High school sports: Columbia Tigers baseball eyes opportunity at first state championship
Columbia baseball head coach Chris Howard knows what the Tigers are getting themselves into after their recent berth to the FHSAA Class 5A Final Four.
Howard, who is in his first season at Columbia, led Hamilton County to the state semifinal last season, where he and the Trojans lost to eventual-state-champion Newberry 3-2.
That experience helps Howard prepare Columbia for what's ahead as the Tigers look for the program's first state title, which would add to an already storied season.
"Bad things are going to happen," Howard will tell his team. "You've just gotta keep your composure and play through it."
After watching Columbia win its first region title with a 7-6 win over Tallahassee Lincoln on Monday night, it appears that composure might be woven into the Tigers' DNA.
Last game: Columbia baseball tops Tallahassee Lincoln by one run, earns trip to first final four
More baseball: Columbia gets first playoff win since 2016 with 4-0 win over St. Augustine
Also in semifinals: Fort White, Dixie County baseball head south looking for state championship
Tigers find way to bounce back against Lincoln
Despite leading the game from the bottom of the third inning through the bottom of the sixth, Columbia coughed up the lead after Lincoln strung together a four-run inning to take a 6-4 lead heading to the final half-frame.
Columbia junior Brayden Thomas, who played a big role in the Tigers' seventh-inning heroics, admitted that the wind was knocked out of the hometown dugout's sails.
"We got a little down," Thomas said. "But when we got into the dugout, some of our players that were sitting tonight, they actually helped us get back and fired up. Just picked our heads up to keep playing and keep fighting."
A three-run rally kept Columbia's season alive. And now there's not much the Tigers feel like they can't accomplish.
Columbia will rely on ace Truitt Todd
Columbia senior Truitt Todd, who as emerged as the Tigers' ace on the mound believes the Tigers have what it takes to win it all.
When you look at the pieces, he could be right.
Starting with Todd himself, Howard said that he and the Tigers will ride with Todd until the wheels fall off. And that's yet to happen.
In Monday's win, Todd pitched 6.1 innings that saw him give up seven hits, three earned runs and strikeout three. On the season, Todd has maintained an ERA of 1.84 through 53.1 innings of action and has tallied 59 strikeouts.
The two-way player also has contributed to the team's explosive lineup and leads the Tigers with a pair of home runs on the season.
Alongside Todd, seniors Chandler Howard (.396) and Hayden Gustavson (.383), as well as Thomas (.325), have played key roles in Columbia's offensive production.
Meanwhile, junior centerfielder Matt Dumas is the ignition switch for the Tigers' lineup.
Dumas, who has recently led things off for Columbia, boasts a .337 average and a team-leading 19 stolen bases.
"He's a sparkplug," Howard said. "He's a fast little dude."
The list could go on and on when you look at Columbia's roster.
"All 20 guys on this team are great, great kids," Howard said. "They sacrifice for each other and that's the difference."
The Tigers (22-8) will look to keep their season alive as they take on Eau Gallie (21-6) at 4 p.m. Thursday from Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
Winner of Thursday's semifinal will advance to Saturday's championship game against the winner of Jesuit and Naples.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: High school baseball: Columbia looking to extend historic playoff run
