Phillip Ervin steps off the field after batting practice on a Saturday afternoon in June, wiping the sweat from his forehead before he begins answering questions about how his second season in the Southern League has played out in Pensacola.
Concerns are on the rise over pitch counts in baseball but Navarre pitcher Tyler Rebber will tell you it’s the last thing on his mind when he is in a game.
Just behind Bennett C. Russell Stadium, the place where Navarre’s dreams of a perfect season came crashing down in a gut-wrenching 23-22 loss to Tate in the opening round of the playoffs last November, the Raiders work hard on a sun-splashed practice field.
On June 20, Coach Rob Simon started the onerous task of rebuilding the Raider soccer team, which lost half of its players because of graduation. The start of soccer camp began with fundamentals. The girls practiced passing and defense in hot weather.
Sunshine bakes the softball field at the University of West Florida on a Sunday morning in May, and in the words of Navarre High School softball standout Kallie Anderson, the heat is “the toughest part” of playing travel softball in the summer months.
Jackie Coyne built Navarre High School’s girls basketball team into a winning program a year ago, guiding the Raiders to a district championship and appearance in the regional tournament.
