Mariner High baseball coach Steve Larsen can sum up Friday night’s Region 3-4A championship game in one sentence.

“Every game at this point is against a fantastic team with few weaknesses,” he said.

That is especially true about Friday’s opponent, the Tampa Jesuit Tigers.

“We watched them play Lakewood Ranch (last Saturday),” said Larsen. “They hit the ball well from one to nine and fielded the ball smoothly. They are 27-3, which is better than ours, and play in a lot larger area (Tampa), but that doesn’t mean we can’t compete. We will lace ’em up and get after them.”

The Tigers had a 20-game winning streak going that was broken late in the season. They “slipped up” in their district championship game and lost to Tampa Jefferson 3-2.

The senior-laden squad breezed through their district schedule (16-0), though not a particularly strong district.

The Tritons (25-4), on the other hand, fought their way through one of the toughest districts in the state to emerge as district champions. They had to mount late-game comebacks to beat Palmetto Ridge and Barron Collier in the first two regional rounds and are riding a five-game winning streak.

The Tritons are seeking their first regional championship since 2005, a 26-4 season that ended in a 7-6 loss to Tampa Gaither in the state semifinals.

Home field advantage is on the side of the Tritons Friday night, but how much is it worth?

“It is an advantage because you are district champions,” said Larsen. “These kids play big games all over the state, so travel is not a bother for them, but there is more comfort playing at home.”

The Tritons likely will go up against the Tigers’ ace pitcher, Daniel Gibson (12-0, 1.59 ERA). The Tigers also have one of the top-rated sophomores in the country in shortstop/pitcher Lance McCullers, son of former Major League player Lance McCullers.

The Tritons are countering with Jason Carmichael on the mound – and everyone else.

“Every arm is available,” said Larsen. “There is no script. I’ve been doing this a long time. We will do everything we possibly can.”

The winner advances to the FHSAA Finals next weekend at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. The Class 4A state semifinal game is next Friday with the championship game Saturday.

The only other team from Southwest Florida still playing in the baseball regionals in Bishop Verot. The Vikings (20-9), who just got past Island Coast last week in the regional semifinals, journey upstate to face Tampa Catholic at 4 p.m. Friday in the Region 3-3A championship game.