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Preseason Top 25: No. 18 Dwyer

January 13, 2016

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Yesterday’s team featured in the preseason top 25 was 19th-ranked East Lake HS. As mentioned, the Eagles will boast a deep pitching staff and will be one of the favorites in their classification to make it to the state tournament. Today, we will highlight another program with a strong rotation but this group will be led by two polished juniors rather than a group of seniors.

The Dwyer Panthers, coming in at number 18, appear to be one of the better teams in Class 6A Florida and will have one of the sharpest 1-2 starting combinations in the state. 2017 Florida State commit Tyler Ahearn will likely be the ace as he is one of the best junior arms in the Florida, if not the country. Ahearn sits in the 87-90 mph range and can touch 91 mph. He shows a clean delivery and arm action and will throw all three pitches for strikes in any count. Their next arm would be the ace for most teams around the country and on any given night he can look just as good as Ahearn. 2017 South Carolina commit Shane Roberts is another loose righty with advanced mechanics who will consistently fill up the zone. Roberts usually sits in the 87-89 mph range and touches 90 mph on occasion. A senior who will also help lead the Panthers and be a vital piece for success is 2016 RHP/1B Colten Rendon. The Winthrop Signee possesses a strong and physical frame at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and he sits in the 86-89 mph range with his fastball. Rendon also shows good power at the plate and he will likely hit in the middle of the lineup for Dwyer.

The Panthers should make it out of their district unscathed and then have to get past a team like Jensen Beach or Doral Academy Prep in the regional tournament. And if they do in fact make it to the 6a state tournament, they will likely have to deal with defending state champion Venice HS in either the semifinal or final game. Dwyer’s road will not be easy and anything can happen, but the Panthers looked poised to make a run at 2016 state championship game.