MaxPreps 2015 Preseason Baseball Top 10 Rankings: No. 8 Jesuit

VIDEO: Jesuit Tigers baseball
A look at the No. 8 team heading into the spring.


With seven starters back from last year's squad, the Tigers begin the season as the favorite to repeat in Class 5A. Jesuit also has five players who have either committed or signed to play Division I ball. The pitching staff is particularly loaded with three Division I prospects and the son of a former Major League pitcher.

With a high amount of returning talent from a state championship team, Jesuit begins the season ranked No. 8 in the MaxPreps Preseason National Baseball Top 10 Rankings.

MaxPreps is counting down the top 10 teams in the Xcellent 25 Preseason National Baseball Rankings. The countdown concludes with a look at the top 100 teams in the country on Feb. 24.

See the Top 10 teams landing page here

View gallery of Jesuit preseason photo shoot by photographer Marc Estrada

School size: Florida Class 5A

Enrollment: 733


2014 finish: 25-6, Class 5A state champion


Head coach: Miguel Menendez


Career record: 0-0


Years at school: First as head coach


Notable MLB players:

Lou Piniella (1968-1984)

Brad Radke (1995-2006)

Dave Magadan (1986-2001)

Al Lopez (1928-1947)

No. of starters returning: 7

Top Losses:

Ryan McCullers, .366, 19 RBI

Danny Lastra, .333, 14 RBI

Kasey Radke, 7-1, 1.19 ERA

Key returners:

Michael Sandborn, P, Junior, 4-0 record, 0.85 ERA, committed to Vanderbilt

Steven Lugo, 2B, Junior, .333, 15 runs

Jacob Mocny, SS, Senior, .274, 12 runs, 13 RBIs

Kennie Taylor, CF, Senior, .348  batting average, 29 runs, 24 RBIs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, Duke

Ronnie Ramirez, 3B, Senior, .292 batting average, 14 runs, 6 doubles, Florida State

Bobby Hearn, P, Senior, Wake Forest

Cole Gibbs, RF, Senior, North Carolina

Braxton Rupp, 1B, Junior

Nico Baldor, 1B, Junior

Adam Weekley, Ut, Junior

Key newcomers:

J.J. Niekro, P, Junior

Joe Epstein, P, Senior

Nick Smith, C, Sophomore

Steven Owusu, P, Junior

Garrett Sheppard, C, Sophomore

Hunter Tubbs, IF, Junior

Toughest game: The Tigers faced a tough opponent right out of the gate as it met MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Preseason No. 10 Winter Haven in its season opener on Feb. 6. Jesuit handed the Class 6A state runnerup a 6-1 loss. Jesuit also plays perennial Class 6A powerhouse Venice this week and will take on North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) and Winter Haven within a span of five days in late March.

Local outlook: Tampa is home to a number of outstanding teams and Plant, with MaxPreps Preseason All-American Kyle Tucker in the outfield, figures to be a team to challenge Jesuit for area supremacy.

Overall outlook: Jesuit battled through a tough 5A district to win the state title in 2014. The Tigers will likely have to do the same in 2015 with powerhouse teams like Mosley, American Heritage, and Archbishop McCarthy in the hunt.

While a total of seven starters return from last year's team, one familiar face that won't be back is long-time coach Richie Warren, who retired. Miguel Menendez takes Warren's place and inherits a team with a strong pitching staff.

Pitching: Bobby Hearn returns after sitting out most of his junior season due to suspension. The 6-foot-1 left-hander is headed to Wake Forest next year. He's joined on the staff by junior Michael Sandborn, who went 4-0 last year and is headed to Vanderbilt.

Ronnie Ramirez, who closed out the final inning against Clay last year, also returns and he will play at Florida State next season. Then there is junior J.J. Niekro, the son of former late Major League pitcher Joe Niekro.

Defense: The Tigers figure to have an outstanding outfield with Duke-bound Kennie Taylor manning centerfield and North Carolina signee Cole Gibbs in right field. Taylor was one of the team's leading hitters last year with a .348 batting average. Gibbs played sparingly last year, but Menendez says that he is the best draft prospect on the team.

Menendez feels he has a very strong junior class with Sandborn, Nico Baldor, Nick Ortega, Braxton Rupp, Steven Owusu, Adam Weekley and Steven Lugo all potentially signing with Division I schools. He added that sophomores Nick Smith and Garrett Sheppard are also Division I talents.

The Tigers got their season off to a strong start with a 6-1 win over Winter Haven, a team that reached the Class 6A state finals last season.

Coach quote: "We are a very talented team with seven starters from last year's state championship team. We expect to compete for another state title. We play a very tough schedule that should prepare us for a run at another state title."
- Miguel Menendez