Tonight at 7 p.m., it’s a battle of the border as Gilchrist County hosts Levy County in an FHSAA Baseball Rural-Region 4 Final.
Trenton is hosting Williston in Game 1 of a best-of-three series for the right to go to the final four, which is on Wednesday, May 13, at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
Game 2 is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, with an “if necessary” Game 3 to follow 30 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2.
“I like the three-game series,” said Trenton coach Chris Marlo. “It really shows who has the better pitching staff at the end of the day. This is a game of momentum. Whoever captures the momentum early needs to figure out a way to turn it or keep the momentum in this game. You’re either applying pressure or getting pressure put on you.”
The Tigers (20-5) are 3-0 this year against the Red Devils, outscoring them 33-4, including a 12-3 win on April 17 in the Rural-District 7 championship game.
Marlo has been taking extra precautions to ensure they don’t overlook Williston by working on the fundamentals at practice.
“We kind of started from the beginning and went over a lot of the basic things and reviewed the things we were doing at the beginning of the year, such as first and third defenses and a lot of technique on ground balls, pop flies,” he said. “We worked a lot on throwing strikes and not giving any free bases to the runners. A lot of these kids were playing two years ago when we beat Newberry for the first time to go to the final four, so they all know anything can happen. Anyone who has been around the game of baseball knows the best team doesn’t always win, it’s the team that plays the best.”
Top seed Trenton, which swept No. 4 seed Dixie County (Cross City) in the regional semifinals, 12-2 and 15-0, is seeking its third straight trip to the final four.
“In order to make it back to Fort Myers, we have to have competitive at-bats with the hitters one through nine,” Marlo said. “We have to execute situational hitting, and we have to take advantage of walks when they present themselves. On defense, we don’t have to do anything spectacular, just make routine plays.”
Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Williston (18-11) made the long trip to No. 2 seed Marathon and won two of three games to advance (9-6, 1-2, 9-4).
“The first key to our success was the incredible support from our school, booster club, and community,” said Williston coach Denver Ripley. “Their generosity and commitment helped make this trip possible, and as a program, we are extremely blessed to have such a strong support system behind us.”
Ripley said from a baseball standpoint, “It came down to trusting the work we’ve put in to get here.”
“We had an outstanding week of preparation,” he said. “The boys stayed loose, played with confidence, and most importantly, had fun. Our pitchers were in the zone, filling it up and making Marathon earn it. From top to bottom, our lineup competed all weekend long, and the energy in the dugout was exactly what we needed. It was truly a complete team effort.”
Not only was it a team effort, but Ripley also singled out his assistants.
“Coach Matt Williams did an outstanding job calling three great games for our pitchers,” he said. “Coach Luis Vera and Coach DJ Bowers were exceptional with defensive positioning and constantly communicating valuable information they picked up from opposing pitchers. Coach Ozzie Delgado was also a tremendous help throughout our preparation leading up to the trip.”
Ripley said his program has adopted a “Foxhole” mentality.
“No matter how good or bad things may be going, as long as we still have an out to work with, we’re going to stay in the hole and keep fighting,” he said. “That mentality showed itself this weekend when we were down to our final two outs of the season and responded with six runs. A lot of credit also goes to Coach Joey and the Marathon baseball program. They have built a very strong team and are going to be a tough opponent for a long time.”
Last year, Williston (13-11) lost to Chiefland, 7-3, in the Rural-District 7 semifinals and did not receive an at-large bid. Now, they are two wins away from a spot in the final four.
“It means everything to our program,” Ripley said. “Being one of the last eight teams standing is something our players, coaches, and community have worked extremely hard for, and it’s definitely not by accident.”
He understands that if you want to be the best, “you have to be willing to compete against the best.”
“Trenton has been the standard in our region for the past several years, and there’s a lot of respect for the program Coach Marlo has built over there,” Ripley said. There’s always something special about a Trenton vs. Williston matchup. It’s a rivalry that carries a lot of meaning, intensity, and pride on both sides. The opportunity to compete with a trip to the final four on the line makes it even more exciting for our players, coaches, and community.”
This is the first time since 2021 that Williston has been in this position and Ripley said his “players are ready to embrace the moment.”
“It comes down to trusting ourselves and continuing to believe in the work we’ve put in all season,” he said. “We have a talented ball club filled with young men who genuinely care about one another and take great pride in representing their families, school, and community the right way.”
He said the biggest key in a game like this is “understanding that both teams are going to come out and land punches early.”
“After that, it becomes a test of toughness, composure, and resilience,” he said. “It’s about which team can continue to respond, compete, and keep fighting when adversity hits. We’re extremely excited for the opportunity ahead.”
You can listen to tonight’s game online at MainstreetDailyNews.com beginning with the pregame at 6:45 p.m., with Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) calling the action. Ridaught will be joined by Ryan Brown (Color) on Saturday.
Tonight at 7 p.m., Union County (Lake Butler), the top seed in Rural-Region 3, is hosting No. 3 seed Lafayette (Mayo), which defeated Trenton in last year’s state semifinals.
Union County (20-7) defeated the Hornets (16-10), 9-2, in Lake Butler on March 17 and 5-2 on April 16 in the Rural-District 6 championship game.
Due to weather, No. 2 seed Buchholz is now playing a doubleheader today at top seed Pace (4 p.m. and 7 p.m. CST) in the Class 6A-Region 1 Final.
Last year, the Bobcats defeated Pace, 5-4, in extra innings in Game 3 to advance to their second straight final four.
A deep pitching staff that includes several players who have signed collegiately should give the Bobcats (22-7) a chance on the road against the nationally-ranked Patriots (26-4), who are 12 spots ahead of nationally-ranked No. 41 Buchholz in the MaxPreps Top 50.
“We’re not just deep in terms of starters,” explained first-year coach Chris Malphurs. “We have really good arms out of the bullpen that can come in a game and have an impact. Being scheduled for a doubleheader on Day 1 doesn’t change our plan or approach. Our guys will be ready to do what is needed to get the job done.”
Buchholz, which swept Oakleaf (Orange Park) in the regional semifinals, has won 11 games in a row.
“I do feel like we’re peaking at the right time, but this weekend is the real test,” Malphurs said. “On the road against the No. 1-ranked team in 6A is going to be a challenge, but I have tremendous confidence in our team. This team has set a goal to win Buchholz’s first baseball state championship, but we first have to handle business this weekend to earn that opportunity.”
Unlike last year, Buchholz, which is ranked third in the state in 6A, will have to win two games on the road to advance.
“I think the key for us is to continue to play the way we’ve been playing,” Malphurs said. “We’ve been playing clean baseball with tremendous pitching and defense. Pace is a group who will exploit mistakes. If we can limit mistakes, we have a great shot to come back to Gainesville as regional champions.”
The only other area team remaining is Suwannee (Live Oak).
The No. 3 seed Bulldogs (19-12), who won two of three at No. 2 seed Fernandina Beach, are at No. 1 seed South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach) (26-4) for a doubleheader today beginning at 4 p.m. in a Class 3A-Region 1 Final.