Hillsborough and Wharton win track titles

TAMPA - Hillsborough's boys and Wharton's girls defended track titles at the Vernon Korhn Championships, Hillsborough County's public schools track meet.

Click below for full results.

Vernon Korhn Championships (results)

Ks not so special

It has been pointed out to me by one of our favorite Pasco County baseball observers that since I mentioned the fact that Pasco High's Jake Schrader had struck out just one time all year, he has been, well, ummm, striking out.
"I knew soon as I read that, this couldn't be good,'' the observer said.
In that same space, I wrote that Pasco's other hitter extraordinaire, Lucy Schneider, hadn't struck out all season.
She struck out Friday. I was there. I saw it.
I'm not a believer in jinxes. Except in baseball and softball. They exist. And they are strong.
Since writing about Schrader's remarkable efficiency -- it was one K in 27 trips, and 6 in his last 153 going back to last season -- the Pasco shortstop has 8 strikeouts in 7 games.
That includes 6 in his 13 trips to the plate.
Keep in mind, Schrader is still hitting .556 with seven homers. He's a machine. But these strikeouts have to go, therefore I must use my anti-jinx powers to free him. It's really the only super power sports writers have:

Jacob Schrader is a strikeout machine.
Can't hit.
Whiff City.
Just like Lucy Schneider.
They will strike out many times in the coming weeks.
Hundreds, even.
Heal!

-- JOHN C. COTEY
You can thank me at johncotey@gmail.com

Jesuit ranked No. 2 by Baseball America

Jesuit moved up to No. 2 in the latest Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association Top 25 poll released today.

The Tigers (16-0) moved up 12 spots from No. 14 behind Bellaire (Texas) High. Jesuit did not appear on the preseason poll, though editors from Baseball America said the Tigers were one of the teams considered.

Jesuit debuted in the poll after a huge 3-1 win against Class 5A, District 10 rival Plant. The teams tangle against Friday at Wade Boggs Stadium on the Panthers' campus.

The Times will provide a live blog of the game Friday night with John C. Cotey bringing you each pitch as it happens.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

What's next for Sheffield?

Former Hillsborough star Gary Sheffield was cut by the Detroit Tigers today, one home run shy of becoming the 25th player to hit 500.

Sheffield, 40, told MLB.com he was surprised when Tigers coach Jim Leyland told him of the decision.

"I never even really thought about it, to be honest with you," Sheffield said. "This is the last thing I thought would happen at this particular time."

Sheffield, 40, was a nine-time all-star since his Major League career began in 1998. He had 2,615 hits, 1,633 RBIs and played for seven teams.

Sheffield still lives in Tampa and has the most Major League home runs among local alumni.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Chapin out at Bloomingdale

Josh Chapin has some good news and bad news.

The former Bloomingdale coach took a position as an assistant principal of student affairs at Brandon, his alma matter. The move means Chapin can no longer coach high school sports.

His last day at Bloomingdale was last week.

Chapin, who graduated from Brandon in 1993 and played basketball at the University of Tampa, began coaching Bloomingdale in 2002 and led the Bulls to a pair of region quarterfinal berths in seven seasons.

"Obviously, we're disappointed to lose him," Bloomingdale athletic director Danielle Shotwell said. "We knew it was possible because we knew this was goal of his."

Bloomingdale will begin the replacement process immediately, and Shotwell said she hopes to have a new coach by May. The timing, as it turns out, happens to fall in line with information concerning next school year's teaching allocations. Shotwell said she would prefer to hire a coach to be on staff.

"That's our goal because it helps to be in contact," Shotwell said. "I anticipate it will be an attractive position."

Bloomingdale finished 19-8 last season and was knocked out of the Class 5A, District 8 tournament in a 60-52 loss to King.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

UPDATE: Deering receives two offers

Leto running back Jeremy Deering continues to bag scholarship offers.

Today, he received an offer from UCF. On Monday, Deering received a written offer from Kentucky. Falcons assistant Frank Rose said he also expects Deering to receive offers from Oklahoma State and West Virginia in the next four-to-six days.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Deering sent out about 60 highlight tapes and has offers from Purdue, Syracuse, Oregon State and USF. He rushed for 1,077 yards and four touchdowns in 2008 also playing quarterback for 3-7 Leto.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Wharton to host soccer camp

Wharton will host a series of soccer camps beginning in June.

Led by Wildcats soccer coach Scott Ware, the camps are designed to provide small group instruction with an emphasis on teaching technical skills, strategy and repetition. 

The camps, for kids entering grades 3-12, are run by coaches as well as current and former Wharton soccer players. Ability ranges from beginner to advanced. Players of all skill levels are welcome. Each camp will be held at Wharton, and participants will receive a T-shirt.

Sessions run run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Camps will be held in June, July and August.
For more information, call Ware at 813.340.5285 or send him an e-mail at WhartonSoccer@verizon.net.

Dunedin plays well in TOC

By winning the Class 5A state baseball title last season, the Dunedin Falcons were invited to play in the Tournament of Champions in Jacksonville this past weekend.

The tournament invites the state champions in each classification to participate in a six-team tournament. 

Dunedin, despite losing eight starters from last year's team, held its own, beating 2A state champion Jacksonville Providence 6-2 and two-time defending Class A champ Jacksonville Eagles View 3-2.

The Falcons' only loss came against 6A power Lakeland, 14-2. Dunedin trailed 3-2 in the seventh before allowing 11 runs. The Dreadnaughts did not win a state title last year but represented 6A after the champion in that classification, Lake Brantley, was unable to attend. 

-- BOB PUTNAM, Times Staff Writer

CCC's Vaughan approaching 400 wins

Clearwater Central Catholic coach Todd Vaughan is on the verge of a career milestone.

With a victory in the Dunedin Spring Invitational on Wednesday, Vaughan will hit the 400-win plateau.

An interesting subplot is Wednesday's game could be against host Dunedin, provided the Falcons can beat St. Petersburg Catholic on Tuesday. If both teams play against each other, it will be rematch of last year's final, which the Marauders won.

-- BOB PUTNAM, Times Staff Writer

Stepping up, and stepping down in the Starting Lineup

Weird, weird week. Mitchell lost to a team that had a nine-game losing streak. Alonso lost to a team that was 3-9. Armwood lost to  team that was 3-8. Seems the only teams taking this Starting Lineup poll seriously are Jesuit, Plant and Osceola.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Jesuit. No. 1 in the Easton Sports/National Collegiate Newspaper Poll. 'Nuff said.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Come on down, Nick Pardo, you're the next contestant on the Player of the Week! (Get it...Don Pardo is the guy who announces for the Price is Right? He's Nick Pardo....uhh, okay then). Anyway, Pardo helped get his Land O'Lakes Gators back in the Starting Lineup by going 4-for-7 with a double, two homers and five RBI is two wins last week.
GAME OF THE YEAR?: Jesuit at Plant Friday night is as good as it gets. If Mychal Givens starts on the mound for the Panthers (Jesuit beat him 3-1 last time), you could have the No. 1 prospect around against the nation's No. 1 team, according to at least one poll. That's what we in the business call hot.

STARTING LINEUP
1. JESUIT (16-0): The Tigers are just being ridiculous right now. They have outscored the opposition 180-45, and have put up 11 runs or better in seven straight games. Nick Lockwood (pictured) has three RBI in each of the last games and has 21 on the year, which is second on the team.
2. PLANT (12-2): The Panthers pick a fine time to reel off a win streak, with previous Nos. 2-4 Alonso, Brandon and Mitchell all losing. In fact, the Panthers have now won seven straight since losing to Jesuit, which brings us to...this week's game against Jesuit. The lineup's first 1 versus 2 showdown of the season. Woo hoo! The Panthers got a shutout from Jake Lowe last week, showing that they may have enough pitching to give the Tigers a run for the district title.
3. OSCEOLA (14-1): Skip suggested I run a picture of Rodney Dangerfield with the Warriors. Coach Kevin Mullins e-mailed in this week asking if his boys convinced Ace they were for real. Well, we're convinced. The Warriors beat East Lake 3-1 for a big North County triumph behind Taylor Layner. We'll deal with the fact they needed 9 runs in the 7th inning to beat Berkeley prep Monday night next week.
4. MITCHELL (12-3): The Mustangs had a nice little run (beating Gaither, Sickles and handing Alonso its first loss) and then inexplicably dropped a game to St. Petersburg Friday. What tha? But Alonso and Brandon lost games, so the big rise in the poll we envisioned for Mitchell is offset and they stay put.
5. ARMWOOD (11-3): The Hawks lost to King, hard to fathom considering the Lions' 3-8 record at the time. But they did bounce back to shutout previous No. 3 Brandon 4-0 as Robert Benincasa won for the sixth time and lowered his ERA to 0.72.
6. ALONSO (11-2): The Ravens blew a lead to lose in the 7th inning to Alonso. Then pulled one out in the seventh to beat Countryside, Then fell just short with a 7th inning rally and lost to Plant City, which was 3-9.
7. BRANDON (10-3): Beat Newsome, beaten by Armwood. No shame in that. Expect the Eagles to be up and down this season due to all the injuries of key players, but come district time Brandon will still be the team to beat.
8. DUNEDIN (10-4): The Falcons did a nice job up in Jacksonville at the Tournament of Champions. The defending Class 5A champs host their annual spring tournament this week, hoping it catapults them to a strong finish in a competitive district.
9. LAND O'LAKES (10-4): The Gators had a recent rough patch, but have come through it to win their last three and outscore the opposition 33-7. A big showdown Friday with Mitchell will establish Pasco County superiority.

JOHN C. COTEY
-- Hit me up at johncotey@gmail.com