By: Conlan Birdsall

    The Seminole County Loggerheads have a tough road ahead if they want to become the 2020 Florida League Champions. At 5-16-1, their first roadblock as the sixth seed is against the third seed Winter Garden Squeeze.

    Seminole County began the season late in the first week but was able to get a huge first win against its counterpart in the very first game. They would lose their next four games before getting their second win. Winning two of their next three the Loggerheads sat at a 3-5 record. The Loggerheads beat three different playoff teams in their five wins on the season. They defeated the Storm, River Rats, and the Snappers twice. It came down to the end whether they would be the final team into the playoffs, narrowly edging out the DeLand Suns. 

    The Loggerheads have had some peaks and valleys from both their offense and their pitching, but they have still had some standout players. On the mound, Justin Clark (West Virginia) has been a difference-maker. In five appearances and three starts, Clark has pitched 14.1 innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out 13 with a 2.51 ERA. As for their relief pitchers, Yavier Febus (West Alabama) in three of his five appearances let up zero runs. Look for him to be the man out of the bullpen in a close game. At the plate, the Loggerheads can trust Brandon Drapeau (St. Josephs) and Ben Abernathy (West Virginia) to produce runs for the team. In Drapeau’s case, he is their leading hitter with a .319 batting average and leads the team with four doubles. He can also come in two close on the mound if the team is in a position to win. As a pitcher, Drapeau appeared in six games for 6.1 innings of work allowing just two earned runs while earning two saves. For Abernathy, he is more of a threat on the base paths. Abernathy had eight stolen bases and went first to third multiple times this season. When he gets on base, he can move into scoring position with ease and help a slumping offense. Another name to look out for is Ryan Fischer (Indiana).

    It is going to be a difficult path for the Loggerheads to go all the way and take the title as they will need to win four tough games against teams that were all .500 or better. If there is something that they can use as an advantage, it is they are coming in as the unsuspecting underdog.