After a very underwhelming 8-12 start to the 2024 Spring season, principal Mike Rowan and Athletic Director Scott Vomacka decided to part ways with head baseball coach Michael Burgess. Burgess served a 2-and-a-half-year tenure with the Wildcats and amassed a 39-34 record with a district championship title in 2022.
Wharton seeks to uphold their reputation for Hillsborough County baseball as they hire Anthony Markle to run the show. Markle has always been around the game of baseball; he was born in Williamsport, P.A., which is more profoundly known as the host of the Little League World Series. Markle is no stranger to high level coaching. He spent this summer in P.A. coaching in the MLB draft league for the Williamsport Crosscutters where he took home the hardware. He was also an assistant coach at a prominent Calvary Christian program in Clearwater, F.L.
When asked about coaching tactics from the draft league that could be translated to Wharton, Markle said he plans on implementing “the day-to-day professionalism” of the Crosscutters into his high school kids. “Players show dedication to sleep, nutrition, and body development at that level.”
Wildcat Junior Jairius Morris said, “this is a great opportunity to be able to pick our coaches brain since he was around such high-level players all summer.”
Markle said he looks forward to “competing together, working together, going through the highs and lows while celebrating everyone’s successes.”
Wharton returning junior right-handed pitcher Daniel Duno (2.58 Earned Run Average) said “I expect coach Markle to be able to gel us as a team more than in years past. I believe that forming a team bond makes it a lot easier to go to war together and win games.”
With a spring season within sight, Wharton baseball seems to be eager for their year to start. For good reason, Wharton returns 7 starters and collects a key transfer outfielder, Antonio Fawcett, from Tampa Jesuit to help round out the team.
We encourage everyone to go check out the team as they start their fall warm up season on the 28th at St. Leo University, it should be an awesome season for the Cats!