The Eustis Softball team is ranked #6 in the state of Florida. The team is currently 14-0 after a win against The Villages on Tuesday evening. Eustis is not just good, they are scary good. This team is a favorite to win States this year and let me tell you we are witnessing one of the best softball teams in Lake County since the 2021 Eustis softball team who finished 27-1 and won the Class 4A state championship.

The Eustis Panthers have been led offensively by Jensen Luke who is averaging .465. She has 19 RBIs and 20 hits along with 20 runs scored. Ciera Maple has been equally impressive. Maple is batting .480 and leads the team in runs scored with 24 this season. Maple is second on the team in RBIs.

(Jensen Luke #18 leads Eustis in RBIs with 20 this year. She has 22 hits, 20 runs scored and is averaging .468.)

Gabby Hiles, Taylor Goff, Adrianna Covino, Lillie Smith and Brooklyn Powhida have all been equally impressive. Powhida is 3rd on the team in steals as a freshman while Ciera Maple and Adrianna Covino lead the team in total steals. Pitching has been outstanding for Eustis as well.

(Taylor Goff #5 rounds 2nd base during a recent game against The Villages. Goff is batting .375 this season with 14 hits, 10 RBIs and 15 runs scored.)

Perhaps no pitcher has been more dominant this season in Class 4A than Skylar Cloud. She is ranked as the #1 Pitcher in Class 4A and ranked as the #8 pitcher in the state of Florida. She has a 1.23 ERA and has been credited with 11 wins with zero losses on the year. She’s pitched over 66 innings having thrown 75 strikeouts. She’s only given up 11 earned runs over the course of the year. That has helped Eustis trumendously.

(While Skylar Cloud has been terrific on the mound, Carson Roden has also been very impressive this season.)

Eustis also has another weapon on the mound with Carson Roden an exciting sophomore who has been off to a great start in 2024. She has pitched 18 innings and has thrown 19 strikeouts. She has a 2.33 ERA and she is a great secondary option to have for the Panthers behind Skylar Cloud. We are getting to see a glimps into the future as well as Roden is just a sophomore. She continues to develop well as a pitcher and we can’t wait to watch her contribute the next few years.

You have to give it up for head coach Brittany Beall. She has been building this Eustis High Softball program for years. She has had plenty of good teams over the years. This year’s team is no different as they have been dominating opponents all year long. The program has never been in better shape and we are proud of this group for what they have done this season.

(Lillie Smith takes a swing during an at-bat. Smith has 14 RBIs this season and 12 hits.)

When you look at Class 4A Eustis is #1 followed by Wakulla from Crawfordville. Lake region, Arnold and Baker County are the only teams close in terms of strength of schedule and rating. That means Eustis is at the top of Class 4A and they have a real legitimate shot at a State Championship this year. The team faced adversity against The Villages the other night, but at some point it was as a switch got flicked on in the 5th inning and the team came alive. That’s how dangerous Eustis is, when you light a fire within this team, they rise to the occasion.

(Florida A&M commit Ciera Maple leads the team in hits with 24 and runs 25 scored through just 14 games. She’s a fantastic player.)

While there is still a good chunk of the regular season to play, Eustis is an obvious front runner. The girls are playing some of the best softball we have seen all year and districts are just a few weeks away. There’s even a date against Montverde Academy on April 19th which should be an incredible contest to watch. That game will be at Montverde Academy.