‘Our Best Shot’: Buchholz Baseball Eyes State Title in FHSAA Final Four

Buchholz High baseball is no stranger to the FSHAA Final Four. 

For a third consecutive year, the Bobcats have advanced to the FHSAA 6A semifinals and will face Martin County on Friday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. 

Buchholz (24-7) punched its ticket after sweeping top-seeded Pace in back-to-back games Friday night to clinch the best-of-three series in the FHSAA 6A Regional Finals. 

As the No. 1 seed, Buchholz is coming in hot, winning its last 13 games. 

“We’ve pitched well all year,” Buchholz baseball coach Chris Malphurs said. “We’ve played really good defense all year. Our offense is clicking on all cylinders right now.”

Martin County enters with momentum of its own after rallying from a 9-1 deficit to defeat Lake Minneola 16-10 in the FHSAA 6A Regional Finals. 

One of the many reasons Buchholz is back in Fort Myers is the strength of its pitching staff. The Bobcats carry a team ERA of 2.03, wellbelow the 5.75 national average. 

Right-handed pitcher Reed Thomas, an FGCU commit, leads the staff with an 0.82 ERA and remains undefeated on the season.

Dion Wilburn has also been strong on the mound, posting a 2.39 ERA and 6-3 record this season.

“We feel pretty confident going in that we’re going to pitch them hard and give them our best shot,” Malphurs said. 

Experience has also played a major role in Buchholz’s postseason run with seniors comprising nearly half of the Bobcats’ roster.

“These guys know what to expect from each other and there’s not a high level of anxiety going into a game like this,” Malphurs said. 

Buchholz’s lineup has also consistently pressured opposing pitchers throughout the season. In the Bobcats’ pair of wins over Pace, all but two players notched at least one hit across the series. 

 The offense has also excelled at refusing the punch out. Buchholz has totaled 984 plate appearances thisseason, nearly double the national average of 564. 

Still, if Buchholz wants another shot at a state title, the Bobcats will need to stick to their formula e and take care of business on Friday.

“I’m partial to this team because this is the first year I’m the head coach, but I think this is our best shot,” Malphurs said. 

Category: Baseball, Buchholz High School, High School Sports