The regional playoffs for prep baseball begin this Friday, with four teams from the Sun Preps region advancing: Venice, Charlotte, Port Charlotte, and Lemon Bay. Venice, the top team in Florida, is expected to easily overcome No. 8 Sumner. Charlotte faces No. 8 Gulf Coast after a strong regular season. Port Charlotte, seeded sixth, faces a tough No. 3 Osceola, while Lemon Bay tackles No. 1 Jesuit as a significant underdog.

By the Numbers
  • Venice has an overall ranking of No. 1 in Florida and is the top seed in 7A-Region 2.
  • Osceola’s pitcher Leo Alvarado has a 0.73 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 47 ⅔ innings.
Yes, But

While Venice is the overwhelming favorite, potential upsets loom for Charlotte and Port Charlotte against lower-seeded teams. Furthermore, Lemon Bay faces a daunting task against such a high-ranked opponent.

State of Play
  • The playoffs start with a quarterfinal round format, where all matches are single elimination except for the final two rounds, which are best-of-three.
  • Venice remains a frontrunner, having defeated Sarasota by 12-0 in the district championship.
What's Next

If Venice progresses, they will likely meet higher-ranked teams like Sarasota or Windermere. The same goes for Charlotte, who could face formidable opponents in later rounds.

Bottom Line

Preparation and focus are crucial as these teams enter the playoffs, with Venice standing out as the clear favorite, while Charlotte, Port Charlotte, and Lemon Bay must overcome significant challenges to advance further.