With only a dozen players, Leon baseball continues to tear through early season

Depth in numbers isn't something that Leon has this season.

The dugout nearly empties when the Lions take the field as they are using their entire roster. However, the low numbers haven't depleted the team's success this season. Once again Leon is seeing the wins pile up early on, but the experience amongst the small group has given them a different vibe this spring.

"We have a very strong base of kids on this team," Lions head coach Robert Zimmerman said. "We're not very deep, but the kids we have get after it and play hard-nosed baseball. They work hard and they're talented. We have no depth. I literally have one kid on the bench, cause the other one is hurt. They scrap and get after it."

Playing their game

Even with its No. 2 pitcher and shortstop injured, Leon has still emerged as one of the top teams in 6A. It's won seven of its first eight, and edged out 6A No. 2 Mosley, 3-2, on Tuesday. In a game where Mosley outhit Leon, 4-3, the Lions leaned in heavy on their small ball play, scoring on a passed ball, a fielder's choice, and an error.

The focus for the Lions is to hit the ball as much as they can, but when playing with low numbers, small ball has played a major role in the Lions' success.

"That's how we run our offense," senior Eddie Castillo said. "If we have opportunities with men on the bases, we try to bunt them over, and we practice that as a team. We know that's our role and we know we have to get the bunt down. We embrace it. It's not popular, cause some teams try to go for those hits, but we have a good enough group to pass it to the next guy."

Castillo had two of Leon's three hits on the night and lead the Lions with three total bases. The Lion's small ball was what was able to crack Mosley's pitcher Jordan Martinez, who allowed one run on three hits, walking two and striking out five before being pulled in the fourth.

Zimmerman emphasized junior Chase Davis's performance on the mound, which allowed Leon to have a fighting chance from inning to inning. Davis pitched the entire game, allowing two runs on four hits, committing two errors, walking two, and striking out five. The win bumps Davis'es record to an impressive 5-1.

"He's a special, special kid and he just gave everything he had," Zimmerman said. "His pitch count was just so low through five innings, and it gave him an opportunity to finish that game. He just pitched lights out against a phenomenal team, one through nine, they can really hit it. To be able to hold them down like that is very impressive."

The next opportunity

Last season, Leon had a similar start. It won 10 of its first 11 and pushed nearly 20 wins by the end of the season. However, things fell off in the playoff as the Lions lost to Buchholz in district semifinals, narrowly missing out on a regional tournament bid. While things are looking similar in the books, Leon brings an older team to the field, that was on the younger side last season.

"I'm glad I'm with this group my last year," Castillo said. "It's an amazing group and we're off to a good start. I'm happy, but we know the job's not done. We just have to go out there and compete every day. We have a lot of hard games coming up. I'm just excited and I want to get after it."

In addition, the Lions have put together a strong schedule. Right after facing Mosley, Leon travels to 9-1 Fleming Island, which ranks No. 6 in 6A. The Lions also meet 5A frontrunner Lincoln again in a week and a half.

"The good thing is most of these kids are experienced," Zimmerman said. "Most of these kids experienced that exact same thing. We started off with that hot streak and ended on a down note, and these kids that returned understand what it takes. Baseball is a funny sport. You can play great but still lose, and these kids know that."

"When we get beat, we'll look forward to the next opportunity, and when we win, we'll still look forward to the next opportunity."

Jack Williams covers prep sports and Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams. 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 12-man roster not limiting Leon baseball's success