Questions abound as Miami-Dade County softball season unfolds

As the 2019 softball season in Miami-Dade County approaches the halfway point, there are plenty of questions that still need answering.

▪ First and foremost, can Westminster Christian become only the second team in Dade history to win three consecutive state titles?

The Warriors don’t have a single senior on their roster and are off to a 9-2 start, but pitching is a concern for head coach Scott Doan. Westminster Christian graduated its senior stars on the mound from last year, Victoria Perez and Brooklyn McGuire, who led them to state titles the last two seasons.

That showed last week when they absorbed a 17-8 beating at the hands of four-time reigning 5A state champion Coral Springs Charter.

“We’re solid in the field and have plenty of bats but as anybody knows who follows this sport, it’s all about pitching,” said Doan. “Right now we have two girls out there who are splitting time (junior Hannah Kemmerer and freshman Bella Ariles) and pretty much have similar numbers. Hopefully one of the two will emerge as our ace going forward.”

Sophomore shortstop Hailey Donovan leads the team with 18 RBI. Junior third baseman Lindsay Arana and sophomore outfielder Megan Diaz also provide an offensive punch.

“We don’t take anything for granted,” said Doan whose team will be looking for its sixth consecutive trip to the state final four and fourth state title in the last six years. “It’ll be a big challenge for us again this year as Chaminade is also awfully good and will be a big hurdle for us.”

▪ Who will come out of Region 4 in Class 9A: Palmetto or Coral Reef?

The battle between these district rivals has been a scrum for the last seven years. Need proof? Palmetto and Reef are the only two public schools from Dade County to advance to the state final four in Vero Beach since 2012.

Like a couple of prize fighters slugging it out, they’ve gotten used to meeting several times each season. Twice in the regular season, usually in the GMAC final, again in the district final and ultimately a fifth time in regionals.

“We’ve certainly gotten to know each other well over the years,” quipped Coral Reef coach Dario Rodriguez. “We beat them a few weeks ago in the first meeting (Reef won 15-5 on Feb. 28) and it’s become quite a rivalry. The great thing about it is I believe it brings out the best in both programs. It’s just two bad only one of us can make it out of Dade County.”

The Barracudas are 10-3 and led offensively by Janessa Casanas (.550, 14 RBI), Ana Hernandez (.441 avg.) and freshman Jordan Ives, currently hitting .520 with 11 RBI.

Palmetto is 10-4 and brings plenty of offense to the plate. Even though, by her standards, it’s been a quiet year so far for Eckerd commit Lauren Margolis (.355, 12 RBIs, no home runs), two others have easily picked up the slack. Madison Ferreira (.429, 15 RBIs) is having a big year but that pales in comparison to Katie Burge.

Burge, who recently committed to UCF, has been tearing the cover off the ball. She’s hitting .625 with three home runs and 20 RBIs and is easily the best hitter in the county right now.

“This actually may be the youngest team I’ve had because I have four freshmen in the lineup,” said Palmetto head coach Emilio Exposito. “It’s all about getting better as the season goes on and for sure it will likely come down to us and Coral Reef again.”

▪ Can Gulliver Prep. finally get over the Coral Springs Charter regional final hump?

Long time Gulliver coach Mark Schusterman enjoyed a great run, winning four consecutive state titles from 2010-13. But then came Coral Springs Charter.

Even though the Raiders have had some very good teams since, it has been four consecutive regional final losses to Charter, which has gone on to win the state title each of those four years.

“We were right there with them last year,” said Schusterman who is retiring at the end of the season after close to three decades coaching the program. “It was 2-2 in the fifth inning so hopefully we can find a way to get over that hump.”

But it will be a challenge for the Raiders. As good a storyline as it would be for Schusterman to close out his career with a seventh state title, Charter is loaded up again and will be tough to beat.

▪ Can Doral Academy finally break through and earn its first trip to the state final four?

The Firebirds have been banging on the state final four door for a few years now only to get turned away, losing in the regional final three of the last five years.

Like Gulliver, Doral has a Broward nemesis as an annual road block in the form of Pembroke Pines Charter.

With new coach Willie Viruet taking over, Doral is 9-2 and is hoping the likes of Jenelle Figueroa (.432 avg.), Kassandra Machado (.395, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs) and Gabriella Ruiz (.359, 13 RBIs) will put them over the top.

Those are questions that will eventually get answered over the next seven or eight weeks. But the one thing that cannot be up for debate is that as far as a state landscape in concerned, things have been a struggle for Miami-Dade public teams over the years.

Since the state went to its fast-pitch format in 1989, only six have won state titles and only one, Coral Reef in 2013, has come in the last 10 years.

If Westminster Christian can get another title, the Warriors would match Gulliver’s six as the most in Miami-Dade County.