By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
Cox at it Again
Just days after hurling a no-hitter, Tampa Cambridge senior pitcher Garrett Cox has thrown another no-no, striking out 13 as the Lancers defeated Tampa Baptist 15-1 last Monday in a five-inning contest.
Cox threw 61 pitches, only yielding a baserunner because of a first-inning error. Cox later balked to allow that runner to score. Cox's previous outing was a no-hitter against Clearwater Calvary Christian.
Cox is 2-0 on the season with a 0.00 earned run average. In his 13 innings pitched this season, he has allowed just one hit and struck out 29 batters. He has been equally effective at the plate with a .484 batting average and five home runs. Cox also has six doubles, has scored 15 runs and has 18 runs batted in.
Cambridge is 5-5 overall and 4-1 in Class A, District 9.
Tennis Standout Gets Her Due
Tampa Alonso tennis player Megan Broderick earned the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 4A Tennis Player of the Year award in 2006 based on a stellar campaign that saw her dominate local players, win a state singles championship and earn a national ranking among junior players.
But she didn't receive her award until last week.
Broderick, a senior who will play the University of Kentucky in the fall, was presented with the FDF Player of the Year trophy in front of the entire student body at the school's spring sports pep rally.
Alonso tennis coach Helen Soash received the award three months ago but kept it in her office because she wanted to present it to Broderick at the rally. Broderick and her Raven teammates are expected to again be in the championship mix during the tennis postseason. The Ravens are off to a 6-0 start.
Bay Area Baseball Well Represented
The first state poll of the baseball season has been released and there is no shortage of area squads listed. In Class 5A, powerhouse Tampa Hillsborough checks in at No. 3 while Plant is listed just outside of the top ten at No. 11.
The Class 4A poll includes Dade City Pasco and Tampa Jesuit at 5 and 6, respectively. Berkeley Prep's hot start has been acknowledged with a no. 4 listing on the Class 3A poll and Tampa Prep is ranked ninth on the inaugural Class 2A poll of the season.
Three Times a Charm
Dunedin's Jake Rogers is on a roll.
Rogers, a junior shortstop and outfielder, recently had a string of three straight games with a home run. The last one came on March 13 as Rogers helped Dunedin defeat Palm Harbor University 6-1. The win was the fifth in a row for the 9-3 Falcons.
Rogers is batting .333 with nine RBI and a .800 slugging percentage on the season.
Track and Field Star Holds Her Own
Tampa Wharton's Teona Rodgers competed at the Nike Indoor Nationals championship March 10-11 in Landover, Md. Rodgers placed second in two events, taking home twin silver medals.
She ran a 8.40 time in the 60-meter hurdles, just .12 behind the winner. In the 200-meter dash, Rodgers blazed a 24.38 time, narrowly missing out on first place in that event also. The gold medal time was 24.26.
Rodgers, who led Wharton to the state championship meet last season, where she won the Class 3A 100-meter hurdles event. Rodgers is being recruited by Florida State, Georgia and South Carolina.
State Champ on Tour
Eric Grajales just wrapped up his sophomore wrestling season with a 46-0 record and his second-straight individual state championship. Now the 112-pounder from Brandon is off to tournaments and exhibitions around the country and the world.
Grajales wrestled at the Junior Greco/Roman International tournament in Bulgaria March 10-11. He faced American wrestlers there, as well as grapplers from Armenia and Turkey. He won two of his four matches at the event, which featured some of the best wrestlers in the world in the 17-20 years-old category.
Next up is a week at the Olympic training center in Colorado during spring break before the American Junior National tournament in Las Vegas.