Douglas Eagles Taking Off For The Clouds In 2014

Things are falling right on track for the Douglas Eagles. Now in their third season under esteemed Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald, the group is coming together in a strong and dangerous way. Douglas is eager to build on the success of a season ago, when they won a district title and advanced to the Class 8A regional semifinals.

The school and baseball program are both still relatively young in regards to its overall history, having opened only in 1990. Last year brought the Eagles their first district crown since 2009, as well as their deepest playoff run since 2007. This season marks a great chance for the Eagles to rewrite their history books with an unprecedented run in pursuit of their first state title.

When Fitz-Gerald took over the program following a very successful run as the head man at American Heritage, he envisioned that it would take a few years to get the team molded according to his design. He knew he was taking over a very talented ballclub, with players who were willing to work and who played tough for one another. Fitz-Gerald knew the future was bright for this squad, and now that future is beginning to arise.

“I’m really excited about this group,” said Fitz-Gerald. “I think finally these are our kids now. I haven’t inherited somebody else’s kids. The previous two teams these last two years did a great job for us, and I think they actually set the foundation for what we’re doing now. I think we’re deep on the mound and that we’re going to play very good defense. We’re still very young, but I’ve got three really good young sophomores and a handful of juniors and seniors who should all step up.”

The team graduated nine seniors this season, and it is a new group coming together to develop a new team identity in 2014. Coach Fitz-Gerald strives for them to be known for their toughness, and he works them hard on the field and puts them through an intensive offseason conditioning program. Even with all the talent the team returns this year, he is still trying to see who can do what.

Team leadership is something that still has got to come. Coach Fitz-Gerald refers to his senior guys as the ones to set the example, which includes Max Boling, Derek Jacobs, Josh Koebel and Danny Ruiz. It is important that guys buy into the system and believe in their coaches, and Coach Fitz-Gerald has also grown to learn that he can trust his players too.

“Being around guys like Devin Marrero, Eric Hosmer, Adrian Nieto and Juan-Carlos Silberan who all helped us build the program at Heritage, I’ve learned to put a lot more trust in the players as I’ve gotten older,” Fitz-Gerald admitted. “Maybe I’m a littler wiser then I used to be because I have players who can talk to me and who have ideas. Maybe I give them a say-so in practice one day. It makes them feel important and know its not just one way, and that they have a coach who lets them make the most of it. This is a great group of kids and they have fun out there. All I ask is they go out there and play hard.”

The seniors admit that they enjoy being the ones to set the example, and that they understand that they have more responsibility heaped on them then in years past. It is an eager bunch who have taken this role and helped to mold the team work ethic by remembering that the younger guys are always watching what they are doing.

Danny Ruiz refers to this as good pressure. After leaning on the guys ahead of him over his first two years with the squad, the senior centerfielder relishes the chance to pass on what he has learned to the younger guys behind them. With seniority also comes opportunity, and for Ruiz that means a chance to bat leadoff for his club.

“It’s incredible knowing I have a big role to fill,” said Ruiz. “Leadoff guys take a lot of pitches and set the tone for your offense. I play centerfield now too, so there is a lot more to do now on defense too. It’s a good feeling playing for a coach who does everything he can for us. I love Coach Fitz to death and I love playing for him. He puts pressure on you, and he is the type of coach that you don’t want to mess up in front of.”

Consistency has been a major focus for the Eagles, and Coach Fitz-Gerald takes pride in knowing he and his coaches are consistent in how they handle the team. Players are accountable for what they do in the classroom and outside the school; and that no matter how good a player is they all will face the same consequences when they make mistakes. It is this kind of discipline that brings respect in your leader, both in himself and in his coaching staff.

“I think you are only as good a coach as the coaches you have around you, and they serve as buffers between me and the players,” said Fitz-Gerald. “I’d say my intensity level is greater than most, but my intentions are greater than most. Sometimes the kids fear making a mistake, but fear is a great motivator. I hope they can learn to channel off of that and turn it into a positive, and know that all I want for them is to be successful. I’m going to push them as hard as I can to find out what makes them successful, and what makes them tick. Once we find that we feel the sky is the limit.”

Nothing is a given here at Douglas, and the team philosophy is that if a guy can play he will play, no matter what grade he is in. This fact was proven last year when the team elevated freshman Jesus Luzardo from a guy who made the team to their number one arm by season’s end. When guys show they have the ability, the team is willing to give them opportunities to play and be successful.

Luzardo responded to the challenge last year, posting a 7-3 record with a 1.95 ERA and 40 strikeouts. Although the team went into the year with virtually no varsity experience on its staff, they closed with a team ERA of 1.98. This group will again be counted on to shoulder the load in 2014, and it is a task they have proven they are capable of handling.

“Last year was a big deal for me, and a big accomplishment,” said Luzardo. “But I still work hard everyday to keep my spot. I’m just trying to mature as a player, and to learn to throw harder. We are a solid team this year and everyone is filling in their roles and coming up big. My teammates help me to keep me focused, and the seniors have always taken care of me to help me do my job. I just try to stay within myself and not get too big.”

Luzardo appreciates what a solid defense he has behind him, noting that all the big gloves on the team allow him the luxury to pitch to contact and let them just gobble up the outs. Ruiz will lead the outfield corps with Yorvis Torrealba, while Boling and Josh Koebel will split time playing first base, American Heritage transfer Jose Natura mans second base and sophomore Colton Welker takes care of shortstop. After working his way into the mix last season, junior Devin Conn will cover the hot spot at third base. The anchor of it all comes in junior backstop Dominic Dicaprio, who is growing into a top-line catcher and who provides a huge lift to the offense.

Dicaprio is a beast with a bat, and he made a huge splash on the scene last year in hitting .460, slugging .784, while leading the team’s power numbers with nine doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs. The slugger has already committed to LSU and he is proving everyday that he is ready to be the leader of the group who replaces longtime captain Derek Fritz.

The team provides plenty of capable bats to fill the lineup card, and opposing pitchers will again struggle to pitch around such a deep group of hitters.

It is the pitching staff that joins Luzardo on the hill to give the team their most reliable asset. This group can just flat out pitch. They are aggressive, productive and deep as a unit. Boling will be among the main pieces, as he looks to build on his 2013 success in which he was 3-1 with a 1.11 ERA in 25 innings over six appearances. Derek Jacobs was a perfect 6-0 last season, and left-hander Jake Mednik returns to the team after missing last season with a broken hand. Senior TJ Vazquez is also showing promise while fighting to earn innings.

Douglas adds several newcomers who could work their way into the mix much the same route that Luzardo did a season ago. One such guy is Tyler Norris, who is working his way back from an injury after he transferred to the school from Cardinal Gibbons. Norris was 5-0 with 23 strikeouts in 28 innings last year for the Chiefs. Ryan Marsh was their ace of the jv team a year ago, and Alec Duffy is rapidly elevating his game as well.

It’s a nice luxury for any team to be this deep on the mound.

“I’m a firm believer that pitching and defense wins championships,” said Fitz-Gerald. “Offense will win you games, but when you’ve got to win the big game your pitching and defense is going to carry you through.”

Those big games primarily are district contests, and the team proved up to the task in going 11-1 in a very difficult district a season ago. With realignment the team now has seen two of those teams move on, leaving the district title up for grabs against Coral Springs, Coral Glades, Deerfield Beach and Taravella. They are all teams that they respect, dangerous teams who have established nice competitive rivalries.

“I’ve known all the guys in the district for a long time, so there’s a good relationship there,” Fitz-Gerald admitted. “You know it’s going to be clean competitive baseball. A the end of the day we’re all friends, but when we take the field it’s war.”

Following the loss of four district games and the addition of two games to the schedule allowed by the BCAA, it gives the Eagles the chance to add powerful teams such as American Heritage, St. Thomas Aquinas, Flanagan and West Broward to their schedule this year. The team is not concerned with their regular season record, but only in getting better by facing the best teams out there. They will see good arms on a daily basis and it will teach them how to face such strong pitching, and they will learn how to handle adverse situations the likes of which occur in most any playoff scenario.

Even as the team strives to make a run this season, they have not overlooked the importance of building for the future and always leaving things better than they’ve been. This season Fitz-Gerald and his staff have taken the coaching duties of the jv squad, which helps the younger players learn their coaches and prepare for varsity play. They focus on the fundamentals and get early opportunities to show their skipper what they can offer their ballclub, either now or in the future.

“It’s no longer that we hope now, but rather an expectation that we will be successful,” said Fitz-Gerald. “That’s been the whole process from day one; you have to rise to the occasion every time you put the uniform on. Douglas is back and now you have to play and exceed those expectations, and play the way you’re capable of playing.”

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