GAINESVILLE – The eight individual class finalists for the 2015 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball and Baseball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school softball coaches and prep media representatives.
Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in their classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in their class. The two overall winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
Following are the eight finalists for the Mr. Baseball Award:
Chris Coipel, Sr., Pitcher, Miami Columbus, Class 8A Player of the Year
Coipel, a Florida International signee, helped Columbus to the state title by posting a 12-1 record with a 1.09 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.
Deacon Liput, Sr., Shortstop, Oviedo, Class 7A Player of the Year
Liput, a University of Florida signee, led his squad to the state title by hitting .465 with 13 doubles, 4 home runs, 31 runs scored and 15 RBI.
Cole Kragel, Sr., Pitcher, Venice, Class 6A Player of the Year
Kragel, a Virginia Tech signee, led his squad to the state title by posting a 13-0 record in 14 starts with an 0.72 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched.
Dillon Brown, Sr., Pitcher/Infielder, Mosley, Class 5A Player of the Year
Brown led his team to the state championship game with a 14-0 record, a miniscule 0.28 ERA (3 earned runs all season), 10 shutouts and 84 strikeouts. He posted a streak of 48 scoreless innings during the season. He also hit .426 with 27 RBI.
Isaiah Cullum, Sr., Pitcher/Catcher, South Sumter, Class 4A Player of the Year
Cullum, who has committed to Polk State College, compiled a 10-2 record with an 0.93 ERA while striking out 90 batters. He hit .442 with 7 doubles, 6 home runs and 38 RBI.
Nate Pearson, Sr., Pitcher/Infielder, Bishop McLaughlin, Class 3A Player of the Year
Pearson, a Florida International signee, posted a 9-1 record with a 1.50 ERA while striking out 109 batters and allowing only 12 walks in 72 innings pitched. He batted .318 with 8 doubles, 9 home runs, 23 runs scored and 30 RBI.
Evan Holland, Sr., Pitcher/Shortstop, Bayshore Christian, Class 2A Player of the Year
Holland batted .413 with 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 27 runs scored and 17 RBI. He compiled a 3-1 record on the mound with a 1.70 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched.
Austin Langworthy, Jr., Pitcher, Williston, Class 1A Player of the Year
Langworthy, a University of Florida commit, led Williston to the state title with an 11-1 record,
an 0.38 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.
Following are the eight finalists for 2015 Baseball Coach of the Year:
Joe Weber, Miami Columbus, Class 8A Coach of the Year
Weber led Columbus to a 27-5 record and the state championship. In 20 years of coaching he has an overall record of 436-161 with another state championship in 2003 and two other Final Four appearances.
Harold Hitt, Oviedo, Class 7A Coach of the Year
Hitt led his squad to a 25-5 record and the state championship. In 10 years as a head coach (six at Oviedo), Hitt has posted a 177-105 record, including another Final Four appearance.
Craig Faulkner, Venice, Class 6A Coach of the Year
Faulkner led Venice to a 29-3 record and its fourth state title, including the third in the past four years. In 17 years, Faulkner has compiled a 362-156 record, which includes three other Final Four appearances.
Rich Bielski, Archbishop McCarthy, Class 5A Coach of the Year
Bielski led McCarthy to a 27-5 record and its fifth state title in the past six years. In 17 years as a head coach (7 at McCarthy and 10 at Hialeah), Bielski has posted a 410-116 record, including two more state titles at Hialeah (2001-02).
Gil Morales, Trinity Christian, Class 4A Coach of the Year
Morales, in his fourth year at Trinity Christian, led the squad to a 22-8 record and the state title. In 13 years overall, he has compiled a 199-145 title, including three Class 1A state titles at Eagle’s View.
Emil Castellanos, Westminster Christian, Class 3A Coach of the Year
Castellanos led his squad to a 25-7 record and the state title. In nine years, he has compiled a 206-64-6 record with two other state titles in 2009-10.
Pedro Guerra, Miami Brito, Class 2A Coach of the Year
Guerra’s squad went 19-11 and won the state championship. In 12 years at Brito, Guerra has a 243-71 record with another state title (2006), a state runnerup finish (2012) and a Final Four appearance (2008).
Scott Hall, Williston, Class 1A Coach of the Year
Hall led Williston to a 28-2 record and its second straight state championship. In five years as a head coach he has compiled a 107-25 record.
Final voting numbers by class listed below (area winners in bold)
Class 8A
Player School Points
Chris Coipel Columbus (Miami) 103
Logan Allen University (Orange City) 76
Brendan Rodgers Lake Mary 50
Coach School Points
Joe Weber Columbus (Miami) 174
Larry Greenstein Park Vista (Lake Worth) 101
Frank Martello University (Orange City) 76
Class 7A
Player School Points
Deacon Liput Oviedo 112
Juwuan Harris St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale) 45
Triston McKenzie Royal Palm Beach 44
Coach School Points
Harold Hitt Oviedo 191
Clyde Metcalf Sarasota 71
Butch Valdes Durant (Plant City) 63
Class 6A
Player School Points
Cole Kragel Venice 168
Garrett Zech Naples 88
Mike Cassala Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 39
Coach School Points
Craig Faulkner Venice 177
Tony Sowers Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 97
Jed Yancey Ocala Forest (Ocala) 86
Class 5A
Player School Points
Dillon Brown Mosley (Lynn Haven) 173
Braden McLeod Wesley Chapel 74
Jake Anchia Archbishop McCarthy (SW Ranches) 53
Coach School Points
Rich Bielski Archbishop McCarthy (SW Ranches) 159
Todd Harless Mosley (Lynn Haven) 103
Greg Clayborne Rockledge 43
Class 4A
Player School Points
Isaiah Cullum South Sumter (Bushnell) 119
Zack Kone Pine Crest 108
Rhett Willis Ft. White 67
Coach School Points
Gil Morales Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 167
David Nelson Bishop Verot (Ft. Myers) 83
Mike Foote South Sumter (Bushnell) 47
Class 3A
Player School Points
Nate Pearson Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill) 123
Julian Infante Westminster Christian (Miami) 81
Cole Sands North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 70
Coach School Points
Emil Castellanos Westminster Christian (Miami) 158
Jeff Swymer Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill) 95
Mike Posey North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) 76
Class 2A
Player School Points
Evan Holland Bayshore Christian 141
Richie Hennessey Master’s Academy 79
Parker Pillsbury Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) 74
Coach School Points
Pedro Guerra Miami Brito Private 154
Corey Thomas Bayshore Christian 88
Joe Wild Master’s Academy 51
Class 1A
Player School Points
Austin Langworthy Williston 160
Jared Padgett Graceville 87
Dylan Lee Blountstown 84
Coach School Points
Scott Hall Williston 167
Emory Horne Blountstown 93
Chris Howard Hamilton County (Jasper) 31
