Coaches’ poll: Season up for grabs
Local Hall of Famers will be on hand this week when Orlando-area high school baseball teams take part in tuneup games ahead of the 2024 regular season.
The sixth annual Don Trawick Preseason Classic has a new home at Lyman High School, where alumnus Kenne Brown is in his first season as Greyhounds head coach.
Trawick, a former umpire and football referee, is a 2011 inductee in the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame for his lifelong contributions to sports officiating.
“He’s an icon in Central Florida,” said Brown, who coached Sanford Seminole’s state championship team of 2019.
Trawick will call Monday’s first pitch from behind the plate when the Greyhounds play Winter Park at 7 p.m.
Lyman Hall of Fame baseball coach Bob McCullough, who coached Brown in the early 1980s, is expected to throw out the first pitch.
“Those guys are such legends and have helped grow the game so much,” Winter Park coach Sid Cash said. “The officials don’t always get the credit they deserve. It’s such a thankless job, but we couldn’t have this game without them.”
The remaining schedule includes Winter Park versus Winter Springs on Tuesday, Horizon versus Groveland South Lake on Wednesday, Winter Springs versus South Lake on Thursday and Lyman versus Horizon on Friday.
All games start at 7 p.m. Winter Park returns two starters to a team that went 22-7 and reached the Class 7A region finals. Senior pitcher Jacob Sams is a UCF commit.
Winter Springs is coming off of a trip to the 6A state semifinals. Lyman returns three starters to a team that finished 4-18.
Horizon, in its third year as a program, will lean on pitchers Casey Simmerly and Luke Helms and seven returning starters while looking to improve on a 9-18 season.
Freedom, with new coach Josh Marquez, is hosting preseason doubleheaders with Colonial, Gateway and Tohopekaliga.
The Patriots open against Toho on Tuesday at 4 p.m., followed by Colonial versus Gateway at 6 p.m. Thursday’s games are Freedom versus Gateway at 4 p.m. and Colonial versus Toho at 6 p.m.
Colonial is looking to bounce back from a 4-13 season that saw four freshmen in the starting lineup. Junior catcher Justin Rosa, sophomore pitcher Jometh Morales and pitcher/first baseman Sean Elliott are players to watch.
The First Academy hosts Foundation Academy on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a preseason matchup of father-son head coaches.
Dakoda Grove went 14-13 in his first season as a head coach last year at Clermont East Ridge. He takes over a Foundation program that reached the 2A region finals.
Scott Grove has amassed 544 wins in nearly three decades as a head coach, which includes a 208-55 record at TFA. The Royals return nine starters and their entire pitching staff from a team that went 25-3.
Starting fresh
Oak Ridge got assistance from Orange County Public Schools and neighboring baseball teams this offseason while preparing to relaunch its program for the first time since 2021.
“OCPS has done a great job in helping bring the program back by reconditioning our field, and the school administration has worked hard to help us purchase new uniforms and gear needed to make this happen,” Pioneers coach Shawn Irons said in an email.
Irons also acknowledged area schools that played a “critical part” in getting things started. Olympia donated bats and balls. Boone donated practice gear.
“That place has always been special to me,” said Olympia coach Mike McDaniel, a former Oak Ridge coach. “We’re all in this together. I want them to be good and compete, and I want baseball to be great in Central Florida because I think it’s the best area in the state for it.”
Oak Ridge is expected to field 20 players this spring, including several freshmen in the starting lineup.
The Pioneers play a preseason game Thursday at Circle Christian at 4:30 p.m. They open the regular season at home Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. against Orlando Christian Prep.
Coaches’ poll
An informal poll of Orlando-area prep baseball coaches showed no consensus when projecting the top 2024 teams.
Windermere High, Hagerty and Olympia each garnered eight mentions in email replies to the Orlando Sentinel. Lake Mary received seven votes, followed by Timber Creek with six.
The First Academy and Lake Brantley both came away with five votes. Oviedo got four, while Bishop Moore, Winter Park and Winter Springs had two.
Nine other programs from Orange, Seminole, Osceola. Lake and southwest Volusia counties were mentioned once.
Lake Brantley opens the regular season as host of the Big Blue Bonanza tournament from Feb. 19-23. The Patriots will be joined at the annual event by Apopka, East River, Lake Howell, Lyman, Mount Dora Christian, Oviedo and Windermere.