Hagerty finding new ways to win
Hagerty, last year’s Class 8A state runner-up, has taken a new approach to winning games this season.
The Huskies returned six starters from its run to the 2016 final but have a new head coach who has relied heavily on a young pitching staff and a team effort in the field.
Hagerty, No. 3 in the Sentinel Super Six rankings, had seven games decided by two or fewer runs last month. They won five of those outings.
They’ve also recorded wins over a pair of Super Six teams, Olympia and Orange City University.
“There’s no worry of expectations or what we have to do here because this is a totally different team than last year,” Hagerty coach Matt Cleveland said.
In his 15th season as a high school coach, Cleveland spent the past two years at Master’s Academy after moving to the area from Broward County.
Britt Crawford is batting .400 (20-for-50) with 21 RBI for the Huskies. Brian Ellis, a former UCF commit who reopened his recruitment, is at .380.
A rotation led by freshman lefthander Josh Allen, senior Bailey Wendel and sophomore Angelo Garcia owns a staff 2.76 earned run average.
Sophomore Riley Greene, a UF commit, has a win and two saves in a relief role. He’s also hitting .364 with 15 runs scored.
“These guys are a closeknit group that take pride in what they do. That’s been the secret to our success so far,” Cleveland said. “They expect to win, and that’s a big thing in baseball.”
Hagerty is 1-1 in 8A, District 9, a game behind Winter Springs (2-0) going into a home game vs. the Bears tonight. The teams play at Winter Springs on Friday.
Four of the top teams in the area face off this week in intriguing Class 9A, District 3 games.
No. 1 West Orange is at No. 2 Lake Brantley on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and home against the Patriots on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a matchup of teams each with just one district loss.
Olympia, also with one district defeat, hosts Apopka (1-3 in 9A-3) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. before traveling to face the Blue Darters Friday at 7:30.
Olympia and Lake Brantley split a pair of onerun games last week.
Two of the three teams tied atop 9A-2 with 4-2 records, No. 5 O.C. University and DeLand, also meet in a two-game series .
Senior southpaw Logan Allen is set to start for the Titans against host DeLand at Conrad Stadium tonight at 7. Allen is 4-0 with 56 strikeouts and zero runs allowed in 26 innings.
Seminole is also 4-2 going into a 9A-2 series vs. rival Lake Mary (3-3) this week. 1. West Orange (14-3) 2. Lake Brantley (12-2) 3. Hagerty (10-5) 4. (6) Olympia (12-4) 5. (4) Orange City University (10-5) 6. (NR) The First Academy (12-2)
Apopka, Ocoee, Deltona Trinity, New Smyrna Beach, Trinity Prep, Winter Park.