In his second season as Atlantic Christian Academy‘s baseball coach, Miguel Cuello describes his team as “better, but younger.”
“These kids are going to be really good,” Cuello says.
Three weeks into the season, many would argue that the Sharks are really good right now. With four freshmen and two sophomores in the lineup, they rallied for an 8-6 win over Oxbridge Academy in extra innings on Oct. 26, then crushed Atlantic 21-0 the next day.
At 6-0, the Sharks are one of only two unbeaten teams in Palm Beach County, joining St. John Paul II Academy.
Cuello, who built a powerhouse program at Trinity Christian over two decades, has his sights set on doing the same at Atlantic Christian. And he appears to have the building blocks.
Right fielder Bryan Zuniga leads a stellar freshman class. Barely 15 years old, he bats third in the lineup and already has 15 hits and 15 RBIs in six games. Zuniga went 3-for-4 with a walk against Oxbridge, the only out coming on a fly ball to deep left-center.
Cuello compares Zuniga to some of the best players he has coached, a list that includes Xavier Edwards and Ariel Antigua. “This guy’s right there,” Cuello said.
The Sharks also start freshmen at catcher, first base and shortstop, but it was two juniors who came up big against Oxbridge.
Second baseman Reily Campusano moved to the mound in the sixth inning, when the host Thunderwolves scored three unearned runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Sharks scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Campusano pitched a scoreless seventh to send the game into extra innings, then hit a two-run double in the eighth and nailed down the victory with a scoreless eighth.
Center fielder Micah Herring continued to show an uncanny ability to reach base. He had two hits, walked twice and was hit by a pitch in five plate appearances, and his home run touched off the seventh-inning rally. Herring’s on-base percentage is an off-the-charts .846.
“He doesn’t swing at bad pitches and he takes what they give him,” Cuello said.
When the Thunderwolves (4-2) took a four-run lead into the seventh, coach Juan Bustabad thought he finally had the upper hand on Cuello, his longtime friend and coaching rival.
“It was a tough loss,” he said. “We just fell apart (in the seventh) — an error, a couple of walks, a couple of hits, a passed ball.”
Bustabad is trying to rebuild his program by using the same formula as Cuello. Oxbridge’s lineup included two sophomores, three freshmen and an eighth-grader.
“It’s a good lesson for our young team,” he said. “I feel very confident. Every week, we’re making big strides to where we want to be.”
St. Andrew’s coach Joey Housey was so focused on beating Vero Beach-Master’s Academy on Feb. 27 that he didn’t realize his pitchers were working on a no-hitter.
“I didn’t know until the last out, when we were in the handshake line,” Housey said after the Scots’ 2-0 victory.
This wasn’t a conventional no-hitter. Sophomore right-hander Aiden Krasnow, making his first start of the season, was taken out with two outs in the fifth inning because he was nearing his FHSAA-mandated pitch limit. Junior right-hander Oliver Lipari didn’t retire a batter, walking two and throwing a wild pitch. Senior right-hander Luccas Mendez set down the final seven batters to earn the save.
Krasnow mixed his fastball and slider, showing “good mound presence and composure,” Housey said. He walked three and struck out eight while earning a spot in the Scots’ regular three-man rotation.
It was the county’s first seven-inning no-hitter this season.
Suncoast 3, Dwyer 2: Senior left-hander Charlie Straub and junior right-hander Nic Pascocello combined on a four-hitter as the Chargers knocked off the Panthers, then ranked No. 1 in the county, snapping their four-game winning streak.
Joshua Burnston went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs for Suncoast (3-4), which has won three of four after an 0-3 start.
“We’re not a young team, but we’re an inexperienced team,” said Chargers coach Jimmy Beno, who lost several three-year starters off last year’s district championship team. “We’re trying to find our way. I think the talent is there — we’re just learning how to win.”
Tyler Thrush, Dwyer: Pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and one unearned run, against Wellington.
Liam Hardyman, Cardinal Newman: Went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs in a 13-1 victory over Seminole Ridge.
Griffin Miller, Jupiter: Went 3-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored as the Warriors routed Dr. Joaquin Garcia 19-9.
Lemay Cortina, John I. Leonard: Pitched a four-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts against Atlantic.
Gabe Devore, Royal Palm Beach: Pitched 8 2/3 innings — the longest outing of the season in Palm Beach County — and gave up two earned runs in a nine-inning win over Suncoast.
Camilo Castellon, Olympic Heights: Went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs in a 7-6 upset of Palm Beach Central; pitched a scoreless inning for the save in a win over St. Andrew’s.
Luke Shelhamer, King’s Academy: Went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in a win over Benjamin; went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a loss to Dwyer.
Monday
Dwyer at St. Andrew’s, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Jupiter at Cardinal Newman, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Boca Raton at West Boca Raton, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday
St. Andrew’s at King’s Academy, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
Palm Beach Central at Dr. Joaquin Garcia, 6:30 p.m.
1. St. John Paul II (8-0)2. Jupiter (6-2)3. Dwyer (8-3)4. Park Vista (5-2)5. King’s Academy (7-2)6. Dr. Joaquin Garcia (6-3)7. Palm Beach Central (6-3)8. Boca Raton (7-1)9. St. Andrew’s (5-3-1)10. Seminole Ridge (5-3)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County baseball: ACA, St. Andrew’s highlights
