2021 SUN Preps All-Area Athletes & Teams
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Page 46 www.yoursun.com First Team Two-way — Abel Albarran (Lemon Bay sophomore) Not only was Albarran one of the area's best hitters and pitchers, he often came up huge whenever the team needed him most. Look no further than Lemon Bay's epic region quar- terfinal at Sebring, when he delivered the game-winning home run in extra innings to keep the season alive. Albarran's numbers were staggering — he flirted with .500 for most of the season before finishing at .468 with 10 doubles, a triple and a home run. He scored 26 runs and drove in 33. He had a 9-game and 5-game hitting streak and stole 19 bases. On the mound, he stepped up as the team's ace when Jason Lepage was lost to an injury. He tossed a pair of no-hitters a finished with a 1.13 ERA. In 53 innings pitched, he led the area with 75 strikeouts and allowed just 22 hits. OF — John Busha (Charlotte senior) A midseason slump depressed his batting average (.281) but there was no denying his presence in the Tarpons' lineup. His blend of speed and power made him an extra-base threat every time he stepped to the plate and he delivered on that potential with five doubles, three triples and three home runs. He also swiped 14 bases. In a 9-4 win against DeSoto, Busha doubled and homered while driving in five runs. A lights-out center fielder with a big arm, Busha committed just one error all season. CI — Logan Adams (DeSoto County senior) Adams could have made the all-area list as a pitcher, but his presence in the DeSoto County lineup was too vital to ignore. Adams batted .333 with a team- high 19 runs batted in. He swatted five doubles, a triple and three home runs and only twice went consecutive games without a hit, though he reached base in all but two games. C — Javi Albarran (Lemon Bay senior) The easy-going elder Albarran was a rock behind the plate this season, flashing a big arm against would-be basestealers. At the plate, he batted .333, driving in 24 runs, which was second only to his brother. Only once during the season did he have consec- utive hitless appearances, but even on nights when he didn't get a hit, he managed to deliver, including a three RBI night against DeSoto County while going 0 for 4. SP — Aiden Beechy (Venice senior) As the staff ace, Beechy never had it easy against Venice's grueling sched- ule. Still, he went 5-2 with a 1.27 earned run average. In 49-plus innings, Beechy struck out 49 while allowing 40 hits and just eight walks. In a memorable matchup against the nation's then-No. 1 Jesuit, Beechy tossed four innings, allowing just one unearned run while scattering four hits as Venice won, 3-2. OF — Ben Brown (North Port senior) Brown posted the area's longest hitting streak, which means it's no surprise he batted a team-leading .388 for the year with an area-best 14 doubles. During his 13-game streak, he hit .524 with 18 runs scored, 11 RBI and 11 doubles. He scored a run in 12 of the 13 games. North Port went 9-4 during his streak. CI — Landon Carter (Port Charlotte freshman) One of just two freshmen on this year's all-area team, Carter made a splash from opening day. On a team that struggled mightily at the plate, Carter batted .381 with 13 RBI, five dou- bles and a home run, all team-highs. His hits tended to come in bunches By PATRICK OBLEY SPORTS WRITER After a pandemic-curtailed 2020, area baseball teams got back to business as (mostly) usual in 2021. Venice did not get as far as it wanted to go. Lemon Bay went further than expect- ed. North Port started the season red-hot and DeSoto County finished that way. While Charlotte sought in-game adjust- ments, Port Charlotte took the big picture view and chalked up the season as one big learning experience. As with any season, some senior stal- warts had their final curtain calls while newcomers emerged to take their place. All in all, area baseball will be in good hands heading in 2022. Of the 17 first-team selections and 12 second-team honorees, 14 are seniors and nine are juniors. There are four sopho- mores and two freshmen in the mix, as well. All nine of Venice's representatives are seniors or juniors. Only one of Lemon Bay's five, Javi Albarran, is a senior. The three finalists for the Daily Sun's baseball player of the year brought a lot to the table. Lemon Bay's Abel Albarran was the area's most electric two-way player, finishing second among all hitters in batting average (.468) and first among all pitchers with 75 strikeouts. In any other year, Albarran would be a runaway choice as player of the year, but Venice brings Michael Robertson to the table. The senior center fielder is a consensus top-100 draft prospect after leading the area with a .477 batting average. Into this mix, John Busha's name was a must-add. While his statistics weren't as gaudy as Albarran or Robertson, few play- ers in the area carried his air of gravitas and leadership, all while being a cut-up in the dugout. And when Charlotte needed a big hit, he delivered, as his 11 extra-base hits attest. Those three stars pushed out some other area standouts who might have been finalists in another year — North Port's Ben Brown, Lemon Bay's Joel Vazquez and DeSoto County's Logan Adams come to mind, among others. It was another strong season and the future is in good hands. On to the first and second teams. Players are listed in alphabetical order following the three Player of the Year finalists. SUN PREPS ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM Player of the year OF — Michael Robertson (Venice senior) There are not enough superlatives, nor enough space here to cover every attribute Robertson brings to the field. Robertson batted .477 with eight doubles and two triples and stole 17 bases while being pitched around to the tune of a team-high 20 walks. He also led the team with 27 runs scored. Toward the back half of the season, Robertson ripped off a 10-game hitting streak in which he batted .778 (21 of 27) with six doubles and two triples. A rangy outfielder who will stick at center field in pro ball, it's no wonder Robertson is a consensus top-100 prospect on MLB draft boards, including No. 64 on Keith Law's list. ROBERTSON Gaudy numbers highlight strong team SUN FILE PHOTO Venice's Michael Robertson is projected by MLB analysts to be a top 100 pros- pect in this summer's MLB Draft. SEE BASEBALL, 46