Prep baseball: Manatee takes the field in less than five hours

(Manatee second baseman Mitchell Shreves takes grounders Thursday during a workout in Fort Pierce)

PORT ST. LUCIE - It's and hot and a little overcast here at Port St. Lucie, where in less than five hours, Manatee meets Lakeland in a Class 5A state semifinal at Digital Domain Park.
Manatee arrived Thursday afternoon and took batting practice for about an hour at a complex in Fort Pierce, located about 10 minutes away from Port St. Lucie.
In earlier action today, Maitland Orangewood Christian defeated Tampa Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate 5-4 in a Class 2A state semifinal.
The winner faces either Pace or West Boca Raton Community at 7:05 p.m. Saturday for the state title. Those two teams 8 p.m. tonight in the other Class 5A state semifinal.
To recap Manatee's stirring run to state, head to Bradenton. com and check out my stories from earlier this week.
I did a feature on Manatee coach Dwayne Strong, a profile on the Canes' band of seniors, a look back at the Manatee's 1963 state championship team, a column on Manatee's arrival and practice in Fort Pierce and a capsule breaking down today's game.