Dell | Bayshore's two trips to the state tournament in three years is monumental achievement
When you put Bayshore's run to the State Final Four softball tournament in the proper perspective, it is quite an achievement.
Getting there is not easy, by any stretch of the imagination.
To do it twice in the past three years and coming from a school that is, quite frankly, struggling in team sports, makes the achievement almost surreal.
There are many accolades to hand out, starting with head coach Frank Luther, who took over a struggling program and got everyone to believe in what he was selling.
Of course there would be no state tournament for the Bruins without pitcher Miriam Schmoll and her father Shawn Schmoll, the Bruins' pitching coach.
They both worked tirelessly to get Miriam back to health after she tore her ACL last season.
Bayshore has a special talent in LaShara James, who will catch in the 5A state opener, but can play nearly any position on the team better than any of her teammates.
There aren't many catchers who have stolen 33 bases, especially in softball, where players are not allowed to leave the base until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.
She also leads the Bruins with a .652 batting average and 7 homers.
Sometimes Schmoll's hitting gets overlooked because she is such a dynamic pitcher.
But the junior carries a .557 batting average and leads the Bruins in RBIs and doubles.
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Braden River head coach Melissa Dowling and former Pirates standout Courtney Mirabella are arguably the two best high school pitchers Manatee County has ever produced despite a plethora of tal
ent that has made its way through the area going back three decades.
Mirabella basically carried Braden River on her shoulders when the Pirates made it to the 2011 Final Four in their only other appearance.
Unfortunately, Dowling suffered that 1-0 loss in the 2005 district semifinal that denied her Lakewood Ranch team a chance at a Final Four and possible undefeated season.
Just like Schmoll, Dowling and Mirabella were coached extensively by their fathers, Joe Dowling and Tony Mirabella, who put in countless hours to help their daughters became elite pitchers.
Joe, who also was head coach at Lakewood Ranch after Melissa graduated, couldn't be prouder of his daughter and is always there whenever she needs advice.
"I talk to him every day. Pitching-wise he is a guru and always good person to get information from. He is excited for us, but is in Grenada won't be able to make it to state tournament," Melissa said.
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Three key players off Bradenton Christian's boys basketball team, which made it to the Class 2A State Final, have finalized their college plans.
Ryan Leuk, the catalyst who ended his senior year as the second-ranked career scoring leader and third-ranked rebounder for the boys program, plans to play for Division III Calvin College Michigan. The 6-feet-4 guard received an academic scholarship and is expected to make an immediate impact.
The Panthers' big man, 6-feet-9 J.T. Noellert, who averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, has signed with Division II Southern Wesleyan in South Carolina. BC's top sixth man, 6-feet-3 Justin Aracena (7.2 ppg), who provided muscle and versatility off the bench, signed with NAIA Siena Heights of Michigan.
Alan Dell, Herald sports columnist/writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports
This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Dell | Bayshore's two trips to the state tournament in three years is monumental achievement ."