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| Andrew Minor, a junior at Yulee High School, is the most valuable player for the 2010 all-county team. He led the area in RBIs and was among the leaders in home runs and batting average. Beth Jones/News-Leader Hornet's big bat earns him MVP honors for 2010 By Beth Jones, News-Leader Andrew Minor, 18, has been around baseball his whole life. He was the batboy at the University of North Florida when his older brother played for the Ospreys. "I pretty much grew up around baseball," Minor said. But it wasn't until this season that his coaches saw his flourish on the diamond. Halfway through the season, he started showing a lot more power numbers," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School and Andrew Minor's big brother. "I could see a change in him. It might have been the whole mental approach to the game. It seemed like he was seeing pitches a lot better and recognizing them a lot earlier. The second half of the season is where he most of his home runs." Andrew Minor, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound pitcher and third baseman for Yulee, was a force at the plate for the 14-12 Hornets. He boasted a batting average of .462 for the regular season and led the Jacksonville area in RBIs with 36. He was also among the top five in the area in home runs with six and among the top 10 in hitting with his .462 batting average. Andrew Minor, a junior, hit two home runs off Hilliard, a grand slam against Fernandina Beach and had Yulee's lone hit against West Nassau in a 3-0 loss. "We lost (against Fernandina), but it was still fun," Andrew Minor said. Outside the county, Andrew Minor hit a home run off Russell of Episcopal, who has signed with The Citadel, and a pair of homers off of Bolles' Lumpa, who signed to play at Duke. "I give a lot of credit to the players on my team," Andrew Minor said. "Without them, I wouldn't have any RBIs. We had speed in the first two spots in the order. All I had to do was make contact and they scored for me. "The best game we played as a team was Trinity Christian. We were losing 6-0 going into the fourth or fifth and we won 11-6. We pulled together as a team." Andrew Minor was 4-2 on the mound this season for Yulee. He threw 41 2/3 innings with a 2.18 earned run average. He struck out 41 batters. In three seasons, he's 9-4 on the mound with 104 innings pitched, a .235 ERA and 89 strikeouts. Andrew Minor is looking forward to his senior season with the Hornets and so is his coach. "He works out a lot," Will Minor said. "He's always been a big boy, especially in high school. He just started really lifting weights this last year and it really showed in his numbers. Hopefully he'll continue working hard with that. I think he has a really bright future, a college career if he keeps doing what he's doing." Andrew Minor transferred to Yulee his freshman year and, in addition to a solid player, the Hornets also added a coach. Andrew and Will's father, Bill, is an assistant coach. "It's been enjoyable having my brother here playing for me, watching him grow up," Will Minor said. "He faced certain adversity throughout the year. He's always going to get criticized because he's my brother. But everyone can see when he's hitting home runs. Whether he's my brother or not ... I'd be proud of any of the guys on the team for their accomplishments. He swings a big bat. "I try to treat him just like one of the other guys. From the leadership part, I'm probably harder on him. I try to get in his head sometimes. I think it's harder for him. Andrew Minor is playing this summer for the Jacksonville Warriors. The team just competed in a tournament in Atlanta. "We made two final four appearances," Andrew Minor said. "The second one we went to the championship game." The season wraps up July 24. The all-Nassau County baseball team includes: -- Andrew Minor, junior infielder, pitcher, Yulee. He batted .450 for Yulee with six home runs, 36 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 36 hits, seven doubles and two triples. He was 4-2 on the mound with 41 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA. He led the area in RBIs, was among the top five in home runs and in the top 10 for batting average (.462) for the regular season. -- Cody Layfield, senior infielder, pitcher, Yulee. He hit .329 with 24 hits, 29 runs, three doubles, two triples, 14 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He was 3-2 on the mound with a 2.63 ERA and 27 strikeouts. -- Marcus Taylor, sophomore center fielder, Yulee. He hit .338 with 25 hits, 21 runs, five doubles and a triple. -- Trent Luman, senior outfielder, Fernandina Beach. He hit .295 with a home run, 17 RBIs and nine stolen bases. -- Zach Spencer, senior infielder, FBHS. He hit .352 with 10 RBIs and two stolen bases. He was the team's most valuable player this season. -- David Price, senior pitcher and infielder, West Nassau. He hit .429 with 11 RBIs, six doubles, three home runs and a triple. He had a 6-2 record on the mound. -- Tyler Murphy, senior pitcher, West Nassau. He hit .407 for the Warriors with three doubles, 13 RBIs and a triple. -- Dustin Bishop, senior utility player, West Nassau. He was 20 for 39 with a batting average of .339. -- Josh Bowen, senior infielder and outfielder, Hilliard. He hit .395 with 10 doubles and 13 stolen bases for the season. All-Nassau County baseball honorable mention: Buck Marell, Jonathan Beaton, C.J. Shelton, Jeremy Taylor, Yulee; Harrison Yonn, Tyler Thornton, James Martin, Justin Miller, Myles Rabant and Pat Garvin, Fernandina Beach; Brandon Taylor, Taylor Craw-ford, West Nassau; Brannon Braddock, Warren Vining, Kyle Simmons, Joe Kallas and Todd Gatlin, Hilliard. Story created Jul 08, 2010 - 13:14:07 PDT.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010 Times-Union All-First Coast Baseball Teams By Hays Carlyon The Times-Union recognizes the area's top high school baseball players by publishing the annual All-First Coast teams. The Times-Union high school sports staff selects the teams after nominations are solicited by mail from all area varsity coaches. Selections are made based on conversations with coaches, the sports staff's observations, the players' performance and their team's quality. First team Position, Player, Year, School, Comment OF, Johnny Elasik, Sr., Baker County, Tremendous defender who batted .370 with 22 RBI and 21 stolen bases. OF, Ben Gamel, Sr., Bishop Kenny, Three-time first-team selection batted .516 with 32 RBI and 36 runs. OF, Zac Houck, Sr., Eagle's View, Intelligent player batted .393 with 33 runs and 26 stolen bases. P, Blake King, Sr., Columbia, Compiled an 11-1 record with a 1.21 ERA in 601/3 innings for the Tigers. P, Mark Lumpa, Sr., Bolles, Duke signee went 13-0 with a 0.63 ERA, leading Bulldogs to repeat state title. P, Tony Mollica, Sr., Mandarin, Struck out an impressive 132 batters in 70 innings and was 10-2 with a 1.10 ERA. C, Ladson Montgomery, Sr., Creekside, Alabama signee batted .455 with 28 RBI and 37 runs. IF, Javier Baez, So., Arlington Country Day, Area's most promising power hitter drilled 14 home runs this season for the Apaches. IF, Caleb Denmark, Sr., Bolles, Great blend of power and average, hitting .453 with eight home runs and 41 RBI. IF, Ty Kelly, Jr., Providence, Slick fielder batted .453 with five homers, 28 RBI and 25 stolen bases. IF, David Perkins, Sr., Bolles, Drove in game-winning run to win state title and batted .390 with 38 RBI. UT, Connor Hitchingham, Sr., Stanton, Versatile standout went 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA and batted .370 with five homers. Second team OF, Matt Harry, Sr., Fleming Island OF, Mikey Kirkman, Jr., Columbia OF, DJ Stewart, So., Bolles P, Will Campbell, Sr., Sandalwood P, Jeff Roberts, Sr., Nease P, Justin Russell, Sr., Episcopal C, PJ Axtell, Jr., Providence IF, Andrew Minor, Jr., Yulee IF, Calvin Orth, Sr., Episcopal IF, David Price, Sr., West Nassau IF, Mike Reed, Sr., Middleburg UT, Matt Miller, Jr., Sandalwood Third team OF, Ryan Calloway, So., White OF, Matt Moses, Sr., Suwannee OF, Dayne Taylor, Sr., Palatka P, Austin Calcote, Sr., Eagle's View P, Hayden Hurst, So., Bolles P, Elliott Warford, Jr., Ponte Vedra C, Blake Berger, Sr., Mandarin IF, Kenny Byram, Jr., Ponte Vedra IF, Austin Slater, Sr., Bolles IF, Jordan Romero, Sr., Menendez IF, Brandon Sheridan, Jr., Paxon UT, Ahmad Christian, Jr., Trinty Christian Honorable mention Shane D'Errico, IF, St. Joseph, Jr.; Clay Fenwick, C, Sandalwood, Jr.; Marlon Gibbs, OF, Orange Park, Jr.; Patrick Leonard, IF, Creekside, Jr.; Taj McQueen, IF, Mandarin Christian, Sr.; Colin Monagle, IF, Bishop Kenny, Sr.; Will Olive, P, Mandarin, Sr.; Brian Poag, P, Bishop Snyder, Jr.; Josh Rollins, IF, Interlachen, Jr.; Garrett Ruckel, C, Stanton, Jr.; Colby Sims, P, Mandarin, Sr.; Chris Waddell, UT, Baker County, So.; Bryan Waller, IF, Baldwin, Jr.; Jake Zellner, C, Parker, Sr. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Season ends, district in full swing for Pirates, Hornets By Beth Jones, News-Leader Yulee High School's baseball team hosted Hilliard Thursday night for the regular season finale. Yulee won 7-2 and is playing this week in the district tournament at Fernandina Beach High School. Cody Layfield started on the mound for Yulee. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Hornets wrapped up the regular season Thursday night at home against Hilliard. Hilliard struck first, going ahead 2-0, but the Hornets prevailed 7-2. "It was a good way to finish out the regular season for the seniors," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "This was a really good senior class of guys that we will miss. "Jonathan Beaton is the first player we have had to play on the varsity at Yulee for all four years and will finish out his Yulee High School career with most defensive put-outs, while Buck Marell will finish out his career with the most games pitched, most saves and most strikeouts in school history. "Taylor Massey also played at Yulee for four years - one of those years on junior varsity, while Adam Lang pitched on varsity for three years and Cody Layfield transferred to Yulee this year." Layfield (three runs), Marell (double, three RBIs), Beaton (RBI), Massey (RBI) and Lang (no runs on one hit, pitching) led the team to its 14th victory of the season. Andrew Minor (2-for-2, home run, RBI, two walks, two runs scored) and Zach Camp (2-for-3, double, run scored) also had big nights at the plate. On the mound, Andrew Minor picked up his fourth win of the season, striking out one and giving up just one hit in three innings of work. Lang and Marell each threw a scoreless inning to end the game. Yulee (14-11 overall) is the No. 3 seed in the district tournament this week at Fernandina Beach High School. The Hornets faced No. 2 Episcopal Tuesday. Tuesday's winners in the District 3-3A tournament advance to the championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday at FBHS. Admission is $5 and only Florida High School Athletic Association state series passes will be accepted. Story created Apr 29, 2010 - 09:17:05 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northeast Florida high school baseball statistics for April 21 Source URL: http://jacksonville.com/sports/high-schools/2010-04-21/story/northeast-florida-high-school-baseball-statistics-april-21 By The Times Union High school baseball Statistics through Sunday as reported by the teams' coaches Team offense School, AB, H, Avg. Bolles, 581, 218, .375 Paxon, 603, 210, .348 Fleming Island, 661, 192, .342 Creekside, 570, 194, .340 Yulee, 577, 182, .315 Bishop Kenny, 490, 154, .314 West Nassau, 512, 160, .313 Arlington Country Day, 516, 160, .310 Orange Park, 588, 182, .310 Ponte Vedra, 590, 176, .298 Bishop Snyder, 655, 192, .293 Wolfson, 560, 164, .293 Fletcher, 514, 150, .291 Mandarin, 549, 156, .284 Hilliard, 502, 142, .283 Providence, 607, 171, .282 Middleburg, 564, 156, .277 White, 507, 138, .272 Nease, 543, 146, .269 Sandalwood, 559, 149, .267 St. Joseph, 636, 169, .266 Episcopal, 568, 150, .264 Menendez, 569, 150, .264 Parker, 517, 135, .261 Clay, 485, 123, .254 Fernandina Beach, 563, 128, .227 Team pitching School, IP, ER, ERA Fleming Island, 133.0, 33, 1.74 Mandarin, 152.1, 44, 2.02 West Nassau, 124.0, 38, 2.14 Creekside, 148.0, 46, 2.18 Fletcher, 136.0, 40, 2.18 Bolles, 131.0, 43, 2.30 Middleburg, 139.2, 53, 2.65 Wolfson, 138.0, 56, 2.84 Episcopal, 140.1, 58, 2.89 Bishop Snyder, 160.2, 67, 2.92 Hilliard, 115.0, 57, 2.97 Nease, 154.2, 51, 2.97 Providence, 151.0, 68, 3.15 Yulee, 136.0, 66, 3.40 Arlington Country Day, 126.0, 52, 3.44 Paxon, 125.0, 62, 3.47 Sandalwood, 153.0, 59, 3.47 Parker, 143.0, 71, 3.48 White, 126.0, 71, 3.94 St. Joseph, 155.2, 68, 4.09 Menendez, 148.1, 87, 4.11 Fernandina Beach, 144.2, 86, 4.18 Ponte Vedra, 144.2, 89, 4.30 Bishop Kenny, 117.1, 87, 5.19 Clay, 130.0, 77, 5.33 Orange Park, 123.0, 98, 5.57 Individual statistics Batting Name, school, AB, H, Avg. D'Errico, St. Joseph, 64, 33, .516 Gamel, Bishop Kenny, 50, 25, .500 Denmark, Bolles, 68, 33, .485 Brock, ACD, 63, 30, .476 Byram, Ponte Vedra, 72, 34, .472 Romero, Menendez, 69, 32, .464 Christian, Trinity Chr., 67, 31, .463 Ford, University Chr., 44, 20, .455 Baez, ACD, 64, 29, .453 Sheridan, Paxon, 64, 29, .453 Johnson, Paxon, 62, 28, .452 Leonard, Creekside, 62, 28, .452 Minor, Yulee, 73, 33, .452 Spencer, Fernandina, 40, 18, .450 Kelly, Providence, 72, 32, .444 Reed, Middleburg, 70, 31, .443 Perry, Fletcher, 46, 27, .435 HR Baez (ACD) 9, Perkins (Bolles) 7, Denmark (Bolles) 5, Ford (University Chr.) 5, Lockett (Providence) 5, Minor (Yulee) 5, Umbreit (Providence) 5, Beaton (Yulee) 4, Reed (Middleburg) 4, Stewart (Bolles) 4. RBI (minimum of 20 RBI) Minor (Yulee) 34, Denmark (Bolles) 32, Baez (ACD) 28, Spence (Bolles) 27, Reed (Middleburg) 25, Perkins (Bolles) 24, Sheridan (Paxon) 24, Wildes (Bolles) 23, Gamel (Bishop Kenny) 22, Lockett (Providence) 22, Stewart (Bolles) 22, Beaton (Yulee) 21, Berger (Mandarin) 21, Slater (Bolles) 21. Pitching Name, school, W-L-S, IP, SO, ERA Lumpa, Bolles, 8-0-0, 45.0, 53, 0.47 Brown, Nease, 3-1-6, 29.0, 22, 0.62 Roberts, Nease, 8-0-1, 47.2, 54, 0.76 McDade, Fleming Isl., 5-0-0, 28.1, 28, 0.99 Sims, Mandarin, 3-0-0, 21.0, 28, 1.00 Poag, Bishop Snyder, 3-1-0, 45.2, 37, 1.07 Olive, Mandarin, 6-1-2, 50.0, 48, 1.12 Russell, Episcopal, 7-0-0, 48.0, 56, 1.16 Mollica, Mandarin, 6-2-0, 50.0, 93, 1.26 Smith, Fleming Isl., 6-1-0, 40.1, 34, 1.39 Warford, Ponte Vedra, 4-3-0, 39.1, 34, 1.42 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates defeat Hornets By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Pirates avenged an earlier loss to the Hornets with Friday's 13-4 victory. Yulee gave up 11 hits and seven walks and committed three errors on the night. "They came out fast, scoring four in the first and four in the second to go up 8-0," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. In the bottom of the third, the host Hornets loaded the bases and Andrew Minor hit a grand slam to move the score to 8-4. "That was pretty much all the runs we could generate on the night," Coach Minor said. "Fernandina did a good job of coming out ready to play," he said. "We came out flat and could not get a whole lot going offensively. It never helps when you give up seven walks, hit a batter and make three errors in the field. "They had over 20 runners that reached base. They did a good job of driving guys in. Hopefully we can regroup and have a good final week to the regular season." Yulee is 12-10 overall and 2-2 in the district. The Hornets traveled to Andrew Jackson Tuesday and cap the regular season at home with Hilliard Thursday. Game time is 6 p.m. The Pirates hosted Trinity Christian Tuesday. Their regular season comes to an end Thursday at Fleming Island. Fernandina Beach High School will host the District 3-3A tournament next week. Story created Apr 22, 2010 - 08:49:44 PDT. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets host Pirates tonight; '10 finales next week By Beth Jones, News-leader The Pirates will travel to Yulee tonight to take on the Hornets. Both teams are coming off 2-1 spring break tournament performances and Tuesday night losses. The Pirates played Creek-side Thursday and head to Yulee tonight. First pitch is at 6 p.m. "Yulee is playing very well," Roland said. "We've got to get better quick. I believe in our guys." Yulee also went 2-1 in its inaugural tournament last week and finished in third place. The Hornets lost 7-1 to Episcopal Tuesday and are 12-9 overall and 2-2 in the district. "Episcopal had a lot of key hits with runners on base to score seven runs and hold Yulee to only one," YHS Coach Will Minor said. "Defensively, the game was error-free for both teams. Episcopal's No. 1 pitcher (Russell) was on the mound (7-0) to pick up the win for them." Andrew Minor (home run, double, RBI) and C.J. Shelton (double and single) led the Hornets to four of their six hits on the night. "We played a good game defensively and did a pretty good job on the mound with Nolen Carlyle (3-2), Adam Lang and Buck Marell each throwing," Coach Minor said. "Their pitcher was pretty good and shut down our bats for most of the game. "We finished third in the district for the regular season and will play the No. 2 seed (Bolles-Episcopal loser) in the first round of the district tournament April 27 at 4 p.m." The Pirates are hosting the District 3-3A tournament April 26-29. Senior night is next week for both teams, Tuesday for FBHS and Thursday for Yulee. Story created Apr 19, 2010 - 11:42:52 PDT. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets third in tourney The Yulee High School baseball team hosted the inaugural Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic last week. Pictured, from left, are YHS Head Coach Will Minor, Eli Rowe of Burbank Sport Nets and Doug Campbell from Eagle's Landing Christian Academy, the tournament champions. The YHS Hornets finished third in the event. Submitted Eagle's Landing Christian Academy of Atlanta won the inaugural Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic Saturday at Yulee High School by beating Santa Fe High School 3-1. Yulee missed facing Santa Fe High School (19-2) in the championship game by losing 6-5 in eight innings to North Marion High School Friday night. Instead, the Hornets faced Gainesville High School (14-7) in the third-place game Saturday night. In the game against Gaines-ville, Cody Layfield pitched six strong innings, giving up one hit, one run and striking out six on the night. Adam Lang pitched the seventh inning, giving up no runs and no hits to pick up his first save of the season. The final score was 4-1. Yulee started the game with four runs in the first inning on two key hits by C.J. Shelton (triple, two RBIs) and Jeremy Taylor (two RBIs). Layfield, Buck Marell, Jonathan Beaton and Jeremy Taylor all scored for the team. Marcus Taylor also had a double. Defensively, the team had no errors and sealed the victory with a double-play with a runner on base in the seventh inning. "I am really proud of the way our team played this week against some really good competition," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "We played some of our best baseball of the season this past week and really showed over the week that we can consistently play at a higher level. "To hold Gainesville to one run on one hit was amazing. Their No. 3 hitter had signed with The Citadel and has 10 home runs on the season. We were able to hold him down on the night with one strikeout and no hits. It was a great team effort. "The tournament had some good teams and really good competition. We look forward to our second annual Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic next year. Eagle's Landing Christian Academy has already said that they want to come back and defend their title. Overall it was a great spring break." The Hornets hosted Episcopal Tuesday in a district matchup and host Fernandina Beach Friday at 6 p.m. Story created Apr 15, 2010 - 12:59:06 PDT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets net win in Burbank Classic Yulee High School, host of the inaugural Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic baseball tournament, began the competition in dominating fashion, hammering Tennessee's Station Camp High School 7-1 Wednesday. The Hornets improved their overall record this season to 11-7. Backed by a solid defense that erased opposing baserunners by way of two double plays, junior starting pitcher Nolen Carlyle (3-1) stayed out of trouble for most of the game, striking out four in six innings and surrendering just one run. Senior Buck Marell came on to pitch a scoreless seventh in relief, blowing pitches by the final Station Camp batter and recording a strikeout to end the game. Offensively, Hornets hitters strung together key hit after key hit, abusing the opposing starting pitcher. Station Camp looked overmatched all night and found themselves running wind sprints and doing pushups in the outfield long after the game, while Yulee head coach Will Minor praised his squad's effort. "We played solid all-around. That's probably the most complete game we've played in awhile," Minor said. "Carlyle was solid. He struggled a bit in the middle of the year, but really put it together tonight." After falling behind 1-0 in the second on a Station Camp RBI double, the Hornets took the lead in the third inning on an RBI single to center field by senior 1B/DH Jonathan Beaton and never looked back. They added two runs in the fourth by taking advantage of two Camp Station errors that extended the inning and capitalized on a timely RBI double by junior 3B Andrew Minor, who drove a ball high into the face of a stiff wind to the base of the center field fence. In the sixth inning, the Hornets added three more runs as both Minor and Beaton delivered once again with RBI base hits. Yulee attempts to build off Wednesday's success against North Marion High School tonight at 7 p.m., and with a win, will play in Saturday night's championship game. "We're hoping to come out on Friday and do the same thing - pick up those key hits," he said. "In our losses this year, that's what we didn't have, those key timely hits. "When they take the 'I' out of it and focus on 'team;' when they focus on their roles and don't worry about numbers, and worry instead about team success, that's what happens." Minor said he hopes his team can build on Wednesday night's success at the plate and that momentum gained through the tournament can carry over through the remainder of the season. "Hopefully we've turned the corner on getting those timely hits. This is the first game in about the last three of four we've played where we got those key hits where we needed them. If we can just doing that and keep throwing strikes, it's going to be a good little tournament for us and we can build on that success." The tournament continues today as Station Camp and Eagle's Landing play at 10 a.m.; Santa Fe and First Coast play at 1 p.m.; Gainesville and Gallatin play at 4 p.m.; and Yulee and North Marion play at 7 p.m. The four final-round games are slated for the same times tomorrow. As part of the final round festivities, the Yulee Baseball Dugout Club will be selling a low country boil shrimp dinner for $10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. jyurgartis@fbnewsleader.com Story created Apr 12, 2010 - 14:28:22 PDT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets, Pirates hosting spring break tournaments By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee Hornets are 10-6 after Tuesday's 4-0 los to Fletcher. Cody Layfield (2-1) and Nolen Carlyle both threw on the mound for Yulee and combined for nine strikeouts in six innings. Andrew Minor had the only hit for Yulee, a double. "Our bats have been struggling lately with both First Coast and Fletcher shutting us out," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. Both teams are big 6A schools with probably three times as many students. "We have not been getting on base and driving guys in like we need to do to beat teams like that. Our mental focus has been lacking a little lately. I am trying to teach the players that if they can control the mental part of the game, then they could be a pretty good team. We have been getting down on ourselves too much instead of staying positive. "I enjoy playing those types of teams, because they are a lot like us in that they have to develop players and play with guys that live in their school zone - unlike the private schools we have to play every year. If I could - I would only schedule public schools." The Hornets faced Camden County Thursday. Yulee's junior varsity team beat West Nassau 10-8 Wednesday, a first for Yulee's JV squad. "So it was a good win for us," Minor said. "We have a lot of freshmen (10), so we have been learning the way to play at the high school level. They have been improving all year long and we look forward to continuing to see them develop into varsity players." The Hornets picked up a pair of wins over Lee and Gainesville Eastside and suffered a loss to First Coast last week. Layfield and Carlyle picked up wins on the mound for Yulee High School last week. On Friday against Eastside, Carlyle and Buck Marell combined for a no-hitter, striking out 11 in five innings of work. Hornet offensive leaders for the week included Layfield (four runs, three RBIs), Marcus Taylor (6-for-8, five RBIs) and Jonathan Beaton (fourth home run of the season). Andrew Minor, Marell, Carlyle and C.J. Shelton also had multiple-hit games and multiple RBIs on the week. The Hornets are hosting an eight-team tournament, the Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic, next week with Gainesville, Santa Fe, North Mar-ion, First Coast, Gallatin, Tenn., Station Camp, Tenn., and Eagle's Landing Christian Academy in Georgia. "The teams should be very competitive with many big schools invited," Coach Minor said. "Santa Fe is probably the team to beat with a record of 14-1 going into this week. They are currently ranked No. 12 in the state for all schools. "We are hoping for good weather and are looking forward to a very successful tournament. We hope the Yulee community will come out and support the teams." The Yulee Baseball Dugout Club will be selling a low country boil shrimp dinner for $10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 10. The tournament gets under way at 4 p.m. Wednesday with Gallatin taking on Santa Fe. Yulee takes on Station Camp at 7 p.m. North Marion and Eagle's Landing play at 4 p.m. Thursday and Gainesville and First Coast have the nightcap at 7 p.m. On April 9, Station and Eagle's Landing play at 10 a.m.; Santa Fe and First Coast play at 1 p.m.; Gainesville and Gallatin play at 4 p.m.; and Yulee and North Marion play at 7 p.m. Final-round games are slated for the same times on April 10. The JV Pirates hosted Yulee Monday night in a matchup that pitted Yulee's D.J. Kiely against Fernandina's Crawford. Yulee took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and FBHS matched them in the bottom half to tie the score at 1-1. The Pirates put up four in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Yulee scored one in the top of the fourth to set the score at 5-2, which stood until the bottom of the sixth, when the Pirates loaded the bases and kept scoring until the game timed out with the final score being 8-2. Story created Apr 05, 2010 - 15:56:38 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets blank Hawthorne 10-0 After losing to Glynn Academy and Bolles earlier in the week, Yulee improved its re-cord to 8-4 by beating Hawthorne 10-0 Saturday. Andrew Minor threw a complete game, seven-inning shutout, giving up three hits, striking out five and walking one. He threw a total of 63 pitches in the outing to improve his record to 3-0. The score was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when Yulee scored its first runs of the day. Minor led all hitters, going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a triple, five RBIs and two runs scored. Jonathan Beaton (3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI) and Marcus Taylor (2-for-5 with a run scored) also had multiple hits on the day. Cody Layfield (two runs), Buck Marell (run), Zach Camp (RBI), Jeremy Taylor (run), C.J. Shelton (double and run) and Taylor Massey (run) also contributed to the offensive production for Yulee. "After losing two games earlier in the week to two good, college-level type pitchers, it was nice to see our bats come alive," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "Andrew had a big day both on the mound and at bat. I was most impressed by his pitch count on the day (63 pitches in seven innings of work). "Our defense made good plays behind him (only one error on the day) and we just made them swing the bat. We had four innings where he threw less than 10 pitches an inning." Yulee (8-4 and 2-1 in the district) played at Lee Tuesday and travels to First Coast Thursday. The Hornets host Gainesville-Eastside at 7 p.m. Friday. Story created Mar 25, 2010 - 13:32:45 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hornets top Pirates 9-8 With two outs in the seventh inning and the game tied 8-8, Jeremy Taylor hit a double in the left center field gap to drive in Zach Camp for the eventual winning run to put Yulee up 9-8 Friday night at Fernandina Beach. Buck Marell came on to pitch in the seventh inning, giving up no base runners and striking out one to pick up the save for Yulee (7-2 and 2-0 in the district). Yulee went up 2-0 in the first inning on a leadoff triple by Cody Layfield, a run scoring double by Marcus Taylor then an RBI-single from Marell. Fernandina answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own on two hit batters, two errors, a double and a pair of singles. Andrew Minor started the game on the mound for the Hornets, going five innings, striking out four and giving up no walks. "Andrew started the game not being able to get his breaking ball over the plate in the first and hit two batters and gave up three hits and four runs in the first," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "He settled down and started throwing his breaking ball for strikes and gave up three runs in the next four innings for the no decision." Adam Lang came on in relief, giving up one run and receiving the win, while Marell finished the game and picked up the save. Marcus Taylor (2-for-3 with a double, two runs and one RBI), Marell (2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs) and C.J. Shelton (2-for-4 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and two runs) led Yulee with Jeremy Taylor (double and run scored) getting the game-winning RBI in the seventh. Layfield, Camp and Jonathan Beaton also scored runs in the victory. "Defensively we made a few mistakes (three errors), but I am so proud of the way our team has responded the past two games after being down early in the game and not giving up," Coach Minor said. "We talk a lot as a team about character and about never giving up and I think this team really is starting to understand what that is all about." The Hornets hosted Glynn Academy Tuesday, play at Bolles Thursday at 6 p.m. and at Hawthorne Saturday at 1 p.m. Story created Mar 18, 2010 - 15:41:39 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pair of three-run homers lift Hornets over Trinity The Yulee High School baseball team hosted the Trinity Christian Conquerors Tuesday. Nolen Carlyle started on the mound for the Hornets. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Hornets trailed 6-0 before they could manage a run in the fourth inning. With his team still trailing 7-5 with one out in the sixth, Jonathan Beaton blasted his third home run of the year, a three-run homer that put the Hornets on top for good, 8-7. Three batters later, Sean Williams put the game out of reach with a three-run home run of his own (his second of the year). The Hornets rallied for an 11-7 win. Buck Marell pitched the sixth and seventh innings, striking out two to pick up his first win of the season. Cody Layfield (3-for-4, two RBIs, a run), Andrew Minor (3-for-4, two RBIs, a run), Jeremy Taylor (2-for-4 with two runs) and C.J. Shelton (2-for-2 with a double and a run) were also key offensive contributors for Yulee. Marcus Taylor, Zach Camp and Jordan Ortiz also scored runs for the team. "I was very proud of the team coming back from being down 6-0 and winning the game," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "In the past, we have gotten down like this and stayed down. I really think we have a group of guys this year that won't allow themselves to fold when we are down. They just kept battling all night long. "Every year we make small short-term goals that lead to our bigger long-term goals. This win (the first in school history against Trinity Christian) was one of those small steps that moves us closer to our bigger goals. "Every season has adversity and setbacks. We just want to keep improving every game and focusing on the big picture while staying positive throughout the season." Yulee (6-2 and 1-0 in the district) is scheduled to play at Fernandina Beach tonight at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 15, 2010 - 14:01:33 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates hosting Hornets Friday By Beth Jones, News-Leader Fernandina Beach High School's Patrick Garvin had two hits and drove in two runs in Saturday's 3-2 win at Winter Haven. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Pirates' district opener is Friday when they host the Yulee Hornets (5-2 and 1-0 in the district). First pitch is at 7 p.m. The Pirates are 3-4. Yulee went 2-1 last week, falling to West Nassau 3-0 March 3 and then beating Andrew Jackson 12-2 Thursday and Hawthorne 11-1 Friday. In the 3-0 loss to West Nassau, Nolen Carlyle (1-1) started on the mound; Adam Lang and Buck Marell each threw in relief. The trio gave up seven hits on the night and West Nassau scored two of its three runs on walks. Yulee struck out nine batters. Andrew Minor had the only hit on the night for Yulee with a single to left center field. "We hit the ball solid a few other times, but West Nassau was able to make all the plays," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. Yulee rebounded with a 12-2 thumping of Andrew Jackson. Cody Layfield (1-0) threw four innings for Yulee, striking out nine, walking just one and giving up two hits on the night. Cameron Petras and Lang both pitched in relief. Layfield led Yulee at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and four stolen bases. Marcus Taylor, Marell, Zach Camp and C.J. Shelton also had RBIs. Camp also had three stolen bases, Carlyle had two and Jeremy Taylor and Marcus Taylor stole one apiece. Marcus Taylor (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in the 11-0 shutout over Haw-thorne. He struck out five and gave up no earned runs. Marell came on in relief, striking out five and giving up no earned runs. Multiple hitters on the night were Jonathan Beaton (2-for-2, two RBIs, three runs, a home run), Marell (3-for-3, three RBIs, two runs, a home run) and Jeremy Taylor (2-for-3, two RBIs, a double). Sean Williams and Taylor Massey also had home runs on the night; Marcus Taylor and Camp scored two runs each. "We have a tough stretch of games in the upcoming two weeks with Trinity Christian, University Christian, Fernandina Beach, Glynn Academy and Bolles," Coach Minor said. "This tough stretch of games will prepare us and show us what we really need to improve on for the final month of the season." Yulee hosted Trinity Christian at 6 p.m. Tuesday and plays at Fernandina Beach Friday at 7 p.m. The Pirates hosted Marist, Ga., Tuesday and take on Orange Park at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville tonight at 7 p.m. They cap the week at home Friday with the Yulee Hornets. Story created Mar 11, 2010 - 09:30:32 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets are 3-1 on season The Yulee Hornets suffered their first loss of the season Feb. 24 in Brunswick, Ga. Glynn Academy outlasted Yulee, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and held on for a 15-14 victory. Marcus Taylor started on the mound for the Hornets with Nolen Carlyle, Adam Lang and Buck Marell throwing innings in relief. "Offensively, Yulee had a great night with 13 hits and every starter recording at least one RBI," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. Cody Layfield (2-for-3, two runs, two RBIs, a double), Andrew Minor (3-for-4, two runs, two RBIs, a double), Jonathan Beaton (2-for-5, an RBI, a double) and Jeremy Taylor (2-for-5, an RBI, a double) led the Hornets at the plate. Glynn Academy jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, but Yulee responded by putting up two runs in the second and seven in the third. "We were able to knock their No. 1 pitcher (who has signed with Middle Georgia) out of the game in the third," Coach Minor said. "I was proud of our effort and our offensive output, but we just could not hold them defensively in the sixth inning. We played hard and showed ourselves that we have the bats this year to hit good pitching." Yulee rebounded with Thursday's 24-6 thumping of host Raines. Andrew Minor (2-0) picked up the win with six strikeouts and no earned runs. Cameron Petras also pitched two innings, giving up no earned runs. Andrew Minor (4-for-6, seven RBIs, a double, a triple), Beaton (3-for-4, three runs, two RBIs, two doubles), Taylor (2-for-3, three runs, an RBI), Layfield (three runs), Marcus Taylor (four runs), Zach Camp (two RBIs, two runs), Sean Williams (three runs) and Taylor Massey (3 runs) were key contributors on offense. "Offensively, the team has really been swinging the bat well," Coach Minor said. "Defensively, we are still needing to improve on making the routine plays. Hopefully it can all come together soon." Yulee (3-1 and 1-0 in the district) took on West Nassau Tuesday at the Baseball Grounds in Jacksonville. The Hornets host Jackson Thursday at 6 p.m. and Hawthorne Friday at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 04, 2010 - 07:11:59 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets now 2-0; Pirates are 0-2 The Fernandina Beach High School baseball team hosted West Nassau Friday. Ryne Casey was on the mound for the host Pirates. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Yulee Hornets are off to a 2-0 start on the 2010 season. The latest win came at Hilliard Friday, a 10-0 shutout over the Flashes. "We did a great job of doing the little things right on offense," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "We were able to get guys on base (nine hits), move guys around with some bunts (three sacrifices), steal a couple bases and then drive them in with our bigger hitters. "Our defense has also done a good job with making some good plays in the field. It has been good to see." Junior Nolen Carlyle (1-0) picked up the win, striking out four and giving up just two hits. Seniors Adam Lang and Buck Marell also both threw scoreless innings in relief. Cody Layfield (three hits) and Andrew Minor (3-for-4 with a two-run home run and 4 RBIs) led Yulee at the plate. The Hornets play at Glynn Academy at 7 p.m. today. Fernandina Beach dropped to 0-2 on the season with losses to Baker County Feb. 16 and West Nassau Friday. "Not a great start," FBHS Coach Ken Roland said. The Pirates lost to Baker County 14-7. "We had a 5-2 lead going into the fifth inning and playing very well," Roland said. "We just had a fifth-inning meltdown." The Pirates gave up 11 runs in fifth. "That's something we typically don't do very often," Roland said. "Tim Roszell threw well." Harrison Yonn had three hits and Bobby Severance had two RBIs on a first-inning double to lead the Pirate offense. Justin Miller and Rokie Matagolai each had singles. "We just kind of fell apart," Roland said. "(Myles) Rabant and (Trent) Luman are both out with injuries. Our depth has been tested early due to injuries. Plus we're still missing basketball. "That's no excuse. We were right there." The visiting West Nassau Warriors broke open a 1-1 ball game in the seventh inning Friday, scoring four runs in the top of the inning. "We didn't have an answer for it," Roland said. Justin Miller and Zach Spencer had two hits apiece for the only Pirate hits. "Ryne Casey started on the mound and Harrison Yonn came in in relief. "For six innings we held them down," Roland said. "It was a good game. We didn't do a whole lot defensively in the seventh. Our youth has to learn to eliminate big innings." Story created Feb 25, 2010 - 10:42:28 PST. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets open with an 11-1 win By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee High School baseball team opened the season Monday with an 11-1 thrashing of Lee High. Junior Andrew Minor threw a complete game, a four-hitter, striking out four and giving up just one earned run. Seniors Cody Layfield (3-for-4 with a double and an RBI), Buck Marell (2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and RBIs) and Jonathan Beaton (3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIS) led the Hornets at the plate. Minor and sophomore Zach Camp had a double and an RBI each. Jeremy Taylor had an RBI. Before the regular season opened, the Hornets finished out play in Hilliard during a preseason tournament. They beat the hosts 4-1 Feb. 11. Marcus Taylor, Minor and Adam Lang all pitched. Marcus Taylor and Marell each had RBIS. "The defense was much better than in the first preseason game (against West Nassau) and the pitchers did a good job of throwing strikes and not walking many batters," YHS Coach Will Minor said. Yulee hosted University Christian Thursday. The Hornets travel to Hilliard today for a 6 p.m. game. Yulee's girls are 1-0 with Tuesday's 10-4 win over Baldwin at home. They host Hilliard tonight at 7 p.m. Story created Feb 22, 2010 - 13:34:04 PST. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season opening next week for Yulee, FBHS By Beth Jones, News-Leader Moving games to Fernandina Beach High School for the first night of the preseason tournament was a "temporary fix," according to FBHS baseball coach Ken Roland. The action returned to Hilliard Thursday. Yulee took on West Nassau in the first game Wednesday. The YHS Hornets edged the Warriors 9-7. Nolen Carlyle, Adam Lang, Cameron Petras and Buck Marell all pitched for the Hornets, giving up 11 hits and walking six. Yulee's offense garnered five hits and six walks. Cody Layfield, Marcus Taylor, Jonathan Beaton, Zach Camp and Taylor Massey each had hits. "The game was error-filled, but we were able to see some of our young players play and our pitchers get their work in be-fore it counts for the regular season," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee. Yulee and Fernandina play in a five-team district with Episcopal, Bolles and Raines. Yulee returns from a 14-12 season in 2009. Key returners include senior pitcher Marell (6-3 record with two saves, 52 innings pitched, 2.69 ERA, 63 strikeouts on the mound four home runs and 19 RBIs at the plate as a sophomore in 2008), senior Beaton (.301 batting average, seven doubles, 23 RBIs), junior pitcher and third baseman Andrew Minor (5-4 record, 48.3 innings pitched, 2.03 ERA, 44 strikeouts, .393 batting average, 11 doubles, 25 RBIs, 25 runs scored), junior pitcher Carlyle (3-2 record, 26 innings pitched, 3.77 ERA) and sophomore centerfielder and pitcher Taylor (.367 batting average, 31 runs scored, 11 RBIs). Newcomers starting on varsity include senior second baseman transfer from Bishop Snyder Cody Layfield, sophomore utility player Zach Camp and freshman shortstop Jeremy Taylor. Also starting are senior outfielder Taylor Massey and junior utility player Sean Williams. "We have most of our starting pitching back from last season; over 150 innings back on the mound," Minor said. "We have a good mix of experienced players (seven returning star-ters) and good, talented young players that are all athletes at key positions. "We will have the most team speed we have ever had and we will have the deepest pitching we have ever had. "I am very excited about this season and the future of Yulee baseball. We will surprise some teams this year, and beat some pretty good teams." Yulee's first game is Monday at home with Robert E. Lee at 6 p.m. The preseason tournament continued Thursday in Hilliard. Fernandina took on West Nassau in the first game and Yulee played host Hilliard. Yulee opens at home with Robert E. Lee Monday at 6 p.m. The Hornets host University Christian at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and travel to Hilliard Feb. 19 for a 6 p.m. game The Hornets are also hosting the inaugural Burbank Sport Nets Spring Break Classic April 7-10. The tournament will include eight teams from Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Story created Feb 16, 2010 - 17:17:59 PST. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yulee's Cassidy will play baseball at Hiram College Josh Cassidy, a recent graduate of Yulee High School, is the school's first baseball player to sign to play on the collegiate level. He will be attending Hiram College this fall in Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. Cassidy is flanked by his parents Rocky Cassidy and Chrystal Dietz. Also pictured are little brother Adam Cassidy, 10, and YHS head baseball coach Will Minor. Beth Jones/News-Leader Josh Cassidy, who led the county in hitting with a .452 batting average last season, is the first Yulee High School baseball to sign to play on the next level. Cassidy, 18, will play next spring at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, just south of Cleveland. It's a Division III four-year school, so Cassidy won't be playing on scholarship. But he did secure academic grants set aside for Hiram athletes. "I was offered by a bunch of other places ... but they couldn't match what Hiram did," Cassidy said. Cassidy was an all-county selection his senior season and was honorable mention the two prior seasons. Along with the .452 batting average, he had 33 hits with six RBIs, scored 27 runs and had an on-base average of .565 his final season with the Hornets. "He was definitely one of the hardest workers," YHS Coach Will Minor said. "You could always find him in the cages. "He didn't have a whole lot of power, but he was always on base somehow. He's strong, but not real big (5-foot-6, 165 pounds). He worked really hard to make himself the best player he could be." Cassidy started playing T-ball at the tender age of 3 and continued through high school, playing junior varsity his freshman year at Fernandina Beach before transferring to Yulee High School, where he played three years of varsity baseball. "It was a tough decision, but I eventually decided on Yulee," Cassidy said. Cassidy logged time at shortstop his junior year, but he was the Hornets' starting second baseman last season. "He was like a field rat," Minor said. "He's usually one of the first ones to get there and always the last to leave. At the end of last year, I said, 'Why don't I just give you a key?'" Minor said a couple of Yulee players have walked on at junior colleges but Cassidy is the first to sign. "He's our first player to get an opportunity to play at the next level," Minor said. "Getting a spot is the biggest thing, especially for baseball, because they don't have a lot of scholarship money, even the big schools." Cassidy said a highlight of his senior season with the Hornets was the week the team took on Bishop Snyder, Orange Park and Mandarin. "I was 8-for-9 the whole week," he said. "That was a good week for me."
Story created Aug 24, 2009 - 10:07:40 PDT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warrior pitcher, shortstop MVP for all-county team The all-county baseball team also includes: -- A.J. Crosby, senior pitcher, West Nassau. He hit .314 with six home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBIs. He was also 4-1 on the mound with a 1.36 earned run average, striking out 35 in 36 innings. -- Cole Stevenson, senior infielder, West Nassau. He hit .302 with 19 hits, 18 runs and 12 RBIs, drew 20 bases on balls and had an on-base average of .483. On the mound, he was 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA. -- Robert Martin, senior third baseman, Fernandina Beach. Hit .321 with 10 RBIs. -- Justin Crews, senior shortstop, Fernandina Beach. He hit .383 with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs and 17 RBIs. -- Josh Cassidy, senior second baseman, Yulee. He hit .452 with 33 hits, 27 runs and six RBIs and had an on-base average of .565. -- Dylan Ellis, junior shortstop, Yulee. He hit .389 with 21 hits, 14 runs and 21 RBIs and had an on-base average of .439. -- Marcus Taylor, freshman outfielder, Yulee. He hit .367 with 29 hits, 31 runs and 11 RBIS and had an on-base average of .479. He had no errors at center field. -- Trent Luman, junior outfielder, Fernandina Beach. He hit .322 with five doubles, three triples and 10 RBIs. -- Josh Bowen, junior outfielder, Hilliard. He hit .400 with 26 runs and 11 stolen bases. -- Andrew Minor, sophomore pitcher and infielder, Yulee. He was 5-4 on the mound with a 2.03 ERA, striking out 44 batters. At bat, he hit .393 with 33 hits, 25 runs, 25 RBIs, 11 doubles, a triple and a home run. Honorable mention: Harrison Yonn, Pat Garvin, Tim Roszell, Bradley Manning, Fernandina Beach; Matt Malone, Philip Nelson, Michael Beasley, Yulee; Jacob Mitchell, Anthony Mastrogiovanni, Tyler Murphy, Taylor Crawford, West Nassau; Robert Davis, Cody Stokes, William Bell and Jeremy Lee, Hilliard. Story created Jun 25, 2009 - 13:22:36 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets eliminated in district tourney By Beth Jones, News-Leader Yulee's season came to an end Monday with a 5-0 shutout at the hands of West Nassau. "With the young, inexperienced team we had, I think we did a pretty good job of winning the games we were capable of winning," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "There were a few other games we probably could have won, but in most of the losses, we just got beat by better teams. "We certainly have next year to look forward to with our whole starting rotation back, and a majority of our starting team back. If these returning players will commit themselves this offseason to becoming leaders and continue to get faster and stronger, we should have a bright future ahead." Story created Apr 30, 2009 - 11:42:20 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Home finale The Yulee High School baseball team's final home game of the season was Tuesday when the Hornets hosted Bishop Snyder. The visitors won 11-2. The visiting Cardinals took a the lead in the second inning thanks to a three-run home run. "We just didn't respond," said Will Minor, YHS head baseball coach. "We left several men on base and didn't hit the ball well at all. Hopefully we will respond to this loss and be competitive in the district tournament." The Hornets could muster just three hits on the night. Yulee played at Jackson Thursday and cap the regular season Friday at Gainesville. Episcopal hosts the district tournament next week. Yulee plays West Nassau at 1 p.m. Monday. Story created Apr 27, 2009 - 12:21:56 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets pick up two wins Andrew Minor pitched six innings for Yulee Friday, giving up two runs on six hits, walking a batter and striking out five, to earn his fifth win this year. Michael Beasley pitched the seventh, striking out two to pick up his second save. Andrew Minor, Beasley, Garrett Callis and Matt Malone all had hits; Marcus Taylor, Callis and Nolen Carlyle scored runs. Philip Nelson went four innings on the mound Mon-day for his third win. Andrew Minor and Ma-lone had doubles to lead Yulee at the plate. Taylor and Dylan Ellis had multiple hits. "The last two games we have really played good defensively and have had good pitching performances," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "We have a few more games this week, so hopefully we can finish the regular season on a positive note with some more wins." The Yulee Hornets hosted Bishop Snyder Tuesday, travel to Jackson Thursday and cap the regular season in Gainesville Friday. The District 4-3A tournament is next week at Episcopal High School. Story created Apr 23, 2009 - 07:56:15 PDT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Manning four-hitter steers Pirates to win over Yulee Bradley Manning gave up just four hits Tuesday in the Pirates' 5-0 win at Yulee. Beth Jones/News-Leader Bradley Manning threw a four-hitter Tuesday in the Pirates' 5-0 win over the host Hornets. "Bradley Manning pitched great," said Ken Roland, head baseball coach at Fernandina Beach High School. "That gave us a boost from the mound, four hits, one walk. He did a nice job and we played errorless ball behind him. We got some key hits. With good pitching and hits, we're very capable." It was the Pirates' third straight error-free ballgame. The Pirates (9-6) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning; both runs were unearned. Jeff Day and Robert Martin both singled. In the top of the fifth, Trent Luman doubled and advanced to third on a Day single. Patrick Garvin walked to load the bases. Martin doubled in all three to put the Pirates up 5-0. The Pirates collected 11 hits on the night, two apiece from Justin Crews (a double), Luman, Day and Martin, and one each from Harrison Yonn, Tyler Thornton and Zack Spencer. "The pitcher kept us off balance all night," said Will Minor, head coach at Yulee High School. "We just could never put anything together offensively. Defensively we only had one error, so that was good to see. "Overall Fernandina just outplayed us in all areas." Andrew Minor (3-3) took the loss for the 9-7 Hornets. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked three and struck out one. Manning improved to 2-3 on the mound. He went six innings, giving up just four hits, walking one and striking out three. Tuesday's game didn't count towards district seeding, but the Pirates' matchup with Episcopal tonight will. "We have a big district game (tonight)," Roland said. "Seeding depends on the next two district games." The Pirates' final district game is April 14 at Baldwin. Yulee plays at St. Johns Country Day School at noon Saturday. The Hornets have just one game next week. They play at Robert E. Lee at 4:30 p.m. Monday. Story created Apr 06, 2009 - 12:01:19 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardinals, Raiders fall to Hornets The Yulee Hornets pushed their record to 9-6 with a pair of wins last week. The Hornets beat district foe Bishop Snyder 7-1 March 24. Andrew Minor (3-2) threw five innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out four batters. As a team, Yulee committed just one error in the game. At the plate, Josh Cassidy (3-for-4 with one RBI) and Garrett Callis (2-for-4 with an RBI) led the team. Other key hitters were Minor (double), Dylan Ellis (RBI) and Jonathan Beaton (double and an RBI). On Thursday, Yulee beat Orange Park 7-4 with good pitching performances from Dylan Ellis (2-1), Nolen Carlyle, Adam Lang, Chris Welka and Michael Beasley (save). Ellis started the game and threw three strong innings, giving up a run and striking out three. Beasley came in the game in the seventh inning with two outs and the tying run at the plate to record the save with a big strikeout. Yulee made just two errors on the night. Leading hitters were Cassidy (3-for-4 with two runs scored) and Callis (2-for-4 with a run scored) while Beaton had an RBI. "We have really been playing better the past three games," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "The wins against Bishop Snyder and Orange Park were certainly the biggest victories of the season so far for us. They came at a good time to help boost our confidence for the last half of the season. "We have 10 regular season games left, so I really feel like if we keep playing the way we have been, we are going to pick up some more unexpected wins in these final few weeks." Story created Apr 02, 2009 - 12:27:48 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates, Hornets get wins The Yulee Hornets are 7-6 after Friday's win over Hawthorne. Philip Nelson (1-1) picked up the win on the mound, striking out a pair and walking just one. Chris Welka and Michael Beasley also logged three innings, giving up a hit and striking out two. Andrew Minor went 3-for-3, scored three times and had 4 RBIs for Yulee. Dylan Ellis went 4-for-5 with a trio of RBIS and scored four runs. Jonathan Beaton also went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Garrett Callis had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. "We jumped ahead early on Hawthorne and really swung the bat well all night," Yulee Coach Will Minor said. "Hopefully we can keep improving offensively and continue to pitch well (1.89 ERA). "We are past the halfway point of the season, so if we can keep improving, we should be able to beat a few teams in the last half of the season that no one expects us to beat. We are really right where we want to be at this point of the season." Yulee traveled to Bishop Snyder Tuesday and plays at Orange Park at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The Hornets cap the week at Trinity Christian at 4 p.m. Friday. Story created Mar 26, 2009 - 12:29:07 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates blank Hornets 4-0 in district game The Fernandina Beach Pirates hosted the Yulee Hornets Friday night, but the game was suspended due to fog and continued Monday. Pirate third baseman Robert Martin scrambles back to first base, where Yulee's Jonathan Beaton is waiting. Beth Jones/News-Leader Friday's District 4-3A matchup between the host Pirates and Hornets was suspended due to fog and continued Monday. The Pirates were up 1-0 in the top of the third inning when play resumed and went on to win 4-0. "We had timely hitting and just played good defense," said Ken Roland, head baseball coach at Fernandina Beach High School. "We kind of put it together for the first time in a while." On Friday, the Pirates (6-5, 3-1 in district play) got on the scoreboard on a Hornet infield error. T.J. Temples, pinch runner for pitcher Patrick Garvin, scored after stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball. The Pirates collected three runs in the bottom of the fifth to seal the win. Harrison Yonn walked and Justin Crews and Trent Luman had back-to-back doubles. Luman knocked in Yonn and Crews for a 3-0 lead. Garvin had his second single of the game. Hunter Daniel stepped in to run for the pitcher and eventually scored on a single by Myles Rabant. The Pirates had seven hits. Luman also had a triple to go along with his two-RBI double. Robert Martin also had a hit. Garvin, a junior, pitched six innings, giving up one hit, walking none and striking out three to pick up his first win on the mound. Tim Roszell pitched the final inning, allowing one hit and striking out a batter. "Patrick Garvin pitched well and Timmy Roszell pitched well in relief," Roland said. Matt Malone and Dylan Ellis had Yulee's only hits. Ellis (1-1) also threw five innings on the mound, giving up three earned runs in the loss. "We made some pretty big mental mistakes on the bases that could have cost us a run or two," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "They just outplayed us all around. Our pitchers (Dylan Ellis and Adam Lang) threw pretty well, but we just could not put much together offensively. "Defensively we have been playing pretty solid lately. We have only made four errors in the past four games, which I am proud of. We just need to put it all together and play a complete game." Yulee (6-5) hosts First Coast tonight at 6 p.m. FBHS's game with Anderson County, Tenn., today has been canceled. The Pirates play at 6 p.m. Friday at West Nassau in a district game. Story created Mar 19, 2009 - 11:20:33 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets zap Flashes 7-0 Yulee's Hornets (6-4) are coming off a 7-0 shutout of the Hilliard Flashes Tuesday as they head into tonight's district matchup with the host Fernandina Beach Pirates (5-5). First pitch is at 7 p.m. Andrew Minor (2-1) threw a complete game shutout, giving up a lone hit. The Hornets committed no errors in the field. Matt Malone hit a home run; Minor and Garrett Callis had doubles. The Pirates have lost four in a row with the latest two coming this week. On Tuesday, the Pirates blew a three-run lead at Bolles and lost 7-4. "We certainly had a chance to make a game of it, possibly win it," said Ken Roland, Fernandina Beach High School baseball coach. "We left runners on base. We didn't do a job holding them down." Myles Rabant started on the mound for the Pirates and gave up five hits. Nick Syme gave up two hits. Harrison Yonn led the offensive attack with a pair of hits, including a triple. Jeff Day also had two hits with one a double. Trent Luman also doubled. Roland labeled Wednesday's game "a total collapse." The Pirates were blanked by visiting Marist (Ga.) 10-0. Marist scored three in the first, three in the fourth and four in the top of the fifth in the mercy rule-shortened game. "It's the first one I can remember in a while," Roland said of a game ending due to the 10-run rule. "We didn't play very well, didn't pitch very well, we didn't swing very well." Robert Martin singled for the Pirates' lone hit. Bradley Manning was on the mound and Andy Bowles came in in relief. The Pirate mound gave up 10 hits. "I was very disappointed in that one," Roland said. The Pirates will try to rebound for tonight's matchup with Yulee. "It's a district game," Roland said. "A little added importance. You have to play that. It's a big district game for both teams." The Pirates host Anderson County, Tenn., at 7 p.m. Wednesday and travel to Callahan March 20 to take on the West Nassau Warriors at 6 p.m. They cap the week March 21 with Wayne County, Ga., at 1 p.m. at The Ballpark at Fernandina Beach. The Hornets play at Mandarin Christian at 5 p.m. Tuesday, host First Coast at 6 p.m. Wednesday and close out next week with a game on the road at Hawthorne March 20. That game starts at 7 p.m. Yulee hosts Fernandina in a junior varsity matchup Thursday at 6 p.m. Story created Mar 16, 2009 - 13:21:53 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets trample Spartans 20-1, edged by Eagles 3-2 Carlyle Nolen picked up his second win of the season on the mound in the 20-1 Yulee victory Thursday. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Yulee Hornets (5-4) pommeled St. Johns Country Day 20-1 Thursday at home but were edged 5-4 by Episcopal the following night. Yulee led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning Friday at Episcopal. The host Eagles scored a pair of runs to take a 3-2 lead. Yulee answered in the top of the seventh with a leadoff walk by Taylor, a base hit by Cassidy and an RBI double from Andrew Minor to knot the game at 3-3. "In the bottom of the seventh inning, Episcopal's offense was just too much to handle," YHS Coach Will Minor said. Leading Yulee's offensive attack were Andrew Minor (3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI), Beaton (a double and two RBIs), Taylor (two walks, two runs), Garrett Callis (double), Malone (triple) and Michael Beasley (2-for-4). "Philip Nelson pitched a solid game on the mound," Coach Minor said. He gave up a lone earned run in five innings. "We are improving defensively," Coach Minor said. "We certainly played our best game of the season against a solid team. We had several chances to score more runs but just couldn't get the job done. "We left nine runners on base and didn't execute two squeezes, but overall our offense provided enough runs to win the game. We just need to stop making the mental mistakes on defense that are going to cost us every time we play a good team. Games like this are frustrating, but I was overall pleased with our effort." On Monday, Yulee traveled to Camden County, Ga., where they lost narrowly 1-0 to the Wildcats. "Nolen pitched our best game of the year," Coach Minor said. "It just so happened that Camden County's pitcher only gave up three hits and no runs. We left five runners on base and had chances to drive them in, but just didn't get the job done. Cassidy went 2-for-3 and Taylor had Yulee's only other hit. "We have played our best games of the year the last two outings, but have lost 5-4 and 1-0," Coach Minor said. "If we can find a way to drive in those key runs when it counts, we will win those close games. It has been good to see our defense and pitching improved the last two games. The Hornets hosted Hilliard Tuesday. They travel to Fernandina Beach Friday for a district matchup with the Pirates. First pitch is at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 12, 2009 - 12:30:32 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YHS Hornets push season record to 4-2 Andrew Minor threw a complete game two-hitter against Mandarin Christian. He struck out 10 batters in five innings. Junior Dylan Ellis picked up the win on the mound against Hawthorne. Leading hitters on the week were Marcus Taylor (7-for-11 with a double, four RBIs and six runs scored), Josh Cassidy (4-for-9 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored), Andrew Minor (7-for-13 with a trio of doubles, a triple, a home run, nine RBIs and three runs scored), Ellis (6-for-9 with a couple of RBIs) and Matt Malone (5-for-10 with three RBIs and three runs scored). Michael Beasley and Johnathan Beaton also had multiple RBIs on the week. Mark Fleischer stole five bases. "I am happy to be 4-2 at this point of the season even though we should probably be 5-1," said Will Minor, Yulee head coach. "We are working hard on cutting back the fielding errors in the infield. "Our pitchers have done a good job so far with a team ERA of 1.83, but we still lose focus too many times in the field. I keep telling the team that it is a long season and we just need to keep improving as the season goes on." Yulee travels to Episcopal tonight. First pitch is at 7 p.m. The lone home game next week is Thursday. The Hornets host Hilliard at 6 p.m. Story created Mar 09, 2009 - 12:08:00 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets, Pirates both 2-1 on season By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee Hornets defeated Hilliard 8-3 Thursday on the road. The win pushes Yulee High School baseball team's record to 2-1. Freshman Marcus Taylor led the Hornets with four hits, a trio of RBIs and a run scored while picking up his first save on the mound. He gave up no hits or runs in three innings. Sophomore Nolen Carlyle picked up the win for the team. The Hornets' leading hitters were seniors Josh Cassidy (2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored) and Michael Beasley (2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored) and sophomore Andrew Minor (2-for-4 with a run scored). Senior Garrett Callis had a triple and junior Jonathan Beaton doubled for the Hornets. Yulee hosted Mandarin Christian Monday and Baldwin Tuesday. The Hornets close out the three-game home stint this week with Hawthorne on Friday. First pitch is at 7 p.m. Story created Feb 26, 2009 - 07:10:39 PST. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets win preseason tournament The winning pitchers were sophomores Andrew Minor and Nolen Carlyle. Leading hitters for the Hornets were freshman Marcus Taylor (4-for-9 with two doubles, two runs, four RBIs and one stolen base), senior Josh Cassidy (5-for-9 with a double, five runs, two RBIs and a walk), Minor (4-for-8 with a double, a triple, four runs, five RBIs and a pair of stolen bases), senior Matt Malone (2-for-5 with four runs scored) and senior Michael Beasley (2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI). The Hornets opened the regular season Monday at home with Robert E. Lee High School and hosted West Nassau Tuesday. They cap the week at Hilliard Thursday. Story created Feb 19, 2009 - 17:01:00 PST. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets return just two starters for 2009 By Beth Jones, News-Leader High school baseball teams will soon be in action. The regular season opens next week. The Hornets, who went 16-11 last season and finished fourth in the district, get a taste of what lies when they travel to Hawthorne for a preseason tournament this weekend. Yulee takes on Gainesville-Eastside at 7 p.m. Friday and takes on the host at 1 p.m. Saturday. First pitch of the regular season is Feb. 16 when the Hornets host Robert E. Lee. "We are very young and inexperienced this season," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "We have only two returning starters back and no starting pitching back. With that being said, the coaching staff is very excited because this has been a great bunch of guys to work with since the summer. They have been working extremely hard and the seniors have shown great leadership this whole off-season." Those two returning starters are senior second baseman Josh Cassidy, who hit .358 with 29 hits, 26 runs, 14 RBIs, and just three errors in 27 games last season, and sophomore third baseman Andrew Minor (.390, 32 hits, 21 runs, 21 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 27 games). "Our most promising up-and-coming regulars, who should start on varsity, are senior left fielder Garrett Callis, senior first baseman and DH Matt Malone, senior outfielder and pitcher Michael Beasley and senior pitcher and utility player Philip Nelson," Coach Minor said. "We are especially young on the mound, led by senior transfer Philip Nelson. After Nelson, our pitching staff is made up of two seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. "This is the start of the third year of this program and I couldn't be any happier with how far we have come in three years. I really believe that with the mix of solid young players we have and the leadership already shown by the older players in the program, this could be the start of a very special team for the next several years. "We will be very young and inexperienced, but we have many high-character guys who will do things the right way on and off the field, and will play hard every game - win or lose." Story created Feb 12, 2009 - 13:29:25 PST. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yulee High School Baseball We would like to thank Derek and his very capable staff at North Hampton for hosting the event and the 34 golfers who participated in the tournament. We also send our thanks to the businesses that sponsored holes on the course: Baker's Sports Inc., Rayonier, Harper Holding Co. Inc., Billie J. Minor Foundation, W. W. Gay, Oriental Buffet, Marble Masters Inc., Rodeffer/Garner/ Minor Orthodontics, Ron Anderson, RPM Wood Products, Swinsen Pahlow Design and Build and Arc-Rite. A silent auction was also held at North Hampton during the event and we want to express our sincere appreciation to the businesses who donated so generously toward it: Jacksonville Suns, Lindy's, Cafe Karibo, Moon River Pizza, Nassau Health Foods, Sonny's, Club 14, Anytime Fitness, Elite Gym, Wal-Mart, Amelia Island Plantation, Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, Hampton Inn, Jinright's, Barbara Jean's, Doo Wop Diner, Arte Pizza and Beall's. Once again, we appreciate all who contributed to this fundraiser. Thank you all for your support of Yulee High School baseball. Massey, President, YHS Baseball Dugout Club Story created Nov 26, 2008 - 14:18:34 PST. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates, Hornets ousted in semis By Beth Jones, News-Leader Sophomore Adam Lang relieved Josh McKendree on the mound in the second inning Tuesday when the Yulee Hornets faced the Bolles Bulldogs in the semifinal of the District 4-3A baseball tournament at Fernandina Beach High School. Beth Jones/News-Leader It could have been an all-Nassau County matchup in the district championship Thursday, but neither the Pirates or Hornets made it past the semifinal. Yulee was dimed by Bolles in the first semifinal Tuesday at Fernandina Beach High School. Bolles was stingy, giving up just one hit. "They just had an all-around better team than we did," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "Bolles scored eight runs in the first two innings and they just shut our bats down." The Pirates were edged 5-4 by the top seed, Episcopal, in the other semifinal Tuesday. The Pirates scored first, netting a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jarrod Carlton singled and Jeff Day walked. Trent Luman singled and advanced to second on the throw, allowing two runs to score. Episcopal answered, knotting the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Pirates were back in top in the top of the sixth inning, chalking up a pair of runs on as many hits. Carlton was hit by a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. Jeff Day doubled in Carlton. Luman singled to center to knock in the other run. Fernandina led 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Episcopal scored three runs on five hits and left two runners on base. The Eagles won 5-4 and advanced to the District 4-3A championship against Bolles. Justin Day (5-1) took his first loss of the season on the mound. He gave up 11 hits and five runs, walked two and struck out eight. The Pirates collected six hits. Luman had a pair and Carlton, Jeff Day, Justin Day and Bud Davis had one apiece. While Yulee topped West Nassau in the first round of district play Monday, Fernandina (seeded fourth) beat No. 5 seed Trinity Christian 7-3. The Pirates trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the third inning, when they managed six runs on six hits, all they would need for the win. Justin Crews, Carlton, Luman, Robert Martin, Davis and Tyler Womble all singled in the inning. Luman's hit knocked in two runs. In all, the Pirates had 12 hits. Luman ended the night with three. Justin Day and Davis had two each. Carlton (6-3) got the win on the mound. He gave up nine hits and three hits, one earned, walked five and struck out 11. The Pirates went 16-11 this season. The Hornets, who were seeded sixth and knocked off No. 3 seed West Nassau in the first round of district play, also ended with a 16-11 record. "Overall, our season was a good one," Minor said. "We beat West Nassau to advance to the district semifinals and we beat many other quality bigger schools, such as Fleming Island, Orange Park, Mandarin, First Coast, Gainesville and Paxon. We were also able to split with Fernandina Beach. "Many times the overall record is what everyone looks at, but this season was a success for other reasons too. The field and facilities are starting to look better and the interest from the community has been great. "Every year is just part of the process of building. With every team, you have your ups and downs, but we are always trying to move forward. As long as we have that approach, the program is going to be successful and moving in the right direction. "We (the coaches) have tried to teach these guys a little about life as well as baseball. I feel that we have done a good job of that - getting guys to realize that they have to take responsibility for their actions and their future. "We are proud of the things we have accomplished in two years (30 wins). The future ahead is very bright." Story created Apr 28, 2008 - 09:50:02 PDT.
Yulee gets wins over Fernandina, West Nassau Yulee's Hornets (16-10) edged West Nassau 6-5 Monday morning to advance to Tuesday's semifinal round of the District 4-3A tournament at Fernandina Beach. They were set to face Bolles at 4 p.m. Buck Marell threw a complete game five-hitter, striking out nine and giving up no earned runs to better his record to 5-3 and two saves with Monday's win over West Nassau. The Hornets led 4-3 in the fifth inning with two outs and runners on second and third when Andrew Minor made contact for a two-RBI single. The Hornets increased their lead to 6-3. Trailing 6-4, the Warriors scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut Yulee's lead to one, but left two runners on base. "Buck struck out the final batter to end the game," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "We made too many errors on the day (six), but we had eight hits and we just kept battling all game long and never gave up the lead," Coach Minor said. Josh Oliver, Cory Reynolds and Minor all had two hits apiece. Minor and Reynolds both had a pair of RBIs for Yulee. Marell had an RBI. "This was a huge win for this program," Coach Minor said. "It was our first district tournament win in school history and the first time we've beaten West Nassau. I am really proud of this group of guys. They have really come together as a team and battled hard to win some big games lately. This being the biggest yet." Yulee is seeded sixth with a 2-5 district record while the Warriors were the third seed at 5-2. The Pirates (No. 4 seed) took on Trinity Christian (No. 5) in Monday's nightcap. The championship is at 7 p.m. Thursday. Yulee capped the regular season with wins over Fernandina Beach Thursday and Hawthorne Friday. Yulee edged FBHS 5-4 Thursday. "It took a total team effort, good pitching and timely hitting to outlast the Pirates on their home field," Coach Minor said. "The sixth inning was the difference with Yulee scoring four runs on three hits to put the Hornets up for good with a three-run lead going into the bottom of the sixth. "Fernandina battled back in the bottom of the inning, but could only score two runs to narrow the gap to the eventual final score." Josh McKendree started the game on the mound for Yulee. He threw three strong innings, giving up no runs on two hits and striking out three. Marell came into the game in the fourth inning to pick up the win (5-3-1). He gave up four runs on five hits while striking out one. Josh Cassidy led Yulee at the plate. He was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Oliver, Chad Smith and Josh Kubala went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Yulee struck first, scoring in the fourth inning with a single by Minor, a stolen base and a run scored from an RBI single by Smith. Fernandina came back in the bottom of the fourth with two runs of their own. In the sixth inning, Travis Higgs reached base by a walk, Marell singled and Smith also walked to load the bases. Kubala then had an RBI single followed by RBIs from Oliver, Cassidy and McKendree. "It was an overall great game for the team after a couple of tough weeks," Coach Minor said. "I am very proud of these guys for playing hard and coming out wanting to finish the regular season strong. "Fernandina battled all night long, but we were just able to score one more run to beat them tonight." Yulee closed the regular season Friday at home. Before the game, the Hornets recognized their seniors. "On the night set aside to honor the seniors, the seniors helped make sure the night turned out to be a total success with a 15-5 win over Hawthorne in six innings," Coach Minor said. "The seniors (Oliver, McKendree, Reynolds, Marquez Davison, Smith and Kubala) ended the night with a total of eight hits, a home run, a double and six RBIs between them." Oliver (2-for-4 with an RBI) led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. "The team never looked back from there," Coach Minor said. Reynolds was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, Minor went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored, and Kubala was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. McKendree had a hit and Marell had a home run and four RBIs. Davison knocked in two runs with a hit. On the mound, Higgs threw the first three innings to pick up the win (2-1). He gave up three runs on four hits and struck out two. Reynolds threw the next two innings, giving up two runs on three hits and striking out six. He was followed by Adam Lang, who gave up no runs or hits and struck out two to finish the game. Story created Apr 24, 2008 - 13:37:01 PDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All in the family in Yulee By Beth Jones, News-Leader Will Minor, right, is in his second year as head baseball coach at Yulee High School. This season, one of his assistant coaches is his father, Bill, center, who moved up from Palm Beach to join Minor's staff. Bill brought with him his 15-year-old son and Will's brother, Andrew, left, who made the varsity team as a freshman. Beth Jones/News-Leader When Will Minor got the head coaching position at Yulee High School, he started pursing an assistant he new very well. His former coach. His dad. Although Will is in his second year, it wasn't until this season that his father, Bill, decided to head north from Palm Beach to help his son build the Hornet baseball program. Bill is in his 38th year of coaching baseball and coached Will, 33, through high school. "He was tough on me," Will said. "I learned a lot of things I teach these guys now about discipline, about doing the right thing." But it was Dad who convinced Will to pursue coaching. "He knew the criticism I would probably take as a coach," Will said. "I don't think he necessarily wanted me to go that route because he knew the downside of being a coach is the criticism and being called a jerk. "But I knew I loved the game." It seems the whole family does. Will's little brother, Andrew, 15, also made the move from Palm Beach with his parents and earned a varsity spot as a freshman. Now he's playing for his brother and father. "It's tough," Andrew said. "Playing as a freshman on varsity is tough anyway, especially when your brother and father are the coaches. Everyone is focused on you. "I've been taught all my life to push through it. Work your butt off and play through it. If you come out and work hard, no one can say anything." Making the varsity squad wasn't a sure thing for Andrew. He had to try out just like everyone else on the team. "I told him he was going to have to do what it takes to be a starting player," Will said. "He did that. "He definitely doesn't get any free rides around here. He knows he's got to put in the time. The good thing is he's got a good work ethic. I haven't really had to discipline him a whole lot because he does the right thing. It makes my job easier but it doesn't mean he doesn't get criticized. "I knew there would be so much pressure on him. The criticism and the scrutiny. But I told him, 'If you ever want to be a big-time college player or possibly a pro player, it's never going to go away. You might as well get used to it now.'" "Being coached by family all your life, you never get used to the pressure," Andrew said. "I try not to get away with anything because it never works. "My brother's the head coach. You have to do what the head coach says." There is an 18-year age difference between the brothers. Will's mother died when he was just 13 and his father later remarried. When Will was a senior in high school, he had a new baby brother. Will attended the University of North Florida and his family was always nearby during the season. In fact, Andrew was even a bat boy. "Will taught him how to hit as a left-hander as a two-year-old," Bill said. "He throws right-handed but hits left-handed. Andrew used to go into the batting cage and hit with the big guys. Will was a very good hitter. "Andrew has a great swing and has the size." Andrew is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He plays first, second and third base and has even pitched. "I wanted Andrew to be able to play for Will because I think Will is one of the best coaches in Florida," Bill said. "He makes great decisions. Physically a lot of baseball teams are equal. The coaching decisions you make determine what happens on the field. "When he played for me, he was like a coach. When he was in the infield, he could go talk to the pitcher so I didn't have to come out and talk to him." As far as the Minors are concerned, there hasn't been too much adjusting. Will adopted his father's system and Andrew grew up with it. "Andrew learned the system Will uses a long time ago," Bill said. "He can just refine what he needs to. That helps a lot. "If everyone works together, you have a good-running machine. I believe we have that (at Yulee). The program is doing very well for two years old." Bill said he had more in mind than just baseball when he decided to move his family to Nassau County. He has two children and four grandchildren living in Raleigh, N.C. He's now closer to them and Will and his family, which also includes a small son. "They decided to move up and help me coach and help build the program," Will said. "I was able to get Andrew as a player. It was win-win all the way around." Bill is happy with the move also. "The people up here are very nice, very friendly," he said. "It's a nice area to live. "There seems to be a lot of baseball-minded people. They know the game, respect the game. It teaches these kids about life. Not giving up. If you strike out, you have another chance." Yulee hosts Hawthorne tonight at 7 p.m. in the regular season finale. Seniors will be honored before first pitch. Story created Apr 21, 2008 - 08:36:11 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YHS pounds Paxon 21-9; Pirates go 1-2 Paxon started the scoring in the bottom of the first by getting their first two batters on base and having their leading hitter hit a three-run home run to go up 3-0. In the top of the second, Marell returned the favor by hitting a three-run home run off their scoreboard in left center to tie the game at 3-3. Paxon then went up again 5-3 in the bottom of the second on a few base hits. Yulee battled back and went up for good in the top of the third by scoring eight runs of their own. Offensively, every player in the Yulee lineup had a base hit. Brock Dickinson (2-for-5, three runs, one RBI), Travis Higgs (3-for-5, two runs, a triple, two RBIs), Josh McKendree (3-for-4, four runs, double, home run, one RBI), Cory Reynolds (2-for-3, four runs), Andrew Minor (5-for-5, three runs, a double, five RBIs) and Chad Smith (2-for-4, run, two RBIs) led the team with multiple hits. Dickinson, Reynolds and Minor also had two stolen bases each. Josh Oliver (RBI), Josh Kubala (RBI) and Marell (home run, three RBIs) also drove in runs for the team. "This was the best game we've played in three weeks," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "The all-around intensity and desire, like at the beginning of the season, was back. If we can continue to swing the bats like we did against Paxon and stay positive and intense, the next two weeks will be very exciting. "I am very proud of the effort these guys showed. If this effort will show up every game from here on out, we will finish strong." Yulee (13-9) travels to Fernandina Beach Thursday. First pitch is at 7 p.m. The Hornets traveled cross-county to play Hilliard Tuesday. They cap the week and the regular season Friday when they host Hawthorne at 7 p.m. The Pirates will host the District 4-3A tournament starting Monday at The Ballpark at Fernandina Beach. The tournament opens with Yulee (No. 6 seed) taking on West Nassau (No. 3) at 10 a.m. Monday. Bolles (No. 2) and Bishop Snyder (No. 7) play at 1p.m. Episcopal, the top seed, takes on Baldwin (No. 8) at 4 p.m. Monday. Fernandina Beach (No. 4) takes on Trinity (No. 5) at 7 p.m. Games are at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. The tournament championship is slated for 7 p.m. on April 24. Story created Apr 17, 2008 - 13:39:20 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Yulee High School Hornets were victims of West Laurens High School (15-1) out of Georgia Tuesday. The visiting Raiders collected 14 hits, including a pair of two-run home runs, en route to a 9-5 victory. Yulee scored five runs on 10 hits and left 11 men on base. Brock Dickinson went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI for Yulee. Teammate Josh Oliver also went 2-for-3. Josh Kubala, Josh Cassidy, Josh McKendree and Cory Reynolds also had RBIs. The Hornets opened the week with a 7-1 loss to Episcopal Mon-day. It was the last district matchup of the regular season for Yulee. Reynolds had a pair of hits. Dickinson had an RBI and Chad Smith scored Yulee's lone run. Yulee (12-9 overall and 2-6 in the district) travels to Paxon tonight. The Hornets play at Hilliard Tuesday, at Fernandina Tuesday and host Hawthorne April 18 to cap the regular season. Story created Apr 14, 2008 - 11:23:45 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets, Pirates not idle on spring break By Beth Jones, News-Leader Spring break didn't offer much relaxation for the Fernandina Beach and Yulee high school baseball teams. Both played last week in spring break tournaments. Yulee participated in the Terry Parker Spring Break Classic. The Hornets went 1-3, picking up a 6-4 win over Sneads while losing to DeLand 4-2, Sandalwood 7-2, and Florida High 6-3. Josh McKendree went the distance for the Hornets in their win over Sneads. He pitched a complete game to pick up his sixth win of the season. McKendree struck out seven, walked one and gave up just one earned run to keep his record perfect. He is 6-0 on the season. Yulee's offensive leaders for the week were Buck Marell (3-for-9 with a two-run home run and a pair of RBIs), Josh Cassidy (4-for-14 with three RBIs), McKendree (5-for-12 with two RBIs), Josh Oliver (4-for-15 with a trio of RBIs), Cory Reynolds (5-for-13 with RBIs), Brock Dickinson (5-for-14) and Josh Kubala (4-for-10). "Our defense was much better this week, but our pitching struggled at times," said Will Minor, Yulee High School's head baseball coach. "We have not been consistently hitting our spots and we have been leaving too many pitches out over the plate for teams to make a lot of solid contact with. "Early in the season, we were so successful because of our solid pitching and defense. We had a tough few weeks on defense, but it seems to be coming back. Now hopefully our consistently good pitching will also come back to have a chance to compete in the district tournament coming up in two weeks. "We just have to keep a good attitude and continue working hard in practice and battling every game. We've got the players to make a good run here at the end of the season. I'm just trying to figure out how to get that fire back in the team before it is too late." Yulee (12-7) hosted Episcopal Monday and West Laurens, Ga. (15-1), Tuesday. The Hornets play at Paxon Friday. First pitch is at 6 p.m. Story created Apr 10, 2008 - 14:54:03 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yulee win fourth in a row for Pirates Beth Jones, News-Leader The Fernandina Beach Pirates are riding a four-game win streak and collected two of the wins this week. They beat Stanton 10-2 on Monday and Yulee 6-4 on Tuesday. "Stanton was a big win against a very talented team," said Ken Roland, Fernandina Beach High School baseball coach. "Pat Garvin pitched well and we were able to extend leads and put the game out of reach with timely hitting. "Garvin and left-hander Andy Bowles kept the Stanton hitters off-balance and mixed off-speed well." Bowles pitched scoreless sixth and seventh innings. Sophomore right-hander Myles Rabant (4-1) picked up the win against Yulee with senior Justin Day getting the save. Rabant went five innings and Day closed the game with two scoreless innings of relief. Rabant gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking four and striking out eight. Day walked one and struck out eight. He denied the Hornets a hit. "Our pitching wasn't as sharp control-wise as it has been, but we managed to work out of some jams," Roland said. Yulee started Buck Marell (4-1) on the mound. He struck out five and gave up as many hits in four innings. Brock Dickinson threw three innings of relief and gave up two hits while striking out four. The Pirates got on the board first, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Tyler Womble walked and Robert Martin reached first base on an error. Jarrod Carlton singled and advanced to second on another Hornet error, allowing Womble to score. Jeff Day singled, allowing Martin to score for a 2-0 lead. Justin Crews reached first on a fielder's choice and Carlton scored. Yulee answered in the bottom of the first inning. Dickinson walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Josh Cassidy walked. Josh McKendree's single knocked in Dickinson for the Hornets' first run. They scored again with Cory Reynolds' single to center. Yulee cut the lead to 3-2. The Pirates added two runs in the top of the third inning. Womble and Martin opened the inning with singles and both advanced a base on a wild pitch. Jeff Day doubled to left, knocking in both runs. Fernandina held a 5-2 lead until the bottom of the fifth. Cassidy singled and then scored on an Andrew Minor single. Minor moved to second on a passed ball, went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on another passed ball. The Hornets trailed 5-4. In the top of the sixth, Crews reached first on an error and advanced to second. Trent Luman singled Crews in for the final run of the night. Jeff Day and Luman had two hits apiece to lead the Pirates at the plate. Day knocked in three runs on the night. Yulee was led at the plate by Cory Reynolds (2-for-3 with an RBI) Josh Cassidy (1-for-2 with two runs scored) Josh McKendree (1-for-4 with an RBI), Andrew Minor (1-for-3 with one run scored and an RBI) and Dickinson, who scored a run. Yulee (11-4 and 2-4 in the district) is idle until next week's tournament at Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville. The Hornets take on DeLand Tuesday, Deltona Thursday and Middleburg next Friday. The championship and consolation games are slated for April 5. "We have a little time off until we play next week in the Terry Parker spring break tournament," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "I think the days off couldn't have come at a better time because we've had a few mentally draining games in the last two weeks. "We have a good enough team to finish strong and play tough in the district tournament if we can mentally recover and get back on track. The stretch run of the regular season is in front of us with 10 games remaining, so we just need to go back to the fundamentals of doing the little things right that helped us win those big games early in the season. The next three weeks should be exciting." Story created Mar 31, 2008 - 08:20:40 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Yulee Hornets beat 6A Mandarin 7-6 Thursday on good pitching, good defense and timely hitting, according to Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. Josh McKendree (5-0), Travis Higgs and Cory Reynolds (one save) combined time on the mound to pick up the 11th win of the season for the Hornets. McKendree gave up six hits, striking out four, while Higgs and Reynolds gave up three hits and struck out four in relief. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Mandarin loaded the bases. Reynolds picked up the save as he struck out the last two batters to end the game. Yulee was led at the plate by Brock Dickinson (2-for-3), McKendree (1-for-3 with a double), Reynolds (1-for-4), Chad Smith (1-for-2, one RBI) and Josh Kubala (2-for-3, a double and two RBIs). Andrew Minor and Marquez Davison also scored runs. On Friday, Yulee lost to Bolles 17-0. "This was one of those games you would just like to forget about," Coach Minor said. Yulee is 11-3 and 2-3 in the district. The Hornets have just one game this week. They hosted Fernandina Beach Tuesday. They play in a tournament at Terry Parker April 1-5. Story created Mar 27, 2008 - 13:19:55 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida Times-Union March 19, 2008 Baseball power poll By The Times-Union (Records as of Monday) 1. Eagle's View (10-2) Warriors have six players with 13 or more RBI. 2. Wolfson (10-0) Still perfect and pushing for the top spot. 3. Providence (9-2) Led by Kyle Webb, pitching has been brilliant. 4. Bishop Kenny (10-1) Crusaders starting to surge after four-win week. 5. Yulee (10-1) Brock Dickinson leads dynamic pitching staff. 6. Stanton (9-1) Strong defense the key. 7. University Christian (11-2) Christians unbeaten this week. 8. Baker County (8-2) Wildcats winning with great balance. 9. Parker (9-3) Braves are making a big move. 10. Episcopal (8-4) Hunter Scantling delivering at the plate. Compiled by HAYS CARLYON/ The Times-Union
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets get their 10th win Josh McKendree (4-0) pitched five strong innings, striking out six and giving up two earned runs. Andrew Minor came into the game in the sixth for relief on the mound, striking out three and walking one in two innings of work to pick up the save. Offensively, the Hornets were led by Cory Reynolds (1-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored) and his big three-run home run in the sixth inning. Other offensive leaders were Josh Kubala (1-for-4, two RBIs, one run scored), Minor (3-for-3 with one run scored), Buck Marell (a double, one RBI), Josh Oliver (2-for-4 with three RBIs, one run scored), Josh Cassidy (2-for-2 with two runs scored) and Brock Dickinson (1-for-3 with two runs scored). "Our defense struggled early, which allowed Hilliard to stay in the game until the big home run by Cory Reynolds in the sixth inning," said Will Minor, head baseball coach for Yulee High School. "Josh McKendree did a great job of staying composed early in the game while our defense gave them an extra four or five outs because of errors. "We are working on some of the mistakes we made, and hope to improve before Tuesday's game against West Nassau. "My guys just keep playing hard and have really bought into what it takes to compete on a daily basis with the best teams. We just have to keep coaching them up to improve on the defensive areas that they are struggling with." Yulee (10-1 overall and 2-1 in the district) traveled to West Nassau Tuesday. The Hornets will host Mandarin Thursday at the University of North Florida. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the Hornets host the Fernandina Beach High School Pirates in a district matchup at 7 p.m. Coach Minor took over the athletic director position at YHS as of Monday. Donna Jackson resigned from the position.
Story created Mar 20, 2008 - 13:57:14 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida Times-Union March 12, 2008 High school baseball power poll By The Times-Union (Records as of Monday) 1. Eagle's View (7-2) Victories over Class 6A champ Sarasota and 2A champ Tallahassee North Florida Christian were great accomplishments for the defending A champions. One loss was an 11-9 setback to 4A champ Orlando Bishop Moore. 2. Wolfson (8-0) Undefeated, including a victory over Eagle's View. The Wolfpack is off to a sizzling start, as illustrated by the team's .390 batting average. 3. Providence (8-2) No area team is pitching better right now. 4. Bishop Kenny (6-1) The Crusaders are once again really potent offensively. 5. Yulee (8-1) A 4-3 loss to Trinity Christian on Monday is the team's first blemish. 6. Stanton (7-1) Pitching is the key to the Blue Devils' early success. 7. West Nassau (5-1) A high-octane offense carrying the Warriors. 8. University Christian (8-2) This is one of the most balanced teams in the area. 9. Bolles (4-5) Forget about the record. The Bulldogs have faced a brutal early schedule and will likely surge soon. 10. Fernandina Beach (5-4) Once the pitching picks up, this will be a dangerous team. Compiled by HAYS CARLYON/ The Times-Union This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/031208/hig_256051735.shtml. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Beth Jones, News-Leader Yulee is still 8-0. The Hornets' Friday matchup with Bolles was canceled because of the inclement weather. The Hornets had a makeup game Monday against Trinity Christian and the Bolles game will be made up March 21 at Bolles. First pitch is at 6 p.m. Tonight Yulee hosts St. Johns Country Day School at 6 p.m. The Hornets host Hilliard Friday at 7 p.m. Yulee's girls softball team lost 14-7 to Baldwin March 3. The Hornets committed seven errors. Kristeena Shirah had the hit of the night for Yulee, a two-run homer. The Lady Hornets hosted Terry Parker Monday and travel to Baker County Thursday. First pitch is at 6 p.m. On Friday, they host the FBHS Lady Pirates at 7 p.m. The Lady Pirates hosted Bolles Tuesday and are at home with Lee today at 4:30 p.m. Story created Mar 13, 2008 - 14:25:23 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets roll to 8-0 with Fleming win By Beth Jones, News-Leader A lot can change in a year. The Yulee Hornets avenged last season's 13-0 loss to Fleming Island on Monday with a 2-1 victory, which pushed their record to 8-0. Buck Marell was the Hornets' hurler through five innings. He gave up five hits while striking out six and walking just one to collect his third win of the season. Travis Higgs pitched the last two innings to pick up the save. He allowed no hits or walks. "Josh Kubala drove in both runs on a two-out bases-clearing double in the bottom of the second for the game-winning RBIs," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. Josh Cassidy and Josh McKendree also had hits for the Hornets. Cory Reynolds and McKendree scored the runs. "This was another one of those games that I would consider to be a really big win for the program," Coach Minor said. "After they beat us 13-0 last year, games like this show just how far this program has come in one season. It makes you proud as a coach to see all the hard work paying off in just a short amount of time. "I figured we would hopefully be 4-4 or 5-3 at this point in the season. I never would have dreamed we would be 8-0." The Hornets are 2-0 in the district. They play at Bolles tonight at 6 p.m. in another district matchup. Yulee hosts St. Johns Country Day Wednesday at 6 p.m. and are at home March 14 with Hilliard. First pitch is at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 10, 2008 - 13:33:28 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets get their seventh win By Beth Jones, News-Leader Josh McKendree is 3-0 on the season with Saturday's win over St. Johns Country Day School. The win pushed the Hornets' record to 7-0 and McKendree recorded his second no-hitter of the season. Beth Jones/News-Leader The Yulee Hornets continued their winning ways last week, picking up wins over First Coast and St. Johns Country Day School to improve their record to 7-0 (2-0 in the district). "It feels good being 7-0 but we realize that there is still a lot of games left to be played," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "This week will be our toughest test so far in playing Fleming Island and Bolles. If we can just stay healthy and continue to work hard in the areas we need improvement, we should continue to have good close games. "It all starts on the mound and our pitchers have done a job of performing in the big games." Yulee edged 5A First Coast 1-0 Friday. Brock Dickinson, who pushed his record to 2-0 on the mound, threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 11. Buck Marell relieved Dickinson in the seventh to record his first save of the season. Marell denied any hits and struck out one. Andrew Minor had the game-winning RBI for the Hornets. He drove in Dickinson in the third inning. The Hornets collected five hits off the bats of Minor, Dickinson, Josh McKendree, Marell and Cory Reynolds. "Defensively, Travis Higgs had a great game at shortstop with three assists and the final assist/out of the game," Coach Minor said. "Our pitchers did a great job of throwing strikes and keeping the hitters off-balance. Once again we came through with timely hitting to score the only run of the game in the third inning." The Hornets had an easier time picking up their seventh win Saturday when they visited the Spartans of St. Johns Country Day School. Yulee blanked the Spartans 12-0 in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule. McKendree went the distance on the mound, picking up his second no-hitter of the season. He gave up just one walk and struck out nine St. Johns batters. The hurler is 3-0 on the season. Yulee's offensive leaders were Dickinson, who went 2-for-3, with an RBI and two runs scored; Minor went 1-for-3 with a trio of RBIs and a run scored); and McKendree (1-for-3, two RBIs, one run scored). Each hit their first homeruns of the season. Dickinson's came on the third pitch of the game with a pair of strikes against him. McKendree's drove in a run and also came in the first inning. Other offensive leaders were Josh Cassidy (1-for- 2, one RBI, three runs scored), Josh Oliver (2-for-3, one RBI), Chad Smith (1-for-1, one run scored) and Marquez Davison (1-for-1, a double, an RBI and one run scored). Yulee (7-0) hosted Fleming Island Monday and travels to Bolles Friday. First pitch is at 6 p.m. The Hornets return home March 12 to host the St. Johns Spartans at 6 p.m. They host Hilliard March 14 at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 06, 2008 - 13:20:11 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets beat Gainesville, Hawthorne Sophomore pitcher Buck Marell pitched a two-hitter, striking out nine and walking two to beat defending District 4-5A champions, Gainesville Hurricanes 8-2 Saturday. Yulee scored its eight runs on nine hits to beat Gainesville, which was 3-1 at the time. Offensively, Cory Reynolds led the Hornets with 3 RBIs, including a double, while Sophomore Travis Higgs and senior Josh Kubala also had extra-base hits (triple and a double). Senior Marquez Davison scored three runs and Josh Oliver had three hits for the team. Other key hitters on the day were freshman Andrew Minor (one RBI and two runs scored), Josh McKendree (two hits, one RBI and one run) and Marell (one RBI). "We came out slow in the first inning when they scored two runs, but then we battled back to take the lead in the sixth and never looked back," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "I am very proud of the way Buck pitched against some of the better hitters we will face this year. After he settled down in the second, he started getting ahead of hitters and gave up no hits after that. "This was another big win, unexpected win, for us. Hopefully we will keep getting the same all around effort and hard work from the players. I think they are starting to realize that what we are trying to teach them, doing the little things right, is what is going to win a lot of games for us." The second game of the day for Yulee was against Hawthorne. Yulee pounded Hawthorne 17-3. McKendree picked up his second win of the season, striking out nine and giving up just three hits. Yulee was led offensively by Josh Cassidy (5-for-5, three RBIs and four runs scored), Marell (2-for-4 with a homerun and five RBIs), Reynolds (2-for-4) and Garrett Callis (a double and two RBIs). Yulee is 5-0 and 2-0 in the district. The Hornets hosted Trinity Christian Tuesday. They travel to First Coast Friday. First pitch is at 6 p.m. They are at St. Johns Country Day Saturday with first pitch at noon. Story created Feb 28, 2008 - 13:18:44 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets now 3-0 on season Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee Hornets are perfect on the season at 3-0 and are 2-0 in the district with recent wins over Bishop Snyder and Baldwin. In their district opener Feb. 15, Yulee beat Bishop Snyder 11-2. "Sophomore pitcher Buck Marell (1-0) threw four strong innings," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. Marell struck out 11 and gave up just one hit. The Yulee offense collected 14 hits, including home runs by senior Cory Reynolds (1-3, two RBIs and two runs) and sophomore Travis Higgs (2-4, 2 RBIs and two runs). Senior Brock Dickinson went 2-for-2 with two runs scored); junior Josh Cas-sidy went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored one run; senior Josh McKendree went 2-for-4 and also scored; Marell was 3-for-3 at the plate and scored a pair of runs; and senior Josh Kubala and freshman Andrew Minor had a double and an RBI apiece. "It was good to pick up our first district win in our first district game," Coach Minor said. "Every district win is big because we only play each team once. With six district games to go, it feels good to be 1-0." Yulee bettered that record on Tuesday, beating Baldwin 5-1 and pushing its district record 2-0. On the mound for Yulee, Dickinson (1-0) and McKendree (one save) combined for a no-hitter. Dickinson had 12 strikeouts and a walk and gave up just one run. McKendree struck out two to earn the save. "The combined no-hitter was McKendree's second combined no-hitter in school history," Coach Minor said. Leading the offense were Cassidy, who went 2-for-3 and scored a run; Minor, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, and senior Josh Oliver, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and one run scored. Dickinson also scored for the Hornets. The Hornets travel today to Gainesville to play Gainesville High School and Hawthorne. Story created Feb 25, 2008 - 14:16:10 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 Hornets top Flashes 1-0 in Baker tournament With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning, sophomore Buck Marell drove in freshman Andrew Minor for the winning run on a fielder's choice Tuesday to lift the Yulee Hornets over the Hilliard Flashes 1-0 in a preseason baseball tournament at Baker County. Marell and senior Josh McKendree combined for a one-hit shutout, giving up just one walk and striking out 11 on the night. Yulee had seven hits and left four men on base. Junior Josh Cassidy and Andrew Minor had two hits each with Cassidy hitting a triple and Minor hitting a double. Other hitters included seniors Brock Dickinson, Josh Kubala and Marquez Davidson. "I was proud of the overall effort on the night," said Will Minor, head baseball coach at Yulee High School. "Our pitchers did a great job of throwing strikes and our defense made no errors. "Our hitting is much improved from last year, so hopefully we will continue to take good swings and make good solid contact at the plate." Yulee wrapped up preseason play Thursday against host Baker County. The regular season opens at home Tuesday with Orange Park. The Hornets went 14-12 last season. "We are in an extremely tough eight-team district with Bolles, Episcopal, Fernandina, West Nassau, Trinity Christian, Bishop Snyder and Baldwin," Coach Minor said. "Last season we finished fifth in the district in the regular season. "This season we hope to finish at least in the top four." Key returners for the Hornets include McKendree, senior pitcher (7-1 record, 2.36 ERA, 55 strikeouts); Dickinson, senior pitcher (3.78 ERA, 55 Ks); senior center fielder Cory Reynolds (.333 batting average, 22 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, no errors in CF); senior catcher Josh Oliver (.325 batting average, five doubles, 11 RBIs); junior second baseman Cassidy (16 hits, 16 runs, 12 RBIs); and sophomore pitcher Marell (2-1 record with one save, 3.13 ERA, 31 Ks). "Our most promising young newcomers, who will both start on varsity, are sophomore shortstop Travis Higgs and freshman utility player Andrew Minor," Coach Minor said. "We have most of our starting pitching back from last season. I think we have made great strides from last year in the offensive areas, but only time will tell if we can translate our better hitting and baserunning into wins - especially with the tougher schedule that I put together for this year. "Some of the holes from last year's team have been filled with young players, which will hopefully benefit us now as well as in the future. "From the beginning of our first season last year, in terms of the overall state of the baseball program, I am very pleased with the progress we have made. We were able to keep 35 players this year between junior varsity and varsity, compared to 24 last season. Of those 35 players we selected, 22 are freshman and sophomores. If we can continue to develop these players, the future of Yulee baseball is very bright." Story created Feb 11, 2008 - 13:52:07 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets, Pirates split in summer league baseball By Beth Jones, News-Leader A new rivalry spilled over into summer as the high school baseball teams from Fernandina Beach and Yulee squared off in a pair of games, including Tuesday's 4-3 win in eight innings for Yulee. Fernandina won 7-6 in the first meeting. "Our offense is still struggling, but our pitching and defense has kept us in all the games so far," YHS Coach Will Minor said. "We also have a lot of new faces with about 25 total players this summer. We have 10 new freshmen with about four of those having a chance to get some playing time on varsity this next year." Yulee, which played its inaugural season in the spring, improved to 2-3-2 on the summer. The Hornets also collected a win over Stanton. Yulee lost to Camden County and Gainesville and also tied both teams this season. "I am happy with the way summer ball has been going with the amount of participation we have had," Minor said. "The players have been putting in the work and it is starting to show. "We were able to play a total of 15 players in the field (Tuesday) in the game against Fernandina and I felt confident that all 15 could make the plays when needed. This is a big difference from a year ago when I felt like maybe six or seven were able to play at this level. "We still have a long way to go, but I am proud of our progress we have made." The Hornets had six games canceled this summer, some be-cause of rain, and have just three games left on the summer schedule. They hosted Camden County Thursday and host Bolles July 10 at 6 p.m. The season finale is July 13 with a double-header against Santa Fe in Yulee starting at 5:30 p.m. The FBHS Pirates are 5-7 and idle next week with six games remaining on the schedule. The Pirates host First Coast July 9, travel to Trinity July 10, host Episcopal July 12 and play host to Santa Fe July 14. FBHS wraps up the summer with a game at Bolles July 16 and the finale at home July 17 with Trinity. First pitch is at 6 p.m. for all summer league games. Injuries have left the Pirates "short on pitching," according to FBHS Coach Ken Roland. "The young guys are showing promise," he said. "We need to get them experience. We've made progress. We still have a long way to go. "We have some things we need to do in the fall. We graduated 11 really good seniors. It's hard to take a rising 10th grader and throw him out there with the level we play. "We're substituting and trying to see the younger kids. It's not about winning. We're not looking for any wins. We're just trying to fill some homes and get some experience. We have a lot of new faces." Story created Jun 30, 2007 - 09:38:33 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minor ready to tackle second season at YHS By Beth Jones, News-Leader It wasn't the typical season for a brand-new program. The Yulee High School Hornets posted a winning record in their inaugural baseball season this spring, exceeding expectations for Coach Will Minor. "I thought we would maybe win seven or eight games," Minor said. "I would have never thought we would win 14 games and beat some of the teams we were able to beat. We have a lot of work to do just to match last year's success. I scheduled a tough 17-game summer schedule so we can see good pitching every game and improve offensively this next year. "Even though we had a good year in 2006-7, we want to be able to compete enough to make the playoffs in 2007-8." Minor is focusing on the district competition for 2008, which has been shuffled by new district alignments. The Hornets will play in District 4-3A along with Fernandina Beach, West Nassau, Baldwin, Bishop Snyder, Bolles, Episcopal, Ribault and Trinity Christian. "I was pleased with the first season but was disappointed we did not place higher in the district tournament," Minor said. "Some of the things that I continue to learn is that I have to schedule the toughest games possible to try to prepare us for the postseason. Every-one wants a good record, but I really want a district championship." But with a nine-team district, clinching the crown will be a challenge. "I really believe that our district this past season was the toughest 3A district in the state," Minor said. "Now, this upcoming season, when you add Fernandina Beach and Bishop Snyder to the district, it makes it even tougher. "Playing Fernandina is always going to be a huge game with big crowds, but can you imagine if it was for the district championship? That is definitely something we all hope for in the future." Minor, who marked his 10th year as a coach and eighth as a head coach this spring, had his first opportunity to start from scratch with a program. "Coaching a brand-new program had, and still has, many challenges," he said. "The biggest difference with coaching a new school is that I am not just trying to build a winning team, but I am trying to build a winning program. Building a program (facilities, boosters, traditions, players, etc.) is much more difficult than just building a winning team from a program already in place. I see myself trying to not just do what is best for the team now, but trying to see what will be best for the program as a whole 5-10 years from now. "So many decisions, things to build, the players and the community is what has made this coaching job enjoyable. I am glad I chose Yulee and I look forward to continuing to build up this program and make these facilities first class and recognized throughout the state." Minor credits his players for the team's success this season. "The first-year players will always be remembered for building the foundation of this program," Minor said. "I talked to them a lot about leaving a lasting legacy. They did just that this first year by winning 14 games, having a team GPA over 3.0, beating great teams such as Fernandina Beach and Episcopal, and building a program that the community could be proud of. "We were able to start traditions this first year with having a group of players called the leadership committee that helped make many decisions throughout the year with things such as uniforms, game schedule and behavior issues. We also started a Champions Club, made up of players who met certain standards and showed character, class and commitment to the program throughout the year." Minor also initiated the 3.0 Club for players with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Minor is excited about the challenges he tackled and the ones he still faces. "This program has nowhere to go but up," he said. "The foundation has been set, so now we just need to keep building. "We are working on getting dugouts approved, batting cages finished, a sound system installed, a press box, a practice field and hopefully a concession stand in the near future. I hope in five years we can say all these projects have been completed. "In the meantime, I would like to see the players increase in number, the team continuing to improve yearly and have a chance every year to compete for a district championship. "Great programs like Fernandina Beach have been being built for the past 20 plus years. I know I need to be patient in the building process, but I believe with the people, resources, sponsors and community we have here in Yulee, this program should be pretty far along five years from now. "I want this program to one day be known throughout the state, not just this area. I am looking forward to many great years ahead." The Hornets are now playing summer ball and host Paxon tonight at 6 p.m. Yulee travels to Fernandina Beach June 26 with first pitch also at 6 p.m. Story created Jun 15, 2007 - 09:40:40 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirate pitcher MVP on all-county baseball team By Beth Jones, News-Leader Josh Hyers had a breakout season for the Fernandina Beach High School baseball team. The 6-foot-1 lefty had a 6-2 season on the mound helped steer the Pirates to a 21-6 overall record and into the playoffs. FBHS lost in the regional semifinal round. "We watched Josh in the bull-pen and saw some great stuff," FBHS Coach Ken Roland said. "He took it onto the field. "Josh was always on the verge. This year, we saw the consistency develop." Hyers got the nod for some of the Pirates' most important games. "He won some big games for us," Roland said. "Bishop Kenny, Fleming Island. Fleming Island was ranked and he set them on their ear." Hyers is the 2007 News-Leader 2007 All-County Baseball Team's most valuable player. "Josh was one of those blue collar guys that punches the time clock and works hard every day," Roland said. Hyers said his favorite pitch is the curve ball. "I like using that," he said. "It's very effective." His pitches have been clocked at 82-83 mph. When not on the mound, Hyers manned left field for the Pirates. "Josh is a good defender and he had a solid offensive year," Roland said. Hyers hit .353 with 30 hits and 13 RBI. On the mound, Hyers gave up just 33 hits in 46 innings. He allowed 17 runs and struck out 39. Hyers was among the 11 seniors FBHS graduated in the spring. He was a three-year starter for the Pirates and a four-year letterman of the program. "He made a difference this year," Roland said. "He was able to stay in the strike zone, use off-speed pitches effectively. He was consistent with his strikes and let the defense work for him." Roland said he relied on Hyers and fellow senior, right-handed pitcher Kyle Davis, who also makes the all-county team this season. Injuries depleted the Pirates' depth at pitching. "It was important for Josh to have a great year," Roland said. "He and Kyle had to carry the load. They made a good 1-2 righty and lefty." Hyers, 18, said his biggest win this season came at home against Bishop Kenny. His toughest losses came at the hands of Bishop Kenny and Pine Forrest, the team that ended the Pirates' season in the regional semifinal. "It was fun," Hyers said. "It was worth it." Hyers is the son of Bruce and Karen Hyers of Fernandina Beach. He plans to study criminology after high school. Hyers is currently playing summer ball with the Nassau County Baseball Club. In addition to Davis, Hyers' teammates Matt Thornton (senior second baseman), Marcus Carter (senior catcher) and Chris Conley (senior center fielder) also made the all-county baseball team. Yulee's Cory Reynolds (junior outfielder) and Josh McKendree (junior infielder, pitcher) are on the team along with West Side players Derek Bradley (senior infielder) and Markie Patterson (junior) of West Nassau and Nathan Carter (senior infielder) from Hilliard. Honorable mention: Greg Heeter, Justin Crews (FBHS), Josh Oliver, Buck Marell, Travis Wylie, Jared Carter, Brock Dickinson, Josh Cassidy (Yulee), Cody Stokes, Caleb Stoner, Ronnie Martinez, Matt Harris, Hunter Wildes (Hilliard) and Michael Henderson, Matt Geiger, Derek Anderson (West Nassau). Story created Jul 18, 2007 - 17:07:31 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trinity Christian ends Hornets' season 3-2 Yulee was up 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning Monday when Trinity Christian came back and scored the winning run on a suicide squeeze. Trinity won 3-2 in the first round of the district tournament, ending the Yulee Hornets' season at 14-12. Brock Dickinson pitched for the Hornets, giving up no earned runs in six innings. Yulee had just three hits on the night. "Brock pitched a good enough game to win, but our defense (two errors) and our hitting (three hits) let us down," said Will Minor, Yulee High School baseball coach. "That is just the way it goes. "To finish our season like this is very frustrating, but we need to look at the whole season and take many positive things out of it. Even though I am not satisfied with losing in the first round of the district tournament, I certainly would consider this first season a success. This past summer, or even in the pre-season, I would have never thought we would win 14 games this spring. I think that says a lot about our players and how much work they put into improving themselves. With eight starters returning, and the whole pitching staff returning, I think these players realize that, if they work hard in the off-season, next year will be even better." Story created Apr 29, 2007 - 15:19:48 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets win season finale, edge Bishop Snyder 4-3 Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee Hornets capped their inaugural regular season Thursday with a 4-3 win over Bishop Snyder. Pitcher Josh "Mac" McKendree, who threw a complete five-hitter, struck out five and gave up just one earned run en route to his seventh win of the season. The Yulee Hornets scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning, scoring all the runs they would need for the night. Josh Oliver led off with a single and Brock Dickinson sacrifice bunted him to second. Travis Wylie had an RBI single to score Oliver. A McKendree double put runners on second and third and Jared Carter's single drove them in to push the score to 3-0. Carter scored on a throwing error. Bishop Snyder threatened in the last two innings, but center fielder Cory Reynolds threw out the tying run at third base to record the final out in the seventh. "Once again our pitching and defense game through for us," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "Mac was starting to get a little tired on the mound in the seventh inning, so Cory Reynolds throwing out the base runner at third to end the game was big. "We wanted to send our seniors (Travis Wylie and William Deal) out with a big victory for the last regular season home game. I think we did a good job of doing that." The Hornets were 14-11 when they traveled to Episcopal Monday to take on Trinity Christian in the first round of the district tournament. A victory would have advanced Yulee to a second-round matchup Tuesday. The championship game is Thursday. "We have met all our goals so far this year with just our postseason goals remaining," Minor said. "I hope we will come out playing hard and extend this first year that much longer. "It would be great to upset a few teams in the tournament." Story created Apr 26, 2007 - 12:09:36 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets ground Paxon Eagles 9-8 Yulee improved to 13-11 Tuesday with a 9-8 win over the Paxon Eagles. Paxon scored five runs in the top of the first inning on four hits and two errors, but Yulee answered with eight runs in the bottom of the first on four hits and four walks to take the lead 8-5. Paxon evened up the score at 8-8 in the top of the second inning with three runs on two hits. Both teams settled down and the game went scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when Cory Reynolds led off with a double, William Deal sacrifice bunted him to third and Josh Kubala suicide squeezed in the winning run to put the Yulee Hornets up for good 9-8. Brock Dickinson picked up the win for the Hornets, going 6 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking none. Buck Marell earned the save in the seventh inning, getting the final out on a fly ball to center field. Offensive leaders for Yulee were Josh Oliver (2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks), Dickinson (1-for-1 with an RBI, three walks and one run scored), Travis Wylie (an RBI and one run scored), Josh Cassidy (a double, two RBIs, one run scored), Reynolds (2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored) and Kubala with the game-winning RBI. "We struggled on the night defensively, committing six errors, but hung in there and still put ourselves in a situation to win the game," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "I tell the players often that if we can pitch and play good defense, timely hits will come and we will have a chance to win many games. We have not been a very good hitting team this year, but these players have realized that good bunting and base running have given us several opportunities to succeed. The Hornets hosted Bishop Snyder Thursday for the regular season finale. Yulee takes on Trinity Christian at 4 p.m. Monday in the first round of the district tournament at Episcopal. If victorious, they play again at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The championship is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday. Story created Apr 22, 2007 - 10:30:04 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets shut out Eagles 3-0 Yulee shut out 3A defending state champions (ranked 10th in the state) Episcopal 3-0 Thursday behind the strong pitching performance of Josh McKendree (6-1) and Brock Dickinson (one save). McKendree pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and striking out two. Dickinson came in in the seventh inning to pick up his first save of the season. He allowed no hits and struck out two. Yulee scored its first run in the second inning with a lead-off double by McKendree, a single by Jarred Carter and a ground out by Josh Cassidy. In the fifth inning, Cassidy led off with a double, Cory Reynolds sacrifice bunted him to third and Cassidy scored on a wild pitch. The last run was scored in the sixth inning on a lead-off double by Travis Wylie, a sacrifice bunt by McKendree and an RBI single by Cassidy. Cassidy and Wylie led all hitters with two hits, a double and a run apiece. The Hornet defense had no errors on the night. "This was a great win for us," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "Mac battled all night on the mound and Brock did a great job of closing the game in the seventh. Josh Cassidy and Travis Wylie both had big nights at the plate to lead us offensively. "Early in the year, Episcopal beat up on us pretty good, so it was nice to see us come out and play great against a team like that. Episcopal is the No. 1 seed in the district tournament, so hopefully we will have that confidence to go into the tournament and upset some teams to make the playoffs." Yulee is 12-11 overall and 5-7 in the district. Story created Apr 18, 2007 - 15:25:16 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- The Hornets lost 3-1 to the Warriors on Monday. Yulee took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a bases-loaded RBI bunt by Buck Marell. West Nassau answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, and added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to win 3-1. "We left six men on base and had several opportunities to score runs, but just couldn't execute," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "This game was very disappointing just because we could not get big hits when we needed them." Jared Carter pitched a complete game, seven-hitter, giving up no walks and striking out three. Marell went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Travis Wylie, Josh McKen-dree and Josh Cassidy also had hits for the Hornets. Yulee is 11-11 overall and 4-7 in the district. The Hornets hosted Episcopal Thursday and close out the regular season next week with a pair of home games. They host Paxon Tuesday and Bishop Snyder Thursday. Both games are at 7 p.m. Story created Apr 16, 2007 - 07:39:15 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates get revenge, defeat Hornets 10-1 By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Pirates avenged their earlier loss to Yulee by beating the Hornets 10-1 Friday in Yulee. "Josh Hyers pitched well for his sixth win," said Ken Roland, Fernandina Beach High School baseball coach. "It is exciting to watch when he's executing his pitches and we are playing good defense." Hyers gave up just two hits and one run while striking out eight. "Playing a team like Fernandina, you have to almost play a perfect game to have a chance to beat them," said Will Minor, Yulee High School baseball coach. "There is not a whole lot of room for error, and when you don't play that almost-perfect game for seven innings, you have no chance to win. "There were a lot of fans that came out to see the game, which was by far our biggest crowd yet. I was proud of my team, because they did come ready to play, but we were just over-powered by a great team that swung the bats well and pitched a great game." FBHS senior catcher Marcus Carter went 2-for-3, including a home run, with four RBI. "For the second straight game, Marcus Carter had a big night at the plate," Roland said. "Marcus has been a patient hitter and, when he gets his pitch, has been hitting the ball well." Greg Heeter, Tyler Womble and Hyers had key hits to drive in runs for the Pirates. Hyers and Brad Heeter had doubles. "I really like the unselfish character our team is showing," Roland said. "Everyone plays a part in every game and a total team effort is the result." Yulee's Josh Oliver and Cory Reynolds had the only two hits on the night. Reynolds scored the lone run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Brock Dickinson started on the mound for Yulee. He gave up eight hits, six runs, five earned, walked one and struck out eight in 5.2 innings. Buck Marell pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and four runs, three earned, while striking out three. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Chris Conley walked and advanced to third base on a Matt Thornton single to left field. Conley scored on a sacrifice fly by Carter. FBHS took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Conley singled, advanced to second on a balk and then stole third base. He scored on an error. Justin Crews was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a balk. Carter sent him home with a single to center. Hyers doubled in two runs. The Pirates added two more runs in the top of the sixth and four in the seventh. Jarrod Carlton, pinch running for Hyers, stole home and Greg Heeter singled in a run in the sixth. In the seventh, the Pirates scored four runs on three hits Carter had a two-run home run. Brad Heeter's double pushed Tyler Mixon to third base and both scored on a Tyler Womble single to center field. Yulee beat Baldwin 3-0 on Thursday. The Hornets scored three runs on seven hits to collect a district win over the Indians. Josh McKendree pitched a complete game shutout for his fifth win of the season. He gave up just five hits while striking out 11 and walking none. Oliver led all hitters with a pair of hits. Travis Wylie and Josh Cassidy each had RBIs for the Hornets. McKendree, Jared Carter and Chad Smith each had hits and Dickinson, Wylie and William Deal each scored runs. The Hornets (11-10 and 4-6 in the district) played at West Nassau Monday and host episcopal at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Pirates (18-4) played host to Episcopal Tuesday and travel to Lake City Friday. Story created Apr 12, 2007 - 07:02:38 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets lose 7-3 to Warriors West Nassau scored seven runs on 10 hits to beat Yulee 7-3 Tuesday. The Hornets collected their three runs on just four hits. "West Nassau's ace pitcher Matt Geiger kept us off balance all night," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "When we did have our chances, with runners in scoring position, we just couldn't come through and get those key hits." Brock Dickinson led the Hornets offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Chad Smith, Cory Reynolds and Josh Cassidy each scored runs for Yulee. "We have a big district game on Thursday against Baldwin that we need to win, and then we play Fernandina (tonight)," Minor said. "We have a tough stretch of games ahead of us that are going to test the character of our team. "I keep telling our team that we need to find a way to improve every day. We do not want this year to just be considered a success, because we started a new program. We want to strive every day for greatness so we can look back and say that we were not just successful, but we were the start of something special here in Yulee." Yulee is 10-9 overall and 3-6 in the district. The Hornets defeated Fernandina Beach on March 15 and tonight's rematch is slated for 7 p.m. in Yulee. Story created Apr 09, 2007 - 09:15:26 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Hornets Yulee lost 4-1 to Bolles Thursday and the Hornets' record stands at 10-8 overall and 3-5 in the district. Bolles took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning and Yulee could manage just one run off four hits on the night. Josh Cassidy scored the lone run. "Bolles pitched their ace, Tommy Isaacs, who gave up only four hits to the Hornets," Yulee Coach Will Minor said. Brock Dickinson and Buck Marell combined on the mound for Yulee, giving up 10 hits and striking out five. Josh Oliver, Dickinson, Josh McKendree and Cory Reynolds each had hits on the night. "I was pleased with the performance on the night," Minor said. "We played a good game but we just came up short." Story created Apr 05, 2007 - 07:02:05 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Yulee High School baseball team also tasted victory this week, beating St. Johns Country Day 10-0 Tuesday. Yulee won 5-2 in extra innings in their last meeting "This time around Yulee scored three runs in the first, in front of the home crowd, and never gave them a chance to come back," YHS Coach Will Minor said. Josh McKendree (4-1) was on the mound and limited St. Johns to just one hit. He struck out nine. "McKendree threw a complete six-inning game, and the defense behind him committed no errors," Minor said. Travis Wylie (2-for-3 with one RBI, a double and three runs scored), Jared Carter (2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, a double and one run scored) and McKendree (1-for-3 with two RBIs) led the Hornet offense. Brock Dickinson, Josh Oliver, Jared Carter and Corey Reynolds all had stolen bases on the night. "One of our goals for this first season was to reach at least 10 wins," Minor said. "We have eight tough games remaining in the regular season, including Fernandina, West Nassau, Bolles and Episcopal, so we still have a lot of hard work to do. If we can continue to improve in our weak areas, we have a chance to possibly upset someone in the district tournament." The Hornets are 10-7 overall and 3-4 in the district. They hosted Bolles Thursday and will play host to West Nassau Tuesday at 7 p.m. They close out the week at home with Baldwin Thursday and Fernandina Beach April 6 at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 31, 2007 - 06:38:40 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets on four-game win streak The Hornets have won their last four games, including a pair of wins during spring break. "The last three games we have won in our last at bat, which has shown me that these guys are not giving up when they are down," said Will Minor, Yulee High School head baseball coach. "As a coach, that makes you proud to see your team fight back and beat other teams even when things are not looking too good. "I keep telling them that if they just keep working hard and are willing to out-hustle teams on the field every game, for the full seven innings, we will be successful. I am hoping they are starting to buy into that." Yulee defeated Gainesville Eastside 10-6 Friday. The Hornets used a trio of sacrifices to score three runs in the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third, Buck Marell sacrifice bunted and Josh Kubala suicide squeezed to extend the lead to 8-6. After the squeeze, Josh Oliver had a sacrifice fly and Brock Dickinson had a single and RBI to put Yulee up for good. Yulee had 12 hits on the night compared to Eastside's six. Josh McKendree and Jared Carter combined for seven strikeouts with Carter picking up his second win of the season (2-1-1), pitching the final three innings. The Hornets' offense was led by Corey Reynolds, who was 4-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Dickinson was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. McKendree was also 2-for-4 on the night. Oliver, Travis Wylie, Carter and Kubala also had RBIs for the Hornets. On Saturday, Yulee improved to 9-7 overall (3-4 in the district) with a 9-5 win over Hawthorne. Going into the top of the seventh inning, Yulee was down 5-4 before coming back and scoring five runs in the inning. With bases loaded and no outs, Wylie had a two-RBI single to put Yulee up 6-5. Carter had a sacrifice fly RBI to extend the lead to 7-5 and Reynolds hit a triple and had an RBI to put the game out of reach. Marell pitched three innings of relief, striking out six, to pick up his second win (2-1) of the season. Multiple hitters for the Hornets were Oliver (2-for-4 with one double), Wylie (2-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored) and McKendree (2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored). Dickinson, Carter and Reynolds also had RBIs for the team. Yulee hosted St. Johns Country Day School Tuesday and will play host to district foe Bolles Thursday at 7 p.m. Story created Mar 29, 2007 - 13:23:00 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets beat Pirates 3-1 in teams' first meeting By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Hornets took an early lead and never looked back Thursday as they beat state-ranked host Fernandina Beach 3-1. Junior Josh Oliver doubled in the first inning and starting pitcher Brock Dickinson pushed him to third with a sacrifice bunt. Travis Wylie singled in Oliver. Yulee took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Oliver singled and junior Josh McKendree (sacrifice fly) and sophomore Josh Cassidy (single) had RBIs. Brock Dickinson (2-3) threw a complete game four-hitter and struck out seven in seven innings while only giving up one walk. "Brock had his best outing of the year and did a great job of hitting his spots all night," Yulee Coach Will Minor said. "He kept the hitters off-balance and really pitched with great intensity for his first complete game of the season." Oliver, catcher, led the Hornet offense by going 4-for-4 with a double. Wylie, shortstop, went 2-for-4 with one RBI, while McKendree and Cassidy both had big RBIs for the Hornets. Runs were scored by Dickinson and junior Josh Kubala (two). "The Hornets defense came out strong, committing only one error and turned a double play on the night," Minor said. "I am really proud of our team and the game we played against a great team. We have shown, throughout the season, glimpses of this type of performance, but have never put it together for a full seven innings against a top ranked team. "(Thursday) we put it all together, so this shows me that we have no excuses for losing focus because if we can play that way once, we can play that way every time. This is a huge win for our program - one that I hope will inspire us to continue to work hard and get better every practice and every day." Yulee improved to 6-7 overall and 3-3 in the district. The Hornets are traveling this week with a Spring Break trip to Gainesville. They play Eastside Friday and at Hawthorne Saturday. FBHS Coach Ken Roland applauded Yulee. "Credit Coach Minor and his team," he said. "They were well prepared and executed flawlessly. Brock (Dickinson) pitched a great game and kept our hitters in check with his breaking ball." Story created Mar 22, 2007 - 17:07:05 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Yulee Hornets Yulee High School went up 2-0 in the second inning Tuesday against Bolles (ranked seventh in state in 3A) before the Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the inning and five in the third to take an 8-2 lead. In the sixth inning, the Hornets came back and scored four runs to make it a final score of 8-6. Junior Josh McKendree got the loss on the mound (3-1) while freshman Buck Marell pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Marell gave up only one hit and had five strikeouts. The Hornets had nine hits on the night, including multiple hits by McKendree (2-for-4) and Jared Carter (2-for-4 with one run scored). Cory Reynolds scored two runs and had a stolen base, while Chad Smith and Brock Dickinson each had RBIs for the Hornets. Josh Cassidy, Josh Kubala and Travis Wylie all had runs scored for the Hornets. "We played a great game and had intensity all seven innings," YHS Coach Will Minor said.
The Hornets traveled to Fernandina Thursday and play today at 4 p.m. at St. Johns Country Day School. Story created Mar 19, 2007 - 14:09:23 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Yulee Hornets The Yulee High School baseball team lost to Trinity Christian 11-1 Friday to even its district record to 3-3 . The Hornets had just two hits. "We lost our focus early and we seemed to go back to a lot of the bad habits we had at the very beginning of the season," YHS Coach Will Minor said. "This game was very much a disappointment and we will work hard to improve on the mental mistakes and failure to drive guys in with runners in scoring position. Yulee was edged 5-4 by Bishop Snyder on Saturday. "After a very disappointing loss on Friday, the Hornets came out and were a much different team on Saturday against Bishop Snyder," Minor said. "Jared Carter pitched five strong innings, we made no errors on defense, but just couldn't pick up the victory. "We got beat by a better hitting team. We played good, they just outhit us and outscored us. I am proud that we came out and battled them the whole game, but we just came up short. Even though I don't like losing, I can live with the way we played and focused the whole game long. "We begin the tough part of our schedule this week when we play Bolles and Fernandina. Both those teams are great teams and we know we will have to focus, have great pitching and a tough defense to be able to compete with them." Yulee (5-6 overall and 3-3 in the district) traveled to Bolles Tuesday, plays at Fernandina Beach Thursday at 7 p.m. The Hornets play at St. Johns Country Day School at 4 p.m. Friday. Story created Mar 15, 2007 - 08:45:10 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets blank Ribault 22-0, record first no-hitter for program Juniors Josh McKendree and Cory Reynolds combined for the first no-hitter in school history Tuesday in Yulee High School's 22-0 shutout of Ribault. The pair had a combined nine strikeouts and gave up just one walk on the night. McKendree is now 3-0 on the season. The Hornets scored 13 runs in the first inning and finished the night with a total of 22 runs on nine hits and no errors. Senior Travis Wylie went 2-for-2 with a double, five RBIs and two runs scored. Junior Brock Dickinson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored. Reynolds and sophomore Josh Cassidy each had triples on the night (the first of the season) and freshman Buck Marell had a double and two RBIs. Senior William Deal and junior Josh Oliver also had RBIs for the Hornets. The Hornets are now 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the district. They play at Trinity Christian today at 4 p.m. "The first time we faced Trinity Christian this year, the game went into extra innings and we lost 6-3," YHS Coach Will Minor said. "We look forward to playing another district game and we hope our pitching and defense will play strong and give us an opportunity to win." Story created Mar 12, 2007 - 08:48:52 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets beat Paxon Eagles 11-4 By Beth Jones, News-Leader The Yulee High School baseball team faced Eagles twice last week. On Thursday, the YHS Hornets defeated the Paxon Eagles 11-4. "We won the game with good pitching and timely hitting and being able to execute the bunt to beat Paxon," YHS Coach Will Minor said. Yulee had just five hits but scored 11 runs off four sacrifice bunts, three of which were suicide squeezes. Jared Carter picked up his first win of the season, pitching five innings and giving up only six hits and a walk while striking out seven. Travis Wylie came in to pitch in the sixth inning with the tying run up at bat and picked up the save (his first) while striking out one. Juniors Josh Oliver, Josh McKendree and Josh Kubala each had two RBI on the night. Cory Reynolds went 1-for-1 and scored three runs. Sophomore Josh Cassidy also scored a pair of runs for the Hornets. "This game shows that solid pitching, timely hitting and being able to execute the bunt properly can win many games," Minor said. "We have been working hard in practice on bunting, and a game like this shows our work is paying off. I am proud of our guys and know they will continue getting better through hard work." The win over Paxon was Yulee's fourth in a row, pushing their record to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the district. Another set of Eagles snapped that streak on Friday. Yulee was blanked 10-0 by the Episcopal Eagles. Yulee trailed 2-0 going into the fifth inning. Episcopal, the 3A defending state champs, broke it open and scored eight runs. Junior Brock Dickinson (1-2) took the loss on the mound. "It was a really good game until the fifth," Minor said. "Unfortunate-ly, we left six guys in scoring position in the first four innings, which left us without scoring a run. A couple positive things on the night was that we turned three double plays and Sophomore Josh Cassidy went 2-for-3 with a stolen base. "Our biggest problem this year has been giving up the big inning. We are improving. We just need to keep teams from having those big innings where we sometimes lose focus. I know that will come with more games and more experience." Yulee's overall record is 4-4 and 2-2 in the district. The Hornets hosted Ribault Tuesday, travel to Trinity Christian Friday and play at Bishop Snyder Saturday. Story created Mar 08, 2007 - 07:15:47 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hornets even record at 3-3 with 4-2 win over Baldwin The Yulee High School boys baseball team pushed its record to 3-3 and 2-1 in the district with Tuesday's 4-2 win over Baldwin. Yulee fell behind 1-0 in the first inning before coming back in the fifth to go ahead 3-1. In the seventh inning, Travis Wylie hit his second home run of the season to put Yulee up 4-2. Jared Carter came in to close the game and picked up his first save of the season. Josh McKendree pitched 5 2/3 innings on the night, giving up five hits and two runs and striking out nine for his second win of the season. Wylie and Michael Beasley each had RBIs for the Hornets. Yulee played at Paxon Thursday and travels to Episcopal tonight. The Hornets host Ribault at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Story created Mar 03, 2007 - 09:49:25 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Yulee High School baseball team blanked Hawthorne 11-0 Friday, improving the Hornets' record to 2-3. Junior Brock Dickinson (1-1) pitched four shutout innings, giving up just two hits and striking out 10. Freshman Buck Marell gave up no hits and struck out three in the fifth inning. Junior Josh McKendree was 2-for-2 for Yulee with a pair of runs and a RBI. Junior Jared Carter went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a RBI and a double. Junior Cory Reynolds had a double. Yulee played at Baldwin Tuesday. The Hornets play at Paxon Thursday and at Episcopal Friday. Story created Mar 01, 2007 - 14:26:39 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Yulee Hornets Yulee High School lost 6-2 to Orange Park Friday. The Hornets had two runs on three hits and five errors while Orange Park had six runs on seven hits and no errors. Freshman Buck Marrell went three and a third innings for Yulee. "He started a great game for Yulee, giving up no earned runs while striking out three and walking one," Yulee coach Will Minor said. Junior Jared Carter came in in relief and pitched two and two-thirds innings, giving up no earned runs and striking out three with no walks. "The defense let the Hornets down by making five errors in the field," Minor said. Carter went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and Josh Oliver was 1-for-3 with 2 RBI and the first double in school history. The Hornets are 0-2 and 0-1 in the district. They played at Fleming Island Monday and at Ribault Tuesday. They host Hawthorne Friday at 7 p.m. Story created Feb 22, 2007 - 07:23:25 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates, Hornets open 2007 regular seasons By Beth Jones, News-Leader -- Hornet baseball The Yulee High School baseball team lost its first-ever regular season game Tuesday in nine innings in the 2007 season opener. The Hornets fell 6-3 to Trinity Christian. Junior pitchers Josh McKendree and Brock Dickinson pitched, giving up just two earned runs on the night. Junior center fielder Cory Reynolds picked up the first base hit in school history with a single in the first inning and Dickinson scored the first run in school history, also in the first. Yulee had three runs on six hits with four errors. There were no multiple hitters in the game. Trinity scored six runs on five hits with six errors. Yulee traveled to 6A Orange Park Thursday. The Hornets travel to Fleming Island Monday and to Ribault Tuesday. They return home Feb. 23 to host Hawthorne at 7 p.m. Story created Feb 18, 2007 - 09:42:58 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates host preseason tournament next week By Beth Jones, News-Leader Baseball season opens next week, and all four Nassau County high school teams will see action during a preseason tournament at Fernandina Beach High School. Yulee will open its inaugural season under head coach Will Minor on Tuesday against West Nassau. First pitch is at 4 p.m. FBHS and Hilliard play at 7 p.m. The losers in Tuesday's games will play at 4 p.m. Thursday and the winners play at 7 p.m. "Most of my starting players were FBHS's junior varsity team last season," Minor said. "We are very young and inexperienced. Only two players have varsity experience. We should see a lot of improvement as the season goes on. "We play some tough teams. It's not going to be easy. Hopefully our pitching can hold up. None have thrown a pitch at the varsity level." Key players for Yulee are Josh McKendree, junior pitcher and first baseman; Cory Reynolds, junior center fielder; Josh Oliver, junior catcher; and Travis Wylie, senior shortstop. The Yulee Hornets play in a district with West Nassau, Bolles, Episcopal, Trinity Christian, Bald-win and Ribault. They open the regular season Feb. 13 at home with Trinity Christian. Minor had a 24-5 record at Gainesville High School last season and his team lost in the regional semifinal in his eighth year as a head coach. He is 96-87 overall. Story created Feb 05, 2007 - 08:28:33 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Progress' fixing Yulee ball fields By Glenda S. Jenkins, News-Leader Yulee High School's baseball and softball fields will be ready when students return from Christmas vacation, the school's principal and athletic director said. The fields have been undergoing rehabilitation to correct problems with their condition. "The main issue that we have is it's a new field," said athletic director Donna Jackson. There are "places where it's bumpy. That's with any new field." The county has made "steady progress" in correcting problems with the fields, Yulee High Principal Diane Romon said. The softball infield is almost complete, with clay placed and spread to replace the original grass infield. On the baseball field, sod has been laid and rye grass seed spread. The outfield fence has been extended to meet the regulation distance from home plate to center field. "We're making steady progress," but some delays can be expected with a new school, Romon said. Because football began in August, "our priority was getting our football field ready," she said. "Now that football season is over . . . We're going to have what we need" when baseball and softball season start. "The disadvantage is just going to be the fields not being used," Jackson said. Athletes who usually participate in pre-season Fall Ball practice, which is allowed because it is not considered a school-related activity, have been unable to practice on the fields, Jackson said. Work on the fields has also interfered with the teams' off-season conditioning, which includes running in addition to weight training. Softball season officially begins Jan. 8 and baseball begins Jan. 15. "We all would want it perfect from the start," baseball coach Will Minor said. "It has come a long way" since August. His players will feel a lot better once the batting cages are in, he said. "They ask me every day when they will be done," Minor said. "I just tell them to keep being patient." If the fields were in game condition now, "they'd be out there." Being able to hit is "what they miss most," he said. "Just like with anything brand new, it just takes time to get it where we want it to be," Minor said. It is unfortunate that the Yulee High softball and baseball players can only "run around the track," said Hal Reynolds, Athletic Booster Club president. "It's not fair that our kids" do not yet have access to the fields. Reynolds admits that "they're making progress" in getting the field in game condition. But "the other teams have an advantage," he said. "Will it hinder us? Yes, but at the same time, it is a new school. And we're a lot better off than other new schools," Jackson said. With regard to the football fields, "There were some places where we added sand" to level the field, district facilities director Cris McConnell said. The football field "is going to be fine," head coach George Nelson said. "It was lumpy at first," but "it was in pretty good shape" when the season started. The field has a good grass cover, and it will be aerated and top-dressing added. "It's not perfect but you're not going to have that right off the bat," Nelson said. "The biggest thing that we need is time," Romon said. "It takes time for grass to grow." "Trying to get the rest of the school open" has been the priority, Jackson said, adding that she feels confident the dugouts and fields will be "good to go." Story created Dec 13, 2006 - 15:13:14 PST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Yulee High School baseball coach is recognized By Kevin James, Special to the News-Leader New Yulee High School baseball coach Will Minor recently received the Gainesville Sun's Class 4A-6A coach of the year award in recognition for his previous team's performance. Minor, who led Gainesville High to the Alachua County championship, the District 4-5A championship and a berth in the regional semifinals, was chosen among the likes of coaches from schools including Suwannee, Palatka and Buchholz, among others. While in Gainesville, Minor posted the highest overall winning percentage in Gainesville High history, capping it off by finishing 24-5 last season. His Gainesville team ended up ranked No. 5 in the final Florida Sports Writers Association class 5A state ranking. Minor played at the University of North Florida from 1992 to 1997 and was an assistant coach at Fernandina Beach High in 1999. The new Yulee coach also served as Hawthorne High's baseball coach for five years before moving on to Gainesville. Minor accepted the Yulee position in the spring and has already begun preparations for the upcoming season by putting together a squad of potential players and playing summer league games. Story created Aug 02, 2006 - 15:03:49 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minor baseball camp Will Minor put on a baseball camp for Yulee Little League this week. The event drew 40 campers. Minor will be transferring to Yulee High School from Gainesville High to take over the Hornet baseball program. Story created Jun 16, 2006 - 12:15:17 PDT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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