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Preseason Top 25: No. 23 Lake Brantley

January 6, 2016

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Continuing to navigate our way down the list of the preseason top 25 teams, today we come across the 23rd-ranked program in the state. So far we have highlighted two schools—Olympia and Plant—who have both lost imposing senior classes to both the collegiate and professional levels. Today’s squad breaks that trend of losing vital upperclassmen and actually boasts a strong 2016 senior class.

Lake Brantley is an historic program that has produced not only their fair share of major leaguers, but multiple major league all-stars. Players such as Jason Varitek, Felipe Lopez, Rickie Weeks, Jemile Weeks, Jonny Venters and many more are have left their mark on the Patriot Athletic Program. Lake Brantley has won numerous state titles—their most recent coming in 2013—and they are one of the few teams around the state who legitimately expects to be in the Final Four in late May of every year.

The majority of their lineup will feature division I commits and signees. Their 2016 class is highlighted by SS and Vanderbilt Signee Harrison Ray, RHP and Florida Atlantic Signee Michael Ruff, OF/RHP and Clemson Signee Paxton Rigby, 2B and Florida Atlantic Signee Alex Ray, and INF and Tennessee Signee Jay Charleston. Their 2017 class will be led by 3B and Clemson commit Griffin Bernardo and RHP Casey Todd. The Patriots look poised to have a stacked infield and one of the more productive lineups in Central Florida, if not the state.

The toughest obstacle Lake Brantley will face is escaping an arduous 8a district that possesses schools like Olympia and West Orange. In fact, the school who will likely be considered the biggest underdog of this district is Apopka, a team that has become notorious for postseason upsets in the last few years, including last season’s district championship win over Olympia. As mentioned in the earliest preseason top 25 article, a team could be one of the top 25 teams in Florida and not even come close to the state tournament if they play in Class 8A, especially if they happen to be in a brutal district.

It is not unreasonable to suspect that this district, and even a regional matchup, will come down to the lineup of the Patriots facing off against the pitching of West Orange. Before the playoffs, however, look for Lake Brantley to have a strong regular season and put up an abundance of runs in most of the games they will play.