- March 16, 2026
FPC's Jordan Gonzalez rips a basehit in the sixth inning. Gonzalez had two hits in the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Nick Pandich pitched six shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out six. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas starter Wiley Conner allowed one earned run in four innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC left fielder Kyle Gordon makes the catch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Gianni Cerbone pitched one inning in relief allowing two earned runs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Montague Strickland runs to third base. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast junior Nick Pandich had pitched just 1.2 innings heading into his first start of the season against Matanzas on Thursday, March 12. With the Bulldogs’ baseball team playing four games in five days, it needed an emergency starter.
Pitching against his former team, Pandich gave FPC the start it needed with a six-inning complete game in the Bulldogs’ 10-0 home victory. The right-hander allowed just two hits and struck out six while not walking a batter.
“The conversation came up earlier today at school,” FPC pitching coach Alexis Herrera said. ‘What’s going to be the plan when Nick is done?’ The first thing I said was, ‘I hope he goes all seven.’”
With the Bulldogs (7-5) scoring three runs in the sixth to end the game on the 10-run rule, Pandich didn’t have to pitch seven innings. But the way he commanded the strike zone and throwing just 73 pitches, another inning probably wouldn’t have been a problem.
“For him to do that and exceed my expectations was pretty impressive,” Herrera said. “He was just filling up the strike zone. Whatever I called, he was comfortable throwing and putting it in the strike zone. He trusted his guys to make plays behind him.”
Matanzas starter Wiley Conner also pitched well, allowing just one earned run in four innings. But the Pirates (2-7) committed seven errors and gave up seven unearned runs.
“I don’t think it was our best night hitting-wise,” FPC head coach Kyle Marsh said. “But we got a couple of bunts down in good positions, made them field the baseball and just create a little bit of havoc on the base paths. I think it kind of kickstarted some of the runs that we scored.”
The Bulldogs collected nine hits with Nole Hemmerle and Jordan Gonzalez smacking two hits apiece. Carson Flis drove in two runs.
Pandich said his goal in the game was to throw strikes and allow his fielders to make plays. They did. The Bulldogs did not commit an error.
I wasn’t even looking at the batter. I was just focusing on the glove. I just wanted to hit my spots.
— NICK PANDICH
“I wasn’t even looking at the batter,” he said. “I was just focusing on the glove. I just wanted to hit my spots.”
Pandich said he was throwing well while warming up in the bullpen before the game, so he had confidence coming in.
“My offspeeds were really good today,” he said. “They were getting weak contact or swinging misses.
“It was definitely a big thing coming against my old team,” said Pandich, who transferred before the school year. “Coming in and doing what I had to do, I think it’s going to carry over for the rest of the season.”
The Bulldogs got another strong pitching performance on March 13 in a 2-1 home loss to Lake Minneola. Kameron Roberts pitched a complete game, allowing two unearned runs in seven innings. Lake Minneola scored both runs in the top of the seventh. Flis drove in the Bulldogs' only run on their only hit of the game gainst pitchers Dylan Montrowl and Chase Dougherty.
FPC has another busy week with four games in five days at the Sanford Spring Break Classic that began on Monday, March 16, against IMG Academy Silver. So, Pandich could be getting more work on the mound.
“We can't let our foot off the gas at any time soon,” Herrera said. “We want to win games. So, if we see him in a position that's going to help us do that, as coaches we got to make some hard decisions: ‘hey, we got to give that ball to Nick.’”
