Conference Champs!

Marco Island Academy’s 7-3 win over Village School of Naples had the feeling of a conference championship game. You could tell both teams wanted to be Paradise Coast Athletic Conference champs as they battled back and forth in front of an enthusiastic crowd Friday night at Tyler Beck Memorial Field.

The Rays (11-7) jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead but had to fend off a tough Village School squad to battle back with runs in the second and third innings to temporarily tie the game. But the Rays scored in the bottom of the third inning and added another in the fifth inning, then pulled away with three in the bottom of the sixth.

Head coach Jim Sweeney couldn’t have been more proud of his team.

"It was a great game,” Sweeney said after the game. "I mean, back and forth. It's nice to have that kind of competition. You don't want to blow out games one way or the other. You want good hard games kids can learn from and feel that excitement and everything else. You know, it was fun." 

Fun is as good a work as any to describe Friday’s game. The Rays followed pitcher Aidan Herzog’s calm and commanding performance on the mound. Herzog stuck out eight Village School batters in his 5.2 innings with no walks.

"Oh, my goodness,” Sweeney said of Herzog’s performance. "Could you ask for more? I mean, he really battled. By far his best game this year. I mean, he's cool under pressure. He’s just a sophomore and he's started a game for us in Marlins Stadium. He started our state playoff game against Canterbury. But he wasn't fazed. You know, he went out there like, ‘Yeah, I'll pitch.' The kid's a cool customer. He works hard. And props to him, he pitched a heck of a game for us.” 

Sweeney had six seniors on his 13-man roster.

"I'm proud of the five seniors,” Sweeney said. “They've been at this for a while. A lot of them didn't get a lot of playing time their first three years but all five of them had to contribute this year at a position or multiple positions. Akiel Jimenez, when he's on, very few people that we play are going to hit him hard. Grayson Jones had never played catcher before. I came to him and said, 'Grayson, would you mind trying to be a catcher?' He's like, ‘Coach, whatever you need.' I mean, that's just his attitude. Between him and Akiel and Chase Johnson and another guy, Nick Giant, who I moved around from third base to second base, sometimes to the outfield. Never complained. These guys sucked it up and did what they needed to do for the team. And it was awesome. They're a good group of kids. Definitely can't complain. I'm proud of them. All of them. You know, it was fun getting to coach my son, Ryan, the last two years.”

MIA traveled to play top seeded St. John Neumann in the first round of the district tournament on Monday, April 29, after the Coastal Breeze News deadline.