Venice High recognized senior players and their parents before the start of the game. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice High starting pitcher Mac Carey (#4). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier baserunner Casey Johnson (#3) tags back to second base as Venice second baseman Maddox Volk (#17) tries to catch him off the base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier starting pitcher Andrew Maroney (#14). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice baserunner RJ Shields (#21) tags back at first base as Barron Collier first baseman Alan Overmyer (#12) waits for the throw from the pitcher. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.A Barron Collier batter can’t believe Venice catcher Jake Embury (#14) caught his attempted bunt for an out. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice catcher Jake Embury (#14) shows the ball to to umpire after catching an attempted bunt by a Barron Collier batter. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier baserunner Alan Overmyer (#12) is caught off first base by Venice first baseman Beau Daniel (#11). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier center fielder John Minerva (#8) throws the ball after left fielder Jon Hernandez-Carr (#20) dropped the fly ball. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice catcher Jake Embury (#14) lays down a bunt. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice baserunner August Backman (#20) slides home under the throw to Barron Collier catcher Logan Waite (#6). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier right fielder Khayden Collier (#11) fields a ball hit between him and second baseman Levi Pash (#23). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice shortstop Graham Houston (#7) fields the ball and throws to first base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier second baseman Levi Pash (#23) forces Venice baserunner Kohen Poplin (#9) out at second base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice pitcher Aiden Cary (#1). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier baserunner Owen Owler (#9) scores after a wild pitch by Venice pitcher Aiden Cary (#1) gets away from the catcher. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice shortstop Graham Houston (#7) fields the ball and throws to first base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Barron Collier pitcher Tyler White (#15). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice pitcher August Backman (#20). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice pitcher Jake Hartter (#23). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.Venice pitcher Kane Judson (#8). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.1 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice High recognized senior players and their parents before the start of the game. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.1 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice High recognized senior players and their parents before the start of the game. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.2 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice High starting pitcher Mac Carey (#4). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.3 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier baserunner Casey Johnson (#3) tags back to second base as Venice second baseman Maddox Volk (#17) tries to catch him off the base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.4 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier starting pitcher Andrew Maroney (#14). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.5 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice baserunner RJ Shields (#21) tags back at first base as Barron Collier first baseman Alan Overmyer (#12) waits for the throw from the pitcher. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.6 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballA Barron Collier batter can’t believe Venice catcher Jake Embury (#14) caught his attempted bunt for an out. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.7 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice catcher Jake Embury (#14) shows the ball to to umpire after catching an attempted bunt by a Barron Collier batter. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.8 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier baserunner Alan Overmyer (#12) is caught off first base by Venice first baseman Beau Daniel (#11). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.9 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier center fielder John Minerva (#8) throws the ball after left fielder Jon Hernandez-Carr (#20) dropped the fly ball. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.10 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice catcher Jake Embury (#14) lays down a bunt. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.11 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice baserunner August Backman (#20) slides home under the throw to Barron Collier catcher Logan Waite (#6). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.12 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier right fielder Khayden Collier (#11) fields a ball hit between him and second baseman Levi Pash (#23). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.13 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice shortstop Graham Houston (#7) fields the ball and throws to first base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.14 / 21Manatee, Sarasota Roundup: Sarasota softball tops Parrish, VeniceBarron Collier second baseman Levi Pash (#23) forces Venice baserunner Kohen Poplin (#9) out at second base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.15 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice pitcher Aiden Cary (#1). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.16 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier baserunner Owen Owler (#9) scores after a wild pitch by Venice pitcher Aiden Cary (#1) gets away from the catcher. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.17 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice shortstop Graham Houston (#7) fields the ball and throws to first base. Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.18 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballBarron Collier pitcher Tyler White (#15). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.19 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice pitcher August Backman (#20). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.20 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice pitcher Jake Hartter (#23). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.21 / 21Venice High defeats Barron Collier High in boys baseballVenice pitcher Kane Judson (#8). Venice High hosted Barron Collier High in boys baseball Tuesday evening, March 31, 2026.VENICE — With their wives expecting children, Craig Faulkner and Jose Velez first met in a Lamaze class.

It was 2001, and in his second year as head baseball coach at Venice High, Faulkner was looking for a hitting instructor. He learned Velez has played professionally and later coached at Booker High.

Faulkner birthed the idea of Velez joining his Indian staff. Having fallen in love with the Sarasota/Venice area from his time as a player in the Texas Rangers organization, Velez came aboard.

Seven state titles later is definitive proof it’s been a marriage made in hardball heaven, a three-headed braintrust operating seamlessly. Velez handles the Indian hitters, pitching coach Tyler Shambora the team’s pitchers, while Faulkner oversees everything.

The green machine continues the quest for its eighth crown on Friday, April 24, 2026, when the top-seeded Indians host No. 8 Sumner in a Class 7A-Region 2 quarterfinal. From top to bottom, this Venice squad is one of Faulkner’s finest.

Led by undefeated left-hander Carter Cox, the Indian pitching staff is the deepest Faulkner’s ever had. At the plate, from one through nine, Venice hitters present myriad problems for opposing pitchers.

Last season, Venice batted .327 as a team. This year, said Velez, it’s north of .360 “with the same or stronger schedule.” It’s clear the 59-year-old, a native of Puerto Rico and a Spanish teacher at Venice, is proud of the lofty numbers his players have put up.

“It’s the way that my players are recognizing pitches,” Velez said. “That’s remarkable at such a young age. I don’t see my players chasing a lot, so I’d be surprised if this wasn’t the lowest we have ever struck out in a season. You have to control the barrel (of the bat). The barrel cannot control you.”

Venice hitters long ago bought into Velez’s teachings, and he has the resume to back up his words. After playing at baseball hotbed Chipola Junior College, he spent four years in the Ranger organization. In 1987, with the Class A Gastonia Rangers, Velez hit 14 home runs, three more than 18-year-old Sammy Sosa.

To Velez, success at the plate is predicated on having the correct approach. It’s critical a hitter possess the proper mechanics when he steps into the batter's box.

“Players must have a foundation,” Velez said. “Good mechanics get you into the right pitches. Bad mechanics will always lead you to chase pitches out of the strike zone, and you become very vulnerable. You always try to instill in players that you have to have a good foundation and everything starts from the bottom up.

“It’s really to build consistency and approach and the confidence for the players,” he said. “In high school, it’s not about having the perfect mechanics. It’s about growth. It doesn’t matter how good mechanics you have, if you don’t have the right timing, you can’t hit the ball. The objective of the hitter is to get the right timing. The objective of the pitcher is to mess up your timing.”

In a game where one hit every three at-bats is considered a success, much can go wrong for a hitter. From dragging the bat through the zone to dropping the back shoulder to overstriding to not striding enough, Velez’s strength is identifying these flaws and making the necessary corrections.

“He’s really good at looking at a hitter and saying, ‘OK, here is where you are struggling with your swing,’’’ Faulkner said. “A lot of people can say, yeah, you’re dragging your bat or you’re looping or whatever. But Jose has a really good way to get them to make the correction. Not only can he break it down and tell you what you’re not doing well, but he also can fix it if you buy in. That’s a great combination.”

A major difference from when he played, Velez said, is the amount of information today’s hitters have available that can prove burdensome.

“Players are bombarded,” he said. “When I grew up, there was no YouTube. I would just watch TV and try to copy maybe Dave Concepcion. But these days, I kind of feel sorry for the players because they can be all over the place. And it happens a lot. You can have 10 different guys with 10 different philosophies.”

As for pro baseball having fallen in love with exit velocity and launch angle, Velez said they have little place at the high school level.

“That launch angle is detrimental, in my opinion, for hitters at this young age,” he said. “The body is changing. So if you start to teach those launch angles, you’re going to get a guy that’s going to hit maybe .220 with a tremendous amount of strikeouts. I’m going to take what you bring, and I’m going to create some absolutes. I always talk about the absolutes of swings. I don’t care where you start with your hands, but there are some absolutes that you must have as a hitter to be consistent.”

Often, while the Indian players stretch before a game, Velez will take aside hitters who have been struggling for a private lesson. One such one-on-one proved beneficial for first baseman Beau Daniel.

“He’s a very strong kid who was overswinging big time,” Velez said. “He was lunging at the ball, but I made some adjustments with him, and he’s been great. Once again, if you lunge at a pitch, you have two things moving at the same time, and you’re going to be behind. I just shortened his stride so that he has more time to see the pitch.”