For many years, the goals have remained the same. The Key West High School baseball team aims first for the district championship, then a 12th state championship. Should that be accomplished, the next step is a national ranking.
None of that happened a year ago, as the Conchs lost seven one-run decisions and failed to win half their games, finishing with 9 wins and 16 losses.
Coach Ralph Henriquez Jr., in his 18th season, sees brighter days (and evenings under the lights) this season. “We’ve got 25 home games; we should win 20 of them,” the coach predicted. In the last week, though, the Conchs’ home schedule may have been reduced by two while their away games increased from two to three, when Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas (coached by Joey Wardlow, who once coached third base for Key West) was added on March 21.
The Florida High School Athletic Association lists Key West, with a current enrollment of 1,278, in District 16-4A along with three Miami schools — Killian, Sunset and St. Brendan. During the season, the Conchs will play only Killian, which will be a two-night event at the end of the season, April 29 and 30, at Rex Weech Field.
Henriquez and his assistant/son, Ralphie Henriquez, who will handle the pitching and hitting, got a look at their team last weekend, when the Conchs split a pair of preseason games with J.P. Taravella High School, pulling out a 2-1 victory on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh on Friday night and losing, 14-5, on Saturday night on “too many walks (11),” the elder Henriquez said.
The Conchs got but four hits on Friday, while pitchers Jacob Burnham and Lucky Barroso allowed Taravella only one hit and no earned runs. On Saturday, the Conchs collected seven hits.
The season begins in earnest this weekend with 7:30 p.m. games Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25 and 26, against Nova Southeastern University School. Sophomore lefthander Jacob Burnham, who went four innings and allowed no hits or runs against Taravella, will get the call for the true Opening Day game, pitching to his freshman brother, catcher Noah Burnham, who had a hit in each weekend game.
The coach has settled on his infield, with seniors Trevor Zuelch (who had one hit last weekend) at first, Kai Smith at short and Preston Herce (one hit) at third — the same positions they played a year ago — and junior Wyatt Kuhn (two hits) at second base. Junior Jack Haggard, who went 3-for-6 against Taravella and was named MaxPreps Player of the Game, will handle one outfield position while the coach said earlier in the week that five or six players were still competing for the other two outfield and designated hitter spots.
Against Taravella, Henriquez got looks at freshman Sam Holland, junior Anden Rady, freshman Jose Perdigon (one hit), sophomore Anthony Lariz, junior Lucky Barroso and junior Gabe Williams (one hit, two runs batted in).
Saturday evening, the coach also got looks at pitchers sophomore Felix Ong, junior Marlin Takovich, Lariz and Haggard.
Don’t be surprised if players also find homes at other positions as Henriquez said all players must add a second position – or more – to their repertoire.
The Conch varsity includes 18 players, while the junior varsity is at 21, with three more coming over from the wrestling team. Casey Moll is coaching the JV.
Several other Conchs will be playing elsewhere, with 16 or 17 at the college level and two in pro ball, said Henriquez. Michael Alfonso is a pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization after being drafted in the 17th round, while pitcher Antonio Knowles was drafted in the 13th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
