After years of building a program from scratch — and with FHSAA playoff eligibility on the horizon in June — Destin baseball struck gold when it hired Scott Hemond as its new head coach.
- Hemond, a former MLB veteran and one of the most decorated players in South Florida baseball history, inherited a program coming off a six-win season. He’s wasted no time turning things around.
The Sharks are 10-2, the best start in program history. Their only two losses have come against a strong Bozeman. Beyond that, Destin has been dominant, outscoring opponents by wide margins in several wins.
“We’ve got a really good coaching staff, and players are just making plays right now, and I couldn’t be happier,” Hemond said.
Much of the Sharks’ success starts at the plate. Palmer Robbins leads the way with two home runs, 11 RBIs and a .519 batting average. Brody Ray has collected 13 hits and a home run of his own, while Caleb Wright, Jaxx Emmert and McCarver Dahlman round out a deep and productive lineup.
- “We do a lot of situational hitting, and if somebody struggles, it’s the next guy up, and pretty much everybody on this team is doing well,” Hemond said.
Defensively, the Sharks have been just as sharp, anchored by Landon Ullrich. On the mound, Bryson Perkins leads a solid rotation that also includes Emmert, Wright and Graham Herndon.
“Our starting pitching has been outstanding. Every time they come out, they seem to be showing up,” Hemond said.
What has impressed Hemond most is his team’s mentality.
“These guys come to play, and they don’t back down from anything,” he said.
Still, the first-year coach sees room for growth in the finer details — communication, signs and baserunning among them.
If Destin can keep this up, the Sharks could be building something the community hasn’t seen before.
