Pitching critical today for Bobcats

After Buchholz defeated Neptune Beach Fletcher, 6-1, in the Region 1-6A baseball quarterfinals last week, Bobcat coach David Banes was relieved that he wouldn’t have to face the Senators again this season.

“I don’t like playing the same people over and over again, because this game is all about averages,” said Banes, whose team defeated Fletcher in three of four meetings this season. “I don’t like averages when you keep having to play people.”

Banes and the Bobcats (22-6) will be playing the averages again today when they host 26-3 Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley in the regional finals. This year is the first that the finals will be played in a best-of-three series. The first two games are at 4 and 7 p.m. today and the final, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Lake Brantley stormed through the regular season, winning 21 straight games before losing two straight to claim runner-up in Region 6-3A. The Patriots avenged one of those losses with an 11-10 victory over University High in the regional semifinals.

“I’m not saying the first game is a must-have, but that’s where you get your confidence from. It’s just like being up early in a game,” Banes said. “What it’s going to come down to is who can send the most people to the mound and do the best job of pitching.”

Banes plans on putting his ace, left-hander Morgan McKinney (9-1), on the mound for the first game. Lake Brantley coach Mike Smith said he will not choose a starter until 25 minutes before first pitch, but says he has seven pitchers available and may pitch three in each game.

Two arms he won’t have are ace Ryan Markell (arm) and 6-foot-8 inch UF signee Greg Larson (back), who are both injured.

Banes’ group has done a solid job of pitching all year. At times, they’ve been almost too good.

Before the season, Banes had to break away from the ordinary inter-squad scrimmages that the team was used to and schedule a series of games against the Buchholz junior varsity team right before the season started.

“My guys didn’t think they could hit,” he said. “They’ve been going up against these pitchers the whole time during training and they lost all confidence that they could hit the ball.”

That confidence has built throughout the year, with momentum to carry the Bobcats into the state playoffs. Catcher Brett Bozeman has been stellar behind and at the plate, hitting a home run and throwing out his eighth base runner of the year against Fletcher.

Lake Brantley’s Smith compares his infielder, DJ Hicks, to Bozeman. The 6-foot-5 inch 210-pound senior is batting .515 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs.

Banes will also lean on senior Jardian Thomas. Thomas, a College of Charleston signee, is 9-1 as a pitcher this season and is the No. 2 hitter in the batting order.

“We’ve got to get our minds focused (to face Lake Brantley),” Thomas said. “We have to keep practicing, knowing what we’ve got ahead of us.”