It�s a �three-peat� for Archbishop McCarthy baseball

By Lynn Ramsey - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Johnny Leone knew that if Archbishop McCarthy High advanced to the state baseball final, he’d get the ball.

Leone delivered, allowing one earned run in six innings, and the Mavericks scored four runs at the top of the seventh June 3 to beat Tampa Jesuit 5-1 and win the Class 6A state championship at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

McCarthy (29-2) clinched its third consecutive state championship and seventh in school history. The Mavericks also entered the game ranked No. 2 in the USA Today and MaxPreps.com national polls.

Mavericks coach Rich Bielski � who was named Coach of the Year in baseball by Broward’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper � said his team handled the pressure of winning the state title well.

“They handled it as professionals, really,” he said. “This team has had a target on its back since the very first championship. Many of these seniors played varsity as sophomores. Ever since then, they’ve had a huge target on their back. There’s no greater way to finish their senior year than to go out as state champions in a dogpile in Fort Myers. It’s been an honor of mine and the coaching staff to coach them.”

Bielski said he told Leone several weeks before Saturday’s final that he would get the start in a state final � just as he did last year. Only, last year he pitched 1 1/3 innings.

Leone (3-0) stood up to Tampa Jesuit starter Jeff Hakanson, a University of Central Florida signee, with each allowing only one earned run in six innings. Leone was struggling with the heat in the later innings, but he fought through the sixth.

“That was the situation we wanted,” Bielski said. “We wanted him to go deep as possible. He was a warrior; he put us in a great position to win.”

“He gave us everything he had,” added Bielski. “He finished (the sixth inning) strong. His body couldn’t take any more. He was hot, he was dehydrated.”

Then the Mavericks benefited from Jesuit pitchers’ wildness, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh with only one hit. Price Sartor (4-2) walked A.J. Hendricks and Michael Machin on four-pitch walks. Joey Thompson sacrificed Hendricks to third and Machin to second. Alejandro Macario loaded the bases with an infield single. Sartor then walked Luis Tuero to score Hendricks and put the Mavericks ahead 2-1.

Drew Martin replaced Sartor but hit Drew Fernandez with a pitch to score Machin for a 3-1 lead. Martin walked Alex Toral to score Macario for a 4-1 lead. Kyle Koncal replaced Martin and allowed a sacrifice fly to Adan Fernandez for a 5-1 lead.

 

Comeback team

“We’ve been a comeback team all year,” Bielski said. “This team has a lot of offensive power. We can score anytime. Jesuit did a great job. Their starting pitcher held us to two hits until that point. Drew Fernandez got on base with us down to our final five outs. This team has a never-say-die attitude. If there’s one out left, we will battle.”

Mark Diaz relieved Mavericks starter Johnny Leone and set down Jesuit in order in the seventh to clinch the state title. Sartor allowed four earned runs in one-third of an inning for the loss.

Bielski said he had planned on using Diaz one inning after he pitched 1 2/3 innings in a state semifinal victory over Lynn Haven Mosley. “Diaz was able to fill the (strike) zone,” Bielski said. “That’s what we needed.”

To reach the final, the Mavericks had to get through Lynn Haven Mosley, which had been ranked No. 3 in many national polls. But Daniel Federman allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, Adan Fernandez went 1 for 2 with two RBIs and the Mavericks beat the Dolphins 5-3 June 1. That game was a rematch of the 2016 final, a 10-4 McCarthy victory.

“To face such a highly ranked team this late in the season is rare,” Bielski said. “What a game that was. Mosley battled us as tough as anyone has battled us all season. Federman was the perfect man for the job.”

 

Pressure-packed season

McCarthy entered the season with 16 seniors who were going for their third state title. As a result, they played all season with pressure.

“In the record books, they go down as one of the greatest Maverick teams ever because of the expectations placed on them,” Bielski said.

But the seniors brought a lot of talent to the team. The Mavericks had three Division I signees to the University of Miami in Alex Toral, Joe Perez and Federman; two Florida International University signees in Adan Fernandez and Drew Fernandez; Dartmouth Signee Ubaldo Lopez, and St. Joseph’s signee Jose Martinez.

Perez was named the Sun-Sentinel’s 6A Spring Player of the Year while Federman, Toral and Adan Fernandez were named First Team All-County.

Bielski said that he was impressed with the leadership his senior class brought to the team.

“They treated them like little brothers,” Bielski said. “I’m so proud of how our seniors passed on that tradition to younger guys. That’s been the secret of our success. Each year, the seniors take the youngest guys in the program and show them how it’s done and what a champion looks like.”

The coaches also look at each year as if the team had never won a title. That fuels a drive to win it each year.

The Mavericks had solid offense up and down the lineup, with 14 players hitting .300 or better. Perez hit .525 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Luis Tuero hit .481 with two home runs and 19 RBIs; Adan Fernandez hit .392 with four home runs and 24 RBIs.

McCarthy also had strong pitching, with all their pitchers having earned-run averages below 2. Federman, Leone and Jose Martinez (6-0) got most of the starts.

 

'Brutal schedule' 

Champions are formed in the crucible of a season. The Mavericks built a challenging schedule, going to the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., where McCarthy went 3-1 in the tournament.

They beat 3A champion Fort Myers Canterbury 12-5, beat Alabama state finalist Cullman 4-0 and lost to West Covina, Calif., South Hills 3-1. They also played several teams that made the playoffs.

“Coach Alex Fernandez went out of his way to put together the most brutal high-school schedule I’ve ever coached,” Bielski said. “It truly prepared us for the moment of winning a state championship. From Game 1 to Game 31, our schedule was stacked. We played great team after great team and faced ace after ace. That preparation paid off.”

The Mavericks also had to play without a couple of key pitchers from the 2016 title team. Perez missed several games with arm injuries. Yordani Carmona missed the entire season with a broken ankle. Bielski said that it was a testament to his players that they were able to win the title without them.

Ultimately, he said, the key for his team’s reaching the final was remaining focused in the moment. “You can’t win a state championship in February, March, April or, this year, even May,” Bielski said. “We have to stay focused on the present. You have to enjoy the journey. You can’t rely on the final game of the season.”