2026 Pirate Spring Break Classic Preview

Prospect Wire continues its High School spring campaign with the Pirate Spring Break Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida. This event will feature eight elite high school programs from across South Florida, each looking to build momentum as the season moves deeper into the spring. With a talented field and several college-committed players expected to take the field, the tournament should provide plenty of competitive matchups and standout performances. Here are just a couple of teams to keep an eye on throughout the week as they compete for the Pirate Spring Break Classic title.

Lemon Bay (Englewood, FL): Lemon Bay enters the Pirate Spring Break Classic with a 5-5 record to start the season. After making a regional playoff run last year, the Manta Rays returned just 3 starters, making this a very young team still finding its rhythm. Despite the inexperience, Lemon Bay has already picked up impressive wins over Charlotte and Port Charlotte, proving they can compete with some of the area’s top programs. A major contributor early has been 2027 LHP/OF Wilson Shaw, an uncommitted two-way standout who ranks Top 25 nationally and top 5 in Florida in strikeouts, tallying 45 Ks with just 3 walks in 20 innings. He’s also hitting 0.433 with five doubles and a triple. Other players to watch include 2026 3B Boston Allard (Ave Maria commit), 2029 LHP/OF Ryan White, a freshman making early noise at the plate, 2027 INF Kyle Lackey, who hit nearly 0.400 on varsity last year, and 2026 RHP Jacob May on the mound. With young talent gaining experience and a few big wins already under their belt, Lemon Bay is a team that could gain momentum and make some noise during the week.

Mariner High School (Cape Coral, FL): Heading into the Pirate Spring Break Classic the Tritons sit 7-6 on the season, with four of their six losses coming by two runs or fewer, showing how competitive they’ve been early on. The roster features three committed players in 2026 PJ Marino committed to Alabama A&M, 2026 Ryan Kotarski committed to Illinois Valley CC, and 2026 Xavier Muentes committed to Frank Phillips CC. Offensively, the team has produced 48 extra base hits including 7 home runs while also swiping 47 bases in 52 attempts. Xavier Muentes leads the offense hitting 0.588 with 2 HR and 19 RBI, followed by Romero Gist (0.486, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB), and Colin Raftery (0.400, 1 HR, 10 RBI). PJ Marino (0.364, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 SB) has also started to hear up after a slow start. Two freshman have made early impacts, including 2029 Diego Romero who has shown advanced defensive ability across the infield, and 2029 Antonio Marino who is hitting 0.375 with 10 RBI while leading the team with 9 stolen bases. On the mound, the staff is led by Nicholas Oliveros (2-0, 3.42 ERA) and Trent Taylor (2-0, 1.37 ERA), while Xavier Muentes, Romero Gist, and Ryan Kotarski (0.78 ERA) provide valuable depth. Oliveros and Gist both feature mid-to-upper 80s velocity. With a mix of experienced upperclassmen, emerging young talent, and strong pitching depth, this team will look to turn close games into wins and make a deep run at the Pirate Spring Break Classic.