Durant defeated American 6-0 Friday in the 8A state semifinal at jetBlue Park in Fort Myers. The Cougars will face Lake Brantley Saturday at 7:35 p.m. for a shot at the program’s first state championship. Lake Brantley beat Jupiter 4-0 Friday.
Below is five things to watch for in Durant’s state championship game with Lake Brantley. Be sure to follow the Plant City Observer on Twitter for live scoring updates, like us on Facebook for links and photos and stay tuned to PlantCityObserver.com for the most complete coverage of Durant’s state tournament run. Click HERE for photos from Durant’s semifinal win over American.
1. EARLY START
It will be important for Durant to build an early lead and not get in a situation where the Cougars are playing from behind. Durant will start Chaz Fowler in the final, and will use ace Tyler Danish to close things out. Danish threw 84 pitches Friday, but Durant coach Butch Valdes and his staff plans to have the University of Florida commit throw the final three innings in the championship. If this plan holds true, it will be key for the Cougars to get Fowler an early lead and give Danish a chance to actually close things out and not come into a tied game or a deficit with a tired arm. Even with a 0.00 ERA, it will benefit Danish to have some cushion when he takes the mound for Durant Saturday.
2. AVOID BIG INNINGS
This will be key for both teams, but especially Durant. The Cougars have done an excellent job this postseason in taking what they are given and manufacturing runs, but generally, those don’t come in bunches. Lake Brantley scored all four of its runs in the second inning in its 4-0 shutout win over Jupiter Friday. Another shutout isn’t likely or even needed for either team, but avoiding big innings from the opposition will be essential.
3. SHAKING THE NERVES
Durant came into unfamiliar territory Friday. It was the Cougars’ first trip to the final four and the first time playing in a stadium and atmosphere like jetBlue Park for many of the Durant players. The Cougars were making contact and getting on base early, but because of poor base running, their first run didn’t come until the third on a two-run homer from Danish. Durant seemed to focus in and get more comfortable as the game went on. They will need to continue this mentality Saturday, as they face Lake Brantley, which will be aiming for their fourth state title.
4. BETTER DEFENSE
It sounds obvious, but with two really good ball clubs that are so evenly matched, the team that plays error-free (or at least close to error-free) baseball will likely be the 8A state champion. Jupiter made four errors against Lake Brantley. American and Durant each made one error in their semifinal. Errors can kill innings, and in big-time situations, they can kill seasons.
5. PROVING TO BE NO. 1
Each team threw their ace Friday and each pitcher had a complete-game shutout. The difference? Danish only threw 84 pitches, while Lake Brantley’s ace, Stetson-bound Mitchell Jordan, threw 103. Valdes already said (and reiterated) that Danish will throw Saturday — Fowler four and Danish three. The game will start with Fowler — Durant’s No. 2 that could be a No. 1 on a lot of teams — against Lake Brantley’s No. 2. The X-factor is that Durant has some juice left in Danish, where it appears Jordan’s high school mound time is done.