The Timber Creek baseball team became the first Class 6A squad from Orange County to advance to the state final four since Boone finished as runners-up back in 2005.

Somehow that seems so long ago.

Jonathan Dydo (Photo by Mike Dydo)

Thanks to a stellar pitching performance from Jonathan Dydo and some patience at the plate, the Wolves advanced in the tournament with a 4-1 win at Jacksonville Mandarin on Friday in the FHSAA Region 1 final.

Held hitless through four innings, Timber Creek (24-7) lit the scoreboard first when in the top of the fifth Jason Anderson homered and Eugene Vazquez drove in a run on a single.

Dydo, who TCHS Coach Scott Grove credited for using both sides of the plate and pounding the strike zone, allowed a run in the bottom half of the inning but finished with nine strikeouts in just over six innings of work.

Timber Creek tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Spencer Angelis drove in a run and Anderson advanced on a passed ball. Tyler Marincov also scored a run.

“Hats off to Mandarin,” Grove told the Florida Times-Union afterwards. “But that was typical of our kids to keep it up. We knew we would face some tough pitching, and we just feel fortunate to leave their field with a win.”

The Wolves take on Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) at Digital Domain Park (formerly Tradition Field) in Port St. Lucie on Friday at 8 p.m. in the state semifinals. Alonso (Tampa) and American (Hialeah) meet up in the other semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Lake Brantley captured a 6A state title for Seminole County in 2008.

– When It Matters Most –

Following nine seasons of baseball, Timber Creek is finally finding ways to win when it matters most – in the postseason.

Scott Grove

And it may have a lot to do with the new approach of the lead guy in the dugout.

As the Wolves prepared for a third trip to regionals in the short history of the program, Grove took a step back, looked over Timber Creek’s body of work over the years and came away hoping to avoid any repeat of the past.

He figured there must be some explanation for the way the floor has fallen out from under his teams each postseason after completing such successful regular season runs. This, despite averaging more than 20 wins each year and finishing near the top of their district standings.

“I just thought ‘what could we do to make things different’,” said Grove.

Turns out the answer happened to be much closer than he imagined.

Grove began to temper his emotions as opposed to wearing any frustration on his sleeve whenever the game strayed from the picture-perfect production he’d envisioned going in. He proceeded to encourage his team to play through their miscues instead of reminding players of them each time through facial expressions.

Jason Anderson (Photo by Mike Dydo)

It paid off at Hagerty in the opening round, just one game after losing in the district finals. That’s when while trailing by a run, and maintaining a level of calmness, he gathered the troops and reminded them to keep competing until the very end. The Wolves responded with two runs in the sixth inning and solid play in the field to come away with the win.

“I think with me being so uptight and not wanting things to go wrong, that it’s affected them during games,” explains Grove. “They would see it in my face when things went wrong and that carried over into their attitudes.”

So he set out to change his own attitude.

Trailing by a run in the sixth inning? No problem. You’re No. 2 pitcher in a rematch with the big hitters that handed you a district championship game loss? No problem.

“We’ve been playing extremely relaxed,” said Grove.

No more worrying about mistakes on the spot because the Wolves already have their minds set on making the next play. No better way to play this game, one could argue. A game that could come down to a bad hop of the ball just as easily as it could a bad throw.

“I’m a perfectionist,” said Grove. “I want everything to go a certain way. But everybody makes mistakes.”

And in this year’s postseason everybody is getting a chance at redemption. For the errors, the strikeouts, the premature ending of season’s past. Including Grove, who is just as focused on reaching the pinnacle of this journey (after coming so close a decade ago) as his young team is.

“Baseball is a lot like life,” he said. “It’s about the way you respond to adversity when things don’t go your way.”

– It’s Been A Long Time –

To imply that Grove has somehow had it wrong all these years as a high school baseball coach would be like assuming every individual kid is wired in the same way. In fact, Grove has been consistent in both the win-loss column and in the impressive number of student-athletes he sends on to collegiate programs.

Tyler Marincov is safe at home on Friday in Jacksonville. (Photo by Mike Dydo)

This type of change is more about coming to grips with how best to manage the personnel you’ve got at your disposal, or rather on your roster.

Back in 2000, Grove led Colonial High School to a state runner-up finish behind fiery pep talks, which he said led to that group “rising to the occasion.”

That was certainly a slice of Grove’s personality which he carried over from his days of touring the minor leagues ranks as a pitcher for the Braves, Blue Jays and Brewers organizations.

And that might help shed light on what drives someone to become so demanding of others after spending their entire lives immersed in a game of skill, detail, chance, and the inevitable physical wear and tear that takes place over time. Grove has a shoulder that knows a ballplayer’s fate all too well.

But he sounds more like a parent today then he does a coach when talking about the kind of student-athletes he has on this year’s team at Timber Creek. He says they’ve truly bought into the system and that they’re all “really great kids with a lot of ability.”

They don’t appear to lack for effort, either.

“Nobody is sweating harder than us,” said Grove over the weekend. “Nobody is working harder than us.”

Proving that a coach can make all the personal changes they desire, but that there’s nothing as tried-and-true in sports as continuing to bust your tails in practice.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –