Palm Beach County baseball preview: Pitchers you should know for the 2024 season

Defense wins championships, and despite Park Vista baseball's best efforts to win a historic state title with The Post's Baseball Player of the Year Ethan Mattison in tow, the Cobras returned to Lake Worth crushed by a one-run loss last spring.

But now, the 2024 season is here, and Vista's ace is determined to avenge 7A state runner-up Plant's three-run comeback in the top of the seventh that bounced his team from the final four.

Days before the season opener against Forest Hill on Feb. 27, Mattison said the core's offseason was "extremely productive," starting workouts with XLB Training from the day after states to this January.

"I’ll be the first to say it, losing in states really hurt a good majority of us and still touches a nerve for me personally, so I think it was a large driving factor for this group day in and day out," Mattison said.

"Now that we’ve gotten over the hump of getting to states, I think it’s time we win states."

Mattison back on the mound for Park Vista in 2024

To see the Cobras win the region championship over Jupiter, Mattison pitched what coach Larry Greenstein called the "biggest game of his life." The then-junior topped out at 89, holding the opposition to just one run on three hits with six strikeouts.

Mattison finished with a 1.39 ERA and nine wins. In 65.1 innings, he faced 267 batters and struck out 71 with an OBA of .201 and just 13 earned runs.

It was hard to fathom how much more Mattison could grow after stunning in his first varsity season as a sophomore. Then he did, and expect a new Mattison on the mound this year.

"My offseason development was extremely aggressive and intense. I’ve gained a lot of muscle mass and revamped my body to go along with my newfound strength," Mattison said.

Mattison took two months off from throwing.

"I did a pro-style ramp-up for this spring and it has most definitely shown early on this year having already been 88-91 in my first preseason outing," Mattison said.

There's more pressure this season with a new set of eyes that'll be locked in on the senior.

In August, Mattison announced his commitment to Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles went 44-19 with a finish in the ASUN championship last May.

"It immediately felt like home," Mattison said of the Fort Myers campus. "I knew this was the place I wanted and needed to be at."

Given that PV lost 12 seniors from its 2023 23-6 run, it'd be easy to think that Mattison may have less faith in his crew, but the Cobras still have 10 seniors and seven juniors.

Mattison believes that "with a couple minor tweaks" junior righty Kyle Hirsch "could be an arm talent that would rise very quickly in the future."

"With Chris Britton and Blake Bagwell on the corners, they’ve been nothing short of great to start the year off," Mattison said. He added that senior Will Bavaro taking over at second base "will be lethal down the stretch."

More Palm Beach County pitchers to know in 2024

Blake Anderson, junior, Cardinal Newman

Senior exits have cleared the way for a new leader. At Wellington last spring, Anderson helped the Wolverines to a 15-9 playoff run with a 2.29 ERA and 4-0 record in 13 appearances. Over 37.2 innings, he allowed 25 hits, with 12 earned runs, and struck out 31.

Tyler Atkins, sophomore, Wellington

Wellington can feel confident about a return to the postseason with Atkins still around. In 2023, the then-freshman touted a team-best ERA of 0.93. Atkins went 4-1 in nine appearances with one shutout, allowing 22 hits and five earned runs while striking out 37. Batters facing the righty hit .195.

Cannon Baughman, senior, Benjamin

Having next-level talent in Parker McGraw and Freddy Beruvides saw Benjamin flip from 8-15 in 2022 to 24-3 last spring. Now, Baughman is in the driver's seat after mounting a 2.18 ERA and 2-0 record in 12 appearances and 25.2 innings, striking out 56. The lefty is a University of Tampa commit.

Brady Benevides, junior, Suncoast

The Chargers returned to the playoffs after a three-year hiatus in 2023. Having lost just two seniors, the chances of making it back in 2024 are looking good. Taking the field again, along with righty arm and catcher Brady King, will be Benevides. The University of Richmond commit's sophomore stat line consisted of a 10-1 record, a 3.16 ERA over 51 innings with 43 strikeouts.

James Litman, senior, West Boca Raton

A standout for his long 6-foot, 175-pound frame and speedy tempo, Litman's fastball topped out at 92 mph in October, per Perfect Game. In a social media post from Prep Baseball Florida on Feb. 15, the FAU commit sat between 91-94 with a top speed of 95 mph. Last spring, the Bulls went 17-9 with a second-round exit in the 6A state playoff, thanks to Litman's 1.73 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 52.2 innings.

Trevor Palmieri, junior, Dr. Joaquin Garcia

The brand-new Bulldogs have no players with varsity experience, but Palmieri showed his potential on JV at Santaluces in 2023. Touting interest from 15 colleges and counting, including FAU, Miami, and Florida, Palmieri's stellar knuckle pitch makes him a standout, especially in relief. A natural center fielder, Palmieri also brings a big bat, hitting .511 for 23 hits and nine extra-base hits in 2023.

Dane Rossi, senior, American Heritage-Delray

Another squad that boasted a stunning turnaround last spring, going from 11-17 to 17-9 and the 4A region quarterfinals, the Stallions boast lefty Rossi in their arsenal. The Indian River State College commit went 4-4 in 10 appearances last spring, claiming the second-best ERA, 1.49, behind an 0.75 for fellow senior Joey Abazzia. Over 42.1 innings, Rossi allowed 25 hits, nine earned runs, and struck out 53.

Nick Rovitti, senior, Dwyer

The Panther ace had a 2.51 ERA and 3-0 record in 13 appearances to see the region runner-ups go 18-9-2. In 39 innings he gave up 28 hits and 14 earned runs, striking out 50.

Ethan Trivison, sophomore, Jupiter

Trivision was the only underclassman among a senior-led pitching staff as Jupiter went 17-8 in 2023. In five innings last fall, he allowed two hits, one run, and struck out six of 19 batters faced. In 2024, he's already struck out five in three innings, allowing just one hit under the Warriors' new head coach Kyle Young.

Lucas Valencia, junior, Palm Beach Gardens

2023 didn't offer the spring Gardens imagined after reaching the 7A state championship game the year before. While the Gators went 4-20-1, Valencia, now 6-3, 200 pounds after a growth spurt, managed to be a bright spot. He was 2-1 in 11 appearances and built a 2.05 ERA in 44.1 innings, giving up 13 earned runs and striking out 32.

Peyton Warner, freshman, Trinity Christian Academy

Don't count on freshman jitters from Warner, who made his varsity debut as an eighth-grader with the Warriors. To see Trinity Christian go 15-9 and make the cut for the postseason, Warner made 11 appearances. He finished the year with an ERA of 2.86, allowing 22 hits, nine earned runs and striking out 31 of 114 batters faced over 22 innings.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County baseball preview: Pitchers to know in 2024