Lee Trawick, Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
Expectations were high for the Suwannee Bulldogs baseball team, as they’ve had six college commits and signees. However, talent alone does not win baseball games. Navigating such high expectations can be challenging at times. Especially when the Bulldogs learned they would start the spring season without senior leader Tyson Greene due to an injury.
As the spring season got underway, the Bulldogs faced their most demanding schedule yet since Coach Justin Bruce had been at Suwannee High School. However, he had complete faith in his team and knew they needed to be pushed to accomplish their goal. Their goal was to finish in Fort Myers and Coach Bruce and his Bulldogs did just that. With a 24-5 overall record, Coach Bruce’s team climbed the Florida High School Athletic Association rankings all the way to the number one ranking in Class 4A by the end of the regular season and racked up titles of Class 4A District 2 Champions and Class 4A Regional Champions on their way to a Final Four appearance. Throughout the season, Coach Bruce created a family atmosphere with his players and parents to help nourish the high expectations. Coach Bruce made his players rely on one another when things got tough, knowing that they would need everyone on board to accomplish the season they wanted.
Therefore, the 2022 Riverbend News Baseball Coach of the Year is Suwannee High School Bulldogs Head Coach Justin Bruce.