2021 Florida Preseason Classic: Wednesday Highlights
February 11, 2021
VERO BEACH, FL--It’s only early February and the matchup of the year has arguably already been played. Florida’s top two teams, IMG Academy and Calvary Christian Academy, faced off Wednesday at the Florida Preseason Classic, pitting rosters of draft prospects and Division I recruits against each other. In the end, the Ascenders took the win 6-2 behind a master class in pitching by LHP Mason Albright.
A Virginia Tech recruit, Albright went 4.2 innings on 68 pitches and didn’t allow a baserunner, striking out 13, including the last 11 batters he faced. He dominated with his fastball, going to his slider and changeup only a handful of times. It ranged from 90-94 mph throughout the night as he moved it all around the zone and racked up swings and misses with ease. The slider had 3/4 break in the mid 70s and he turned over changeups with sink in the 77-79 range.
On the bump for Calvary Christian was RHP Irv Carter, a Miami recruit and the No. 20 high school prospect in the country. It went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter while striking out two. He flashed his electric stuff--a 92-95 fastball and sharp low-80s breaking ball--but he was scattered with his control and tended to overthrow.
3B Tommy White had two RBIs for IMG Academy, putting his team on the board in the first with a groundout to first and then adding some insurance in the fifth with a missile home run to left-center field.
2023 C Brady Neal tagged a double to deep left field in the first and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth for his two RBIs.