Shorecrest Prep Begins Championship Quest on the Road

At the entrance to the home dugout at Shorecrest Prep's baseball field is a banner that features last season's squad adorned with the message, "2010 State Runner-up."

To equal or better that feat this year will be a bit more difficult for the Chargers.

Shorecrest Prep's squad will begin its postseason trek tonight; the team hopes that quest ends where last season did: in the Class 1A state championship game.

If the Chargers make that goal, it will be a tougher road than last year. First, Shorecrest Prep will have to be road warriors. Thanks to a 1-0 loss to Sarasota Out-of-Door, the only time Out-of-Door scored a run in three games this season against Shorecrest, the Chargers will being postseason play at Fort Myers Evangelical Christian tonight.

Shorecrest Prep coach Don Reed stopped short of calling the loss a wakeup call.

"Well, Out-of-Door is a good ballclub and their pitcher threw strikes against us, 75 mph tops," Reed said. "We didn't do a good job of staying back on him and I have to give him credit. He located the ball well.

"That game was very winnable for us. We were overconfident and their confidence kept building. We didn't stay within ourselves. We had a lot of pop-ups."

If the Chargers are able to win tonight, which will bring them three wins shy of a state championship game, they will have to overcome a lot of obstacles.

Jordan Lindsey has been sick. Reed wouldn't reveal Lindsey's illness but Reed did say that whether he starts or not will be a gametime decision.

Catcher Spencer Heath will not start behind the plate and likely won't through the postseason. He has a bone bruise in his foot that limits his ability to catch or play in the outfield. He will be Shorecrest's designated hitter. If Lindsey is able to pitch, ace pitcher Marc Brakeman will catch. If Brakeman is forced to pitch, Brian Linter will catch.

John Rothwell, an outfielder and pitcher, is out for the rest of the season with an injury.

To stay alive, Shorecrest will have to beat Evangelical Christian ace Jake Sherwin who is 9-2 with a 1.79 ERA who is equally dangerous at the plate hitting .480 with 43 hits.

"He's their best player," Reed said.