Hernando’s Magical Season Ends At State Semifinal

The Hernando Leopards caught lightning in a bottle to make a run to the state Final Four this season.

The Hernando Leopards got hot at the right time in this year’s regional playoffs, barnstorming their way all the way back to the state Final Four. Although the story did not end in championship glory, it is still one of the better tales from this 2025 Florida high school baseball season.

Hernando was defeated 17-2 by the South Walton Seahawks in the Class 3A state semifinal, at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on Monday, May 19th.

“That was a very, very good team that we played today,” Hernando Manager Tim Sims said following the loss. “We knew with South Walton coming in after last year and kind of being the bridesmaid, they were coming in with a reason, and we were kind of Cinderella. We caught lightning in a bottle in the regions and played well, and today we just got beat by a better team. We’re glad to be here, and we tip our hat to South Walton.”

The Leopards championed the positive aspects of what the state regional playoffs now look like, and as the season wraps and discussions begin on the path ahead for that playoff format, there is no better example to consider. The Leopards lost in the district semifinal, and in year’s past that would have meant the end of the road right from the start. But Hernando earned an at-large bid under the new playoff ranking system, and they hit the road as a seven seed in Region 3A-2.

“We earned our way in as an at-large, with our schedule, and our thought was that if they are going to invite us to the party than they need to take two-out-of-three from us. We’ve got every opportunity to do it,” Sims said.

“The team-chemistry aspect of this team this year, every coach in the state would bottle the leadership we had on and off the field,” Manager Tim Sims said.

With this year’s playoffs adjusted to best-of-three series, the Leopards (20-16) responded by winning the pivotal third game in each round to advance to their third trip to the state tournament since the program last won it all back in 1967. They rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off North Marion in the quarterfinals, and then rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh to win game three against The Villages in the semifinals, before winning the regional championship with a 4-0 shutout over Umatilla in game three of the 3A-2 finals.

“It’s been a storybook season,” Sims said. “But we got hot at the right time. Our catcher, Kaine Ellis, his grandfather played for our only state champion at Hernando back in 1967, and we spoke to a couple of those guys and actually have an autographed shirt with us. We wanted to represent Brooksville, and to get here, and to do it the way we did it with the best two-out-of-three, was totally exciting for fans and players throughout the state. We did it in come-from-behind fashion twice, and even today when we were down and they were trying to run-rule us in the fourth, we were fighting to get back into it.”

That magical formula proved no match against the Seahawks (31-4), who returned to the Final Four as the top seed after falling in the state final a year ago. South Walton jumped out with five runs in the first and six more in the second to build an insurmountable lead.

Hernando avoided the shoutout with both its runs in the top of the fourth. Kaine Ellis connected for a single to left field, and Austin Knierum followed with a two-run home run to right field.

Michael Saltsman pitches in relief for the Leopards.

The team had followed the result of every game in the state tournament leading up to their action, and one thing that stood out was that several teams had been shut out in their losses. So the Leopards admitted afterwards that getting those runs was a small victory within the game, but one they are grateful to have happened.

“That was so important for us,” Sims said. “We wanted to win an inning, but that right there was important.”

It was only fitting it was those two players who scored. After injuries limited much of the senior class this year, many younger guys stepped up for Hernando. With eight juniors on the roster, the responsibility to step up and lead fell to many of them. Both Ellis and Knierum emerged as the nucleus of the group, who led by example and stabilized the lineup.

The Leopards managed only four hits, but did avoid the shutout against the Seawhawks.

“It means everything, just being able for them to look at us as the two guys who everybody looks towards,” Kaine Ellis said. “We built a trust with every guy on the team, just to know that whatever comes out of the situation, no matter who you have up there, you’ve got the guy behind you and in front of you being able to get the job done. No matter what, we rely on each other and we stay on each other to play as good as we can and be as good of teammates as we can.”

As the season continued on and some of the senior veterans got healthy and began to also contribute, the Leopards rounded into form. Having seen and tasted the grand stage at the state tournament, the roster returns quite a few guys who will have benefited from the experiences they enjoyed from this Cinderella season.

“We’re a junior-heavy team, so we’re young overall,” Austin Knierum. “So we’re building on coming here, and I think the experience will help us get a lot better for next year. We’ll be a lot calmer when we get here.”

Coach Sims agrees that it is not far-fetched that this team could earn its way right back again next season. Knowing the hard work and dedication, coupled with the integrity, character and leadership on the roster, Sims is confident his guys will do everything they can to prepare and represent Hernando with their best baseball yet.

“The team-chemistry aspect of this team this year, every coach in the state would bottle the leadership we had on and off the field,” Sims said. “We went through a very difficult season, with injuries and changing lineups, and the communication factor that I had with this particular group of players is at the top. That is the thing about players from our area, is we are going to fight until the end, and we learn from adversity. We are going to learn from today.”

The other thing still to be learned is exactly what the playoff format might be for next season. The changes to the three-game series has brought a lot of discussion on both sides of the argument, and there will come a time this offseason that changes may be made.

But in his 29 years coaching at Hernando, this was the first time Sims enjoyed a playoff run that ended at the state tournament. The stadiums were packed, especially for those crucial third games. With so many more games played, seniors got to play many more games they normally would not have at the end of their high school careers. With every roster tested for its depth, guys were thrust into big roles in key moments, and they delivered for their teams whereas in year’s past they might never have seen the field in a single-elimination playoff format. For those continuing on to play college or pro baseball, three-game series will become the norm, and there are plenty who hope it remains in Florida high school baseball

“It is kind of the pink elephant in the room,” Sims said, regarding the future of the best-of-three playoff series. “But it was a blast for us. The atmosphere was electric.”

The strongest opposition to this new format is associated with the travel costs, and others concerned about how it shortened the length of the season and limited how many games teams could fit in that time frame. Some programs were strapped to accommodate those extra expenses, and some rosters were limited in depth and unable to play more games in less time.

But look no further than the 2025 Hernando Leopards for every reason why the best-of-three series is a success and worthwhile. One can only hope that great minds can converge and compromise a best solution. The positive aspects create excitement and inspiration to young men who need every bit of it that the world can offer, and especially in sports.

Fundraising efforts should be developed now, with each team devising a plan to raise money for their team to potentially use for those extra travel expenses. This can only add further motivation to reach the playoffs, while the fundraising efforts also create excellent team-building opportunities. Should the season fall short of reaching the playoffs, teams could use the funds they raised for the team banquet instead, and could also start to build the pot for the following season. Now is the time for best-laid planning.

For where there is a will, there is a way. The 2025 Hernando Leopards have proven that much.

The Hernando Leopards at the 2025 state Final Four.

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