee State University.
Oak Ridge lost a night later 63-60 to eventual state champ Memphis East (35-3), which is coached by former Magic all-star
Area track and field girls who lead the state in an event are Winter Springs senior in the pole vault, Oviedo shot putter and Lake Brantley’s 4x800-meter relay foursome.
The Dr. Phillips boys water polo team ventured to Chicago and went 2-2 in tournament play last weekend. The Panthers lost 8-7 to Stevenson, the top-ranked team Illinois, and 7-6 in overtime against Lyons Township. DP, now 18-5, plays at Seminole Thursday at 10 a.m.
Timber Creek is No. 2 and West Orange No. 3 in the Miracle Sports 9A state softball rankings. Eustis is fifth in 5A and Cornerstone Charter No. 2 in 3A.
Apopka’s girls flag football team is ranked No. 4 in Class 2A by FloridaHSfootball.com. The Blue Darters, who won two preseason games, open officially next Thursday at DeLand and then go to Tallahassee for the Capital City Classic. Harmony, which reached the 1A state final last year, is No. 3 in that classification.