Red hot Seahawks eying revenge against Bishop Kenny

SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – The South Walton baseball team is red hot, cruising on a seven-game win streak heading into the Class 4A Region 1 Semifinals.

After sitting just one game above .500 in mid-April, the Seahawks have won out, now 18-10 having played the toughest strength of schedule of any team in their classification this season.

At the tail end of South Walton’s win streak was a dominating 7-1 victory over the region’s top-ranked Arnold Marlins for the district title and a 10-0 run-rule victory against West Florida in the region quarterfinals.

South Walton Head Coach Nick Borthwick said his team is currently playing its best baseball of the season and having a lot of fun in the process.

“Our guys play with a passion and enthusiasm that is contagious,” Borthwick said. “And they want to play at that high level every time we step on the field so, you got to create energy and that’s what they’re good at. We want them to continue to be sportsmanlike, but have fun and play at a high level. So, we’ve embraced that role. I’ve actually moved to the dugout as well, I moved off third base to try to keep the energy up in the dugout.”

The three-seed Seahawks will face a familiar foe in the Class 4A Region Semifinal, visiting two-seed Bishop Kenny who has eliminated them from the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Coach Borthwick said they’re hoping for revenge and he believes their brutal schedule at the beginning of the spring will have them well prepared.

“That’s the reason we set up that schedule, to have the strength of schedule to face teams similar to that, so when you get in that environment you know it’s just another game,” Borthwick said. So, our boys are prepared. I told them yesterday that nobody is as prepared as we are to play our best at this time. So we’re excited to go to Jacksonville Saturday night. We’re going to be playing our best baseball.”

South Walton departed for Jacksonville on Friday afternoon. The first pitch from Bishop Kenny High School is set for 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, May 11.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.