American Heritage-Delray boasts some of the top hitters in Palm Beach County, as well as some of its top pitchers.
They also have one player who can do both.
Senior infielder Carmine Lane had a dominant year on the mound while becoming one of South Florida’s most prolific power hitters, earning the title of Sun Sentinel Palm Beach County Class 6A-1A player of the year.
“It’s a good feeling, knowing that no matter what, we always have a chance to win,” Lane said, “and knowing that no matter what my outcome is, we still have a ton of guys behind me who can do the exact same thing.”
At the plate, Lane was a fearsome slugger. The senior hit .411 with an OPS of 1.390. He led Palm Beach County – and all of South Florida – with 11 home runs, and he knocked in 41 RBIs.
On the mound, Lane was nearly as good. The senior right-hander and four-year varsity starter went 8-0 with a save in 11 pitching appearances. He and first-team selection Nelson Berkwich teamed up for arguably Palm Beach County’s top 1-2 pitching punch.
Lane finished his senior year with a 1.35 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. His 87 punchouts were third-most in Palm Beach County, behind only Berkwich and Jupiter starter Jake Garland.
Lane attributed his success to his ability to stay consistent and not allow one bad at-bat or inning keep him down.
“I was just staying consistent,” he said, “and when I got a bad game or a bad at-bat, knowing what I did wrong so I can adjust and fix it.”
After winning a district title, Lane and the Stallions made it all the way to Fort Myers, where they beat Jacksonville Trinity Christian in the Class 4A state semis before falling to Clearwater Calvary Christian in the championship game.
Lane pitched the title game, throwing six innings and giving up only one unearned run while striking out seven batters. Calvary Christian won the game on a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh.
“[The season] was incredible, being able to do it with my teammates and set records with that group of guys,” Lane said. “It was just incredible.”
Lane plans to keep excelling as a two-way player in college. The senior is headed to Tampa to play at USF.
“The campus is just beautiful, the coaches are amazing, great facilities and it’s pretty close, but it’s not too close,” Lane said. “It’s like that perfect match.”
