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Cambridge foe is shorthanded

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2009

Updated: 05/20/2009 12:22 am

TAMPA - The Cambridge Christian baseball team is scheduled to play in a Class 1A state semifinal against Lake Worth Trinity Christian today at 5 p.m. in Port St. Lucie. Whether or not the Lancers will have an opponent in the opposite dugout at Tradition Field is in doubt.

Florida High School Athletics Association spokesperson Cristina Alvarez confirmed Tuesday that all but one player on Trinity Christian's varsity roster has been suspended for the rest of the season. The suspensions stem from a bench-clearing brawl during Game 2 of the Trinity Christian-Brito Miami Private best-of-three Class 1A regional final series last Friday. The brawl was sparked after a Brito player ran into Trinity Christian's catcher - the only Warriors player not suspended - during a play at home plate.

Alvarez said Trinity Christian's spot in the state playoff bracket won't be vacated and that the program can still field a team if able. However, Trinity Christian must pay $50 for each player it has to add to the roster. That means it would cost Trinity Christian a minimum of $400 to field a nine-man squad for today's game. If Trinity Christian is unable to field a team, the Warriors will have to forfeit, Alvarez said.

Cambridge Christian coach Rick Shears was aware of what took place during the Trinity Christian-Brito series and knew there was a chance Trinity Christian could be a bit shorthanded against the Lancers. Still, Shears was shocked when he heard the news of the suspensions handed down by the FHSAA.

"It must have been quite a fight, that's all I can say," Shears said. "That's some strange stuff there. I'm flabbergasted."

Trinity Christian coach Miguel Cuello told the Palm Beach Post that he has 10 players in the junior varsity program, but he didn't seem too keen on the idea of playing a state semifinal game with a roster of junior varsity players.

"I'm not going to do that," Cuello told the Post. "That's ridiculous. Why would I want to do that? Even if I had 10 guys, there's no reason we're going to do that. I don't know what we'll do."

Shears isn't certain, either, which is why he said the Lancers will go about business as usual.

"We're going to prepare as if we're going to be playing," Shears said. "That's all we can do."

Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 259-7616.

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