After generating a 15-1 record early in the season, the Columbus (Miami) baseball team became arguably the nation’s top high school program. Since then, the Explorers (17-4) have been on a recent decline, losing three of their last six games, including a 3-0 loss to Florida Christian (20-2) on April 8 and a 4-3 loss to Archbishop McCarthy (16-4) the following day.
Florida Christian (Miami) beat the Explorers behind the pitching of Bryan Radziewski, who gave up only four hits, while striking out seven batters. Lazaro Rodriguez aided the win by hitting a home run in the first inning, and went 2 for 4 on the night. It’s not so much that Columbus isn’t a power anymore, but more so that the teams within the region are getting stronger. Both Florida Christian and Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale) are two of the top five teams in south Florida and will play each other Thursday in what could be one of the best games of the season.
The Explorers, who in 14 seasons have won six district championships, made eight regional final appearances and won a state championship in 2003, will need to rally back and regain the swagger they developed earlier in the year if they want a chance at another state championship. Their most recent contest, a 12-1 win over Coral Reef on Monday, gives the impression that they are headed in that direction.
Pitchers Andy Suarez and Andres Perez Lobo will be key components in Columbus’s upcoming success. Suarez, a junior and projected first-round pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, led the Explorers to a 13-3 win over Westminster Christian on April 1 after pitching a complete game and giving up only five hits, while striking out 10.
Despite Columbus’ recent woes, a familiar face around high school baseball’s national circuit is slowly regaining its reputation. In 2008, American Heritage (Plantation) was the top high school baseball team in America. That year, the Patriots cruised to a 31-2 record, while capturing the Class 3A state title and a mythical national championship. This season, catcher Brandon Sedell has led the Patriots (17-3) to arguably the region’s best record, while making his claim as one of the top players in the nation.
Sedell, a junior, leads Heritage with a .661 batting average (41 hits out of 62 at-bats) with six home runs, 10 doubles, 30 RBI and 23 runs scored. Sedell’s batting average is the best in Broward County. Right-handed pitcher Alex Seibold, a sophomore, has complemented Sedell’s offensive efforts after pitching 32 innings with 31 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.88 and a record of 5-0.
Dade County’s Gulliver Prep (Miami) (19-3) and Broward County’s Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) (14-2) can give local juggernauts such as American Heritage, Archbishop McCarthy and Florida Christian a challenge for the top spot in the region.
Sophomore standout continues streak
Pitcher Ashley Rey, a University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) sophomore, leads Broward County with 197 strikeouts this season. In a recent 13-2 win over Chaminade-Madonna, Rey struck out 15 batters and helped her team to an 11-6 record.
Jackson soars to new heights
Carol City (Miami, Fla.)’s Antron Jackson solidified himself as one of nation’s top high jumpers a couple of weeks ago after jumping 7 feet in the Miramar Invitational (the highest jump in high school outdoor competition at that time). Recently, Jackson set a new record for himself jumping a career-best 7 feet, 1 inch to win at the GMAC championships on Saturday. In setting that mark, Johnson is an inch away from the state record, which stands at 7-2.
Recruiting tracker: Brandon Knight
High school basketball fans around the nation will no longer have to wait to find out where the nation’s top uncommitted player will play his college ball. Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) senior guard Brandon Knight, arguably the nation’s top prospect, will announce his college plans on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Knight, a two-time National Gatorade Player of the Year and Florida’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer (3,515), will sign a letter-of-intent at the Pine Crest auditorium and end a long recruiting battle between some of college basketball’s top teams, including Syracuse, Kansas, Kentucky and Florida. The standout senior averaged 31.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists while leading the Panthers to their third straight Class 3A state championship game.
