Original Florida Pokers 16U Baseball Team. {Courtesy}
The Original Florida Pokers wrapped up a successful summer at the BCS Championship in Fort Myers, with the 16U team winning the title and the 17U squad finishing as tournament runner-up.
The 16U team relied on dominant pitching, going 3-1 in pool play with 11-0, 5-1 and 8-0 wins. Joseph Blosser, Bryant Barkan, Bryce Maynes, Chase Gorham, Andy Herrera and Joey Singh all starred on the mound, while Ander Elorriaga hit the team’s first home run of the tournament.
The Pokers bounced back from their lone loss by outscoring opponents 15-1 on Sunday before Championship Monday. Tyler Stertzbach fired a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the quarterfinals, while Charlie Acierno and Nelson Velasquez helped power a semifinal victory.
In the championship game, the Pokers erased an early 1-0 deficit by scoring nine unanswered runs for a 9-1 win. Velasquez and Cyrus DeJesus each drove in two runs, Maynes threw four scoreless innings, Julian Solomon earned the win, and Blosser recorded the final out as the Pokers finished the summer 18-13-2.
The 17U team also enjoyed a strong tournament, finishing runner-up after an unbeaten pool-play performance. The Pokers outscored opponents 60-11 through their first five games, earning victories over the Scorpions, CBA Florida, Indiana Mustangs, and Canes Scout, and posting a 20-1 win to close pool play.
Brady Myers, Scotty Crowe, Joshua Jakubowicz, Chase Heritage and Ryder DeRoxtra all earned victories during pool play. Jaxon Wells homered against CBA Florida, while Jose Bautista hit two home runs in the finale. Alejandro Cordero and Gavin Andreeu also went deep.
Bracket play began with Ben Bianchi, who closed out Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ state championship victory earlier this season, delivering another strong outing. He pitched five innings and allowed just one run before Taylor, who delivered the walk-off hit that sent the Eagles to the state final, closed out the game.
The semifinals provided the tournament’s biggest moment as Cordero delivered a walk-off two-run double in a 6-5 victory. Jackson Taylor earned the win in relief after Chase Heritage and Brady Myers pitched earlier. The Pokers fell 10-1 in the championship game, with Sebastian Garcia driving in the team’s lone run. They finished the tournament by winning seven of eight games to earn the runner-up trophy.
The 15U team went 3-2 after rebounding from an opening 2-1 loss with three straight wins. Anthony Beyra hit a walk-off two-run single in a 6-5 victory, while Bello Suarez and Nicolas Salerno combined on a one-hit shutout before the Pokers were eliminated in bracket play.
The 14U team also impressed, winning its first four games before falling to Canes National in bracket play. That same Canes National squad was later defeated by the Original Florida Pokers 14U National team, which advanced to the championship game before suffering its first loss of the tournament.
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