Matthew Delay was looking forward to experiencing all that comes with being a first-time varsity baseball player last spring at Lake Brantley.
Then came the coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of spring sports. Now more than a full year later, Delay is playing a huge part in a standout season for the Patriots.
Lake Brantley enters the FHSAA Class 7A regional tournament against Seminole County foe Oviedo this week as the No. 1-ranked team in the Orlando area Sentinel Super Six. The Patriots, who took two of three games from the sixth-ranked Lions in February, host the fourth meeting between the teams Friday at 6 p.m.
“To come back from [the pandemic] and be in the position we’re in right now is unbelievable,” Delay said. “Our pitching and hitting have been going hand-in-hand together.”
Delay has made the most of his senior year while earning recognition last month as the Seminole Athletic Conference baseball player of the year. He enters regionals batting .462 (37-for-80) with 23 RBIs and team highs in doubles (13) and runs scored (36) and no errors in the outfield.
“As a team, that award means nothing if we don’t go all the way and win it together,” Delay said. “I’m a team player and I want what’s best for my teammates. To win a state championship would be one heck of a ride.”
Lake Brantley won regional quarterfinal games in 2017 and 2019 but has not advanced past the second round since winning a state title in 2013.
Hagerty, which is 15-4 since starting the season on a seven-game losing streak, ranks No. 3 in the area after scoring big wins last week against Winter Park and Oviedo en route to the Class 7A District 3 title. The Huskies defeated Oviedo 3-2 in the championship game.
The First Academy hosts The Villages in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal on Thursday as the No. 2 team in the Super Six. Junior pitchers Isaac Sewell and Ben Barrett, a Florida State commit, have the Royals on a 16-game win streak since March 16.
Sewell, a lefty committed to Virginia Tech, has allowed just four earned runs while recording 75 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. Barrett has struck out 81 batters in 42 innings.
FHSAA regional quarterfinal games take place Thursday in Class 5A, 4A, and 3A and Friday in Class 7A, 6A and 2A. Below is the baseball Super Six rankings entering regional tournaments.
Sentinel Super Six
1. Lake Brantley (24-3): The Patriots are batting .351 as a team with 91 extra-base hits, including 69 doubles and 15 home runs. Senior Connor Hensley is 7-0 on the mound with a 1.05 earned run average and 61 strikeouts in 46? innings. Next: Friday vs. Oviedo (18-9).
2. The First Academy (26-1): Junior UCF commits Greg Pettay (shortstop) and Riley Parker (catcher) have combined for 57 hits and 24 extra-base hits. Pettay leads the team in runs scored (30) and triples (4). Parker has team highs in RBIs (32) and doubles (9). Next: Thursday vs. The Villages (16-8).
3. Hagerty (15-11): Junior Stewart Puckett is batting .440 (33-for-75) with 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored and 13 extra-base hits for the revived Huskies. Sophomore UCF commit Garrett Baumann owns a 0.88 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 64 innings. Next: Friday vs. West Orange (18-8).
4. Winter Park (23-2): The Wildcats had an 18-game win streak end during a 2-1 district semifinal loss vs. Hagerty. Shane Cross, who pitched a no-hitter on senior night, finished 7-0 with a 0.55 ERA. Seniors Michael Fletcher and Braydon Black each batted better than .400 this spring. Next: Season complete.
5. Dr. Phillips (16-8): Senior Noah Sullivan has been DP’s most valuable player while going 5-2 as a pitcher (1.93 ERA) with 73 strikeouts in 50? innings and playing both first and third base. Sullivan is batting .364 with 23 RBIs, 14 runs scored and 11 doubles. Next: Friday vs. Kissimmee Osceola (18-7).
6. Oviedo (18-9): Senior Kade Faircloth and junior Isaiah Barkett have combined for 55 runs scored and 14 doubles. Faircloth is batting .451 (37-for-82) with 17 RBIs. Barkett is batting .412 (35-for-85) with 13 RBIs. Junior Danny Baez leads the team with 25 runs batted in. Next: Friday at Lake Brantley (24-3).
Second Six: 7. Lake Mary (15-11), 8. Orange City University (19-5), 9. West Orange (18-8), 10. Apopka (21-4), 11. Lake Nona (17-8), 12. Osceola (18-7).
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
