By Matt Wiley
Bust out the peanuts and Cracker Jack, as high school baseball now is in full swing at both Wesley Chapel High (WCH) and Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH).
Coming off of a 19-7 season last year, head coach Jeff Swymerâs Wiregrass Ranch Bulls are off to a solid start, second in Class 7A-District 9 (to Steinbrenner High in Tampa) as of our press time.
âWeâre 7-1 right now, so you could say the season is going pretty good,â Swymer says. âAs long as we continue to hit like we are right now, weâll be in good shape. We have 7 of our 9 starters hitting .400 or above.â
Swymer says that the Bulls are hoping to have a 20-win season, but have a tough road ahead of them, facing a strong district of mostly Hillsborough teams, including Steinbrenner (8-0 at our press time) and Gaither (3-5).
âWe donât really get a night off this season,â Swymer says.
The Bullsâ success on the diamond early in the season is thanks in part to the Drury brothers, Zach and Austin. Zach opened the 2013 season by pitching a no-hitter against Sunlake High, striking out 16 in the Bullsâ 4-0 victory. Zach, a right-handed junior, is off to an All-Star start, with a 3-1 record, 43 strikeouts and a microscopic 0.33 ERA in 21 innings.
Swymer says that another key to the Bulls strong start is junior infielder/pitcher Michael Campoamor, who is batting .565 and already has nine runs and 10 RBIs (runs batted in), compared to his sophomore seasonâs 27 runs and 17 RBIs.
Sophomore catcher Alex Goebel also has been a big contributor so far, with a .360 batting average, 9 hits, 6 runs and 7 RBIs.
âCats Off To Winning Start
At nearby WCH, head coach Chuck Yinglingâs District 5A-8 WCH Wildcats are looking to improve on last yearâs 14-11 record. Already 8-2, Yingling is optimistic about this yearâs team.
âWeâre doing really well,â he explains. âWeâve had two tough losses (to Tampa Catholic and Ridgewood), but weâre performing well. Weâre improving every day.â
Standouts for WCHâso far this season include senior pitcher Chase Ingram, who already has 36 strikeouts under his belt, as well as two wins and a sparkling 1.67 ERA in 21 innings so far.
At the plate, third-baseman Kyle Custer, also a senior, leads the Wildcats in hitting with a .611 batting average, 11 hits, 7 runs scored and 7 RBIs.
Yingling says he also has his eye on senior center fielder Justin Ortiz.
âHis batting is starting to wake up,â Yingling says. âHeâs just a good, all-around athlete.â To go along with his .308, Ortiz has 8 hits, has scored 8 runs and has 4 RBIs. He also leads the Wildcats in stolen bases this season with six.
âWeâve got a well-rounded team,â Yingling says. âWeâre much better than last year. Weâre actually capable of substitutions this season, too, because we have more depth and we can rest our players. Thatâs important.â
WCHâand WRH wonât square off until Tuesday, April 16, but it promises to be a tight game. Last yearâs matchup went to the Bulls 1-0, but Yingling hopes this season will go a little differently.
âTheyâre a good club with a lot of talent,â says the WCHâcoach of his teamâs âcross-Wesley Chapelâârivals. âItâs a nice rivalry. Hopefully this year, we will be more productive.â
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