VENICE — This year’s Venice baseball team has all the pieces necessary to grab the program’s first state championship since 2019.
The Indians are a well-rounded group that can hurt opposing teams with their offense, defense and pitching.
The latter has been especially noteworthy this season, with a lack of drop-off game in and game out on the mound.
Whether it be a starter throwing five flawless innings, or someone in the bullpen being called upon to close the door, Venice’s coaching staff usually can rest easy in any scenario.
“These guys do a great job of taking care of themselves and taking accountability with how they conduct their business,” Venice pitching coach Tyler Shambora said. “It’s a really good group, led by our seniors Simon Yochum and Nate Winterhalter in the bullpen, and our workhorses on the starting side of things in Jackson Lucas and Carter Cox.
“We’ve had great buy-in when it comes to our pitching philosophy,” Shambora continued. “From the very beginning, they’ve bought into challenging batters and staying unpredictable. When you can consistently keep batters off-balance, the odds are in your favor to have really good success.”
In 19 of 27 games so far this season, opposing teams have scored two runs or less against Venice, with 10 of those resulting in shutouts.
Only three times this year has Venice surrendered more than three runs, and opposing teams are averaging just 1.7 runs per contest against the Indians in 2024.
That kind of consistency — which includes a 1.26 team earned run average across all pitchers — could bode well for another run toward a state championship trophy for the first time in half a decade for Venice baseball.
“In 2019, we had some bonafide aces and guys with a lot of experience that were well-established,” Shambora said. “This year, our group has had to pitch with a little more finesse. It’s been about hitting their spots, locating and getting ahead in counts. The common theme between those two staffs, though, is the work ethic and leadership. The same work ethic we saw in 2019, we’re seeing this year.”
FROM FIRST PITCH TO THE BULLPENFrom a starter standpoint, Shambora called Lucas and Cox his 1A and 1B pitchers on the mound.
Both have gobbled up around 40 total innings each on the rubber this season.
Lucas has been responsible for facing off against the other’s team’s ace, as Venice’s main guy at the top of the rotation.
The junior has allowed only 11 earned runs, boasts an impressive 1.30 ERA and has fanned 43 opposing batters in 10 appearances in 2024.
Lucas’s best performance came against Sarasota on March 28, when the southpaw threw all seven innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 12.
Cox — a lefty in his own right — has been even more efficient for the Indians.
The sophomore has allowed only three earned runs and has racked up close to 50 strikeouts on the year to go along with an 8-0 record and a 0.50 ERA.
“We expected it from Jackson, but Carter has really come on and solidified himself as a great number two in the rotation,” Shambora said. “He has some really good numbers, but more importantly, he’s always keeping us in ballgames. He gives us a chance to win any game that he’s pitching in.”
After the starters come out, there’s a few different guys that Shambora can turn to in a closing situation.
Two guys in particular — Yochum and Winterhalter — have netted the majority of those closing scenarios.
Both seniors have unique side-armed deliveries that drive opposing batters — and coaches — crazy.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Yochum of the delivery. “It’s something different. You always get that funny reaction from the other teams. Like they can’t believe it. It’s felt good to be able to continuously have the success I’ve been having with how I throw.”
“It definitely moves a lot more,” added Winterhalter of the side-armed approach. “Just coming across, instead of throwing up and down, really throws off the batters.”
Winterhalter has thrown the most innings of any Venice pitcher, netting nearly 45 innings. He’s 5-0 with a 0.83 ERA. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is also one of the best on the team (44 to 7).
Yochum’s sample size is smaller — 20 innings pitched — but he’s been nearly unhittable, with a 0.35 ERA, 30 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed.
“They give us momentum from the minute they step on the mound,” said Shambora of Yochum and Winterhalter. “It’s definitely a unique look that we can take advantage of. Hitters never seem to have a good feel for them. On top of everything they do on the mound, they’re both really great guys and great leaders for the other players on the pitching staff.”
While the focus is now, Shambora’s excited about the young arms that have contributed in spurts this year.
Kane Judson, Nate Dunn and Keagan O’Brien are among those expected to be big-time contributors after Yochum and Winterhalter depart this season.
“Year in and year out, we manage to have really strong depth in our bullpen,” Shambora said. “We do a great job of developing these pitchers for four years. Just to have those options allows us to do a lot of things. Different guys do different things, and that allows us to have success.”
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