The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 87

SPORTS The Tampa Tribune 7-PI Tuesday, April 26, 1988 District baseball playoffs Base-balk isn't restricted to big-league pitchers anymore Sox. He got out of the FSL the next season, but he returned last Wednesday night to begin a 20-day 'i Roy Cummings 1 renaDuiiauon assignment as pan oi -his recovery from an off-season in-, jury, in which he tore tendons in his I i. i Ml II 1 i mm nanu unci lulling un a uag ui, oarhitoa nntcMa nf hie Wanhnm CLASS 4A-DIBTKICT 7 (Al Seminole Nigh School) Today: Oam 1: Dunedln VI, Tarpon Sprlngi, 2 p.m.; Gam 2: Coon-trysld va. Plnallaa Park, 5 Oam 3: Seminole va. Largo, I p.m.

Wedneaday: Oama 4: Clearwater, winner gam 3, 6 p.m.; Oam 6: Winner gam 1 va. winner gam 2, p.m. Friday: Championship: Wlnnr gam 4 vs. wlnrtar gam 5, p.m. CLASS 4A-DI8TRICT I (Al Payn Park, Saraaota) Today: Oam 1: Cap Coral v.

Northaaat, 1 p.m.; Oam 2: Dixie Holllna va. Cypraa Lak, 4 p.m.; Gam Manala vi, Rlverview, 7:30 p.m. Wdnday: Gam 4: Wlnnar gam 2 va. winnar gam 3, 4 p.m.; Gam 5: Saraaota va. winner gam 1, 7:30 p.m.

Thuraday: Champlonahip: Winnar gam 4 vi. wlnnar gam 7:30 p.m. CLASS 3A-0I8TRICT 11 (At Hoyl Flaw, SL Petersburg) Today: Gam 1: Qlbb vi. Oacaol, 11:30 a.m.; Gam 2: Venic va. Lakawood, 2 p.m.; Gam 3: 81.

Ptraburg va. Bradenton Southeast, 4:30 p.m.; Gam 4: Bradenton Bayshor v. Boca Clega, 7 p.m. Wdnaday: Gam 8: Winner gam 1 va. wlnnar gam 3, 4 p.m.; Gam 8: Wlnnar game 2 va.

winner game 4, 7 p.m. Friday: Champlonahip: Winner game 5 va. winner gam 8, 7 p.m. CLASS 2A OI8TRICT 11 (At Ed Smith CompkH, 8eraaota, unleee otherwise noted) Monday'a Oamea: Game 1: Admiral Farragut al Shorecreat; Gam 2: Sarasota Booker at Tampa Catholic; Gam 3: Palmetto at Clearwater Central Catholic; Game 4: Eaat Lake at Cardinal Moonay. Wednesday: Game 4: Winner gam 3 va.

winnar gam 4, 6 p.m.; Gam 8: Wlnnar gam 1 v. winner game 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Champlonahip: Winner gam 8 va. wlnnar gam 8, 8 p.m. CLASS A-DISTRICT 10 Today: Game 1: Bradenton Christian vi.

Keswick, (at Northside Christian) 2 p.m.; Game 2: Saraaota Christian vs. Canterbury (at Shorecrest), 2 p.m.; Game 3: Thorn Howard at Northside Chrlatlan, 4:30 p.m.; Game Bradenton St. Stephens at Shorecrest, 4:30 p.m. Thuraday: Game 8: Winner name 1 vs. winner dam 3 (at Shorecrest) Mass.

home. Osceola Astros, he allowed nine hire aiohr mine nnrl thrpia tuflllrc ftnrl he balked five times in five "I tricked them," Stanley "My hand, my shoulder, everything IClt gUUU. J3UI 1 WlUA VJUU 13 Idling me i neea 10 worn myseu into shape." Al VUU IOU IV4 11111 UIV 4:30 p.m.; Wlnnar game 2 va. winner game 4, 4:30 p.m. illltWa? 1)1 Friday: Championship: winner oam 6 vs.

winner oam 8 (it thai 4:30 p.m. expansion iaiK. miu unnappy with the current 14-team makeup of the FSL, league president George Mac Donald Jr. has said expansion District softball playoffs iu a niuic wuiMtuic iu icaiii uy ucai season is both "imperative and in minent." County teams ready to begin district week By LANCE VAN AUKEN Tribune Sports Writer LARGO Today marks the beginning of district week for most spring sports, as the track and field, baseball and Softball seasons wind down. Several Softball and baseball tournaments begin either today or Wednesday, while the district track meets are scheduled for Thursday or Friday at various locations.

In Softball, It Prep Notebook i first time fast-fules wiI1 be used in determining what teams will go on to play for the state championship. All of the public schools in Pinellas, plus Clearwater Central Catholic, will play to determine which two teams will go on to the regionals next Tuesday In a single-class tournament. One of those teams will be assured of a spot among the final four. The Pinellas Park Softball team is the big winner even before the playoffs begin. The Patriots originally were assigned to play with eight other teams in District 5 in north Pinellas County.

But a simple request last week to Fred Rozelle, executive secretary of the Florida High School Activities Association, ended with Rozelle allowing Pinellas Park to switch to District 6 in the south part of the county. District 5 and 6 now have eight teams each. "Our coach (Jerry Mita) wanted to know If we could switch districts so that both would have eight teams," said Pinellas Park activities director Jim Man-devllle. "The south-county tournament is at Pinellas Park anyway, so we figured it would be easier all the way around since it's easier to schedule an even number of teams." It also benefits Pinellas Park on the field. While the District 6 seedings were based on a blind draw in the preseason, a draw based on performance during the year, would have given Pinellas Park the No.

1 seed against the south-Pinellas teams. The Patriots lost only once this year, in a preseason tournament, to the other seven teams in District 6. In District 5, on the other hand, Pinellas Park might have been seeded as low as fourth based on a three-way tie for the No. 2 seeding. The only other district Softball tournament is In Class A-District 10, a slowpitch affair being played at various sites in Pinellas and Sarasota.

That tournament involves the remainder of Pinellas' private schools with girls softball programs. All three tournaments begin today. In baseball, the Class 2A-11 tournament began on Monday at several sites and concludes Friday at Ed Smith Complex in Sarasota. It includes Clearwater Central Catholic, East Lake and St. Petersburg Catholic.

The A-10 tournament is at Northside Christian and Shorecrest beginning on Wednesday and concluding Friday. Other Pinellas teams are Thorn Howard, Keswick and Canterbury. Dixie Hollins will try to knock off powerful Sarasota in the 4A-8 tournament at Payne Park in Sarasota. The tournament begins today and ends Thursday. Dixie is WINTER HAVEN Balks.

They're not Just for big leaguers to fret over anymore. This season's crackdown on balks in professional baseball has filtered down Into the minor leagues and even Into the Class-A Florida State League. In the first two weeks of FSL play this year, 79 balks were called In 164 games. The most balks called in one game so far in the FSL this season is eight, In a game last Wednesday Involving the Winter Haven Red Sox and the Osceola Astros, in which Red Sox starter Bob Stanley alone was charged with five balks. In a previous game, Involving the Red Sox and the Dunedln Blue Jays, six balks were called against pitchers who failed to come to "a discernible stop" while pitching from the stretch position.

The eight balks set an FSL record for most in a game, and the six balks tied the major-league record for the most In one game. Fort Meade's Tony Mosley, who started for Winter Haven against Dunedin, was charged with two of the six balks called In that game. He said the rule could have an adverse effect on many young pitchers. "The rule s-ks," Mosley said. "Once you get called for a balk the first time, you can't concentrate on what you're doing anymore.

"After I got called for the first one in that game, I was just so worried about the balks that I couldn't throw strikes. It's ridiculous." Lakeland manager John Lipon doesn't think so. "I think It's a good rule, especially here In the minor leagues," Lipon said. "Because if they're going to enforce the rule at the major-league level, the pitchers are going to have to learn it at the minor-league level. And I think if they start 'em now in the minors, the kids should be able to adjust by the time they make it to the big leagues." The adjustment will take time, though, Lipon said.

"A lot of people are saying that a pitcher should be able to adjust just like that," he said. "Well It's not that easy. The guy who is going to have the most trouble is the veteran who's not used to stopping in his piece of the FSL pie are Inverness, Melbourne, Pompano Beach, Ven-. ice, Naples, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach and Fort Myers. One source claims Melbourne and Daytona Beach are the two cities with the best chances of eainine a team for next vear.

DISTRICT 8 (At Eddie C. Moor Complex, Clearwater) Today: Game 1: Seminole vs. Clearwater Central Catholic, 3:30 p.m.; Game 2: Ounedln vs. Tarpon Springs, 3:30 p.m.; Game 3: Countryaid va. Clearwater, 3:30 p.m.; Game 4: Largo va.

Eaat Lake, 3:30 p.m. Thuraday: Game 8: Winner game 1 vs. winner game Game 8: Winner game 2 va. wlnnar game 4. Friday: Champlonahip: Winner game 5 va.

winner game 8. DISTRICT 8 (At Pinellas Park High School) Today: Game 1: Lakewood vs. Pinellas Park, 1 p.m.; Game 2: Northeast vs. Glbba, 3 p.m.; Game 3: Pinellas Park va. Osceola, 8 p.m.; Game 4: Boca Ciega va.

St. Petersburg. 7 p.m. Wedneaday: Game Winner game 1 vs. winner gam 2, 8 p.m.; Gam 6: Winner game 3 vs.

winner game 4, 7 p.m. Thursday: Championship: Wlnnar game 8 vs. winner game 8, 7 p.m. CLASS A-DISTRICT 10 (At Bray Complex, Bradenton, unless otherwise noted) Today: Game 1: Shorecrest vs. Northside Christian (at Puryear Park, St.

Petersburg), 4 p.m.; Game 2: Canterbury at Keswick, 4 p.m. Thuraday: Game 3: Bradenton Christian vs. winnar gam 1, 4 p.m.; Gam 4: Sarasota Christian va. winner game 2, 4 p.m. Friday: Championship: Winner game 3 va.

winner gam 4, 4 p.m. stretch. Before, pitchers always found a way to cheat, but they're not going to be able to do that now. They're going to have to stop." Said Boston Red Sox roving minor-league pitching Instructor Gary Roggenburk: "The rule's going to affect these kids for awhile, but I think once they get used to it, they should be alright. "I just tell them that they'll have to concentrate on it.

They'll have to work on It when they're throwing on the side." There is one aspect of the rule that does bother Roggenburk, however. "They're saying a pitcher must come to a discernible stop," he said. "Well what is a discernible stop?" FSL umpire Steve Laughlin may have an answer for him. "The Lords of baseball told us at the beginning of the season to enforce the rule as it is written, and they added the phrase 'discernible Laughlin said. "What that means to us is that, in our judgment, we have to see the pitcher come to a complete stop in the stretch." Laughlin also can explain the reason for the crackdown this season.

"Without the stop, the pitcher was gaining a great advantage over the baserunner," he said. "So, they decided to crack down and enforce the rule. "We're only doing what we we're told to do. But so far we haven't really caught that much flak over it, and I'm a little surprised by that." Said umpire Keith Denbeim, "The most yelling we hear Is the manager yelling at the pitcher." Stanley's struggles. The Florida State League never has been kind to Boston Red Sox pitcher Bob Stanley, As a second-year pro in 1975, Stanley lost a league-leading 17 games for the Winter Haven Red Fort Myers and Daytona Beach were home to FSL clubs a year ago, j.

r- a i a i uui run mjrcia iuoi iuc rivyaiD wucii'. Kansas City moved its spring train- ing headquarters to Boardwalk and- Baseball. Daytona Beach lost White Sox Class-A affiliate. when the Admirals were relocated in Tampa. Daytona Beach now has lost three clubs in the past five I but city officials and a contingent of 3 fans continue to work toward find-" ing another tenant for City Park.

UTrt-b nUl JlovA tirs-va-li- If vy.nl, ft vi wnv-e uuiu nuin iiiwix ing Lakeland's Milt Cuyler one of? tVia limnitA'c hitta? Vi ic rai. seeded third and would play Sarasota on Thursday In the final, but only if both win all games on the way to the championship. Northeast is the only other Pinellas team involved. A blind draw means Boca Ciega will not be seeded first in the Class 3A-Dlstrict 11 tournament at Hoyt Field in St. Petersburg beginning today, but the Pirates are favored nonetheless.

Other Pinellas teams are Lakewood, Gibbs, Osceola and St. Petersburg. The final is on Friday. Clearwater gets a bye as the top seed in the 4A-7 tournament at Seminole High. The Tornadoes won top billing last week when pitcher Mike Arner fired a no-hitter past No.

2 Seminole at Jack Russell Stadium. The tournament begins today and ends Friday. son. "During spring training I to stay after workouts and get a few; extra cuts, and it's beginning to pay: off," the .333 hitter said. "But I stilly don think I'm hitting the ball well as I can.

I'm not hitting it solid just yet. Mayotte not yet ready to give up hope of an NCAA tournament bid i I' 4' Eckerd Baseball Notebook I If 1 3 the conference. Tampa is 28-14. It finished 13-7 in the conference. Non-conference teams Florida Atlantic (31-17-2) and St.

Thomas (28-16-1) are legitimate contenders for a bid. "You're talking about two different situations and the committee needs to analyze that," Mayotte said. "The non-league team doesn't have to worry about playing certain competition. They can schedule whoever they want, whenever they want. So that may work against them.

Our (league) teams are required to play four games in a six day period." Mayotte said he doesn't believe Tampa is a better team than Eckerd. The teams split their season series this year at two games apiece. The Tritons were within a game of Tampa Sunday as the last conference games began. Tampa had lost to Florida Southern Friday night. Eckerd beat FIT at home on Saturday.

But Sunday, the gap was two games again. Tampa beat Florida Southern 6-4 on Terry Rupp's grand slam in the eighth inning. In the meantime, Eckerd lost to FIT 14-11. St. Petersburg's Terry Grantges dropped his season record to 7-4.

It was his third consecutive loss. The committee members will get together on the telephone for a conference call Thursday morning to begin discussions. A final decision on tournament teams is expected in another week. Eckerd plays at Valdosta State College May 1 and May 2. The NCAA Division II tournament is scheduled to begin on May 11.

Barber signs Tribune by ALLYN DiVTo Northeast basketball standout Pat Barber, right, talks with Year this past season, signed a four-year scholarship with the his high school coach Dave Redding about Westmar College, school Monday. The 6-foot-4 Barber averaged 14 points, 12 Barber, who was the Tribune's Pinellas County Player of the rebounds and three blocked shots a game as a senior. By TIM LUBINSKY Tribune Sports Writer ST. PETERSBURG An NCAA Division II tournament bid may be out of reach for the Eckerd College baseball team, but coach John Mayotte is not ready to give up the ship. Twenty teams from across the nation will earn bids to six regional tournaments, and the Tritons appear to be sitting on the bubble for one of the last ones.

The Sunshine State Conference schedule is completed. Eckerd finished third behind Florida Southern and Tampa. A batch of non-conference games end the seasons for all of the teams this week. Then come the bids. "There are a lot of politics involved," Mayotte said.

"If you have more teams in a certain region, you get up to four bids. Our region had been cut back from four bids to two. That was about six years ago. But last year, they took three In the region." As in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament, there is no telling what the tournament committee will decide. However, the South committee is made up mostly of the coaches whose teams are up for bids.

Mayotte is a member. So is Florida Southern coach Chuck Anderson. Rollins coach Boyd Coffie is the chairman, and other members include Florida Institute of Technology coach Les Hall and Barry University coach Bruce Barkley. Alternates are Ken Dominguez of Tampa and Paul Mainieri of St. Thomas.

Mayotte said committee members whose teams are up for bids usually bow out to an alternate. However, there will be conflicts up and down the board, it appears. Florida Southern, 39-7 (16-4) should get one bid, so if Anderson stayed on the committee it would not present a major conflict. "But Mayotte's presence would. So would the two alternates, whose teams are in the thick of things.

Eckerd's current overall record Layoff before tourney concerns coaches Susanna Sommerer "T- i '1 Junior Colleges hitters. MCC is hitting .313 as a team, with five players Rich Cordani Todd Rincon Brian Dixson Wade Norris (.323) and Dar-: yl Kennedy (.302) hitting better than .300. Norris, a freshman from Plant City, leads the team in RBI with 50. Calhoun's squad is deep in quality pitchers, handy asset in the state tournament's double-elimination format. The Hawks will open the tournament against Indian River CC at 10 a.m.

Saturday, May 7. "I have seven pitchers that I have confidence in," said Calhoun. "I'd like to think our pitching is capable of enduring. And the fact we have-some sophomores on the team who played in the tournament last year should help us." HCC also has had defensive lapses, but the Hawks were cutting down the mistakes as the regular season ended. "We've been coming to play every night," said Calhoun.

"Hopefully we'll stay there this year." The Hawks went home after three games last -i season when Florida Community College won state title. Manatee Community College and Hillsborough Community College must feel like they're connected to one of those, "Sorry, all our lines are full, someone will be with you in one minute" recordings. And they're hearing the tape the third time around. After earning berths in the state junior college tournament and ending their regular seasons early last week, the teams have a 19-day layoff before the eight-team affair begins May 7. Lancer coach Tim Hill, whose team captured the Suncoast Conference title with a 15-5 mark (32-14 overall), gave his club last week off and plans to hold three or four practices this week.

"I don't like this much time off," said Hill. "I'm pretty happy with the way we've been playing. Right now it's mostly a matter of keeping everything sharp, and It's hard to do that when you're not playing." HCC coach Gary Calhoun has even more reason to be irked. His Hawks are or were on a roll, winning their last six games to finish 13-7 (32-20), before they got put on hold. "You wonder how it's going to effect the kids," said Calhoun, who led HCC to the ence title in his first year as coach last season.

"We're going to try to get some practice games with some minor-league teams or colleges to keep playing." Calhoun said he plans to propose changes in the conference and state rules to shorten the time between the end of the regular season and the state tournament. The SC leaves one week open at the end of the season for makeup games. Calhoun would like to see makeup games fit Into the schedule as "make ups." When the time does come for the two to head to Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Hill will take a team featuring two of the best pitchers in the state John Ard (9-2, 2.51 ERA) and Brad Gregory (8-6, 2.57 ERA) and one loaded with Pitcher signed. The Tritons signed right-handed pitcher Tim Thielen to a letter of intent Monday. Thielen, who attends North Miami High School, has a 7-1 record with a 1.57 ERA.

He has struck out 80 batters in 62 3 innings. is 26-18. The Tritons were 11-9 in.