High School Baseball: Previews of regional matchups beginning Tuesday

The area's best baseball teams have separated themselves from the rest and are now set to measure their skills against what the region has to offer.

The regional postseason begins on Tuesday with seven Pensacola-area squads starting their push for a trip later this month to Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

Of the local contingent, three programs will host games while the other four hit the road. Before the first pitch is thrown to begin the state playoffs, here's a preview of Tuesday's action.

Baseball Roundup: Pace recovers for seventh-inning win, Northview wins second-consecutive title

Track and Field: Escambia's Graham, Navarre's Leggett, Pace's Wheaton earn top seeds for state

Region 1-6A quarterfinals

No. 8 Forest vs. No. 1 Pace

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Pace High School

Records: Forest - 18-5; Pace - 22-3

Ranking: Forest (14.945) - 11th in Class 6A, 43rd overall; Pace (22.510) - first in Class 6A, third overall

Last meeting: May 5, 2006 - Pace 4, Forest 2

Players to watch: Forest - Brock White (P, So.), Seaborn Hunt (P, Sr.), Tyler Thomas (Sr.), Bradley White (Sr.); Pace - Walter Ford (P, Sr.), Broc Parmer (C, Sr.), Jackson McKenzie (P/1B, Jr.), Tanner Sauls (P/DH, So.)

Note: The Patriots enter regionals on the heels of a pair of dramatic wins to capture the District 1-6A title.

During Pace's district semifinal last Tuesday, Jackson McKenzie clubbed a game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth inning before driving in the game-winning run one frame later in a 4-3 walk-off win over Niceville. Two nights later, the Patriots allowed a game-tying home run in the top of the seventh, but rebounded to notch another walk-off triumph. Broc Parmer touched home plate benefitting from a passed ball to hand Pace a 5-4 victory over rival Tate.

The Patriots have won their last seven contests, four of which were decided by one run. They will welcome a Forest team that recently had a six-game winning streak snapped. Despite being the top seed in the District 4-6A tournament, the Wildcats fell to No. 5 Lake Howell in the semifinals. Forest has played just seven games away from home this season, going 4-3 in those contests.

No. 5 Tate at No. 4 First Coast

When: 7 p.m. (EST) Tuesday

Where: First Coast High School in Jacksonville

Records: Tate - 23-3; First Coast - 15-8

Ranking: Tate (19.861) - second in Class 6A, seventh overall; First Coast (10.039) - 44th in Class 6A, 136th overall

Last meeting: N/A

Players to watch: Tate - Josiah Glodfelter (P, Sr.), Drew Reaves (SS, Jr.), Jackson Penton (OF, Sr.), Bray Touchstone (C, So.); First Coast - Hunter Carns, (C, So.), Dylan Cope (P/SS, Sr.), Dylan Fontaine (OF/P. Sr), Lucas Grayson (P, Sr.)

Note: Tate has scored twice as many runs this season as First Coast (246-120). However, pitching has been the key to the Buccaneers' success. The team hailing from Jacksonville has relinquished three runs or less in 10 of its last 11 games.

First Coast is a surprise entrant to the state playoffs after starting districts ranked 15th in the region. The team defeated two higher seeds to win the District 3-6A crown.

Tate and First Coast have the largest discrepancy in regards to rankings among the six area games.

After seeing their 11-game winning streak snapped by Pace, the Aggies could potentially set up a fourth meeting with the Patriots in the region semifinals should they knock off Cinderella in the quarterfinals.

Region 1-5A quarterfinal

No. 6 Gulf Breeze vs. No. 3 Pine Forest

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Pine Forest High School

Records: Gulf Breeze - 12-11; Pine Forest - 13-9

Ranking: Gulf Breeze (9.528) - 14th in Class 5A, 143rd overall; Pine Forest (8.736) - 17th in Class 5A, 154th overall

Last meeting: March 24, 2022 - Gulf Breeze 14, Pine Forest 3

Players to watch: Gulf Breeze - Carson Hepworth (Sr.), Jacob Thorn (P, So.), Battle Alberson (P, So.), Brock Clayton (OF, So.). Pine Forest - Zach Beaver (Jr.), Brendan Reeder (Sr.), Jakob Sprague (Sr.), Bryson Love (Sr.)

Note: This is the only matchup between two area programs. The two teams were supposed to face off for the District 1-5A title on Wednesday, but Gulf Breeze was forced to forfeit that game after sophomore starting pitcher Jacob Thorn surpassed the limit of 95 pitches in a semifinal contest against Milton.

Pine Forest, who entered the district tourney ranked eighth in the region, was awarded the district title as a result.

Prior to their forfeits against the Eagles and Panthers, the Dolphins were unbeaten against district opponents this season. That includes a 14-3 win over Pine Forest in late March.

Region 1-3A quarterfinal

No. 5 Pensacola Catholic vs. No. 4 Trinity Catholic

When: 7 p.m. (EST) Tuesday

Where: Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala

Records: Pensacola Catholic - 16-9; Trinity Catholic - 18-8

Ranking: Pensacola Catholic (16.251) - fifth in Class 3A, 26th overall; Trinity Catholic (9.570) - 24th in Class 3A, 141st overall

Last meeting: May 15, 2014 - Trinity Catholic 3, Pensacola Catholic 1

Players to watch: Pensacola Catholic - Jackson Hiatt (3B/P, Sr.), Chris Rembert (2B, So.), Jackson Kohr (P/OF, So.), Carter McCulley (1B/P, Sr.); Trinity Catholic - Cole Stephens (Sr.), Anthony Cordero (Sr.), Cole Gonzales (Sr.), Mekai Griffin (So.)

Note: The Crusaders look to turnaround a frustrating stretch over the past month where they are just 3-5 over their last eight games. Despite outhitting its opponent, Pensacola Catholic conceded two runs in the top of the seventh inning to fall to Florida State University High School in the District 1-3A Final.

Still, after their most recent loss, the Crusaders remain the team to beat in the region. They have played the region's second-hardest schedule while the Celtics are 41st in that category.

This matchup is nearly eight years to the day that these two teams last squared off. Trinity Catholic defeated Pensacola Catholic 3-1 in the 2014 4A state title game.

Region 1-1A semifinals

No. 4 Jay vs. No. 1 Holmes County

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Holmes County High School

Records: Jay - 11-10-1; Holmes County - 20-7

Ranking: Jay (2.735) - 14th in Class 1A, 295th overall; Holmes County (9.010) - third in Class 1A, 150th overall

Last meeting: May 7, 2021 - Holmes County 3, Jay 2

Players to watch: Jay - Andrew Diamond (P/UTIL, Sr.), Ethan McDonald (SS/P, So.) Nathan Smarr (C/P, Jr.), Eli Melvin (3B/P, Sr.); Holmes County - Colby Jones (SS/P, Sr.), Jacob Riley (C, Sr.), Hayden Revels (3B/P), Landon Lumpkin (P, So.).

Note: Picking up 20 wins for the second year in the row, the Blue Devils have been the clear top team this season. They have won eight of their last nine games, compiling a differential of plus-34 during that stretch.

Jay looks to avenge a 3-2 loss to Holmes County in a regional semifinal last season.

No. 3 Paxton vs. No. 2 Northview

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Northview High School

Records: Paxton - 12-8; Northview - 16-7

Ranking: Paxton (3.034) - 13th in Class 1A, 198th overall; Northview (6.937) - sixth in Class 1A, 198th overall

Last meeting: May 7, 2021 - Northview 6, Paxton 0

Players to watch: Paxton - Gaines Marshall (UTIL, Sr.), Logan Sims (C/INF, Sr.), Noah Morgan (P/INF, So.), Bradley Garrett (P/OF, Fr.); Northview - Joshua Landis (3B/P, Jr.), Kaden Odom (INF, Jr.), Jamarkus Jefferson (INF/P, Jr.), Rustin Pope (C/P, Jr.)

Note: The Chiefs secured their second-straight District 1-1A championship thanks a 2-1 victory against Jay. Like last season, their win over the Royals led to a regional-semifinal encounter with the Bobcats.

Last year, Josh Landis tossed a two-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over Paxton. Landis enters regionals with hits in his last eight at-bats.

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Baseball preview: Seven PNJ-area teams ready for regional playoffs