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Preseason Top 25: No. 19 East Lake

January 12, 2016

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Continuing to the roll through the preseason top 25 teams in Florida, this week we are covering the teams that are ranked sixteen through twenty. Crawford Mosley was recognized yesterday as the 2015 5a state runner-up and the 20th-ranked program heading into the 2016 season.

The 19th-ranked squad is one who is looking to make up for an early exit in 2015. The East Lake Eagles look like the most talented team in Pinellas County and will certainly have their sights set on the 7a Final Four in May. They will be led by a talented senior class and a pitching staff that is one of the best in the Tampa Bay Area, if not the state.

2016 RHPs Christian James and Andrew Belcik will be the top arms for the Eagles and should be able to hold most of their opponents to three runs or fewer per game. James, who is signed with Florida International can run his fastball up to 93 mph and Belcik is signed with Notre Dame and runs his fastball up to 92 mph. Another solid piece of this staff will be a projectable 6-foot-3 right-hander, Travis MacGregor. The 2016 RHP possesses a projectable frame at 6-foot-3 and has made a jump from touching 84-85 mph in June, to now touching 89-90 mph. Defensively, the Eagles will be led by their senior SS and Western Kentucky Signee Kevin Lambert. Lambert is a reliable defender with advanced actions and has an athletic 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. Two underclassmen will also help solidify this impressive staff—2017 RHP Connor Churchill and 2018 RHP/OF Nic Daniels. Not surprisingly, Churchill stands at 6-foot-4 and Daniels is 6-foot-3, which gives the Eagles five pitchers who are at least 6-foot-2 and can at a minimum run their fastballs into the upper-80s. At the very least, East Lake will be able to intimidate a few teams as soon as they step off the bus or when of their pitchers take the mound.

Even though it is only preseason, the Eagles will face stiff competition as they will run up against Plant HS and Alonso HS in a round robin. Other games to watch for will be when they host the Sailors of Sarasota HS early on in the season and when they travel to Jesuit in March to battle the Tigers. All four of these teams will be an excellent measuring tool for East Lake, especially Plant and Sarasota who are also top 7a programs in Florida.