Dr. Phillips Little League Majors team preps for state tournament

By Zak Kerr
| 9:03 a.m. July 30, 2015

Sports

DR. PHILLIPS — The last team left in West Orange County Little League baseball, Dr. Phillips Little League’s Majors squad, will represent Little League District 14 and Section 5 at the eight-team state tournament. The winner will emerge as the Florida Majors Champion and advance to the Southeast Regional for a shot to make the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

After Dr. Phillips swept six games against teams from Windermere, Winter Garden, Ocoee and South Lake County in the District 14 Tournament, it went undefeated in a four-team round robin July 18 to 20 in St. Cloud, beating Apopka and then dominating Union Park and St. Cloud to earn the Section 5 Championship.

“It’s a lot of work, a lot of practice, a lot of repetition,” manager Dennis Pope said. “We were practicing since June 15. Once we were able to start practicing … we were out … for three or four hours (per practice). This is the fruits of all the effort that was put in.”

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THE STATE TOURNEY

Dr. Phillips will play in Pool B — another four-team round robin — at the state tournament in Tallahassee, with Section 4 Champion Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, District 26), Section 6 Champion Sarasota American (District 16) and Section 8 Champion Coral Springs American (District 10).

Game 1: Coral Springs American, 5 p.m. July 31

Game 2: Aug. 1, Lakewood Ranch or Sarasota American, 9:30 a.m. with win vs. Coral Springs American, noon with loss

Game 3: Aug. 1, other of Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota American, 2:30 p.m. with loss vs. Coral Springs American, 5 p.m. with win

Winning Pool B would lead to the Florida Majors Championship Game against the Pool A winner, 10 a.m. Aug. 2. Pool A comprises host and Section 1 Champion Northwest Leon (Tallahassee, District 20), Section 2 Champion Viera/Suntree (Melbourne, District 2), Palm Coast (District 19) and Keystone (Tampa, District 6).

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MEET THE TEAM

On the Dr. Phillips roster are Max Cutts, Chase Dunlap, Max Fishman, Michael Furry, Cole Hallman, Grant Houde, Nick Ierubino, Travis Jordan, Titan Kamaka, Kaden Lucas, Noah Sullivan, Mason Wilson and Nicholas Walzak. Pope, Bill Kamaka and John Houde are coaches.

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