VERO BEACH — The Vero Beach Fighting Indians will compete in the state semifinals in Fort Myers next weekend after securing back-to-back wins in the Class 7A, Region 3 finals. The Fighting Indians defeated the Park Vista Cobras 7-6 on Saturday to take a best-of three-series.
Head coach Bryan Rahal said for him it’s more about getting to experience the joy with the players.
“For the players, for me, for them to get that opportunity to see this excitement, experience this joy on the field and these kids in tears and emotional, that’s why you coach,” he said. “That’s why the losses hurt. That’s why the wins feel good. Not for any other reason – you like seeing the joy on their face for all that hard work coming to fruition.”
“It feels good to make it to the Final Four. The coach has been preaching to us all year,” said shortstop and outfielder Charles “Chuck” Singletary, who provided a spark offensively with a home run and a double. “It wasn’t just us. It was everybody…the whole Vero Beach staff and family.”
The competition intensified during Game 2, leaving fans watching from the edges of their seats. It all came down to the eighth inning. Vero Beach took the lead on a flare single from Jaxon Pomar that scored Singletary then added on with Hudson Schlitt pulling off a successful delayed steal of home for a 7-5 lead.
It called on Colt Miller for the save. The Cobras got one run back on a sacrifice fly but the right-hander beared down to force a game-sealing pop out to third base.
Pitcher J.T. McLaughlin described the opportunity to make it to the state semifinals as an “awesome feeling.” He totaled a season-high 2.1 innings pitched for the Fighting Indians allowing no runs while walking two and striking out two in his first appearance since March.
“I got to go there my sophomore year. Coming back as a senior it’s an absolute blast,” McLaughlin said. “It’s a great culture over here and a great family. I love the coaches and the team. It’s just amazing.”
Cody Morgan, a pitcher, said he wanted to give the regional finals everything he had. Morgan said he wanted to see the underclassmen get a chance to go to the state semifinals.
“We’re all feeling good right now,” Morgan said.
The last time the Fighting Indians’ baseball team reached the Final Four was in 2024.
The Vero Beach baseball staff organized a GoFundMe fundraising page to help fund the players’ trip to Fort Myers. Details on the field location and times for this year’s state semifinals have not yet been released.
Photos by Nick Samuel
