Gulf coach resigns, moving to Dallas

By MIKE CAMUNAS | Tribune correspondent
Published: February 24, 2013 Updated: February 24, 2013 - 12:00 AM

Three games into his second season at Gulf High, baseball coach Robert Miles has resigned and the vacancy has been posted on the school district website.

Gulf athletic director Travis DeWalt confirmed the move Friday morning.

Miles, who took over the team before the start of the 2012 season, was promoted within his job outside the school, as he was just an adjunct baseball coach. The promotion requires him to move to Dallas soon.

"The program is heading in the right direction," Miles said. "It's a bittersweet departure, and I didn't want to leave until end of season, but they need me there a lot sooner. I put everything I had into this program, and they're still a very young team. Hopefully, whoever takes over will be able to continue on with what we put in place."

Gulf is off to a 1-2 start, including a 10-0 win over Hudson. The Buccaneers snapped a 30-game losing streak last March with a 3-1 win over Anclote.

Gulf was 1-23 last season, but was looking for big things from senior Marshall Stitt, who is batting .571 with seven plate appearances.

Tough start for Fivay

It has not been the start Fivay and first-year coach Matt Hayes were expecting.

"We lost three starters from last year, and that hasn't helped," said Hayes, who had the interim tag lifted following the 2012 season, in which he filled in for the late coach Justin Kunick. "Honestly, though, we have not hit the ball well at all. We'll watch a strike go by, then swing at the curveball in the dirt. We're tying to teach them to sit back on those pitches."

The Falcons are 2-3, including a tough 5-3 loss to Ridgewood, but they were also one-hit by Mitchell on Thursday and lost 11-1.

"It's a long season ? still 20 games left," Hayes said Friday before the game at Zephyrhills. "We're still working out kinks, figuring out where everyone is going to play."

Fivay lost two players to ineligibility, but also lost rising junior R.J. Hampshire, who, after batting .288 with nine RBIs in 2012, opted to focus on motocross. Yet, Hayes feels whenever junior ace Jarred Mattos (7-4, 36K in 2012) is on the mound, Fivay can win.

"When's he's out there, everything seems to be clicking," Hayes said.

Mattos pitched a complete game against Osceola, giving up three runs in the win.

Wiregrass Ranch falls

Wiregrass Ranch had a remarkable start to the season. Not only did they see 16-strikeout, no-hitter from Zach Drury in a 4-0 win against Sunlake, Wiregrass topped the IMG Academy team that features top high school prospects and players such as Manny Ramirez Jr.

But the Bulls struggled in their first district game, getting pounded 12-0 by Steinbrenner.

"(The Warriors) can really hit, too," Bulls coach Jeff Swymer said.

Wiregrass was trailing 3-0, but Swymer said four errors doomed them, as well as not capitalizing on a bases-loaded situation in the first inning, which ended with a double play and a strikeout.

Pasco's poor start

Coming off a district runner-up title, Pasco wanted a better start, but finds itself in a 0-2 hole following losses to Wesley Chapel (3-2) and River Ridge (8-3).

Under first-year coach Pat Fortunato, the Pirates are still young, led by many juniors and sophomores, but are missing junior outfielder Malik Johns, who is still serving a suspension that carried over from basketball season when he received a double technical.

However, Logan Johnson (.429, 2 RBIs) and A.J. Rainaldi (.333, 2 RBIs) are off to hot starts and senior ace Blaine Duncan (9Ks) will be relied upon this season.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/pasco/~3/m_AH0mKQN2I/

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