Schoolhouse Prep overcomes obstacles to reach state, but falls in semifinals
Schoolhouse Prep’s baseball team is trying to make a name for itself.
The Wolfpack took a big step toward that goal this season by advancing to the state final four for the first time in the program’s history.
Their debut in Fort Myers on Thursday morning wasn’t a long one, however.
Schoolhouse Prep ran into a formidable obstacle in Orange Park St. Johns Country Day and its ace Brayden Harris, a Florida State commit with a consistent 94-mph fastball.
Harris helped Country Day hand the Wolfpack a 5-0 shutout loss in a Class 1A state semifinal at Hammond Stadium.
But for Schoolhouse Prep, a school that opened in 2009, has an enrollment of 130 students, and fields four varsity teams - baseball, softball and boys’ and girls’ basketball, overcoming logistical challenges just to make it to state was an accomplishment.
“Our team doesn’t have its own field to practice on. We have a small infield and a batting cage so we go to a nearby park and just pitch to each other,” Schoolhouse Prep coach Carlos Rodriguez said. “The players needed to learn and experience this.”
The Wolfpack (17-14), who took down two of Miami-Dade County’s traditional Class 1A title contenders in Miami Christian and Brito in the regional playoffs, appeared to be a bit shocked by the big stage of the state tournament in the first couple of innings.
Harris threw 3 2/3 innings, struck out five and gave up only two hits as he kept Schoolhouse hitters off balance. Gavin Coffey relieved Harris in the fourth and pitched a nearly identical line, striking out five, allowing two hits over 3 1/3 innings.
“The other team was a good team and had really good pitching,” Rodriguez said. “Their fundamentals were good and they executed perfectly.”
Schoolhouse junior starter Angel Delgado didn’t get off to as good a start, allowing four runs, although only two earned, over the first two innings.
Delgado settled in from the third inning on and pitched five frames overall, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out four.
“That pitcher (Harris) threw 94-95 mph and those hitters were used to seeing that,” Delgado said. “Their hitters, 1 through 5, hit .300 or better so this was a difficult lineup.”
Delgado and his teammates took solace in the fact they began to build something for a program which needed to travel to nearby parks to hold full practices.
“This is more difficult because we train in a small facility and only can train with grounders and hitting in the cages,” Delgado said. “This was difficult but we still were able to do a good job.”
The Wolfpack graduate seven seniors this season, but return a strong core of sophomores and juniors they are hoping to build around for a potential return to state next season.
“It’s our first time here, which was a great accomplishment, but I think (Delgado) settled down in the third or fourth inning,” Schoolhouse Prep assistant coach Omar Enriquez said. “We had a couple of errors and they were a well-coached team.
“We shouldn’t be here without having a field of our own, but we made it and a lot of other teams didn’t.”
