Before the extended spring break, several baseball teams in Northeast Florida were amongst the best in the State of Florida. Many players and teams started the year hot with signature wins and moments, while other teams propelled themselves off of last year’s successes. We would’v’e been deep into the baseball season by now so it’s fun to speculate who would’ve been the best baseball team in Northeast Florida? Before COVID-19 paused the season there were several candidates. Providence, Mandarin, Sandalwood, Atlantic Coast and others. Check out some of the best teams from the area below and tell us who the best team is in the comments section of the story and on social media.
St. Johns Country Day (7-1) was ranked #15 in the state, as Tom Lucas had his team rolling roughshod over opponents. Connor Moore led the team batting .550 with 11 hits on the season. He also led the team with 9 RBIs. On the mound Brad Hodges was 2-0 in starts for the Spartans.
Episcopal (7-1) was ranked #21 in the state before the break in action. Brogan Napier and Clayton Hodges both had success at bat for the Eagles. Episcopal went all the way to the Class 4A regional finals where they fell to Trinity Christian last year.
Creekside (8-2) was ranked # 22 in the state. After their Class 7A State semifinal loss last year, the Knights were ready to charge the mound again. They were off to a hot start, defeating Fleming Island, Bishop Kenny, and nationally ranked Port Orange. Connor Hults, Colby Frieda , and Austin Russomaroff were having fine starts this season.
Oakleaf (6-2) was ranked #43 in the state before the break. Dannon Smith batting .500 with 14 hits and 9 runs led the Knights. Simon Khon led the team with 3 RBIs. Chris Lannom and company went 15-9 last year, losing in the second round of the playoffs last year.
Fleming Island (5-3) lost two close ones to Oakleaf and Creekside to start the season but they can certainly testify to the notion that it’s not how you start but how you finish. They defeated Oakleaf in the district playoffs last year, losing to Chiles in the Class 8A Regional Quarterfinals. In 2020, Aiden Mastantuno looked strong at bat and on the mound.
Trinity Christian (4-5) didn’t get off to the kind of start that they’re accustomed to but they had plenty of time to make up ground in 2020. They covered a lot of ground in 2019 when they lost to American Heritage in the Class 4A State Semifinal. Still it was a great season by skipper Gill Morales. Anthony Bucci was a rising star while Noah Couch and Justin Simmons both contributed mightily to early wins this year.
Bolles (4-4) made it to the Class 5A Regional Semifinals where they fell to Suwannee in 2019. In 2020 they returned with new blood to try to go even further. Jackson Mayo led the team batting .300 ,while Tanner Zellem brought in 6 runs early in the season. Even with a slow start to the season, Mike Boswell’s team should never be counted out.
Top 25 Poll by Maxpreps.com
| 1 | Glynn Academy (Brunswick) | W-L 12-2 | W% 18.9 | STR 8.3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) | 7-1 | 16.9 | 5.9 |
| 3 | Episcopal School of Jacksonville (Jacksonville) | 7-1 | 15.8 | 5.3 |
| 4 | Creekside (St. Johns) | 8-2 | 15.6 | 6.7 |
| 5 | Oakleaf (Orange Park) | 6-2 | 13.4 | 6.5 |
| 6 | Keystone Heights | 6-2 | 12.5 | 4.5 |
| 7 | Fort White | 6-1 | 12.3 | 0.9 |
| 8 | Mandarin (Jacksonville) | 6-2 | 12.2 | 6.2 |
| 9 | Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) | 7-3 | 12.0 | 6.3 |
| 10 | Ridgeview (Orange Park) | 5-3 | 11.8 | 8.2 |
| 11 | Fletcher (Neptune Beach) | 5-2 | 11.6 | 6.2 |
| 12 | Bartram Trail (St. Johns) | 6-3 | 11.3 | 6.6 |
| 13 | Clay (Green Cove Springs) | 8-3 | 11.1 | 4.3 |
| 14 | Fleming Island (Orange Park) | 5-3 | 10.6 | 8.0 |
| 15 | Providence School (Jacksonville) | 7-5 | 10.6 | 9.2 |
| 16 | Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) | 4-5 | 10.5 | 13.6 |
| 17 | Charlton County (Folkston) | 12-3 | 9.8 | 0.2 |
| 18 | Sandalwood (Jacksonville) | 6-2 | 9.4 | 1.5 |
| 19 | Palatka | 8-1 | 9.3 | -4.7 |
| 20 | Bolles (Jacksonville) | 4-4 | 9.1 | 9.5 |
| 21 | Camden County (Kingsland) | 6-5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| 22 | Bacon County (Alma) | 6-4 | 8.7 | 6.0 |
| 23 | Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) | 5-4 | 8.6 | 7.9 |
| 24 | Union County (Lake Butler) | 5-2 | 8.2 | 2.3 |
| 25 | University Christian (Jacksonville) | 5-2 | 8.2 | 2.4 |
Honorable Mention:
Parker (Jacksonville) | 7-2 | 7.8 | -0.8 |
|---|
Who is the best baseball team in Northeast Florida so far?
