Jacksonville Fl-The Atlantic Coast Stingrays came ready to play — and they left with a trophy. On a cool Friday night, Atlantic Coast took down First Coast in a big way, winning 11-1 in the Gateway Conference Baseball Championship game, hoisting the championship trophy for the second consecutive season.
Now sitting at 15-8 on the season, the Stingrays showed just how strong they are. They got to the championship by beating Ribault 14-3. Baldwin 12-2 and Mandarin 6-3 earlier in the week. First Coast, who now holds a 13-8 record, didn’t have too much of a hard-fought path as well. They crushed Terry Parker 10-0, downed Paxon 6-1, and upset #2 seeded Sandalwood 2-1 in an intense 9-inning battle to make it to the final.
But in the title game, it was all about Atlantic Coast.
From the first pitch, the Stingrays were locked in. Noah Prudencio led the charge with 3 hits and a stolen base. He’s been a star all season with 1 home run, 23 RBIs, and 31 total hits. Wade Surber also had a big night, picking up 2 hits and 2 RBIs. On the mound, he’s struck out 40 batters this season. Dalton Tibbetts added 2 RBIs, stole 2 bases, and helped shut things down with 7 strikeouts. He’s no stranger to strong performances, with 1 homer, 22 RBIs, 30 hits, and 56 strikeouts this season.
The team’s offense was hot all night. Seven different Stingrays had hits, and the team drew six walks, keeping the pressure on First Coast from start to finish. Anthony Selejan chipped in with 2 more hits, helping round out a solid team effort.
First Coast had a few bright spots, including two hits from Kharee Phillips and an RBI by Rob Chatman. They’ve had a successful season, defeating Paxon 6-1, Baldwin, 12-2, and Mandarin 2-0 in earlier contests. But the team couldn’t match the Stingrays’ firepower this time.
With signature wins this season like 3-0 over Sandalwood, 2-1 over Englewood, and 4-2 over Creekside, the Stingrays have shown they can beat tough teams. Head coach Chris Laufman has this squad peaking at just the right time.
This was Atlantic Coast’s fourth Gateway Championship in school history. Up next, Atlantic Coast faces University Christian on April 8 and Covenant School of Jacksonville on April 10 before the district tournament begins. If they keep playing like this, they’ll be a team to watch for sure.
