Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 25 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

3B Cole Russo

Team: Jesuit
Preseason Rank: 3
2019 Record: 27-5
FHSAA Class: 5A
Head Coach: Miguel Menendez
Playoff Run: 6A State Champions


TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Camden Minacci, RHP, 2020 (Wake Forest)
Bennett Lee, C, 2020 (Tulane)
Josh Mallitz, RHP, 2020 (Ole Miss)
Justin Clark, RHP, 2020 (West Virginia)
Henry Politz, 1B, 2020 (Holy Cross)
Turner Thompson, RHP, 2020 (Tulane)
Cole Russo, 3B, 2020 (UCF)

X-FACTOR

Jalen Niles - Niles didn’t play too much as a junior but Jesuit expects him to be a key contributor in 2020. Niles showed significant improvements in the summer and fall and should be able to make an impact this season.

KEY PLAYERS LOST
Jimmy Clifford, C/1B, 2019 (Wesleyan)
Brandon Incardona, 2B, 2019 (Canisius)
Ethan Valdez, SS, 2019 (Wagner)

OUTLOOK
Jesuit is coming off a terrific season in which they won the 6A State Championship. They come into 2020 with most of their core back for another run. The Tigers return their ace in Camden Minacci (Wake Forest) who pitched to a 12-1 record with a 1.12 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 62 innings. Jesuit returns seniors Josh Mallitz (Ole Miss), Justin Clark (West Virginia), and Turner Thompson (Tulane) to complete one of the best pitching staffs in the state. Offensively, senior catcher Bennett Lee returns after an injury late last season. He was batting .442 with 3 HRs before getting hurt. The Tigers return two big bats in the middle of the order in Henry Politz (Holy Cross) and Cole Russo (UCF), who were the top RBI leaders on the team last season. Jesuit is back with another roster loaded with talent and has what it takes to win another state championship. Make sure to follow @pbrflorida on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.

 

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