Holmes County prepares for PSJ in Final Four
HOLMES COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Holmes County baseball team is preparing for the upcoming Final Four series against Port St. Joe.
Since the start of the season, Holmes County has been viewed as the team to beat, and expectations have only grown as the Blue Devils continue their playoff run.
A return to the diamond will be made by the Blue Devils as the 24-4 squad prepares to face Port St. Joe in the Class 1A State Semifinals.
Although the Tigersharks were defeated by the Blue Devils during the regular season, no assumptions are being made ahead of the rematch.
A postseason reset is being emphasized by head coach Jeromy Powell, who knows firsthand how quickly momentum can shift under the high-pressure lights of Fort Myers' Hammond Stadium.
'It's important that our guys don't focus on the regular season win,' Powell said. 'The postseason is its own beast, and under the lights of a professional stadium, anything can happen.'
To prepare for the match-up, Coach Powell plans on having his team do a stadium walk-through the day before the game—'a crucial mental step', said Powell, especially for high school players who have never experienced a professional ballpark environment.
'You walk into Hammond, and it can take your breath away,' Powell said. 'It's a huge stadium. The field feels bigger.'
With every pitch, Powell says attention must be paid to even the smallest details—especially how the stadium dimensions could affect his pitchers, such as starter, senior Bradley Garrett.
'I have played in big stadiums so I think it will be good to get a feel for the surface, first. The space does make a difference,' said Garrett. 'Getting there early, just stepping onto that field—it helps you relax and adjust. Playing in that kind of stadium can be overwhelming if you're not ready for it.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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