Horizon Hawks Baseball Team Becomes Formidable Force in its Second Year

High school baseball in Central Florida is one of the most competitive you will find anywhere in the country. Building a program from scratch, in this kind of atmosphere, is no small feat. The Horizon Hawks baseball team currently sits at 7-12 as they compete in the Metro Conference tournament. The team has already surpassed their 2022 win total with still another handful of games left on the schedule. 

Coach Dane Wisneski seems pleased with the steady progress the team has shown. He recently said, “I am happy with the way we haven’t backed down from challenges so far this year. We continue to show up, work hard and get better each day. We have not really put it all together, but if we can start to do that consistently, we have a shot to finish strong.” And the Hawks have shown that kind of grit in recent games. 

Seniors in the Spotlight

On Monday April 10, my son and I attended the game against Lake Buena Vista. The team celebrated “Seniors Night,” celebrating their very first senior class at Horizon High School. The Hawks defeated LBV 14-5 powered by Seniors Tanner Kramer (Catcher) who went 2-3 with 3 RBIs and Jesse Hunt Jr. (Second Base) who was 2-2 with an RBI. Junior Brandon Cruz (Third Base) went 2-4 with a double and 3 RBIs and Sophomore Jose Massanet (Shortstop) went 2-4 with an RBI. Junior Luke Helms hit an RBI triple deep into centerfield.

Toughness and Talent

The Hawks followed up their Monday night victory with a competitive effort losing 11-7 in late innings at West Orange on Wednesday, April 12. This performance has largely been indicative of the way the team has played all season. “We have done much better this season, making the routine play and being competitive in the box. If we can continue to do this, we will give ourselves a chance to win in every game on the rest of our schedule.” 

The goal remains the same for Coach Wisneski and the Hawks — keep improving, win tough games and advance in the playoffs. As the Hawks continue to make progress as a program, the Coach brought attention to Juniors Nick Colimodio and Brandon Cruz. Coach Wisneski is impressed with Colimodio’s work in centerfield, commenting that he’s “done a good job bringing that unit together” and has “grown into his natural ability” as a hitter. Brandon Cruz is a recent transplant from New York who’s been “competing his tail off for the leadoff spot” and has been a major contributor to the team. 

Building the Future

The final home game of the regular season for the Hawks is Thursday, April 27 at 7pm. However, Horizon Hawks have become a year round organization with the support of Southwest Orange County Boosters Club.

The club already has three camps scheduled throughout June and July:  June 12-15, June 26-29 and July 17-20. All camps will run 9am-12:30pm and focus on developing skills for 7-12 year old future Hawks. Interested athletes can register here.

A Promising Future

In just year two, Horizon Hawks baseball has proven themselves as a formidable force in the Metro Conference and a program on the rise in the years ahead.

As a local resident and baseball fan, I look forward to enjoying their games with my family as well as witnessing their continued growth and progress in the years to come!

About the Author

Brian Koss is a community contributor for Horizon West Happenings. He is a teacher at Sunset Park Elementary (Lakeside Village) and lives with his wife and four children in the Seidel Area. Brian is also the Managing Editor and Podcast Co-Host at Legends On Deck, a Florida-based baseball website.