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Hernando Today

Going Out On Top

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Twenty-one year Spring Hill resident, Mike Sollazzo, who guided Spring Hill Senior Boys (age 14) All-Stars to within a couple innings of the county’s fourth national championship, officially retired this past week from coaching at recreation level.

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By TONY CASTRO

SPORTS EDITOR Hernando Today

Published: August 17, 2008

Updated:

Sadly, Spring Hill Head Coach Mike Sollazzo says he's hanging up his line-up card. No more fongo bats. No more taking infield. He says he's retiring (from coaching).

And luckily he isn't named Brett Favre, otherwise, who would believe him?

Sollazzo, 44, guided the Spring Hill Senior Boys (age 14) All-Stars to the brink of a Dixie Youth League World Series crown last week in Covington, Ga.

The west Hernando County town came within a whisker (couple innings) of pocketing Hernando Youth League's first national title since 2000.

Dixie World Series titles are like relics - they're hard to unearth. Once you collect one, you think you'll get more. Then reality hits.

HYL has etched three national crowns across 53 summers.

Sollazzo, who has resided in Spring Hill for 21 years, has coached at the Dixie Youth League level for seven campaigns.

"I've done this for seven years," declared the independent flooring contractor, who formerly hailed from Brentwood, N.Y. "Sure, we all wanted to win the last game to go out on top. Maybe it's the closest I'm gonna get."

Why leave now, isn't there unfinished business?

"We won districts and states and finished second in the World Series," said Sollazzo. "My kid (Dante') is going into high school and now I'll be like everybody else and root for the other kids. The high school level is very different from the rec level.

"I've been blessed," added Sollazzo. "We've had a great group of kids. We had a great run. I'm happy to be retiring."

What will Sollazzo miss the most?

"It's kinda sad in a way," he remarked. "I'm gonna miss the kids. Yeah, I'll even miss the practice with 'em. But everywhere I go, kids keep calling me Coach Mike, so that's nice."

One final look

Sollazzo's team was truly an All-Star squad.

First, it had players from four different high schools on its roster. It also had depth. It had several interchangeable parts - several players could play different positions.

Next, its foundation included tremendous hitting, solid defense, clutch pitching and an experienced team.

The past two years, Sollazzo's teams were left at the altar finishing second during the different Florida State Championships.

This summer was different.

Sollazzo's crew grabbed the District 6 title in Wesley Chapel followed by the State Championship in Marianna.

The Spring Hill team terrorized the opposition on the Sunshine State turf to the tune of a collective .378 batting average through 11 games.

Then it stayed hot batting .356 in Georgia while going 4-2 overall.

So close

In the championship finale, Spring Hill fell to South Carolina, 12-8. In its final at-bat Spring Hill loaded the bases with two outs bringing up its finest hitter, Julian Perez.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Perez, who'll be a freshman at Springstead, hit .579 during the summer.

In his final swing Perez just missed clobbering a grand slam homer.

The ball was caught over the centerfielder's head against the wall. Another five inches and Team Florida, aka Spring Hill, would have tied up matters.

"I tip my hat to South Carolina," explained Sollazzo. "They were a great team. But Perez nearly got another one. Baseball is a matter of inches. We needed about five more."

What was difference?

"I can't blame our pitchers," Sollazzo pointed out. "Our defense was great all summer. But we had three errors (in a 8-run sixth inning) that killed us. If we don't make the first error, South Carolina doesn't score. If we don't make the second, they would have gotten one run. But we made three and it really hurt us. That's baseball."

Response at home

So what's the response been since the team arrived at home.

"I got a free pizza the other day," smiled Sollazzo. "We know people at home were tuned in. JockJive.com said Spring Hill residents generated 30,000 hits on their Web site. And the phone never stopped ringing in Georgia.

"Former players and coaches kept wishing us luck," recalled Sollazzo. "I'm real proud to wear my Florida Spring Hill hat," he smiled. "I'm proud of not only my son, but every single kid on our team, their parents and fans - it was truly a tremendous experience. I consider myself very fortunate.

"The community should be very proud of our team and how we conducted ourselves," he added. "Sure, I wish maybe we would have won one more game because the boys deserve the recognition. All summer long a different guy stepped up and played hero.

"It's an experience I think the boys will remember the rest of their lives," Sollazzo said. "I couldn't have asked for a better ending."

Neither could we.

Spring Hill Dixie Senior Boys (age 14) All-Stars Stats

HITTING STATS (thru 17 games)
NAME GP AB R H 2B 3B    HR .AVG
Perez, Julian           17*   57 32    33*   06* 01    04    .579*
Townsend, Ian           16 59    25    27    01    04*   01    .458
Colaiacomo, Louis       17*   60* 33*   27    06*   02    05*   .450
Simpson, J.T.           17*   52    13    22    05    01    00    .423
Tambasco, Thomas     17*   57    26    20    05    01 05*   .351
Woop, David             17*   51    10    16    04    02    01    .314
Sollazzo, Dante'        15    37    12    11    01    00    00    .297
Asquith, Joey           16 43    11    12    03    00    03    .279
Kodetsky, Mike          16    40    06    10    02    00    00    .250
Fiocca, Anthony         07    09    01    02    00    00    00    .222
Gaffney, Jon            14    25    04    04    00    00    00    .160
Scott, Trey             05    06    00    00    00    00    00    .000
Ruiz, Max               01    01    00    00    00    00    00    .000
TOTALS                  17    497   173   184 33    11    19    .370
* Denotes team leader

PITCHING STATS (thru 17 games)
NAME GP IP H R BB KO W L
Simpson, J.T.     10    38.0 35    21    19    37    03    00
Gaffney, Jon      11    33.1  36    26    13    23    07    02
Woop, David       11    16.0  15    11    05    09    01    00
Kodetsky, Mike 03 07.2 15 10 03 03 00 01
Townsend, Ian 04 05.2 07 06 07 05 01 00
Sollazzo, Dante'  04    07.0  03    07    09    04    01    00
Asquith, Joey     01    02.0  04    04    00    02    00    01
Ruiz, Max         01    01.1  05    03    02    00    00    00
Scott, Trey 01 00.1 02 01 01 00 00 00
TOTALS            17    111.1 122   89    59    83    13    04

Road to the Show
SPRING HILL HEAD COACH: MIKE SOLLAZZO (RECORD: 13-4)
Date       Opponent Result
06-25      Sumter*           W 8-6
06-26      Wildwood*     W 12-1 (5 inn.)
06-27      Hernando*      W 13-3 (6 inn.)
06-28      Sumter*           L 12-13
06-29      Sumter*           W 18-8 (5 inn.)
07-19      Chipley#          W 6-2
07-21 Okeechobee# W 7-2
07-21 West Volusia# W 12-2 (6 Inns.)
07-22 Messer Park# W 12-2 (5 Inns.)
07-23 West Volusia# L 8-9
07-23 West Volusia# W 14-3 (6 Inns.)
08-02 Tennessee^ W 10-4
08-03 North Carolina^ W 12-5
08-04 Louisiana^ L 4-10
08-05 Alabama^ W 7-3
08-06 Georgia^ W 14-6
08-07 South Carolina^ L 8-12
* Denotes District 6 Tournament game at Wesley Chapel District Park
# Denotes State Tournament game at MERE Complex, Marianna
^ Denotes World Series game at City Pond Park, Covington, Ga.

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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