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First Coast Varsity Weekly | No. 1 in Florida: Baldwin infielder leads softball stat list

clayton freeman, jacksonville florida times-union
·8 min read

Watch those state leaderboards.

The high school regular seasons for all Florida sports are officially in the books, and with that, several Jacksonville-area players are entering postseason atop the state list in various stat categories.

Like Amiyah Jones, the Baldwin speedster who closes her freshman regular season as Florida's runs scored leader. Counting Thursday's district final, the shortstop circled the bases 53 times this year, first in the state's MaxPreps list for softball.

One of the area's fastest on the diamond, she's accomplished a little bit of everything this year, batting .483 with six doubles, four triples, 24 stolen bases and 33 RBI to go with a 1.227 OPS.

A few other Jacksonville-area players who are ending the year in elite territory among Floridians.

Baldwin infielder Amiyah Jones races onto the field before the FHSAA District 4-3A high school softball final at Episcopal. The shortstop leads the state with 53 runs.
Baldwin infielder Amiyah Jones races onto the field before the FHSAA District 4-3A high school softball final at Episcopal. The shortstop leads the state with 53 runs.

  • Middleburg junior Kerra Clarida placed second in Florida softball with 13 home runs, behind only Isabella Ruggiero of West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy.

  • Baldwin catcher Cali Hartung tied for fifth in Florida softball with 45 RBI.

  • Harvest Community recorded two players in Florida's top 10 for softball stolen bases, with Rebekah Harmer at 52 and Julia Foti at 42.

  • Bishop Snyder's Aidan King not only ended the year as Florida's strikeout king (118), but walked only six batters along the way. Baker County's Colson Altman also recorded 106 whiffs to finish eighth.

  • Keystone Heights outfielder Connor Guy finished sixth in baseball slugging average at .933, batting .500 with 17 extra-base hits.

  • Duval Charter's Alex Messer (46) and Kendi Demps (42) tied for third and fifth, respectively, in baseball runs scored.

  • Torance Jones of Cedar Creek Christian placed first on the MaxPreps baseball list with 42 steals.

Final stats leaders: Northeast Florida's 2024 high school baseball top performers

Episcopal's Jones hits 1,000-K mark

Players, coaches and fans hold "1,000" signs recognizing the 1,000 career strikeouts for Episcopal senior pitcher Grace Jones (center) following Thursday's FHSAA District 4-3A high school softball final against Baldwin.
Players, coaches and fans hold "1,000" signs recognizing the 1,000 career strikeouts for Episcopal senior pitcher Grace Jones (center) following Thursday's FHSAA District 4-3A high school softball final against Baldwin.

Welcome to the 1,000-strikeout club.

Grace Jones became the latest Northeast Florida softball pitcher to reach the 1,000-strikeout mark, attaining the milestone during the fourth inning of Thursday's Region 4-3A final.

Following the game, players, coaches and fans gathered with "1,000" papers to celebrate the Episcopal senior's feat.

She joins University Christian's Sophia Kardatzke, who began varsity pitching in sixth grade, as Northeast Florida's active members of the 1,000-K club. It's a feat attained by only a handful of active pitchers around Florida, including Jasmine Francik of Melbourne, Jayden Heavener of Pace and Katelynn (Red) Oxley of Bartow.

Jones, not surprisingly, ranks near the top of Florida's list in multiple categories this year, tying for second in wins (23) and third in strikeouts (319) while also placing top-25 statewide in both on-base percentage and slugging average.

Final stats leaders: Northeast Florida's 2024 high school softball top performers

BK beach squad rolling into finals

Northeast Florida's top team on the sand is peaking at the perfect time ahead of the beach volleyball finals.

Bishop Kenny carries an 11-match winning streak to Florida State University, where the Crusaders will tip off their opening-round FHSAA tournament match against Bishop Verot at 2 p.m. Friday.

The Crusaders have qualified for every beach volleyball tournament since the inaugural edition in 2022, but lost to New Smyrna Beach in the quarterfinals in 2022 and exited against Gulf Breeze in the round of 16 last spring.

In the compressed FHSAA schedule, matches follow one after another quickly. If the sixth-seeded Crusaders beat Bishop Verot, they would take on either Westminster Christian or two-time defending champion New Smyrna Beach later Friday afternoon, with a potential semifinal and final to come Saturday.

New Smyrna Beach is the only opponent to win a game against Bishop Kenny during the current streak. The Crusaders upset the champions 3-2 on April 17.

Will NFHS hoops change stop the flop?

Phoenix Suns wing Josh Okogie, head coach Frank Vogel and an official discuss a technical foul called on Okogie for flopping during a 2023-24 NBA game. The NFHS has issued a new rule to combat the spread of flopping to the high school game.
Phoenix Suns wing Josh Okogie, head coach Frank Vogel and an official discuss a technical foul called on Okogie for flopping during a 2023-24 NBA game. The NFHS has issued a new rule to combat the spread of flopping to the high school game.

Worried that NBA-style flopping may extend its reach to a high school court near you? There's a new rule for that.

The National Federation of State High School Associations modified its rulebook to combat flopping in basketball, set to take effect for the 2024-25 season. The basketball rules committee approved the revision in Indianapolis, and the NFHS board of directors formally ratified the change last week.

Under the new rule, a first instance of a fake foul will lead to a team warning. Subsequent flops lead to a team technical foul.

Rule 4-49-1 spells out several examples of banned acts: "Embellishing the impact of incidental contact on block/charge plays or field goal attempts, using a 'head bob' to simulate illegal contact and using any tactic to create an opinion of being fouled to gain an advantage."

The NFHS also amended several other basketball rules, ending restrictions that formerly permitted only lettering on the front of jerseys and allowing states to eliminate the five-second closely guarded rule during dribbles if that state employs a 35-second shot clock.

Ritchie, Williams, Hall named All-State

Ponte Vedra guard Sam Ritchie (1) dribbles into the lane as Nease's Joe Wholey (left) defends during a high school boys basketball game on December 15, 2023. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]
Ponte Vedra guard Sam Ritchie (1) dribbles into the lane as Nease's Joe Wholey (left) defends during a high school boys basketball game on December 15, 2023. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]

Three Jacksonville-area players received first-team selections in the annual Source Hoops All-State team for boys basketball.

Ponte Vedra guard Sam Ritchie made the Class 6A first team after leading the Sharks to the final four, while Ribault guard Caleb Williams was a Class 4A first-teamer and Hilliard junior forward C.J. Hall qualified for the list for Class 1A semifinalist Hilliard.

Providence guard Chris Arias received a second-team selection for Class 3A following the Stallions' final-four run.

Third-team honorees in their respective classes are Riverside's Tae'shaun Gelsey (5A), Jackson's Ronald Durham (4A), Palatka's Trenton Williams (4A), Episcopal's Kent Jackson (3A), Impact Christian's Taylor Thompson (2A) and Fort White's Brandon DeMartino (1A).

'Inspiration to us all': Fernandina Beach's Nolan Blackard signs to play college football

Bears' Frechette among girls lacrosse honorees

Bartram Trail attacker Ryann Frechette (10) challenges for a ground ball as Ponte Vedra's Lily Mosser (5) and Lily Toole (18) pursue during the Rivalry on the River tournament. All three received awards from the First Coast Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association.
Bartram Trail attacker Ryann Frechette (10) challenges for a ground ball as Ponte Vedra's Lily Mosser (5) and Lily Toole (18) pursue during the Rivalry on the River tournament. All three received awards from the First Coast Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Bartram Trail attacker Ryann Frechette headed the list of award winners from Sunday's awards banquet from the First Coast Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association at Beachside.

Frechette, signed with Florida and now above 430 goals for her four-year career with the Bears, received the Jackie Pitts Award for a senior combining excellence in lacrosse with community service. She has 103 goals so far this season entering Friday's state semifinals.

She was among six area players selected as USA Lacrosse All-Americans for North Florida, along with Bears teammate Madison Stevens, Episcopal's Brooke McCoy and Maeve O'Neil, Ponte Vedra's Lily Toole and Tocoi Creek's Ashley Cotter, the state's overall goals leader with 109.

All six were among the FCGLCA First Coast award recipients, along with Ava Allamon, Emily Barnette and Esa Brenneman of Bartram Trail; Ava Wilkerson of Beachside; Anna Giordano and Meghan Wohlgemuth of Bolles; Regan Bayly and Natalie Charyak of Creekside; Georgia Tuttle of Episcopal; Mikayla Kimsey of Mandarin; Cassidy vanderMark of Menendez; Amelia Thompson of Nease; Lily Mosser, Aubrey Schmidt and Lamb Toole of Ponte Vedra; Brooke Birkett of St. Augustine; and Shira Silverman of Tocoi Creek.

Impossible stat for Wolfson pair

One for the "What Are The Odds?" file.

Wolfson missed out on the FHSAA regional playoffs in softball, but not without a solid season at the plate. The Wolfpack batted .316 for the year and achieved double-digit wins for only the second time in the last half-dozen years.

Helping fuel that resurgence were the freshman pair of infielders, Hannah Roberts and Hannah E. Roberts, lining up at third and first base for the Wolfpack while wearing numbers 12 and 14. Neither one should be confused with a third Hannah Roberts, the former University Christian slugger of a decade ago who played only a couple of miles away from Wolfson and went on to earn college honors with JU softball.

The most dizzying fact: Both Hannah Roberts and Hannah E. Roberts completed the year with batting averages of exactly .375.

Around the area

Stetson's Kami Eppley (4) bunts against Florida Atlantic during a March college softball game. The junior outfielder, from Episcopal School of Jacksonville, earned second-team All-ASUN honors.
Stetson's Kami Eppley (4) bunts against Florida Atlantic during a March college softball game. The junior outfielder, from Episcopal School of Jacksonville, earned second-team All-ASUN honors.

Tocoi Creek held signing ceremonies for baseball's Andy Lemaster (Palm Beach State), Ben Robinson (Northwest Florida State College) and Jack Svendsen (Franciscan). … Tocoi Creek guard Bryson Castillo signed with Warner men's basketball. … Potter's House Christian senior Christian Richardson committed to Long Beach State men's basketball. … Ponte Vedra's Valentina Fraga committed to Navy women's swimming. … Christ's Church midfielder Ellie Garces committed to USC-Aiken women's soccer. … Middleburg hired former Elon softball assistant and former Trinity Christian softball head coach Mallory Borden as athletic director. … Daniel Pearce stepped down after eight years as Middleburg head baseball coach. … Fleming Island's Addie Larson set a school record of 1:07.58 in the girls 400-meter hurdles. … Mandarin senior Keagan Miller became the 15th athlete in school history in the 12-Letter Club. … Former Fleming Island midfielder Eric Dobson won first-team All-ACC honors at Notre Dame in men's lacrosse. … Former Episcopal outfielder Kami Eppley earned second-team All-ASUN softball recognition at Stetson. … Former Sandalwood pitcher Cooper Whited was selected to the All-Panhandle Conference for baseball. … Former Creekside outfielder Kendall Catherwood was named All-Sun Lakes Conference player of the year in softball for St. Johns River State College. … St. Johns Country Day hired Rodney Keller as director of sports performance. ... For the first time since 1934, no Duval County public schools qualified for the FHSAA baseball tournament. … The Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association recognized Ribault principal Gregory Bostic with the Dorothy W. Brunson Special Service Award at Sunday's annual banquet. … Clay County's Athletics Awards Show is scheduled for Monday at the Thrasher-Horne Performing Arts Center. … Raines announced that this fall's Northwest Classic against Ribault is now set for Saturday, Oct. 5, after a scheduling adjustment.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Amiyah Jones: Baldwin shortstop wins Florida softball runs title