Dolphins opens 2007 baseball season with preseason tourney at home
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

The Gulf Breeze Dolphin baseball team is expected to earn high marks this season. So head coach Randy Renfroe thought - why not give them some early tests?

The Dolphins, with six starters back from last year and a strong junior class from a three-loss JV team of a season ago, will host a four team Preseason Classic starting tonight. The Dolphins will play Pine Forest tonight and West Florida Tech tomorrow. Both are 7 p.m. starts.

From there, the Dolphins will play at Pace on Tuesday and at Catholic next Friday - both of whom have won state titles in the past few years.

"When you play those teams, you find out what you've got," said Renfroe.

The Dolphins will find out what they have, doing so with not everyone that they could have. Brad McGuire had his non-throwing shoulder scoped recently and will miss at least three more weeks as he recovers.

"It hurts us because he scored 20-something runs for us last year," Renfroe said. "Offensively, it really hurts us."

The team has been practicing since Jan. 15. Nearly 30 freshman - and 60 overall - tried out for the three teams in the program.

The Dolphins are having to revamp nearly their entire infield - only senior Boomer Harrington will be in the opening day lineup from a season ago. Derek Jeter, a lefthanded pitcher a year ago, will be the first baseman, while senior Ashton Vance will get the first look at third base, Renfroe said.

With McGuire injured, junior Brandon Scott will move over to shortstop with T.J. Jordan playing second base. The pair will be looking to replace what they lost with the graduation of Kyle Brown.

Brown has already made an impact at UWF, doubling and scoring a run in the Argos'6-2 loss to Florida Southern Sunday.

The outfield, according to Renfroe, is as good as anyone's. Tyler Gross, one of the team's top power hitters a year ago, is in left. Juniors Shane Dorlag and Kameron Brunty will be in center and right field, respectively.

The pitching staff is led by seniors Greg Tober and Michael Thomas, a lefthander. Juniors Mark Waghalter and Dane Monnin, another lefthander, will also pitch.

Bobby Clayton and Jak-y Kohr will coach the JV and ninth grade squads, with former Dolphin Matt Fox also helping out. Ryan Hepworth, a former Escambia and PJC coach, joins the staff this season.

"He does a real good job with the hitters," Renfroe said of Hepworth.