Northeast Florida high school baseball regional final preview: Columbia vs. Lincoln
Regional final
7 p.m. Monday
REGION 1-5A
Tallahassee Lincoln (12-17) at Columbia (21-8)
How did a 12-17 team advance to a regional final? Answer: Lincoln absorbed plenty of punishment in a brutal schedule, losing eight in a row (they were 4-14 at the time) but rallying down the stretch with five consecutive wins. Among those wins: 4-3 against Columbia on April 28, stunning the Tigers with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. So Columbia can't overlook the Trojans, especially sophomore standout Myles Bailey (.380, 5 HR, 1.201 OPS). For Columbia, Chandler Howard (.379) and Hayden Gustavson (.373) continue to power a deep and dangerous batting order. The winner advances to the Class 5A state semifinal on Thursday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, meeting an opponent to be confirmed once the Florida High School Athletic Association re-seeds the qualifying semifinalists.
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.