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:

OF/RHP AJ Shaver

Team: South Lake
Preseason Rank: 24
2019 Record: 18-9
FHSAA Class: 6A
Head Coach: Eric Leitner
Playoff Run: Lost in the first round


TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
AJ Shaver, OF/RHP, 2020 (Florida State)
Caleb Pundsack, LHP/OF, 2020 (USF)
Travis Stapleton, C, 2020 (UNF)
Carter Geier, INF, 2020 (Polk State)

X-FACTOR

AJ Shaver - The Florida State commit returns for his senior season after winning the All-Area Player of the Year award in 2019. He leads a strong group of seniors who are hungry for a deep playoff run. Another strong year offensively and on the mound for Shaver could mean big things for South Lake in 2020.

KEY PLAYERS LOST
Tyler Vermillion, RHP, 2019 (College of Charleston)
Austin Rushman, OF, 2019

OUTLOOK
The South Lake Eagles are coming off an 18-9 season and return a strong group of seniors with a ton of varsity experience. The Eagles only lose one key pitcher in Tyler Vermillion (College of Charleston) and one key contributor on offense in Austin Rushman. South Lake returns one of the top players in their area in Florida State commit AJ Shaver. Shaver is coming off a 2019 season where he batted .324 with 7 HRs and 24 RBI. Shaver was also a big contributor on the mound where he posted a 1.62 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. Also returning on the mound for South Lake is recent USF commit, LHP Caleb Pundsack. Pundsack posted a 3.44 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. He also added 2 HRs and 18 RBI on offense. Behind the plate is senior catcher Travis Stapleton (UNF). Stapleton is a talented backstop who does a great job controlling the run game and handling the pitching staff. He looks to have a bounce back season on offense. South Lake is in prime position to build off last year’s momentum and have a strong season in 2020. Make sure to follow @pbrflorida on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.

 

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