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Recent Results: Tue May 3/11 7:00pm: Deltona 1 Mandarin 0 Thu Apr 28/11 7:00pm: Sandalwood 1 Mandarin 4

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2012 Baseball Tryouts will be Monday January 16th.

Players should report to the Mandarin High School Baseball Field at 9:00am. They will need a copy of a current physical and insurance verification. Both forms can be located on the Mandarin High School web page under the athletics tab.

Tryouts will be from 9:30am till 11:30am, and 1:30pm till 4:30pm all prospective players should attend both sessions.

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER GAMES POSTED ON THE CALENDAR CHECK FOR LOCATIONS AND TIMES

 

 

 

 

Mustangs Fall in Pitcher’s Duel

Mandarin’s season ended Monday with a 1-0 loss to Deltona in the regional quarterfinals.  Jarrod Widdows pitched a scoreless game into the 8^th inning before Deltona broke the scoreless tie.  The Mustangs were unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning. 

 

Mandarin Wins 1-6A District Title

Bryan Mathews pitched 6 innings and Spencer Herrman closed the game to lead the Mustangs to a 4-1 victory over rival Sandalwood.  Mandarin held Sandalwood scoreless after the first inning.  The Mustangs capitalized on mistakes by the Saints and Toby Moreno had an RBI to manufacture 4 runs.   Mandarin will host the regional quarterfinals Tuesday night.

 

Mandarin Downs Fletcher 7-4, Reaches Championship Game

Jarrod Widdows pitched a complete game and Spencer Herrman blasted a homerun to lead the Mustangs to a 7-4 victory Tuesday night in the 1-6A District Tournament.  The win puts the Mustangs in the championship game Thursday night against Sandalwood.  Reaching the championship game means the Mustangs will return to the playoffs in 2011.

 

Mandarin Falls in Gateway Quarter Final Round

Host Mandarin lost to Paxon 7-2 Tuesday night in the second round of the 2011 Gateway Conference Tournament.  The Mustangs will not get a chance to defend their 2010 title and look forward to their next home game Tuesday night against Ponte Vedra.

 

 

Mustangs Clinch #1 seed in District with 7-6 win over OP

Friday night the Mustangs clinched the #1 seed in the District 1-6A Tournament with a 7-6 victory over Orange Park.  After allowing 4 runs in the top of the 7^th, the Mustangs responded to tied the game in the bottom  half of the inning.  A leadoff double by Clint Tolbert got the Mustangs going in the 8^th inning.  Later in the inning, Jason Belanger executed a squeeze play and Christian Colon scored the winning run.  Next week, Mandarin will try and defend their 2010 Gateway Conference Championship.

 

Mandarin bounces back with a 4-2 victory over Sandalwood

After going 2-2 over spring break the Mustangs earned a 4-2 victory over district rival Sandalwood Tuesday.  Jarrod Widdows pitched a complete game to lead the Mustangs.  Toby Moreno had another great performance at the plate against the rival Saints.  The win puts Mandarin in the driver’s seat to capture the #1 seed in the district tournament heading into their final district game Friday night versus Orange Park.

 

Mustangs win 11-0 over Baldwin to finish the week!

Mandarin fell 3-2 on Monday to First Coast despite a great pitching performance by Jarrod Widdows.    The Mustangs took advantage of the conditions Friday night and downed Baldwin 11-0.  Bryan Mathews threw a complete game shut out to lead the Mustangs.

 

Mandarin Wins Back to Back Games!

Jarrod Widdows lead the Mustangs with 15 strikeouts in a complete game shutout against Terry Parker.  The Mustangs followed up the performance with an 8-6 victory over district rival Fletcher.  The win moves Mandarin’s record to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the district.

 

The Mustangs District Record Stands at 1-1 at end of Week 2.

The week started off promising with a 6-3 victory over First Coast.  On Friday against Orange Park, the Mustangs jumped out to a 3-1 lead after a leadoff homerun by Toby Moreno.  However, errors cost the Mustangs and the bats were silenced in the 10-3 defeat.

 

Mandarin Completes week 3-0

Bryan Mathews threw a complete game Friday night to beat rival Wolfson 1-0.  The win brings the Mustangs record to 3-0 to start the season.

 

The Mustangs earned their second win in as many games on Tuesday night.     Starter Spencer Herrmann was overpowering early in the game and was relieved at the end of the fourth inning by Jarrod Widows. The mustangs plated 10 runs on 8 hits including 2 doubles producing 3 RBI by freshman J.J Shimko. Defensively Mandarin has yet to make an error this season and is off to a good start for the season. Next game is Friday Night (6:30pm) at Wolfson High School   

 

Mustangs Open 2011 Season with 8-2 victory!

Mandarin held Menendez to only two runs behind solid pitching performances by starter Bryan Mathews and reliever Jarrod Widdows.  Tanner Settles and Bryan Mathews homered in the game and the Mustangs recorded 8 hits as a team.  Both Spencer Herrman and Jack Martins had multiple hits during the game.  Mandarin will play host to First Coast Tuesday night at 7:00.

 

 

Tuesday’s pre-season games at Bishop Kenny have been canceled. Games are expected to be played on Friday the 11^th at 7:00 pm vs. Bartram Trail at Bishop Kenny

 

Congratulations to Spencer Herrman, Bryan Mathews, and Jarrod Widdows!

In the fall, Spencer Herrman and Bryan Mathews signed letters of intent to continue their baseball careers after high school at the University of North Florida.  Over winter break Jarrod Widdows verbally committed to Daytona Beach State College.  Jarrod plans to sign an official letter of intent soon.

 

 

Mandarin's Season Ends with Loss to Timber Creek in Regional Final, 4-1

Mandarin's bid for a first ever trip to the 6A Final Four was ended by Timber Creek as Mandarin doubled TC's hit total by putting a player on base in every inning and scattering 8 hits throughout the game.  Outside of Nelsen Esser's RBI single in the 5th, Mandarin couldn't come up with the big hit, while Timber Creek scored 3 of their 4 runs with 2 outs.  Tony Mollica started on the mound and pitched a Perfect Game into the 5th inning, by getting the first 13 batters out in order.  The 14th batter changed the game by hitting a long drive to left field that became a Home Run off the glove of Tobi Moreno, who ran full speed into the wall as the ball reached his glove, popping the ball out and over the fence.  After a walked batter and an error, Timber Creek hit a ground ball single into right, scoring the runner with two outs and taking a 2-0 lead.  Esser ended his Mandarin career with a 2 hit night and several nice plays at Shortstop.  Bryan Mathews also added a 2 hit night, including a double in the second inning.  While Mandarin will graduate many talented Seniors this year, the 2011 team will have much to say about the 2010 team being the best team in Mandarin History.  Mandarin returns a wealth of experience next year including 3 Outfielders (Evan Dicicco, Tobi Moreno and Spencer Herrmann), experienced Middle Infielders (Tanner Settles and Garret Collins)and corner Infielders (Jack Martins and Bryan Mathews).  Clint Tolbert gained Varsity experience and could take over the Catching duties from 3 year starter Blake Berger.  4 year starting Pitchers Colby Sims and Tony Mollica will be missed, but Bryan Mathews and Spencer Herrmann should take over as the new Righty/Lefty tandem, with experienced help from Jarrod Widdows, Garret Collins and Zach Berger.  This goes without mentioning a talented JV group that will be eager to help the 2011 team complete unfinished business from 2010.  Congratulations on a great season which included many "First Time" accomplishments and Mandarin High School Records.  This team has re-newed Mandarin Baseball's burning desire for Championships.  Good luck in 2011, as Mandarin's experienced returners and new faces look to reach heights never before seen at Mandarin High School.

 

ROAD TO PORT ST LUCIE FINAL FOUR

Mandarin
Fri 7pm Sndlwd	Mandarin
Sandalwood
	Fri 5/14 Mandarin 6:30pm	Timber Creek
Timber Creek
Fri 7pm Frdm	Timber Creek
Orlando Freedom

Mandarin Controls Sandalwood 4-2, Hosts Regional Final vs Timber Creek Next Friday

Mandarin scored 1 run in each of the first two innings and was able to control the game throughout in their fourth and final meeting with District Foe and Regional Semi-Final Host Sandalwood.  Bryan Mathews again looked to own Sandalwood's solid lefty starter by roping an RBI double in the 1st inning while going 2-4 on the night, after going 3 for 3 in their last match up.  Mandarin scored 2 more runs in the 5th inning, as Sandalwood dealt with Mandarin's offensive pressure by committing 7 errors in the game.  Terrific pitching came from starter Tony Mollica through 4 innings and Colby Sims for the final 3.  Many great plays were witnessed throughout the game on Defense, including a one handed scoop and off balance throw by Mollica, a diving catch in Left Field by Tobi Moreno, a backhanded scoop and glove toss at second base by Tanner Settles and a 7th inning defensive save by Nelsen Esser in his first game back since having surgery for appendicitis.  Esser's save was actually from a ground ball that bounced off his glove and newly repaired stomach that was scooped up by Settles at second base for a force out for out #2 of the inning.  Catcher Blake Berger also killed a mini rally with a pickoff at second base and threw out another baserunner attempting a stolen base.  Mandarin will host Orlando Timber Creek next Friday at the Swamp.  The game will begin at 6:30pm with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Port St Lucie.

Mandarin advances to Regional Semi-Final, Beats Deltona 6-2

Mandarin traveled just south of the thunderstorms to face the District 2 Winner Deltona Wolves in excellent weather, as many teams in North Florida were cancelled due to rain.  Tony Mollica took the hill and pitched brilliantly through the first 5 innings, limiting a talented Deltona team to only 2 hits and 2 runs.  Mandarin's offense was limited to 1 hit through the same time frame by a solid pitching effort by the Deltona ace, but great plate appearances allowed Mandarin to load the bases in the first without a score and then continued pressure in the 2nd inning enabled Mandarin to plate 3 runs.  Aggressive base running by Tobi Moreno plated another run in the 4th.  Colby Sims entered the game in the 6th and Mandarin's Defense rose to the occasion with a solid 6-4-3 double play by Sage Cree and Tanner Settles to end the threat with the bases loaded and one out.  Spencer Hermann chased Deltona's starter in the top of the 7th when he unleashed a remarkable 2 run Bomb far into the evening sky well over the Right Field fence on a 3-2 curveball, after a Tobi Moreno single.  Sims finished of the save by striking out the 2-4 Deltona batters in the final inning.  Mandarin will now travel on Friday night to face the winner of Sandalwood vs New Smyrna Beach, which was postponed until Wednesday night at Sandalwood.

Mandarin drops District Championship Game, 9-1

Mandarin's bid for a District Championship was stopped by Sandalwood, as Bryan Mathews and Spencer Herrmann combined to give up only 4 hits, but several Mandarin errors along with walks allowed Sandalwood to control the game from the outset.  Mandarin did have good plate appearances on offense and hit the ball hard throughout the game.  Mandarin's only run came off the bat of Bryan Mathews when he blasted a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall.  Mandarin will now travel to Deltona on Tuesday for a Regional Quarterfinal matchup with the Wolves, who won District 2 by upsetting top seed New Smyrna Beach.  All Playoff Baseball will be single elimination from here and Mandarin looks to take advantage of the "free" Baseball they have earned.  The Deltona High School exit is about 15 miles down I-4 at exit 114.  Come support Mandarin as they begin their playoff run at 7pm.

District 1 - 6A Championship Update

	Mandarin  8
	Wed 7pm	Mandarin  1
Orange Park  3
Mon 6pm	Orange Park  0
Fletcher  0		Thur 7pm	Sandalwood
			District 1-6a Champion
	First Coast  0
	Wed 4pm	Sandalwood  9
	Sandalwood  5

Mandarin Earns Playoff Berth and Rolls to District Championship Game by Beating Orange Park, 8-0

Mandarin secured their first playoff berth since 2005 by beating Orange Park and earned a chance for a District Championship tomorrow against Sandalwood at Fletcher High School.  Tony Mollica provided a masterful performance with a Mandarin High School Record 19 Strike Outs.  He may be known for his placement, but Mollica used his Fastball with good pace and powered through the entire Orange Park lineup throughout his 7 inning complete game shutout.  The Mandarin Offense provided solid help with good plate appearances, including Doubles by Toby Moreno and Taylor Peterson.  Mandarin will face Sandalwood for the 3rd time this season after splitting the first two games.  Next Tuesday, Mandarin will face either New Smyrna Beach or Deltona in the Regional Quarter Finals.  Locations for these games will be at the District Winners' Fields. 

Mandarin Pitchers Make Front Page News

Three aces give Mandarin's baseball team a winning hand

 

Jon M. Fletcher/The Times-Union

From left, Tony Mollica, Colby Sims and Will Olive aim to give the Mandarin High School baseball team an edge in postseason play.

By Hays Carlyon

Mandarin's baseball team was considered one of the area's best heading into the season because of its two top pitchers. As the regular season played out, the Mustangs found themselves in a new position. Now, they have three aces. Will Olive has emerged to form a talented senior trio with veteran standouts Tony Mollica and Colby Sims. The depth of Mandarin's staff has turned the squad into a state-championship contender. That's quite a feat for a school that hasn't won a playoff game since 1997.

"With that pitching, you can see them going very deep in the playoffs," Fletcher coach Kevin Brown said.

The Mustangs have already shown off their tournament prowess. The team coasted to its first Gateway Conference championship two weeks ago, winning three games by a combined 23 runs. "It was a great accomplishment for us," Olive said. "I played on varsity the three years prior, and we always had the talent to win the Gateway, but it wouldn't happen. We're not going to stop now. We're going to get through districts and make the final four. We're going to show the rest of Florida what we have."

Mandarin (18-7) begins its postseason play at 7 p.m. today against Orange Park in the District 1-6A semifinals at Fletcher. A victory would earn the Mustangs a shot at the district title on Thursday and clinch a berth in next week's playoffs. Mandarin has defeated the Raiders in both meetings this season, outscoring OP 26-8. Mollica, who is expected to start tonight, won both games and threw a one-hit shutout in the first game on March 3.

Mollica is hoping for some more clutch performances before his prep career closes. The left-hander has signed with Jacksonville University. This season, he's 7-2 with a 1.17 earned-run average. Although he relies on control and not power, Mollica struck out 102 batters in 54 innings.

When it comes to power, few in the state can top Sims, who has signed with Florida State. The right-hander routinely throws in the low 90s. A dislocated pinkie finger on his throwing hand limited Sims (3-1) this season, but he has pitched 221/3 innings, striking out 30, and has a 2.51 ERA. He made three appearances with two starts since coming back from the injury. Sims' setback led to Mandarin's find in Olive. Originally slated to pitch in relief, Olive found renewed confidence as a starter. "I was as low as you can get confidence-wise at the start of the season," Olive said. "Last year, I pitched like three innings and had something like a 39 ERA. So for me to put up the numbers I have this year is a big improvement." Olive is 6-2 for the Mustangs with two saves. The righty, who will play for Gulf Coast Community College, sports a 1.69 ERA and pitched a team-leading 58 innings.

"Mollica has as good of control as any pitcher I've ever been around in high school baseball," Brown said. "Sims is a hard thrower with a nasty slider. When he's on, he's unhittable. Olive has his own style and is very consistent with his control."

The number of high-quality arms gives Mandarin coach Marc Lassiat some valued versatility. It also takes some pressure off the three to have their best stuff every time out.

"With three pitchers of that quality, we can really try to keep teams off balance," Lassiat said. "We can let Tony go four innings, then bring in Will for two or whatever we feel like we need. It's a big boost to our team."

Orange Park upsets Fletcher 3-0, will face Mandarin Wednesday at 7pm

Fletcher chose to hold out their top Pitcher as Orange Park scored 2 in the first inning and kept Fletcher from crossing home plate the entire game.

Mandarin drops Regular Season Finale to Ponte Vedra, 11-1

Mandarin had a tough night in their 3rd consecutive game of the week against Ponte Vedra as PV scored 2 in the first inning and 7 in the second inning on their way to an 11-1 win.  Mandarin struggled in all phases during the game, with the bright spot being a 2 hit night for Blake Berger.  Colby Sims took the loss.  Mandarin finishes the season with a respectable mark of 18-7, surpassing their records for more than 7 years against a very tough schedule.  Mandarin will use the next few days to get a very banged up Mandarin team ready for District Tournament play, which will begin Wednesday night at Fletcher against the winner of Orange Park vs Fletcher at 7pm.

Mandarin's win streak snapped at 9 by Parker, 8-6

Mandarin's bid to win 10 in a row was  derailed by Parker, as they scored 4 runs in a 7th inning comeback.  Parker led most of the game before Mandarin's offense got going in the 6 inning and plated 4 runs, going into the 7th with a 2 run lead.  Will Olive made an attempt for a complete game in the last frame, but Parker sent 8 players to the plate and scored 4 times to move ahead by the final score.  Mandarin will host Ponte Vedra in the final regular season game tomorrow at 6pm.

 Mandarin wins on Senior Night against Baldwin, 11-0

Mandarin won their first of three consecutive nights of games this week by handling Baldwin in  a shortened 5 inning game.  All 8 Seniors started and Mandarin quickly jumped ahead with 4 runs in the first inning.  Junior Spencer Herrmann was 3 for 3 on the night and Tony Molica pitched the first 4 innings with Will Olive closing the final frame.  Congratulations to Seniors Blake Berger, Tony Mollica, Will Olive and Taylor Peterson for making First Team All Conference for the 2010 season.  Mandarin returns tomorrow and hosts Parker at 6pm. 

Mandarin Baseball Honors Seniors on Tuesday while hosting Baldwin

Senior Night is always a special time in High School Sports, but Mandarin Baseball will honor 8 Seniors this Tuesday that have made tremendous contributions to Coach Lassiat's program over the last 4 years, helping Mandarin's reputation as a top flight organization continue.  At least 6 of these leaders will continue playing at the College level, taking their experiences and skills with them.  The ceremony will take place before the game and Senior Parents should arrive sometime before 5:30pm.  Mandarin will also host Terry Parker at 6pm on Wednesday and Ponte Vedra at 6pm on Thursday.  The District Championships will begin on next Tuesday at Fletcher High School.

  Gateway Conference Tournament

WED	THUR	FRI			THUR	WED
Fletcher						Sandalwood
Mandarin 7p	Mandarin				Sandalwood	JP Small 4p
Mandarin		10		2		Parker
	UNF 7pm	Mandarin		Stanton	UNF 4pm
Paxon						Lee
Mandarin 4p	Paxon	UNF 7pm			Stanton	JP Small 7p
Wolfson						Stanton

Mandarin completes another goal, wins Gateway Conference Championship 10-2 over Stanton

The Mandarin offense continued it's streak of double digit hits and scored 5 runs in the first inning against Stanton as they powered their way to Mandarin's second Tournament Championship of the year.  This Championship was special for many reasons and is Mandarin's first Gateway Conference Championship in history, giving them the trophy signifying the top Public School Baseball team in Duval County for 2010.  The entire lineup contributed on offense by getting on base and placing continuous pressure on the Stanton Pitching Staff.  Just as they did during Spring Break, Mandarin showed skills in all phases during their second week long tournament.  Colby Sims took the mound for the first time in over 5 weeks after being sidelined by injury and pitched a complete game, giving up 4 hits and striking out 11 with no walks.  Mandarin takes an eight game winning streak into next week when they will play 3 games, beginning with Senior night onTuesday at home against Baldwin.

 

Mandarin reaches Gateway Conference Final with a win over Paxon, 13-5

Mandarin returned to UNF for a Gateway Conference Semi-Final rematch against Paxon tonight.  Mandarin lost to Paxon last year, but this time Paxon could not stop Mandarin from producing their biggest offensive output of the year.  Will Olive took the mound and handled a tough Paxon lineup through six innings, while the offense plated 9 runs with 8 hits in the fifth inning.  Chelton Carter shut down Paxon in order in the final inning.  #1 Seed Mandarin (16-5) will face #2 Seed Stanton (19-3) in the Gateway Conference Championship Game on Friday at UNF, 7pm.

Mandarin cruises over Fletcher, 7-0

Tony Mollica pitched another superb game, giving up on 1hit to Fletcher over 6 innings and the offense broke through for 4 runs in the 3rd inning advancing Mandarin to the Gateway Conference Semi-Final game against Paxon tomorrow at 7pm.  The game will be played at UNF's Harmon Stadium.

Mandarin makes Headline in Baseball America Article

Varsity Vignettes: Another Classic Finish

Posted Apr. 13, 2010 by Nathan Rode

Rich Hofman may be retired from high school baseball, but he's still very much involved in promoting competitive play. The former head coach of Westminster Christian High (Miami)—where he coached Alex Rodriguez and Doug Mientkiewicz)—and Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale) has helped run a few big tournaments this spring.

A couple weeks ago, Farragut High (Knoxville) defeated Flanagan High (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) in a classic championship game in the Hall of Fame National Classic. More recently, two Jacksonville schools, Mandarin High and Arlington Country Day, met in another instant classic in the Baseball Fever Classic championship game.

The game went 12 innings and was tied 1-1 after the seventh. In the top of the tenth, Arlington put up four runs and seemed to be headed for a victory. But Mandarin first baseman Bryan Mathews launched a two-out, three-run home run to tie the game at five in the bottom of the frame. Arlington scored three in the 12th, but Mandarin came back with four runs, winning the game on a one-out, sacrifice fly.

Hofman was pleased to host two great finals in a two-week span.

"Just how I wrote the script," he joked in an e-mail to Baseball America.

Mandarin needs 12 Innings to edge ACD, 9-8

The Championship game of the Baseball Fever Classic at Pompano Stadium was a game of many records for HofBall, the host of many tournaments in Pompano and South Florida.  Mandarin and ACD both left everything they had on the field for over four hours before Mandarin finished the night's scoring in the bottom of the first "tie breaker" inning.  The game began as the ultimate Pitcher's duel with Tony Mollica (Tournament MVP) and ACD's Colton Janosick (Tournament Cy Young Award) matched each other with 2 hits and 1 run over the first 7 innings.  Bryan Mathews (Tournament Big Stick Award) took over for Mollica in the 8th and Pitched the next five innings.  In the 10th inning, ACD used some hit and run plays and good base running to plate 4 runs.  Janosick, now in his 10th inning on the mound for ACD, could not stop Mandarin's comeback attempt as Mathews tagged a 3 run Bomb, Blake Berger (All Tournament Team) hit a double off the left field fence and Clint Tolbert singled, scoring Berger to again tie up the score.  After a scoreless 11th, the Tournament Director ordered a tiebreaker scenario to finish the contest.  Each team began the inning with the bases pre-loaded with no outs.  ACD was able to score all 3 base runners during their inning without the help of a hit.  Mandarin began their half of the inning by scoring on a walk. After scoring again on a Passed Ball, Mandarin tied the game with a Fielder's choice.  With Spencer Herrmann on 3rd and 1 out, Clint Tolbert hit a fly ball to Right Center Field.  Herrmann tagged up and beat the throw home for the game winning score.

 

Mandarin reaches Final, edges St Joseph 6-5

Mandarin was able to hold off St. Joseph of Metuchen New Jersey to reach the Finals of the Baseball Fever Classic at Pompano Beach Stadium.  Will Olive pitched a complete game and the Mandarin offense was able to overcome 5 errors made by the Mandarin defense.  The winning hit came late from a big solo home run by Tanner Settles in the 5th inning.  Settles played havoc with the fence all day yesterday, but today the fence could not stand high enough.  The wind was a factor on both sides of the ball and caused problems for both teams.  Mandarin will face off with Arlington Country Day of Jacksonville tomorrow at 7pm for the Championship.

 

Mandarin Secures another #1 Seed, blasts St Francis 15-0

Mandarin continued their fun in the sun at Pompano Stadium Wednesday morning by jumping all over St. Francis of Gainesville.  After Coach Lassiat watched another Homerun blast off of Bryan Mathews' bat in the first inning (Mandarin's 4th in 2 games by 4 different players), rumor spread that he might consider moving our Mandarin team to the South Florida thin air.  Tanner Settles raked the baseball all 4 at bats to the outfield fence and posted 3 doubles (1 late double he graciously remained at first base).  Garrett Collins added 2 hits.  Jarrod Widdows allowed St. Josephs 3 hits over 4 scoreless innings.  Nelsen Esser faced the final 3 batters in the 5th, hoping to register a save, but to no avail.  Mandarin returns tomorrow as the #1 seed in the "Final Four" and will face the #4 seed St. Josephs from New Jersey at 1pm.

 

 

Balls fly in Pompano, Mandarin wins Spring Break opener, 7-1

Mandarin's Spring Break trip to sunny South Florida had an exciting beginning in the Baseball Fever Classic at Pompano Beach Stadium.  Tony Mollica gave Defending 5A State Champion South Fork a tough time for 5 innings, giving up 1 hit and 1 run.  Will Olive pitched the 6th and 7th for the save, scattering 3 hits over the 2 innings.  The biggest story of the day was Mandarin's lefty hitters Spencer Herrmann, Blake Berger and Evan Dicicco, who all blasted homeruns.  Mandarin only produced 5 hits, but Herrmann's solo along with Berger and Dicicco's 2 run shots left South Fork stunned.  Mandarin returns to the Stadium tomorrow at 10am to face St. Francis out of Gainesville Florida.  Seeding for the 9 team tournament will take place after all teams play 2 games.

 

Mandarin scores early and cruises to victory over Paxon, 4-0

The Mandarin Offense took advantage of Paxon miscues in the first inning on Thursday night and plated 3 runs.  Will Olive allowed only 4 hits scattered over seven innings and the Mandarin Defense played errorless Baseball in their Home and Home series sweep over Paxon.  Tonight, District 1-6A matchups have been solidified.  Fletcher will play Orange Park for the right to play Mandarin in the District Semi-Final.  Sandalwood and First Coast will match up in the other Semi-Final.  Also today, the Gateway Conference seedings were announced.  Mandarin received the #1 seed and will host the winner of Fletcher and First Coast in the round of eight.  The other 3 teams in Mandarin's Bracket are Paxon and Raines, the winner facing Wolfson.  In the bottom Bracket, #2 Seed Stanton will face the winner of Ed White and Lee.  #3 Sandalwood will face the winner of Parker and Englewood.  The Gateway Conference games begin next Wednesday at home for Mandarin.  Thursday and Friday games play at the University of North Florida.  Mandarin travels to Pompano Beach on Monday to play in the Baseball Fever Spring Invitational at Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium.

 

Lakeland Pitchers keep Mandarin guessing, beat Mandarin 3-1

Lakeland Pitchers held Mandarin to 3 hits while taking advantage of 2 Mandarin throwing errors during attempts towards third base.  Both errant throws allowed Lakeland to score all 3 runs in the second inning.  Mandarin also had miscues while on the bases which hampered any thoughts of a comeback.  Mandarin and Lakeland enjoyed a great Barbeque dinner after the game provided by Mandarin Baseball.  Thanks to all for helping with another successful event enjoyed by all.  Mandarin will host Paxon on Thursday, as Paxon looks to even up the season series after being shutout on their home field.

 

Mandarin has a tough night at Episcopal.  Both JV and Varsity lose, JV 3-2 and Varsity 10-7

  After watching the JV lose a close game, the Mandarin Varsity looked good through 3 innings, matching Episcopal 2-2.  In the 4th frame, starter Bryan Mathews began to tire and the Episcopal offense quickly took advantage, scoring 4 runs.  The rest of the game was all offense as both teams changed pitchers frequently in an attempt to slow down the hits.  In the end, Mandarin matched Episcopal in the Hit Column (11), but fell short in the Run Column.  Mandarin will look to regroup on Monday, as they host Lakeland, NY at 5pm.  Lakeland is coached by Assistant Coach Dennis Robinson's Father, which will make the game a fun event.  Mandarin will provide dinner after the game for the Lakeland players.  Come out and enjoy the fun at the Swamp. 

 

Mandarin pitches shutout against District opponent First Coast, wins 4-0

Will Olive forced First Coast hitters in to ground balls all night long and Mandarin's defense played solid as Mandarin earned the #1 seed in the District Tournament in late April.  Olive gave up one infield hit in his complete game effort.  The Mandarin offense hit hard line drives throughout the lineup, many of which were hit right at the defense of First Coast.  Consistent pressure allowed Mandarin to plate runs in 3 different innings.  This Friday, Mandarin travels to Episcopal (10-4) for the first time in school history.  The Varsity game begins shortly after Mandarin JV takes on Epicopal JV, which is scheduled for 4:30pm.

 

 

Mandarin seals at least a tie for the District #1 Seed by beating Fletcher, 2-1

A beautiful night for Baseball at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville began with great pitching from Tony Mollica and ended with the 5th 2-1 ballgame in the last seven meetings with District rival Fletcher.  Spencer Herrmann blasted his first Homerun of the year into the right field bleachers in the 5th inning, giving Mandarin the 2-1 lead.  Will Olive pitched the final inning to get the save.  Regular Season District play ends tomorrow at the Swamp when Mandarin hosts First Coast.

 

 

Mandarin jumps out early and cruises to victory over Orange Park, 14-8

Mandarin (7-3, 5-1) exploded for 12 runs in the first 3 innings at Orange Park and easily held on for another District win.  Jack Martins had a 3 hit night and Blake Berger added a triple, home run and 4 RBIs.  Mandarin continues to control their own destiny in the District and have sealed no less than a #3 seed in the District Tournament.  District play will be completed next week as Mandarin faces Fletcher at the Baseball Grounds on Tuesday and then hosts First Coast at the Swamp on Wednesday.

 

Next Thursday, March 25th Mandarin will be hosting our annual Fundraising event with Brusters Ice Cream in Mandarin.  Our Program will receive 50% of the proceeds from the sale of Waffle cones, so please come out and support Brusters and Mandarin Baseball.  Also, on Wednesday, March 31st Red Elephant of Mandarin will donate a portion of their profits to Mandarin Baseball.  When anyone mentions Mandarin Baseball during that day, our program will receive a portion from each purchase.  Please let all your friends know about these events.  More info (flyers) will be passed along soon.

 

 

Mandarin uses sacrifices and solid pitching to take down District rival Fletcher, 4-2

 On another cold night, Will Olive pitched a complete game and the Mandarin offense used the Sacrifice to get in position for scores in two different innings.  Fletchers inability to handle the sacrifice attempt in the 6th inning allowed Mandarin to eventually score 3 runs.  Olive gave up 1 run in the 7th, but ended the game with a swinging strike.  Mandarin travels to Orange Park Friday for another District matchup.

 

 

Creekside scores 5 in the 5^th, beats Mandarin 5-1

 

Spencer Herrmann led the Mustangs with a pair of hits and an RBI.  The loss drops the  Mustangs to 5-3 overall.

 

GAME VS. FLETCHER AT THE BASEBALL GROUNDS HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER. THE GAME WILL BE MADE UP LATER THIS MONTH

JV rolls Wolfson 15-4, improves winning streak to 7 games! 

Sandalwood strikes first, beats Mandarin 8-1

Sandalwood scored 4 in the first and it proved to be enough.  The Mustangs will try and regroup before heading to The Baseball Grounds to play district rival Fletcher on Friday.  Mandarin is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in district play.

 

 

JV Mustangs win 6^th in a row!

The Mustangs (6-2) beat Fletcher 9-3 on Monday night to capture their 6^th victory in a row.  They will try to continue their winning streak against Wolfson on Wednesday.

 

 

Mandarin loses 2-1 to Wolfson

 

After a 12 run performance on Wednesday night the Mustangs (5-1) only managed to get one run against the Wolfpack (4-2).  Will Olive led the Mustangs with a 7 inning performance where he stuck out 9 batters and held Wolfson to only two earned runs.  The Mustangs threatened in the bottom of the 7^th with the bases loaded and only one out, but could not get any runs across the plate.  Next week Mandarin takes on district rivals Sandalwood and Fletcher.

 

BATS COME ALIVE WITH A 12 – 0 WIN OVER ORANGE PARK

 

Capped off by a Blake Berger walk off homerun, the Mustangs push 12 across the plate with 11 hits. Five players had multiple hits: Toby Moreno, Nelson Esser, Bryan Mathews, Blake Berger, and Clint Tolbert. Anchored by another quality start, Tony Mollica goes the distance giving up only one hit with no walks and nine strikeouts. Sage Cree was the defensive stand out accounting for 6 plays that resulted in outs. As the team continues to gain momentum they look to tomorrow’s game vs. Wolfson.

 

JUNIOR VARSITY WINS 3rd IN A ROW

 

In the early game the Mandarin Junior Varsity starts the night off with hot 10 hits as they win over Bartram Trail 7 -5. Garret Collins earns his first win of the year striking out 5.

 

Mustangs off to a good start

With 4 wins and in the first two weeks 2 of them in district play the Mustangs are off and running. With quality pitching and some timely hits and senior leadership Mandarin heads into the third week of the season with two upcoming home games.  District opponent Orange Park on Tuesday (6:00pm), and after a 3 year absence a regular season face off with Gateway Conference rival Wolfson on Thursday 6 pm  

MANDARIN COMES AWAY WITH A VICTORY OVER RIVAL SANDALWOOD

 

On a cold night the Mustangs come up with their 4^th win and 2^nd District win on Friday night. Behind a strong pitching performance from Colby Sims and solid defense the Mustangs scored two runs on off a Sage Cree double to down the Saints 2 – 0. The Mandarin Bats are staying alive with 7 hits on the game although we only managed two runs. Right now the Mustangs look good in all aspects of the game  

 

Mollica strikes out 12 in 2-0 victory over Paxon

In a cold, wet game the two run first inning turned out to be enough for the Mustangs. Tony Mollica struck out 12 batters in 5 innings of work to secure the Mandarin victory.

Varsity Heads to play Paxon Wednesday. Game time is 6pm.

 

 

The last meeting for the Mustangs against Paxon resulted in a no hit loss. Paxon was on the way to a third place finish in the gateway conference and a trip to the final four. This year’s game should prove to be exciting as Tony Mollica will take the mound against the eagles in the first of two match ups between the Paxon and Mandarin.

Mustangs beat rival Bears 4-2

Tony Mollica struck out 7 batters in 4 innings to start the game for the Mustangs.  A Spencer Herrmann walk led off a two run 6^th inning to regain the lead for Mandarin.  Will Olive held Bartram scoreless in relief and had an RBI single to secure the victory.  The win moves Mandarin to 2-0 overall to complete the first week of the season.

 

 

Mandarin downs First Coast 11-4, wins first district game!

Colby Sims struck out 7 batters in four innings of work for his first win of the season.  Blake Berger led the Mandarin offense by going 3 for 4 with 5 RBI and also scored 2 runs.  The Mustangs are set to take on rival Bartram Trail Friday night.

 

Mustangs set to play 50 inning Marathon Fundraiser Game. Saturday February 6^th, 9:00am.

Come out and enjoy a day of baseball and support the team.

Parent Meeting Monday the 25th, 5:30pm In the Auditorium

 

TRY-OUTS START MONDAY JANUARY 18

Baseball try-outs begin Monday, January 18, 2010 for 9th and 10th graders and any other new player to Mandarin High School.  Students should arrive at the MHS baseball field before 8:45am on 1/18.  Practice begins at 9:00am sharp and will run until 12:00pm. Players will be given an hour for lunch and then resume practice at 1:00pm with plans to end at 3:00pm.

11^th and 12^th graders should arrive to the baseball field no later than 12:40pm. Practice will begin at 1:00pm

and run until 3:00pm for session one. Session two will be from 3:30pm till 5:00pm.

 

Mandarin Baseball Signs 4 Players Early

Blake Berger (Tenessee), Colby Sims (Florida State), Tony Mollica (Jacksonville University), Sage Cree (Gulf Coast CC) All sign letters of intent to play college baseball.
For the first time in Mandarin Baseball history not one but four players commit early to play college baseball. These four players are part of one of the most talented classes to play at the school. Their hard work and dedication to baseball and the school have given them the chance to move on represent Mandarin High School at the next level. "Each one of these young men are highly talented. I am so proud of them it will be exciting to continue to follow their baseball career".

In reacent years Mandarin has placed 6 players in college programs: Chase Anderson (UNF), Brian Joseph and Charles Thomas (Ed Waters), Casey Medlin (Lake City CC, Daytona Beach CC and now UNF), Antonio Clark (FCCJ and now Valdosta State), Derick Grimes (JU, Cowley County CC in Nebraska).