After winning its first region baseball championship in school history, Durant is just two wins away from being crowned state champions.
Chaz Fowler and Tyler Danish combined forces on the mound in the Class 8A Region 2 final May 10, as Durant beat Timber Creek (Orlando) 6-1.
The win sends the Cougars to the state final four, which will begin with a state semifinal matchup with American High School (Hialeah) Friday, in Fort Myers. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.
The platooning of Durant’s top two pitchers is a system that Durant head coach Butch Valdes tried for the first time in the region championship game against Timber Creek. Danish, Durant’s ace who hasn’t allowed an earned run all season, closed out the final three innings after Fowler (1.43 ERA) started the game.
With a week off between the region final and state semifinal, Valdes could have thrown Danish for the complete game, but the half-and-half system is something the veteran coach plans on using this weekend.
If Durant uses a similar plan and the Cougars beat American, both pitchers should have enough juice to throw in the state championship game, giving the team a nice one-two punch with the hard-throwing Danish and a bulldog lefty in Fowler.
“This way, we don’t have to use Danish for a whole game. We can have Chaz there, and he is a solid left-handed pitcher who, if he gets down in the zone, is very effective,” Valdes said. “If we can do that and split up the innings but still utilize both guys, we’ll be tough to contend with.”
Danish, who started the region final at first base, took over for Fowler in the fifth with the game tied 1-1. After a 1-2-3 inning for Danish, Durant took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, including RBIs from Luke Heyer, Paxton Sims and Tyler Long. Heyer drove in the first run of the game for the Cougars in the third to tie the game at one on an RBI single.
Danish, a University of Florida commit, also delivered at the plate, belting a home run in his final plate appearance at home. He had six strikeouts and allowed just two hits in his three innings pitched.
If Durant can get similar run production out of its offense and Fowler can continue to deliver low-scoring outings, the Cougars will be a dangerous team in the final four with the pitching and timely hitting from their star player.
“When we get that one run ahead, and TD is on the hill, it’s pretty much a done deal,” Valdes said. “He’s not going to allow you to beat him. The rest of the team gets behind him and gets even stronger. We know teams don’t want to see him, but we want to show them TD, and he does what he always does — shuts the door.”
Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver.com.
CLASS 8A STATE SEMIFINAL
WHEN: May 17
WHERE: Jet Blue Park; 11500 Fenway South Drive, Fort Myers
GAMES: Durant (24-5) vs. American (21-8) at 10 a.m.; Lake Brantley (25-5) vs. Jupiter (24-4) at 1 p.m.
FINAL: 7:35 p.m. May 18
COVERAGE: Follow @PlantCitySports on Twitter for LIVE scoring updates, #dhsbaseball. Also, LIKE us on Facebook (Plant City Observer) for updates and links to additional coverage. PlantCityObserver.com will have complete coverage of Durant’s run in the state tournament, including photos, game recaps and interviews with players and coaches.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. Success of Split Starts. By splitting innings between Tyler Danish and Chaz Fowler, Durant will have an opportunity to get the best of both pitchers in the state semifinal and, possibly, the state championship. Fowler, a big left-hander, did a nice job in the four-inning start against Timber Creek, allowing just one earned run before ace Danish closed things out. The region final was the first time coach Butch Valdes used this system, but if it is as effective this weekend as it was against Timber Creek, Durant could be leaving Fort Myers as state champs.
2. Dealing with Danish. There have been numerous game plans devised this season to deal with Danish, but so far, none has been successful. Danish can make you pay on the mound and at the plate. Stopping Danish seams unlikely, but slowing him down and limiting his success will be a key for American.
3. Taking the Lead. For much of the season, the Durant offense has played a supporting role to the pitching and hitting prowess of Danish, but in the postseason, the Cougars have done a nice job of making contact and putting the ball into play. This mentality worked well against Timber Creek. Durant put up five runs without the help of Danish, who added one in the sixth with a homer in his final at home at-bat. Luke Heyer hit behind Danish and came up big, going 2-for-4, with two RBI. The success of the non-Danish offense will be key for the Cougars.
4. Striking Early. Getting on the scoreboard early is important for every team, but especially Durant. If the Cougars have a lead with Danish on the mound, chances are good that Durant will get the W. American’s Andy Figueroa has been a key reliever for the Patriots this season. He shut down Sunset (Miami) in the final two innings of the region final, holding on to a one-run lead. Durant will want to avoid a situation of a come-from-behind win with Figueroa on the mound.
5. Embracing the moment: This will be unfamiliar territory for the Cougars, playing in their first final four. American will head to a state semifinal for the second time, after making it in 2010, when the Patriots fell to Flanagan in the state title game. Coming in focused and not getting caught up in the moment will be key for Durant to have a memorable final-four experience.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Here are some quotations from players and coaches after Durant won its first region championship.
“We’re happy to give Ms. (Pam) Bowden her first region championship for baseball. Like I said from the beginning: This is a special group of boys.”
— Butch Valdes, head coach
“We’ve never done that, but Chaz (Fowler) did a hell of a job doing what he had to do. Getting 12 outs is huge, and to only give up one run against a great hitting team is great. For me, it was just about coming in to finish the job. That was the game plan, and it worked.”
— Tyler Danish, pitcher, on splitting innings with Chaz Fowler
“When they intentionally walked (Tyler) Danish in front of me, it kind of fired me up a little bit. I felt that I had to put my team on my back there and drive in that run, and luckily, I got a pitch over the plate that I handled a little bit and got that run in, and from then on, the team was motivated.”
— Luke Heyer on his game-tying RBI in the third inning
“It’s kind of weird. I usually like to start and finish a game and have it all be on me. But it’s a great strategy that allows us to come in and pitch a few innings and still be available the next day. I think it should work out well for us at state.”
— Chaz Fowler, pitcher, on the platooning system with Tyler Danish
BY THE NUMBERS
142 — The number of miles from Durant High School to Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers, the home of this year’s state tournament.
11 — The number of consecutive wins for Durant, dating back to April 5, against Wharton.
0.00 — The ERA for ace Tyler Danish. The University of Florida commit only has allowed six hits while striking out 32 in Durant’s three region tournament games.
18 — The total number of RBIs from junior Luke Heyer, which is second on the team, behind only Danish (25).
6-1 — Durant’s record on neutral-site fields this year. Durant did well in the Saladino Baseball Tournament earlier this year and won two games at Bloomingdale High against Plant and Wharton to claim the Class 8A District 7 tournament championship. Durant’s only neutral-site loss came in the Saladino semifinals March 14, against Bloomingdale.