Grace Christian senior Caleb Winter will sign to play football at Southeastern University at a ceremony Thursday morning.

Winter, a kicker/punter, was a standout soccer player at Grace Christian. He was the conference’s soccer MVP in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was one of its top basketball players, too. He’ll graduate with honors from the school before joining Southeastern, an NAIA program in Lakeland.

Boca Ciega did not have to look far for its next girls basketball coach. The school has hired Cheryl Greene, who is currently the girls track and cheerleading coach. Greene is also an English teacher at the school.

“Cheryl has a long established relationship with the kids at our school,’’ Boca Ciega athletic director Deb Fabrizio said. “She’s been an excellent track coach and stood out among the candidates we had for the job.’’

Fabrizio said there were nearly 40 applicants for the head coaching job.

Greene will relinquish her cheerleading duties to focus on basketball. She takes over for Michael Hall, who was head coach for two years before resigning in March. The Pirates were 6-15 this past season.

Four Sunlake players have signed to continue their football careers after high school, Seahawks coach Bill Browning announced Monday afternoon.

FS Joe Jean-Baptiste signed with Lake Erie College, a Division II program in Ohio. The 6-foot-2 senior had 50 tackles and two interceptions on defense last season. He also caught nine passes for 141 yards at receiver.

RB/DB Ricardo Williams is headed to Peru State, an NAIA school in Nebraska. The three-year starter rushed for 188 yards last fall and had 28 tackles on defense. He scored four touchdowns in his Seahawks career.

DE Nick Larry, a 6-foot-3 senior, will play at Gattaca College in Tampa. He racked up 49 tackles (15 for a loss) and two sacks last season.

WR/DB Wanya Lamar has signed with the University of Faith in St. Petersburg. The 6-foot senior had 253 receiving yards and two touchdowns on offense and 27 tackles and 11 passes defensed at defensive back.

Largo centerfielder Travis Carden committed to play at Maryland-Eastern Shore, per asst. coach Dan Flynn. Carden was one of the top players for the Packers, who were 7-20 this  season. Carden hit .329 with 13 RBI and six doubles.

Carden

Maryland-Eastern Shore plays in the Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Hawks are 13-29.

All games Tuesday at 7 p.m. unless noted 

Class 8A: Bloomingdale (18-9) at Plant (23-5)
Last game: Plant topped St. Petersburg 10-0 in six innings after a Kyle Tucker three-run walk-off homer. Bloomingdale beat Riverview 6-5, scoring the go-ahead run in the final frame.
Last meetings: Plant beat the Bulls 10-2 in the 8A-7 district championship game. Before that, the Panthers beat Bloomingdale 9-0 on March 21 and 1-0 on Feb. 18.
Story lines: After securing its first region semifinal berth since 2009, can Plant continue to ride Tucker’s hot hitting to stay alive in the postseason? Can Bloomingdale avenge its big district title game loss to the Panthers?
This time around: Plant has come up big at the plate recently, scoring 20 runs and recording 21 hits in its past two games. Tucker, who is tied for first in the state with nine home runs, is hard to stop, and once he gets going, it’s often contagious among the Panthers. The Bulls’ have one weapon in particular, though, that could be of service against Plant. FSU commit Logan Crouse has one of the lowest ERAs around (0.67), and he’s known to come up with some game-saving pitches or at-bats.

Class 7A: Sickes (18-7) at Wiregrass Ranch (20-6)
Last game: Wiregrass Ranch beat Brandon 3-2 on a walk-off single from catcher Alex Goebel. Sickles topped Durant 5-3.
Last meetings: Wiregrass Ranch beat Sickles 1-0 in a Zach Drury no-hitter to win its first district title in program history. The Bulls beat the Gryphons 4-2 on Feb. 25 before losing to them 2-0 on March 28.
Story lines: Do the Bulls have any more heroics left in them? Will Sickles be ready to end the season of the team that robbed the Gryphons of their first district baseball title?
This time around: First a no-hitter, then a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh. Wiregrass Ranch has found creative ways to stay alive in the postseason so far, and the defensive-minded Bulls will try to do it again against a Sickles team that came into the district title game against them on a seven-game win streak. The Gryphons could look to Levi Gilcrease — who leads Sickles with 12 extra-base hits — to end their hitting slump vs. the Bulls and lead them to a regional final. 

Class 7A: East Lake (19-8) at Northeast (23-4)
Last game: East Lake defeated Sarasota 2-1 in 10 innings. Northeast defeated Braden River 2-0.
Last meeting: Northeast defeated East Lake 3-2 in the Class 7A-9 district final. Northeast has won all three meetings this seasonh: 2-1 at East Lake, 7-3 at Northeast and the district final at Countryside.
Story lines: Can Northeast beat East Lake a fourth time in the same season? Is East Lake destined after beating state contender Sarasota?
This time around: Pitching should dominate. Northeast left-hander Colton Tison has been spectacular in the postseason. He has thrown consecutive two-hitters in the district final and region quarterfinal. East Lake’s Brad Deppermann allowed only one run in seven innings to Sarasota, the No. 2 team in the state. Steven Plaskett has been lights out as a reliever, and Ryan Wall and Cameron Churchill are also ready to pitch. 

Class 6A: King (21-6) at Osceola (20-7)
Last game: King defeated Mitchell 4-2; Osceola defeated Jefferson 7-3.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the schools this season. They did meet last season in the region semifinals, a 12-0 King win.
Story lines: Has King put the 11-1 loss to Jefferson in the district final behind it, and can it advance to a region final for a second straight season? Can Osceola beat a Hillsborough team a second straight time?
This time around: King again faces a pitcher who may go high in the MLB draft. The Lions defeated Mitchell’s Cobi Johnson and now get Osceola’s Keith Weisenberg. Weisenberg, a Stanford commit, was a little erratic against Jefferson, but did strike out 10 and shut the Dragons down in the final few innings. King is led by Tyeler Checkley, who is 9-1 with a 1.57 ERA. This could be a lo-scoring game.

Class 5A: Pasco (17-10) at Sunlake (18-9)
Last game: Pasco defeated Land O’ Lakes 8-3. Sunlake defeated Hernando 2-1.
Last meetings: Sunlake beat Pasco 9-1 on April 16. Pasco beat Sunlake 5-4 on March 19
Story lines: The rubber match in this year’s series will send one team to the region final. Sunlake had never made regionals until this season, so every win is historic.
This time around: Sunlake dominated the last meeting. The Seahawks outhit Pasco 10-1 and got good pitching from David Castillo and Ryan Talburt in their 9-1 win. Earlier in the season, Pasco got three runs in the fifth inning to erase a 4-2 deficit and win 5-4. Hard to tell whether the pitching will show up for both teams in the third meeting. 

Class 4A: Tampa Catholic (17-9)  at Berkeley Prep (16-12)
Last game: Berkeley Prep beat Lakeland McKeel 7-0 after Dante Bosnic gave up just two hits in five innings pitched. Tampa Catholic beat Avon Park 5-1.
Last meetings: The Bucs have beaten TC 4-3, 2-1 and 4-2 this season. 
Story lines: Is the fourth time a charm for the Crusaders? Or will Berkeley Prep continue to have Tampa Catholic’s number?
This time around: The Crusaders have lost three games to the Bucs this season by a combined four runs, and Tampa Catholic coach Ty Griffin said he expects another tight contest the fourth and final time the two will meet in 2014. Tampa Catholic has had trouble with stranding runners in the past, something the Crusaders can’t do if they plan to beat a Berkeley Prep team that gave up just two hits in a shutout win in the region quarterfinal. 

Class 3A: Calvary Christian (21-7) at Clearwater Central Catholic (26-0)
Last game: CCC defeated Sarasota Out-of-Door 12-3. Calvary Christian defeated Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 5-1.
Last meetings: The Marauders beat the Warriors 9-1 in the district final. CCC has won all three meetings; 6-5 at home, 4-2 at Calvary Christian and the district final.
Story lines: Can CCC remain undefeated and go to a second straight region final? Does Calvary Christian have the firepower to pull off the upset and ruin CCC’s perfect season?
This time around: Ace Daniel Broeseker did not pitch against the Marauders in the district final. The Marauders have already beaten Broeseker this season, but it should be a much closer game when he is on the mound. CCC will likely counter with senior ace David Paul. Paul has pitched so many big games in his career and will be hard to beat in this one. Brenden Overton (.484) and Zuriel Collins (.405) are CCC’s toughest outs. 

Class 3A: Tampa Prep (18-10) at Bishop McLaughlin (18-7)
Last game: The Terrapins beat Lakeland Christian 5-3 after Holden Bridge had a two-RBI double in the third inning to snatch the lead. Bishop McLaughlin topped Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic as usual closer Will Potosky earned his second win in a week.
Last meetings: Bishop McLaughlin beat Tampa Prep 2-0 to win the 3A-7 district title. The Terrapins beat the Hurricanes the first two times they met in the regular season, 5-4 on Feb. 18 and 11-0 on March 28.
Story lines: Can the team-leading sophomore catcher Luis Medina come through in the clutch for Tampa Catholic as it looks to earn its second final-four berth in three years? Can the Hurricanes prove their district title win against the Terrapins wasn’t a fluke?
This time around: Bishop McLaughlin scored one of its two runs in its only win against the Terrapins this season on an error, so Tampa Prep will need to keep its mistakes to a minimum to advance against a Hurricanes squad hungry for its first region final berth since 2010. Tampa Prep has beaten Bishop McLaughlin by a combined 13 runs, so the Hurricanes should know what to expect. Tampa Prep is just charged with channeling that same power at the plate it once had. 

NEW PORT RICHEY —Two dozen or so Ridgewood Rams hit the practice field for the first drills of the spring, confirming the team indeed is more than just Glass Wilson.

Ridgewood may not be a one-man show. But many opponents’ eyes, and certainly those of college coaches, will be trained on the rising junior running back.

USF has certainly noticed the speedy, slippery sophomore’s skills. The Bulls recently presented Wilson with his first major college offer and though more are surely to come, this one was not casually received.

“It is a big deal,” Wilson said. “My parents are season ticket holders to USF.”

Watching Wilson run will be worth the ticket price for Pasco County prep fans. As a sophomore he ran for 1,500 yards, busting out with a 308-yard, four-TD performance in a wild 62-54 win over Gulf. That was part of a two-game win streak to end the season and carry the Rams into 2014 with high hopes.

“I’m really excited for next year. This spring, it’s just to see what our weaknesses are,” said Wilson, who says his areas of improvement include upping his speed and cutting ability.

For all of the spotlight that will land on Wilson (5-10, 190), Ridgewood coach Jay Fulmer says he is equipped to handle it. Parents Nicole and Glass IV have instilled a great humility in Wilson, and he’s pretty good at handling pressure.

“He’s been the class president since he was a freshman, and I think the last vote was dang near unanimous,” Fulmer said. “Great kid, all you could ask for as a person and as a player.”

Fulmer says he won’t ask for Wilson to carry the full load. During a four-game stretch last year, Wilson was handed the ball at least 30 times, including 38 in a defeat of Wesley Chapel.

He’d prefer the carry range to land in the 20-25 area. And it helps that the Rams have a passing game. Nick Michaels threw for nearly 1,000 yards last year and will be a senior. His top target, Clarence Farria, will be a junior and budding tight end Dominick Mathis, now 6 feet 6, will be implemented.

Ridgewood could not have picked a much tougher spring game opponent —Zephyrhills, which Fulmer describes as “loaded” but one the Rams competed well against in 7-on-7 play. The Bulldogs certainly have larger numbers than Ridgewood, but Fulmer’s not concerned.

“I’m not worried about how many players I have, I’m worried about how many players with talent I have,” he said. “I can take my 26 and beat your 80.”

More top returning RBs

Mike Ford, Tarpon Springs: Ford was a major part of the Spongers’ offense as a junior, and don’t expect that to change. He had exactly 200 carries and averaged 125 yards per game, and scored 17 touchdowns. At 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, he is hard to handle once he gets into the open field. 

Jacquan Fuller, St. Petersburg Catholic: As a junior, Fuller was part of an explosive running attack that included Tony Jones. Jones left for IMG Academy, making Fuller the main carrier as a senior. He rushed for 1,258 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last fall.

Nathan Johnson, Sunlake: Rumblings from the North Suncoast say the 5-foot-10, 195-pound bruiser might end up as one of the best running backs in Pasco County history. He rushed for 16 touchdowns and more than 1,500 yards as a junior to earn conference player of the year honors and help the Seahawks get back to the playoffs.

Mondreas Lofton, Jefferson: His 791 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore were a nice addition to dynamic dual-threat quarterback Deiondre Porter. With Porter headed to Florida, don’t be surprised if the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Lofton gets more touches— and touchdowns — this year.

Donte Maxson, Pinellas Park: Maxson thrived in the Patriots’ wing-T offense last season. With Pierre Johnson graduated, Maxson will likely get a bulk of the carries along with fullback Kal-El Williams. Maxson gained 1,208 yards as a junior. 

Ray Ray McCloud III, Sickles: There’s a reason that Florida, Oregon, Clemson and the national high school all-star games are all fighting for the services of the electric 5-foot-9, four-star recruit. He was among the state’s leaders with 2,300 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior.

DeShawn Smith, Nature Coast: Hernando County’s 100-meter champion had an ESPN-worthy performance in the Sharks’ biggest win last fall, an upset over Pasco. He battled injuries but still racked up nine TDs and more than 700 rushing yards as a sophomore.

Daniel Wright, Springstead: The 5-foot-9 junior makes up for a lack of size with determination. He ran for more than 1,100 yards last fall and could become an even bigger part of the Eagles’ offense this season.

Staff writer Matt Baker and Rodney Page contributed to this report.

BROOKSVILLE — Hernando was hosting a Class 5A region final a second straight season. And the Leopards were dominated from the start once again.

Belleview jumped ahead in the first inning Monday afternoon, and with an offensive outburst, eventually dispatched Hernando 18-4 at Tom Varn Park.

“Give Belleview credit,” Hernando coach Kevin Bittinger said. “This was the best top to bottom hitting lineup we’ve faced all season.”

The Leopards (27-3) were playing an afternoon game, a rarity for this time of year. The temperature at game time was 84 degrees, and with almost no wind, the heat felt far more intense on the field.

“(Blaming the heat) is the easy way out,” Bittinger said. “We’re better than that, and we have to own it.”

Hernando ace Courtney Riddle (27-2) labored through her seven innings of work, giving up bloop singles early. But the Rattlers (25-5) eventually began to make solid contact. The senior was charged with 18 runs, only one unearned. She was also tagged for 20 hits, hitting four batters, walking one, and striking out only one.

“They are a great hitting team, and I was making good pitches,” Riddle said. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you want it to.”

Belleview, which came in hitting .426 as a team, lived up to that statistic. If you take away the eighth and ninth batters for the Rattlers, the lineup went a combined 20-for-32 with four doubles, 17 runs scored and 17 RBIs. Alex Suzuki led the team at 5-for-5 with two doubles, four runs and three RBIs.

Rattlers starter Jamie Adams (20-3) wasn’t stellar, but she outdueled Riddle thanks to her ability to erase mistakes. In the complete game, the freshman struck out five and walked four, but only was charged with three earned runs. Belleview even had four defensive errors.

For senior-laden Hernando, it was disappointing. Creekside eliminated the Leopards 10-0 last year, but confidence was high heading into Monday.

“I told the girls, I’d rather have this group in back-to-back region finals than another group and win a state title,” Bittinger said. “That’s how much they mean to me.”

VERO BEACH — Bloomingdale will have to remember the way back to the Treasure Coast.

The Bulls plated two runs in the top of the first inning, and junior ace Lace Smith overpowered Vero Beach in a 2-1 Class 8A region final victory that sends Bloomingdale back to Vero Beach on Wednesday for state.

“It wasn’t her best game today for sure, but she moved the ball around enough. Her ball may have been a little more flat than usual,” first-year coach Mandy Schuerman said of Smith.

Smith (22-2) didn’t appear to be off her game. Her riseball resulted in the first 15 outs being recorded via strikeout or balls put in the air. She finished with 12 strikeouts and allowed just three base hits, two of them doubles.

“I wasn’t on like I usually am. I hope I come back here and pitch better in the states. The next 48 hours are going to be a little nervous,” said Smith, whose team faces Cypress Bay at Historic Dodgertown on Wednesday. 

Bloomingdale (25-3) leadoff hitter Lizzie Jackson, who had three hits and reached base all four at-bats, opened with a single, swiped second base and scored on a throwing error on Taylor Engman’s sacrifice bunt for a 1-0 lead. 

Jenna Beswick drove in Engman four batters later on a long fly to centerfield for all the runs Bloomingdale (25-3) would score.

“Their pitcher worked the ball in and out really well, but I was able to get the bat on them and get a couple of good bunts,” said Jackson, a junior who had two bunt singles and reached on a throwing error by Vero Beach pitcher Autumn Green. 

Added Schuerman: “It’s always good to a have a nice start like that. We left a lot of base runners stranded, but that first inning was key for us.”

Up 2-1, Bloomingdale looked to add some insurance by loading the bases in the seventh on a single to leftfield and a pair of bunt hits. A flyout, popout and grounder to second base, however, kept the Indians (15-10) alive.

Green opened the final inning with a single, but following a strikeout, pinch runner Brianna James was caught stealing by catcher Sammie Selden. Following a pinch-hit double to deep left, Smith induced a weak grounder to end the game with the tying run on second. 

“That throw (by Selden on the attempted steal) was huge. That’s a senior making the play when it counts,” Schuerman said.

3A: CDS makes history

ODESSA — Having won its first playoff game 11 days ago, this season has already been the most successful in Carrollwood Day history.

Now the Patriots can add another milestone: a region championship.

In a back-and-forth game where Carrollwood Day trailed by three runs in the fourth inning, the Patriots rallied for a 12-7 victory over Cornerstone Charter Academy at Fest Field to advance to the Class 3A state final four, the first CDS athletic team to achieve the feat.

“When (CDS athletic director) Baker (Mabry) asked me to be the head coach two years ago — or a year ago now, this is my second year — I said that the only way I would do it is if we could build a dynasty,” CDS coach Chuck Fest said. “I want CDS to be the premier private school softball program in the county, and we’re capable of doing it. We expect to be there this year and next year and the year after that.”

The Patriots (16-7) were behind 7-5 in the bottom of the fifth before tying the score. Savannah Bennett led off the inning with a single. Amanda Rose singled to centerfield, and both scored when Rose’s base hit bounced under the centerfielder’s glove and rolled all the way to the fence.

Carrollwood Day scored five runs in the sixth to break the game open. Bennett drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single for an 8-7 Patriots lead.

“Before the game while the national anthem was playing, I like to sit there and close my eyes and visualize what I want to do during the game,” Bennett said. “I always visualize myself hitting a gap hit. So that’s what I tried to do right before that hit.”

Emalee Jansen scored on a wild pitch, and Bennett crossed the plate on an error later in the inning. Christina Polanco’s two-RBI single gave the Patriots a 12-7 advantage.

Rose, who entered for starting pitcher Jansen with two on and two out in the sixth and got a strikeout to end the threat, worked a 1-2-3 seventh to finish off the historic win.

“The character of this team really showed today,” Fest said.

Bryan Burns, Times correspondent

State softball
At Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Wednesday
8A: Bloomingdale vs. Cypress Bay
6A: Chamberlain vs. Lake Region
2A: Canterbury vs. Sarasota Christian

Friday
3A: Carrollwood Day vs. Moore Haven

Palm Harbor University guard Amber Jennings will sign with Robert Morris University of Chicago on Tuesday morning in a ceremony at the school.

Jennings, who transferred from East Lake, averaged 14.5 points per game and made 36 percent of her 3-points shots. She helped lead  the Hurricanes to a 24-4 record and an appearance in the Class 8A regional semifinals.

Jennings was a Times' first-team all-county selection and a member of the Pinellas senior all-star team.

Northeast offensive lineman Austin Brannen has committed to play at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, according to former Vikings coach Mike Jalazo.

Brannen was a two-year starter on the offensive line and played center, guard and tackle. He was a team captain his senior year. Brannen is being recruited to play center.

Capiital Universiity plays in the Ohio Athletic Conference, which also includes football power Mount Union.

ST. PETERSBURG — With an 11-0 victory over Orlando Christian Prep that lasted five innings because of the mercy rule, Canterbury again turned the Class 2A postseason into its own game of Monopoly, earning its sixth trip to the state semifinals in the past seven seasons. 

The Crusaders (21-6), the defending state champions, have held the top spot in the 2A state poll since the season started, in large part by outscoring opponents in their classification by a combined 119-2.

But after beating state-ranked Cambridge Christian and Academy at the Lakes in the first two rounds of the playoffs in games that lasted seven innings, Canterbury had a relatively easy time against Orlando Christian Prep. The district runnerup had advanced to Monday’s region final by knocking off defending state finalist Orlando Pine Castle Christian.

It didn’t take long for the Crusaders to seize control. In the first inning, Canterbury scored five runs with the big hits coming on a sacrifice bunt that Taylor Bump beat out for a single and a two-run homer by Danielle Romanello.

In the second inning, the Crusaders tacked on five more runs.

By then the rout was on.

“The big thing was getting on them early,” Canterbury coach Jody Moore said. “Taylor came up with a selfless play by going up there and laying down that bunt in the first inning. That created a lot of momentum.

The runs were more than enough for Kama Woodall, who pitched a one-hit shutout and struck out nine in four innings of work. Woodall allowed just three base  runners, two of whom were picked off by Romanello.

Hailey Hopkins relieved Woodall in the fifth and retired the side to end the game. In all, the Crusaders had 11 hits. Bump and Woodall each went 3-for-3.

“We’re right where we want to be,” Moore said. “But we need to keep doing the things we’ve always done to get better. This is why we played such a competitive schedule during the season. We just have to keep staying focused, no matter who we play.”

State softball
At Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Wednesday
8A: Bloomingdale vs. Cypress Bay
6A: Chamberlain vs. Lake Region 
2A: Canterbury vs. Sarasota Christian
Friday
3A: Carrollwood Day vs. Moore Haven

TAMPA — At the beginning of the 2014 baseball season, Jefferson coach Pop Cuesta, 69, sat his players down and told it to them straight.

"I said I was going to play it year to year depending on how I felt," Cuesta said of his 43-year career at the helm for the Dragons. "If I felt good, I'd come back. If I didn't, it might be time for a younger person to come in."

A few days after his team's May 1 loss to Osceola in the region quarterfinals, Cuesta decided the time for retirement had come, and he informed the school, which announced his departure Tuesday afternoon.

During his 43 years coaching baseball at Jefferson — 38 of which he also served as a driver's education teacher at the school — Cuesta coached a number of players who would go on to play professional baseball, including Fred McGriff, Tino Martinez. Cuesta also coached current Durant head baseball coach Butch Valdes and Alonso head coach Landy Faedo.

"Everybody you play for, you learn from other people," said Faedo, who played catcher for the Dragons in 1982-83. "I definitely do things that he did…the longevity is unbelievable."

Cuesta, who graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was born and raised in Ybor City where he was neighbors with former Gaither baseball head coach Frank Permuy. Permuy also retired after the 2014, having spent 30 years coaching the Cowboys.

Though a decision hasn't been made about Cuesta's successor, the longtime coach said he thinks current assistant and Jefferson alumnus Juan Fontela would be a good choice.

Cuesta admitted that some of the aspects of coaching, like field work and fundraising, had become a chore for him. Being around the boys and the camaraderie he shared with his fellow coaches, though, never got old.

"That's going to be missed," he said, "But eventually everybody's got to move on."

TAMPA — If Chamberlain first baseman Liz Diaz ever needed a reminder of her program’s rich history, she’d only need to look behind her to the outfield wall, where the names of previous All-America Chiefs stare back.

“It’s not really intimidating,” Diaz said. “It’s inspiring.”

It’s also the biggest difference between this year’s state-bound Chiefs and the other seven Chamberlain teams coach Bobby Diez has taken to region championships.

“There’s no stars,” Diez said.

Instead of All-America talents like Bianka Bell, who took Chamberlain to the Class 7A state title two years ago, the Chiefs have a mix of gritty veterans and solid youngsters that will face Eagle Lake Lake Region in today’s Class 6A state semifinal in Vero Beach.

Although no Chiefs are hitting better .450 or have more than three home runs, Chamberlain’s offense is deep. Four girls are batting at least .400 — Diaz, Lauren Williams, Izzy Ordorica and Hope Hernandez. Ten players have at least 10 RBIs, led by Diaz’s 37.

Sophomore pitcher Olivia Dwyer hasn’t put up gaudy statistics (1.40 ERA, seven shutouts) but has been a steady force in the circle for a team with only three seniors.

Chamberlain has embraced its starless identity. The locker room is ego free, and its close bonds are perhaps the biggest reason behind the Chiefs’ 27-4 season.

“We just have more heart and passion than any other team I’ve ever been on,” said Diaz, a Saint Leo recruit who was on the 2012 state title team.

The Chiefs needed both traits at two pivotal parts of the season.

Chamberlain lost its two biggest tests of the season before heading to a March tournament in Bartow  — where Auburndale blew it out in the first game. The Chiefs rallied from there with confidence-boosting wins of Strawberry Crest and Bartow and four wins at the Kissimmee Klassic.

“It was kind of like, ‘Oh man, maybe we can do this,’ ” Diez said.

After its offense struggled in a 2-1 loss to Jefferson in the district championship, Chamberlain’s heart and passion never wavered. The Chiefs blew out Mitchell in the region quarterfinals and avenged that defeat to the Dragons to pave the path to Historic Dodgertown — and keep Ordorica’s prophecy alive.

Before the season, the UCLA signee looked at her team’s roster and envisioned a shot at the program’s third state championship. Diez thought Ordorica was crazy, but he reminded her of her prediction during a celebratory meal at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s after Sunday’s region championship.

For Ordorica, the team’s success stems from its on-the-field talent, off-field chemistry and the intangible boost that comes from playing at a home stadium with celebratory banners sprawled in the outfield.

“You play with the Chamberlain across your jersey,” Ordorica said. “It’s just kind of that pride. You want to uphold that reputation.”

State softball
Where: Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Admission: $9 per session; $8 for parking
Class 6A: Chamberlain (27-4) vs. Eagle Lake Lake Region (24-6), 7:20 p.m.

State softball 

Where: Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach 

Admission: $9 per session; $8 for parking

Class 8A: Bloomingdale (23-3) vs. Cypress Bay (21-6), 4:50 p.m. 

How they got here: Bloomingdale d. Sarasota Riverview 1-0, Alonso 3-1, Vero Beach 2-1. Cypress Bay d. Douglas 8-2, Cooper City 7-1, Park Vista 6-4 (11 innings).

History at state: After missing the playoffs each of the past four seasons, Bloomingdale is back at state for the first time since 2004 behind first-year coach Mandy Schuerman. The Bulls’ only state title came in 1993, but they finished second in 1997. Cypress Bay was the runnerup last season and in 2004.

Matchup to watch: Bloomingdale pitcher Lace Smith vs. Lightning pitcher Sarah Maloney. Smith, a Buffalo commit, has emerged as perhaps Tampa Bay’s biggest ace. Her perfect game in the region quarterfinals and 12-strikeout performance Monday are just the latest highlights of a stellar season. She holds a 0.58 ERA with 266 strikeouts and is averaging barely more than one walk per game. Smith will face off against Maloney, one of the state’s top pitchers last spring. Though she’s been hampered with a knee injury, she still holds a 1.20 ERA with 183 strikeouts.

Notables: Elizabeth Jackson leads Bloomingdale with a .486 batting average. Smith (.343) and Taylor Engman (.337) are the only other Bulls hitting at least .330. …Tyler Farrell is tied for the team lead with two home runs. …Boston College commit Lexi DiEmmanuele is Cypress Bay’s top hitter (.494 average, three triples).

ST. PETERSBURG — Kama Woodall and Hailey Hopkins are opposites as pitchers. Woodall, a freshman, is a flame thrower. Hopkins, a junior, relies on finesse.

But each, thanks in part to the other, is having her best season. Together, the right-handed aces have helped put Canterbury in position to win its second straight Class 2A state title and third in the past four seasons.

Both arrived at this point with a drive that borders on the extreme.

Woodall, who started attending Canterbury last year as an eighth-grader, travels from Spring Hill, roughly a 150-mile roundtrip commute. She is up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for school.

“It’s early at times and can make for a long day,” Woodall said. “But I don’t mind. It’s something I’ve gotten used to.”

Hopkins, who transferred from Bradenton Manatee, travels about 60 miles each day.

“I lived about five minutes from the high school I came from and could wake up about a half-hour before school,” Hopkins said. “Now, I’m getting up about two earlier. But this was something I definitely wanted to do.”

Both said their reason for attending Canterbury had to do more with the school’s penchant for churning out college-ready students than the softball program’s reputation as a consistent state title contender.

Canterbury, located in northeast St. Petersburg, is a college preparatory school. Last year, 72 students took 134 advanced placement exams and 10 were named AP scholars. Those were the statistics Woodall said opened her eyes when she glanced at a web site about the school.

“I’m thinking about going to an Ivy League school, and this was probably the best fit to make that happen,” said Woodall, who has a 4.0 weighted GPA. “The education at Canterbury is amazing. It’s something I wanted to do, even if it meant traveling as much I did.

“But that was okay. The place I live is kind of desolate, so I’m used to long drives. I was already driving to Clearwater for pitching lessons when I was younger. My dad (Rick) works in Tampa, so it wasn’t as much of an inconvenience for him either.”

Woodall pitched in all but one game and led the Crusaders to the state title last season.

Hopkins made the move because she wanted to play softball in college and attending Canterbury would boost her GPA and test scores enough to make that happen.

Hopkins, who committed to Kent State in the fall, has a 3.2 GPA, which she says is low in part because she struggled academically as a freshman. She has yet to take any of the standardized tests.

As for the commute, Hopkins said it’s nothing compared to the frequent-flier miles she logs with her travel team, which is based in New Jersey. She often goes to out-of-state tournaments, even during the school year.

“I’ll leave on Thursday, catch a red-eye on Sunday and get back just in time for school on Monday,” Hopkins said. “That can be rough, but it’s something I’ll have to get used to in college.”

Hopkins’ arrival meant Woodall had to share some of the pitching load. That new role could have caused friction, but the two have worked together to make each other better.

“We complement each other very well,” Woodall said. “We talk different pitches, game plans and how to keep our heads straight in games.”

They have become a consistently capable tandem that can overwhelm opponents, particularly in their classification. Since the district tournament began three weeks ago, the Crusaders have recorded shutouts in four of their past five games.

Canterbury coach Jody Moore said she started hearing some of those rumblings from opposing parents in the stands. Moore does not coach travel ball and does not work her players until conditioning starts in January.

“I’m not involved in their personal lives, and only have them from January to May during the high school season,” she said. “People think we’re good just because we have some talent here. It’s not that easy. These girls work hard every day in practice. That’s why they keep getting better and better.”

State softball 
Where: Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Admission: $9 per session;  $8 for parking
Class 2A: Canterbury (21-6) vs. Sarasota Christian (16-2), 2:20 p.m.  

SEMINOLE — King and Osceola took the unconventional route into Tuesday’s Class 6A region semifinals. The Warriors knocked off district champ Jefferson, and the Lions downed district champ Mitchell. 

Both teams like to put pressure on the bases. So something had to give and it was the Osceola defense. The Warriors gave up six unearned runs on six errors, falling 10-3 to the visiting Lions.

“We’ve had people do it to us (pressure runners on the bases),” King coach Jim Macaluso said. “We like to run and bunt and move runners and everybody knows that, but when you start to think about it (making plays in the infield) too much, it affects your execution.”

Warriors starting pitcher Buddy Dougherty went a strong 4 1/3 innings, fanning five and walking two. But the fielding errors started in the second and by the time the hook came it the fifth for Dougherty, it was 5-0 with only one run earned.

The Lions were stingy and intuitive on defense, twice picking off runners trying to steal without even a throw home, while the pitcher still had the ball.

“I talked to about five coaches that had played (Osceola) and they all said they like to run,” Macaluso said. “So we had a signal if the runner was leading off too much, we would just give the signal and the pitcher would go (make the throw) to first.”

Macaluso said it was actually starting catcher Jose Lopez that made the signals to try and pick the runners. Lopez was 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI at the plate. The Lions got just enough hitting, another couple RBIs from Bubby Terp and Ethan Thomas. 

The Lions were 6-for-6 stealing bases against the Warriors, who mounted a short rally in the sixth but ground out with the bases loaded to keep it 10-3. Tyeler Checkley (10-1) struck out seven in five innings for King.

WESLEY CHAPEL — When Sickles last saw Wiregrass Ranch starter Zach Drury in the district championship, the Bull senior was striking out 10 Gryphons, holding them to no runs and no hits.

So the game plan in the rematch?

“We told them we can’t let Zach do what he did to us last time,” Sickles coach Bob Pagano said.

The Gryphons did almost everything right against Drury and the Bulls on Tuesday night, from swinging the bat to running the bases to winning the Class 7A region semifinal 7-1.

Sickles (18-7) pounded out eight hits, stole five bases and ended Drury’s night on the mound after two innings.

By then, Xavier Rodriguez had walked, stolen two bases, tripled in two runs and scored as the Gryphons led 4-1.

“We just had a mentality that we needed to get out here and swing the bats,” Rodriguez said. “Coach said swing hard, swing at good pitches and hit the fastball. That’s what we did.”

Once staked to a 4-1 lead, Sickles starter Shane Haight (5-2) took care of the rest. The lanky 6-4 righty, who balked in the Bulls’ only run in the first inning, pitched a complete-game five-hitter with seven strikeouts, avenging his 1-0 loss in Drury’s no-hitter at districts.

“He only allowed five hits against them in the district championship, so he did exactly what he did the first time,” Pagano said. “I was talking to (Wiregrass coach) Marshall McDougall before the game and he actually said I’d rather face your other pitcher than face this one. He was prophetic. He was right.”

Both of Haight’s losses this year are by 1-0 scores. But he had plenty of help Tuesday. Levi Gilcrease had an RBI single, Troy Bacon was 3-for-3 with two steals and an RBI, and Maddux Faber and Elias Iglesias each had a double and an RBI.

Sickles advances to the region final for the first time since the team made the state semifinals in 1999.

It's May, and Tampa Bay is crawling with college football coaches and recruiters. Here's some of the verbal offers extended today:

Javon Hammond, Gaither, FS: Western Kentucky

Ray Ray McCloud III, Sickles, RB: Virginia

Jaye Miner, Wiregrass Ranch, LB: Eastern Michigan

Ryan Davis, Lakewood, ATH: Toledo

Sekendrick Biddines, Lakewood, WR/DB: Toledo

T.J. Chase, Plant City, ATH: South Carolina

Auden Tate, Wharton, WR: Wisconsin

Kelvin Clemmons, ATH, Alonso: South Alabama and Marshall

Rashaan Watson, Pinellas Park, DB: Georgia State

Donte Maxson, Pinellas Park, RB: Georgia State

Marques Ford, East Bay, DL: Virginia

Let us know at @JohnnyHomeTeam, @BobbyHomeTeam, @RodneyHomeTeam, @MattHomeTeam or @KellyParsons.