Final Four Prospectus: Dr. Phillips baseball heads to Fort Myers for 9A Semis | Observer Preps

The Dr. Phillips baseball team, after winning the FHSAA Class 9A, Region 1 Championship last week, will make an appearance in a state semifinal for the first time since 1996 June 1 in Fort Myers.

The following includes some basic information for Dr. Phillips fans on the FHSAA Class 9A Baseball Final Four, as well as the teams that will be joining the Panthers in Fort Myers.

Venue information/Schedule

Venue: Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Sports Complex (14100 Ben C. Pratt Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers)

Admission: $12 per day/$9 if purchased in advance

Parking: $10 for cars/$50 for fan busses

June 1 — FHSAA Class 9A State Semifinals: Dr. Phillips vs. Timber Creek, 4 p.m.; Columbus vs. Jupiter, 7 p.m.

June 2 — FHSAA Class 9A State Championship at 7:35 p.m.

The Field

Timber Creek Wolves 

Record: 21-7 (MaxPreps)

Coach: Tim Beaman

Quick pitch: Marcos Roque is hitting .427 with a team-best 38 hits this spring, while Parker Smith leads the team in home runs (four) and RBIs (24). Preston Schumacher, the Wolves’ ace, has nine wins this spring and an ERA of 1.81. Timber Creek has won 11 of its past 13 games.

Columbus (Miami) Explorers

Record: 25-4 (MaxPreps)

Coach: Joe Weber

Quick pitch: Defense has been key for the Explorers — Columbus has allowed just 1.3 runs per game this spring. The Explorers were state runners-up in 2016 and won it all in 2015, so the team's upperclassmen likely have some experience on this stage.

Jupiter Warriors 

Record: 17-10 (MaxPreps)

Quick pitch: The Warriors — like the Panthers — have experienced stretches of adversity in their schedule this spring, including losing five out of eight games to begin April. On the other hand, Jupiter is in the Final Four for the second consecutive season, meaning the team has experience on this stage. Seniors Dakota Gaillard (35 hits),  Peter Cowley (14 RBIs) and Ricky Clark (23 runs) power the offense for the Warriors.

Dr. Phillips Panthers 

Record: 18-13 (Official PantherZone site)

Coach: Mike Bradley

Quick pitch: The Panthers’ run has seen several players come up huge at the plate in big moments — whether it has been Will Sullivan, Derek Arroyo or Ray Negron — lending some unpredictability to Dr. Phillips’ lineup. What’s been consistent, though, has been the stellar pitching of Cort Roedig, who spent a good portion of the season injured, Mitchell Stockwell and closer Logan Bryan.