St. Johns Country Day back in baseball state championship game

St. Johns Country Day made an early lead stand up and now heads back to the state baseball championship game to defend its title.

Brayden Harris earned his fourth win of the playoffs, and the Spartans did all their damage in the first inning for a 2-0 win over Brito Miami Private in the Class 1A state semifinals on Wednesday in Fort Myers. St. Johns (26-8) will face Fort Myers Canterbury (25-11) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. championship, looking to become the first local team to go back to back since Bolles in 2016-17.

The Spartans didn’t have their best day offensively, mustering just two hits and pushing across both runs in the bottom of the first.

Preston Cole drove in Hunter Rodgers with a double but that was about the extent of the Spartans’ offense. Rodgers had St. Johns only other hit. Harris was elite again on the mound, striking out eight, walking just two and scattering three hits across 5.2 innings before leaving due to the 105-pitch limit.