The Wandering Disciple

Lakewood Ranch, Florida: Following the cancellation of the 16u class during this weekend's USSSA tournament, the Florida High Heat and Dioner Navarro Academy made the most of the weekend by hooking up for a pair of games on Saturday afternoon at Lakewood Ranch Park.  Despite both teams putting up a good effort, DNA swept the doubleheader. The first game was a tight affair with DNA grabbing a 4-2 win.  The second game saw a little more scoring with DNA winning 9-5.  The wins put DNA 2-3-1 on the Fall season. The doubleheader scrimmage was the first game action of the year of Florida High Heat. Click on the photo above to view the Florida High Heat/Dioner Navarro photo gallery .

Venice, Florida: The Lemon Bay Manta Rays JV squad traveled to Venice High School for a game against the Venice Indians. After a hard fought game by both sides, the Manta Rays fell to the Indians 3-2. Lemon Bay took an early lead by scoring a run in the first inning. But Venice bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the second. Venice added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lemon Bay scored again in the top of the fifth but that was all they could push across as Venice held on for the 3-2 win. Click on the photo above to view the Lemon Bay/Venice photo gallery .

Punta Gorda, Florida: The Lemon Bay Manta Rays couldn’t counter the high scoring offense of the Charlotte Tarpons as they fell 8-3 in a JV baseball contest Friday evening at Charlotte High School.  The Tarpons jumped out to a big lead scoring 5 runs in the first three frames. The Manta Rays scored a run in the second and another in the fourth before Charlotte posted three more to the scoreboard in the fifth. Lemon Bay collected a lone run in the sixth but when the dust settled it was Charlotte picking up the 8-3 win. Click on the photo above to view the Manta Rays/Tarpons photo gallery .

Englewood, Florida:  The Lemon Bay Manta Rays could not hold back the hard charging offense of the Out of Door Academy Thunders as they were shut-out 8-0 on Wednesday night at Lemon Bay High School. The Thunder dominated all night long, posting eight unanswered runs on the scoreboard to cruise to the win. Click on the photo above to view the Manta Rays/Thunderphoto gallery .

North Port, Florida:  Friday night lights, Minor League Baseball style, swept over the West Villages at the Atlanta Braves opened their spring training home for some Gulf Coast League baseball.  A large crowd, uncharacteristic for a GCL game, filed into the newly built stadium for an evening of baseball action. The home team Braves jumped out to big lead in the second inning.  They collected four runs in the frame by the way of six hits to take a lead.  Joel Reyes drove in a run, Wiston Cerrato collected two, and Madson Berne plated another to give the Braves a 4-0 lead. The Brave picked up two more runs in thee bottom of the seventh by the way of a two run homer by Michael Harris, his first professional home run to make it 6-0. Braves pitching kept the Rays off the board until the eighth inning when the Rays scored a run on an RBI single by Johan Lopez for their first run of the night.  They got two more in the ninth by pushing across two runs on an er...

Lakeland Florida, the southern home of the Detroit Tigers for 83 years. Known to many Tiger fans as TigerTown, Lakeland has seen many of Detroit's greatest players pass through town. And when its not the stars of today hitting the fields in the spring, the town is filled with the stars of tomorrow as the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Gulf Coast Tigers build the skills of future greats. At the center of the action is Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The stadium which was recently upgraded in 2017, has been the heart of the action since 1966. (Photo: June 29, 2019)

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Charlotte Stone Crabs opened the week with a three game set against the Clearwater Threshers. The Stone Crabs fueled by a strong pitching effort and a powerful offensive attack blanked the visiting little Phillies 7-0 on Tuesday night at Charlotte Sports Complex. The Stone Crabs broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning. Taylor Walls singled followed by walk issued to Rays rehabbing catcher Mike Zunino. A double by Thomas Milone scored Walls for the first run of the game. Then a two run single by Moises Gomez scored Zunino and Milone to give the Stone Crabs a 3-0 lead. The Stone Crabs added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Zunino and Ronaldo Hernandez singled followed by Jim Haley reaching after being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Carl Chester then drove home a run the hard way, getting struck by a pitch to score Zunino to increase the lead to 4-0.  Charlotte added a pair more in the sixth. Walls doubl...

Who says pitchers can't get air. Stone Crabs reliever Simon Rosenblum-Larson leaps for a ball during warm-ups between innings. (Photo: May 26, 2019)

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Charlotte Stone Crabs watched their late lead dissolve in the top of the ninth as they fell to the Palm Beach Cardinals 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. The Stone Crabs jumped out to an early lead by scoring in the first inning. Moises Gomez doubled to center, scoring Ronaldo Hernandez and giving the Stone Crabs a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals tied the game an inning on a solo home run by Luken Baker, his fourth of the season. Palm Beach grabbed he lead an inning later on a bases loaded free pass to Julio Rodriguez to score Justin Toerner and give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.  The Stone Crabs tied the game in the fifth. Thomas Milone delivered a soft single to left, scoring Jake Palomaki to tie the game. They then took the lead back in the seventh by pushing across a pair of runs in the frame. First came on an RBI single by Jim Haley and then a sac fly by Milone put the Stone Crabs out in front 4-2. But the Cardinals bounced bac...

Dunedin Blue Jays hitter Norberto Obeso loosens up before at at-bat during a Florida State League game against the St Lucie Mets. Dunedin is the Advanced-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and marks roughly the midway point on the path to the pros. (Photo: May 4, 2019)

Once the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies, Jack Russell Memorial Stadium has once again been resurrected for professional baseball, this time serving as temporary home of the Dunedin Blue Jays during the 2019 Florida State League season. Jack Russell served the Phillies from 1955-2003. Afterwards is has served as the home field for Clearwater High School and St Petersburg College. But it was called back into service for the Blue Jays while their stadium in Dunedin gets remodeled. (Photo: May 4, 2019)

Sky Academy Storm’s shortstop ranges into shallow left field to catch a fly ball during the season finale. The Storm completed their inaugural season with Wednesday’s game against Inspiration Academy. (Photo: May 1, 2019)

Two middle school baseball teams meet at home plate to congratulate each other on a hard fought game. No matter how hard a game is played, there is something special about the sportsmanship between these student athletes. (Photo: April 23, 2019)

A hitter for the Sky Academy Storm delivers a base hit during a middle school baseball contest against Imagine School North Port. This was the second meeting between these two programs and just like the first one, this was tightly contested game which was a lot of fun to watch. (Photo: April 23, 2010)

A trio of Storm infielders keep a close eye on their friendly rival from Venice. Sky Academy has a campus in Venice and Englewood and it only makes sense that those campuses would engage in some friendly rivalries like the one that took place on Thursday night between both school's baseball teams. This was the second time they met and the series is split 1-1 on the year. (Photo: April 11, 2019)

Charlotte Stone Crabs Carl Chester slides safely into third. Chester went from first to third on a pick-off attempt that sailed into the outfield, providing some excitement during a tie ball game. While he would be stranded just 90 feet from home, the Stone Crabs still managed to win the game in extra innings. (Photo: April 7, 2019)

The Sky Academy baseball team rallied late in the final inning and strung together three straight triples in the five run frame but it wasn’t enough as the Storm suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Inspiration Academy. (Photo: April 1, 2019)

The Sky Academy Englewood baseball team has been firing on all cylinders, dominating the competition as they won yet another game in middle school baseball action.   The Storm defeated their partner school Sky Academy Venice 13-4.    The Storm are undefeated in their inaugural season.   (Photo: March 26, 2019)

Rays minor league outfielder Beau Brundage makes the catch of a fly ball during a minor league spring training game.   These spring training games are good opportunity for players to work on fundamentals and impress the coaching staffs before camp breaks in a couple weeks.   (Photo: March 15, 2019)

In a historic moment, Sky Academy Englewood played their franchise first baseball game as the Sky Academy Storm hosted the St Stephens Eagles in the opening game of the middle school baseball season. The Storm went into the record books with a win, earning the first win in the history of the program in their first game.   (Photo: March 14, 2019)