No. 1 Hernando (7-0): There’s been little to no doubt who the best team in Hernando County has been in the pre-season and that’s Kevin Bittinger’s Leopards. At 7-0, the Leopards have beaten some strong opponents already, with wins over Nature Coast and Wesley Chapel. The season may be young, but Hernando is starting off strong.
No. 2 Nature Coast (7-1): Right behind the Leopards in the standings is the Nature Coast Sharks, who stood toe to toe with Hernando in their regular-season matchup. The Sharks lost 8-4 in the meeting with the Leopards, but these two programs are among the top two in the county. It will be interesting to see where Nature Coast is at later in the year.
No. 3 Springstead (1-3): It’s hard to gauge exactly where this Eagles team is at in terms of being closer to a good team or right in the middle. Blowout losses to Nature Coast and Hernando say they are closer to the middle of the pack, but the 22-4 win over Weeki Wachee shows the Eagles can score some runs. Which one is it?
No. 4 Weeki Wachee (3-6): Yes, the Hornets have won three games so far this season but it’s come at the hands of facing some dubious blowout losses. The Hornets have given up 117 runs through nine games so far this season, but the area is rich in softball-laden talent. Weeki Wachee continues to get better, but allowing tons of runs has been an issue.
No. 5 Central (2-4): Though the Bears are at 2-4 to start, this Central team competes night in and night out. Wins over Hudson and Holiday Anclote show the team is inching themselves closer to being a competitive team down the stretch. Continue to keep a close eye on this Bears’ club as the season heads to the midway point; they are close.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
