Cooper City has been playing great baseball of late, as their 10 seniors work towards making one final state title run. As we head down the stretch of the 2025 season, join HSBN in honoring these 10 seniors, and wishing them good luck as they finish their high school careers! It has been great to cover all of you through your careers! #6, 3B, Adrian Graterol #7, LF, Marvin Fanith #8, OF, RHP, IF, Noah Dromerhauser #9, SS, 2B, Ryan Garcia #12, OF, LHP, 1B, Robert Scott #16, RHP, Kevin McCormick #19, C, 2B, Brian Bovington #21, RF, CF, Nicholas Tubito #23, 1B, RHP, Vito Faridani #24, RHP, Devin Heithaus

Manager Trevor Chang-Leung is leaving the Paladins program after 10 years as the manager, which makes this group of eight seniors, a special class for South Plant. Join us as we wish all these seniors, along with Coach Chang, good luck in their future endeavors. It has been a pleasure covering all of you through the years! #2, IF, Gio Mejia #4, C, 1B, CF, Mark Aschenbrenner #7, OF, Andrew Gollan #12, LHP, 1B, OF, Ben Coffey #15, RHP, 3B, Caleb Thomas #21, SS, 3B, Lucas Decordova #27, 1B, 3B, Ethan Gaskin #99, CF, LF, Noah Robaina

The Lightning have played much better baseball of late, and their senior class has some of the teams leading contributors during that run. Join HSBN in honoring the graduating Cypress Bay seniors. It has been a pleasure covering all of you through the years, and we wish you luck in your future endeavors! #1, OF, Lian Geronimo #3, Inf, Marshall Persteins #5, P, Carson Cook #6, Inf, P, Michael Ramos #8, OF, Diego Baron #10, P, Gabriel Gener #11, SS, 2B, Gabriel Parilli #12, Inf, Shane Lester #20, C, 1B, Spencer Kuipers #21, P, Max Cabrera #23, Inf, Cesar Avendano #24, OF, John Escobar

With a young team, 2025 shaped up to be a bridge season for an Eagles program that has won state titles three of the past four seasons. These seniors are doing their best to ensure the bridge season ends in a state title as well. Help us in honoring the 2025 North Broward Prep seniors. It has been a pleasure covering you all through your high school careers, and HSBN wishes you success in the future! #3, SS, P, 1B, Kiernan O’Neill #3, OF, P, Max Burkholz #8, SS, OF, Anthony Mestre #11, C, Aidan Moldof #18, P, 1B, John Rodriguez #22, P, Filippo Baldassarri #34, 1B, P, Josiah Haslem

As the Lions, the #4 team in our HSBN Broward Power Rankings, get set for their playoff run, we take a second to honor their outgoing seniors. Below you can find all their news and stats from their high school careers! It has been a pleasure covering you through your high school careers. Good luck to you from the HSBN team, as you prepare for your next steps in life! #8, SS, 2B, John Bishop #10, P, Preston Wright #11, 2B, C, Gage Agate #16, OF, P, Jon Gourrier #17, P, Manny Delaosa #23, P, Michael Gine #24, C, Jovi Kurtz

Box Score The Cypress Bay Lightning rolled into the Prospect Select Spring Break Tournament this week on a winning streak, and they kept that strong play going all the way through the bracket. Now the Lightning return home to Weston with a championship trophy and a winning streak that has stretched to eight straight games, with a 10-5 win over the Coral Reef Barracudas in Wednesday’s title game at the USSSA Space Coast Sports Complex in Viera. Cypress Bay (13-6) stormed out of the opening chute by scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, taking a lead it never surrendered. An inning later the Lightning added on the run that proved to be the difference, as Diego Baron’s RBI single drove in Santiago Sanchez to make it a 6-3 advantage. Baron ignited the offense by plating Spencer Kuipers with the first run of the contest, on an RBI single to center in the first. Kuipers and John Escobar connected for back-to-back singles with one out to put some ducks on the pond, and Escobar also came around to score thanks to an RBI double to left from Michael Ramos. David Granger and Lian Geronimo then kept it going with RBI singles that pushed it to a 5-0 lead. The Barracudas answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first, and another in the third that pulled them to a 6-4 deficit. But a four-run fifth inning helped cement the victory. Ramos led off with a base hit to left, and he advanced to third on an error. Granger then did his job with a fly ball to center for a sac-fly RBI. Geronimo and Marshall Persteins followed with consecutive singles, and Sanchez was next with a two-RBI double to left. Pinch-runner Shane Lester then came home after Escobar reached base on an error.

It is often said that you should never count out the heart of a champion. That certainly could be considered a motto of the 2025 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs, who started the season 1-8, after winning a state title in 2024. To take that route, however, would be lazy, and incorrect. See, anyone who has followed the Chiefs under HSBN South Florida Hall of Fame Manager Jason Hamilton, knows that this is how Gibbons typically rolls. Gibbons has been known through the years under Hamilton to be slow-starters, only to catch fire midseason, and peak going into the playoffs. Well, on Wednesday afternoon, the Chiefs again lent credence to that trend, as they defeated Somerset 4-3, winning for the sixth time in the last seven games.

“We played the toughest and scrappiest team that we have played all year today,” said Chiefs Manager Jason Hamilton. “Coach (Juan) Mora continues to do a great job with that bunch. Our guys didn’t fold under adversity today, and fought back to win a very well-played and pitched game by both teams.”

Gibbons scored first in this one, when catcher Eddie Marshall singled in Randy Petron in the third. The Panthers tied the game in the sixth when a Tristen Sierra sacrifice fly scored Jon Mora, who had reached on a double to lead off the inning. Gibbons then seemingly put the game away with two runs in the sixth, highlighted by a Bryce Faison home run. Somerset, however, as they have done all season long, continued to grind, and managed to tie the game in the top of the seventh. After two quick outs, Eric Vazquez doubled, and Jay Martinez singled, putting runners on first and third. Alan Sanchez followed with a single, driving in Vazquez, and Mora hit his second double of the game, tying the score at three. Gibbons reliever Jack Campbell was able to escape the jam, and send the game to the bottom of the seventh tied. After a couple of walks, one of which was intentional to Marshall, Faison struck again, delivering a game-winning single to right-field. The late-game heroics overshadowed what was a dominant performance by Chiefs starting pitcher Mike Ragusa. The Gibbons ace went six innings, allowing only four hits, and one run, while striking out five. The win moves Gibbons to 7-9 on the year, but more importantly, continues their mid-season surge.

“We started off slowly, partly because we were without Eddie Marshall for five or six games…and we played some great teams and saw some great arms,” said Hamilton. “We are pitching better, and playing more complete games now.”

The schedule for the defending champions has been a gauntlet so far, having opened the season in the HSBN Elite First Pitch Invitational, facing two highly ranked Palm Beach teams in the tournament. They also have played HSBN ranked teams True North, Taravella, West Broward, St. Thomas, St. Andrews, and Douglas. The schedule does not get much easier, with Palm Beach #1 Cardinal Newman, and Broward #5 St. Thomas on deck. The competition can only help the Chiefs in their quest to repeat, and Hamilton is following a familiar gameplan. “We are starting to feel better about ourselves and competing and playing like we know we can. As always with us, it’s not how you start…” He did not have to finish the quote, as Chiefs fans and the rest of the county knows how that quote ends when facing Gibbons down the stretch.

Box Score Running out of outs late into the action, the Archbishop McCarthy offense heated up and changed the Mavericks’ fortunes. With six runs in the late innings, McCarthy rallied back for a 9-5 win over the Pine Crest Panthers on Wednesday night, in the Westminster Academy Invitational at Westminster Academy Sports Complex. Senior right fielder Juan Cerra lit the spark with a game-tying, two run home in the bottom of the fifth inning. After senior German Ferreira led off with a walk, Cerra drove a 2-1 offering over the right field fence for his fourth home run of the season.

“At the plate, our seniors are really getting the job done and leading by example,” McCarthy Manager Mike Fiers said. “Juan Cerra is off to an amazing start with the bat.”

Junior Chris Cassino drove in the winning run with a sac-fly RBI that plated Miguel Delgado in the fifth. Cerra added a sac-fly RBI that plated Alejandro Cabral, while Ernie Aguado and Danny Machado scored unearned runs that further extended the lead in the sixth. Reliever Derek Winchester earned the win, while recording seven outs in two-and-a-third scoreless frames. Winchester allowed just one hit and had two strikeouts. The Mavericks (4-6) have now won two straight, both wins coming over top competition in the Nova Titans (7-3) and Pine Crest (6-2-1). “Our record is pretty deceiving,” Fiers said. “Of our losses, they were by a run to American Heritage-Plantation, North Broward Prep and Chaminade, and we lost to Somerset by two runs.” After scoring in each of the first three innings, the Mavericks found themselves in another close dogfight when the Panthers rallied with four runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Pine Crest put the first three batters on base to start the fourth, as Micah Billig and Jake Milton both walked and Stephen Gladding followed with a single to center. Billig came in on a wild pitch, and Max McCawley tied the game at three runs apiece with an RBI bunt single. Gladding then gave Pine Crest the lead on an RBI ground out from Paul Baker, and McCawley scored on an error on a ball put in play by Troy Ceritelli.

It was a great first month of baseball here in Broward, and its time for our first ever, HSBN Broward Hitter, Pitcher, and Coach of the Month awards!!! There will be a winner each month in each category, from a private school program, and a public school program. Let’s see who the winners for February are! February 2025 Hitter of the Month: Public Schools: Easton Viveros, Junior, Deerfield Beach Bucks
– 10 for 22 In February
– 3 HRs & 3 2Bs
– 10 RBIs
– 5 Walks & Only 2 Strikeouts in the month Private Schools: Griffin Pomper, Senior, University Sharks
– 586 Avg.
– Picked Up his 100th career hit in February
– 11 RBIs
– 6 2Bs February 2025 Pitcher of the Month: Public Schools: Gio Rojas, Junior, Douglas
– ERA Just over 1
– 27 Ks, 2 BBs in 13 innings
– 3-0 Record
– Defeated two ranked teams in February Private Schools: Spencer Krasner
– 2-0 Record in February
– 1 Earned Run in 16 Innings
– 36 Ks
– Allowed only 2 Hits in three starts February 2025 Coach of the Month: Public Schools: Brian Luebkert, Nova Titans
– Won first six games and finished 6-1 in February
– Turned team around from 11-16 record in 2024
– Has been with Nova for 26 years
– Titans seeking first regional title since 2017 Private Schools: Dan Rovetto, University Sharks
– Won first seven games and finished 7-1 in February
– Has gone 31-6 in last 37 games
– Sharks outscored opponents 75-22 in eight games
– Looking for first district and regional title in school history

Box Score A battle between two of the top Broward baseball programs of the last decade took place on Tuesday night, with three time, and defending state champion North Broward Prep, facing seven time state champion Archbishop McCarthy, and for anyone expecting a heavyweight battle, the two teams did not disappoint. The Eagles went up early, then fell behind late, before two dramatic home runs, one off the bat of Julian Rodriguez to tie the game in the seventh, and send it to extras, and the knockout blow, a three-run walk-off by Josiah Haslem, to give NBP the 7-6 win.

“Just super happy for Julian with the home run to get the game to extra innings, and then Josiah with the walk-off,” said Eagles Manager Brian Campbell. “I was really happy with the way the guys grinded tonight. It was a great team win.”

The teams came into the game on what appeared to be different directions. The Eagles were coming off a trip to Alabama, where they won three of four games, while the Mavericks had lost four of their last five. Early on, it looked as though it would be another game where NBP cruised, as they jumped to a 4-0 lead through the first four innings. But McCarthy, despite their 2-6 record, have had several games that could have gone either way, and in the fifth inning, their offense took advantage of some timely hitting, and NBP errors, to explode for seven runs, taking a 7-4 lead. “We made some costly errors and McCarthy took advantage of them like good teams do,” said Campbell. “My hats off to them, because they put pressure on us early, and especially there in that fifth inning.” The fifth inning wasn’t the only inning where the Mavericks made some noise. After the Eagles clawed back to tie the game with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, McCarthy scored two runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by a Danny Machado home run, and a fielder’s choice RBI. That left the Eagles with just three outs, down two runs. In their half of the eighth, Kiernan O’Neill led off with a single, and Max Burkholz walked. That set the stage for Haslem to launch a first pitch bomb to left, clearing the bases, sending the home team crowd and Eagles dugout into a frenzy with the 7-6 win. For Campbell, it was a learning experience win for his young Eagles team. Campbell has a strong history of having his teams develop throughout the season, and be better as they head towards the playoffs. And despite being the defending state champions, he understands that they will need to continue to improve in order to make another state run.

“We are a young team that is learning how to win on the fly,” said Campbell. “I am happy with the way we are competing, but we have to get better and eliminate the defensive mistakes to accomplish our goals for this season.”

North Broward Prep has played one of the toughest schedules in the state so far in 2025, and it does not get any easier moving forward. The Eagles face HSBN Broward #7 Chaminade-Madonna Thursday, and close the week with a match-up against Broward #3 American Heritage-Plantation. They then travel to play Palm Beach #5 Jupiter early next week. McCarthy also has a tough stretch coming up, with three straight games versus #6 Nova, #9 Pine Crest, and #8 St. Thomas over the next week.

In 2023, the BCAA (Broward County Athletic Association) began an in-season tournament for its member schools. The tournament is divided into three tiers, with Douglas, the current four-time defending state champions, being in the top tier tournament each year. While the tournament was developed to create some competition among BCAA member schools, the Eagles have used the event to showcase just how far ahead of their peers that they are. On Friday night, Douglas won their third straight Tier One championship, defeating West Broward 3-0. Winning the tournament has become a prerequisite for the Eagles, on their way to state titles.

“Winning the BCAA tournament all three years they have held it is important, since it gives us a really good gauge on where we are as a team,” said Eagles Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald.

While that may be true, there has not been a lot of competition for Douglas during their nine games in the tourney over those three years. The combined score in the nine wins, is 64-4. The three championship games have had a combined score of 26-1, with two of those title games being shutouts. Responsible for the latest title game shutout were starter Chase Wildroudt, who went 5.2 innings, allowing only five hits, while striking out five and walking none. Andrew Sarro threw the final 1.1 innings, with three strikeouts, allowing only one hit. The offense was not as productive as it had been in the prior two championship games, but there were some big hits for the Eagles on Friday. A second inning fielder’s choice from Jake Rizzo gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead after two innings. In the fourth, Rizzo picked up his second RBI of the game with a single to right-field. Later in the inning, a Bennett Gary fielder’s choice plated the Eagles third run of the game. West Broward has been on the wrong side of tourney wins in all three of the Tier One tourneys. The last two years, the Bobcats have lost in the title game to Douglas, and in 2023, it was in semis. The combined score of those three games were 25-0. To say that West Broward has been the only team that has felt the Eagles wrath in this event through the first three years, however, would be inaccurate, as Douglas has used their tournament teams as sparring partners. For this years team, however, games in events like this carry significant meaning. While most of the Eagles state title runs the past four years have been fueled with veteran and seasoned players, the 2025 squad has many players who have not played in high pressure situations.

“We have plenty of guys who haven’t experienced playing in bigger games yet,” said Fitz-Gerald. “So the more we can piut them in these situations early in the year, the better off our team will be down the road.”

While the current version of the dynasty may ne inexperienced, they do not lack in talent or results on the field. Douglas has started the season 7-1, and is expected to be the #1 team in the HSBN Broward Power Rankings when they are released on Monday morning. The Eagles will get Palmer Trinity and Boca at home early next week, before the Bobcats will get their shot at revenge, hosting Douglas on Friday.

Box Score The Pembroke Pines Charter Jaguars have some new hardware to add to their trophy collection. Thanks to a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Jaguars completed the week-long gauntlet through the BCAA Tournament as the Tier Two Champions with a 3-2 victory over the Nova Titans. Back-to-back RBI singles from sophomores Christian Morales and Trey Glaser gave Pines Charter the comeback, and Dean Jaworski pitched a scoreless seventh to close things out.

“This was a great team win. We came from behind twice to win the game,” Jaguars Manager Carlos Iglesias said. “Clutch hitting won the game for us. With bases loaded and two outs Christian Morales tied the game with a base hit, and Trey Glaser followed with a base hit to take the lead.”

Samuel Morillo got the rally started by leading off the sixth with an infield single, before being replaced by courtesy-runner Gianfranco Mejia. When Eric Molina then drew a walk it pushed Mejia into scoring position, and Dallas Searcy followed with an infield single that loaded the bases. Morales then jumped on a 1-1 offering that plated the tying run, and Glaser was next to deliver the winner. Jaworski allowed a walk to Musa Adeoye with two outs in the seventh, but he then got the next batter to fly out to left field to end the contest. Jaworski was the second reliever behind starter Sebastian Gonzalez, who allowed one run in five strong innings and had nine strikeouts.

“Sebastian Gonzalez pitched a great game,” Iglesias said. “Sebastian has been pitching at the varsity level since his freshman year. His maturity and his presence on the mound is outstanding.”

Dallas Searcy went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead all hitters. Jose Palencia was 2-for-4 with a double and a run to lead the Titans (6-1). Jordan Gonzalez had an RBI single and also scored, while Ayden Paredes delivered a quality start with a complete-game outing that kept his team in the game to the very last out.

Deerfield Beach is off to one of its strongest starts under Manager Drew Phillips, who is in his fifth year with the Bucks. Phillips is widely respected for what he has accomplished at Deerfield, and on Thursday night, his Bucks added another milestone in their return towards the upper echelon of teams in Broward County. Deerfield, down 2-1 late to Cooper City in the championship game of the BCAA Tier 3 mid-season tournament, scored five runs in the sixth, and then held on for a 6-4 win and a tourney title.

“We have a young team, and we are learning how to win games,” said Phillips. “Winning this tournament continues the great start we have had to our season.”

The story of the night for Deerfield was on the mound, where Joseph Hendren threw six innings of four-hit ball, allowing only two runs, while striking out 11. “Joe was dominant tonight on the mound for us, and gave us a great chance to win this game,” said Phillips. “He held them down until our offense was able to get going and get the runs we needed to win the game.” The sixth inning rally began with a Javier Sierra walk. Leonard Noguera followed that up with a base hit. Adamo Vellucci then doubled, tying the game at two. Hendren singled, giving the Bucks the lead, and a wild pitch made the score 4-2. Easton Viveros put the punctuation mark on the inning, with a two-RBI double. Cooper City fought back in the top of the seventh. Vito Faridani led off the inning with a single, and Robert Scott cut the lead to 6-4 with a two-run home run. Viveros, who had relieved Hendren in the seventh, then settled in, and worked around a single, striking out two of the last three Cowboys hitters, and sending the Bucks to the tourney title. Deerfield now sits at 5-2 on the season, and has the best record in 6A-14 at 5-2. They have won three straight, and Phillips hopes that the early season success leads to bigger things.

“These are the type games and tournaments that you hope a young team can build on,” said Phillips. “I am happy with the way the team has performed so far this year, and I am looking forward to seeing the guys continue to grow as the season moves on.”

The next week will be a difficult one for Deerfield, and will test how far they have come. They face a 4-2 Somerset team on Monday, before a home match up with Monarch, and a road battle with Western. Cooper City, who reached the championship game of the tournament by defeating South Plantation and Pompano, will attempt to rebound from the title game loss with a three game upcoming week. They face Pines Charter, who is in the BCAA Tier 2 title game tonight versus Nova. The Cowboys will then face both Hialeah Educational, and Coral Springs, at home later in the week.

2017. That was the last year that the storied Nova Titans program advanced to the state final four as regional championships. The Titans have won two district titles since that time, but have not threatened to be state contenders. That narrative may be changing this season. Nova has jumped out to an undefeated record through the season’s first two weeks, and on Wednesday afternoon, they picked up their biggest win of the year, a 4-2 victory over Chaminade-Madonna in the BCAA Tier 2 tournament semifinals. The Titans did it on Wednesday with a strong pitching performance from Cody Boisvert, who threw a complete game, allowing only two runs, while striking out three. Meanwhile, the offense did just enough, led by a two-RBI single off the bat of left-fielder Cody Kunca.

“Cody (Boisvert) did a great job pitching to contact and not walking anyone today,” said Nova Manager Brian Luebkert. “And Cody (Kunca came through with a big two-RBI hit for us. We have a senior team that is learning how to win. They are believing in themselves, which is allowing them to have fun and win.”

That has not always been the case for the Titans since Luebkert took over the program. For a coach who has been with the Titans for over two decades, it took a couple years to re-establish a standard after taking over for longtime legendary coach Pat McQuaid. In the past few years, Luebkert has stayed the course on what he knows will make Nova successful long term, and battled through a few rough years with a young squad. But in 2025, the team is now a veteran bunch that has been together for several years, a key factor in their early season success, according to Luebkert. “We have struggled the past couple years with a lack of belief,” said the Titans manager. “But this group has been together for four years, and they are starting to believe in each other, and the hard work is paying off.” Nova is in the process of re-establishing itself as one of the top programs in Broward, and they are expected to be ranked highly in the first upcoming HSBN Broward Power Rankings of the season on Monday. But before they reach that point, they will have one more game to play in the BCAA tournament, one that will show whether this current version of the Titans has championship pedigree. They will face off against Pembroke Pines Charter, another team that has played well of late, winning their first two games in the tourney this week by a combined 16-1 score. Despite the outcome in that game Friday, Luebkert is excited for the possibilities that lie ahead with the 2025 Titans.

“I preached for four years to these kids that it is not what we do with our success, it’s how we handle our failures. I am proud of the start these guys have put together this season, and hopefully we can continue to build on the strong start.”

Nova and Pines Charter will play for the Tier 2 title on Friday at Nova.

Highlands Christian had a lot of expectations heading into the 2025 season, among which were to win their first district title since 2017. Early on, the season hasn’t yet gone as planned, but that may have all changed on Tuesday night. The Knights used a 14-hit attack, jumping on the Sharks with 10 runs in the first two innings, then cruising to a 19-3 win. The victory broke a three game losing streak for Highlands.

“Our team’s pitching was top notch tonight,” said Knights Manager Rodney Husey. “Our bats came alive, and our base-running was strong. We are really growing and learning as a team.”

On the mound to start the game for Highlands was Owen Bartoszweski. He threw the first 2.2 innings for the Knights, allowing no earned runs, while striking out four. He did not walk a batter. While Bartoszweski was putting up zeroes through the first two frames, the offense came out of the gates strong. In the first, Highlands scored three runs, two coming on am Aaron Lewis single, and the third coming around to score on a base hit off the bat of Phillip Cavalcante. The bats went right back to work in the second, when the Knights sent 12 batter to the plate, and scored seven times. Back-to-back two-RBI doubles from Caleb Wahlers and Steven Perals were the big hits in the inning. Louis then hit an RBI double of his own, and a Wahlers single closed out the scoring in the seven run inning. Sheridan Hills finally broke through on the scoreboard in the third, plating three runs. Several Knights errors led to the three runs, and that is something Highlands has been working hard to overcome. “We are still working on reducing errors and increasing baseball acuity,” said Husey. While the defense struiggled, the offense continued to poor it on with three runs in the third, and six more in the fourth to close out the game. Five of the nine Knights in the starting lineup had multiple hits, paced by Louis, who finished the night 3-for-3, with four runs and three RBIs. Cavalcante also drove in three runs. Jacob Tullier had two hits, and scored four run, and Wahlers ended the day with two hits, two runs, and two RBIs.

“All in all, it was a good night and win, we are very proud of our boys tonight,” said Husey.

After starting the season with a win, and then dropping three straight, the Knights are back in the win column and sit at 2-3 on the young season. As they head towards a break in their schedule, they will return to face Miami Country Day on March 7th, before a three game week versus Lake Worth Christian, Jupiter Christian, and Posnack.

In a world where travel baseball has become the focus for many high school baseball players, Friday night served as a reminder of why the high school game is unparalleled when it comes to the history and tradition of these young student athletes. University School Manager Dan Rovetto and longtime Athletic Director Paul Herfurth have been at the forefront of class and respect for the high school game for decades, and on Friday night, the pair showed once again why they stand above the crowd in honoring the high school game. While the Sharks stayed undefeated, by defeating the Lightning 13-3, the night was about much more than the final score. Rovetto’s University School Sharks hosted Dr. Krop Friday, and before the game, Rovetto honored the longtime service of Lightning Manager Paul Barrios, with an on-field presentation. Barrios is fresh off being inducted in the HSBN South Florida Hall of Fame this past Fall, and Friday represented another opportunity to recognize what he has done for the high school game.

“It has always truly been an honor to share the field with Paul Barrios,” said Rovetto. “He has been a great mentor and role model to so many young men throughout the years. He is always passionate about high school baseball, and coaches from the first pitch to the last out regardless of the outcome.”

On this night, Barrios would need much of that positivity, as the Sharks took it to the Lightning early, putting up four runs in each of the first two innings, to build an 8-2 lead. They would add a run in the third, and two each in the fourth and fifth, cruising to the victory. The win was the sixth straight to start the year for University School, after going 24-5 last season, with a regional semifinal appearance. “Our program is a little banged up at the moment, we have only had 10 position players available this whole week. But the guys did a good job of taking care of business through the injuries,” said Rovetto. One of those players getting the job done was Landon Combs. The sophomore went 3-for-4 at the plate, with three runs., He also picked up the in, with three innings of two-run baseball. Griffin Pomper, Mark Manuel, Devin Mila, and Joe Georgiou all added two hits for the Sharks. While the night on the field was dominated by University School, the focus off the field was on Barrios.

“To be recognized by USchool, Coach Dan Rovetto, and his staff, is a profound honor,” said Barrios. “It signified for me that the impact we make throughout the years on our student-athletes extends beyond the white lines.”

While Barrios and his Krop squad will try to turn their early season struggles around with a game against Hialaeah Gardens, the Sharks will head down south into one of the toughest atmospheres to play in the country, Key West. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to go down to the Keys for a three night trip,” said Rovetto. “Key West is never an easy place to play, or win. We will find out what we are made of. This next week is imperative for our program growth and toughness.”

The Somerset Panthers took their lumps last year in the first season under new Manager Juan Mora. The Panthers went 12-14, and used the season as a reset under their new coach. In 2025, the expectations are much higher, and so far, through two weeks, those expectations have been met. In their most thrilling game of the season, the Panthers had an early lead, then fell behind, behind winning in dramatic fashion, 8-6, over Archbishop McCarthy. The win moves Somerset to 4-1.

“Our team believes in what we are doing,” said Mora. “And this was a big win for us, but we are still taking it day by day, game by game, just trying to get better with each game.”

The Panthers jumped on McCarthy early, scoring two runs each in the first and second innings. Meyer Cabrera and Christian Cordero hit back-to-back sacrifice flies in the first. The damage in the second came from an RBI double off the bat of Eric Vazquez, and a base hit from Jon Mora. In their half of the third, the Mavericks made things interesting, cutting the lead to 4-3. Somerset upped the lead to 5-3 with a run in the fourth, and McCarthy answered with one of their own in the fifth. With the score 5-4, McCarthy’s Robbie Kerns came through with a one-out, two-run homer to right, giving McCarthy their first lead of the game. In the seventh, it looked like Nick Llinas, who had cruised through his three innings of work, would close out the Panthers, getting the first two batters to ground out. Down to their last out, Mora extended the game with a single. An Alan Sanchez walk set the stage for Cabrera to deliver the most dramatic moment of the season for the Panthers, a three-run blast to center-field, putting Somerset back in front 8-6. “Meyer has been our offensive leader early on in the season, and he came through again tonight,” said Mora. “That was a big spot, and for him to hit that home run was huge for us.” The Mavericks threatened again in their half of the seventh, putting the tying runs on base with two out, but senior reliever Luis Rivera was able to close out the win for the Panthers.

“We never gave up,” said Mora. “Kareem (Amer) pitched a great game for us, going deep into the game. And then our bullpen, which has been a strength for us all season, came through at the end. It was a great team win.”

Somerset will now wait nearly a week to play their next game, which comes next Wednesday on the road at Mater Lakes Academy. For the Mavericks, they will look to regroup when they face Mater Academy on Thursday. McCarthy now sits at 1-4 on the season, but have lost three of those games by a combined four runs.

The Chaminade-Madonna Lions won their fourth straight thanks to a 7-0 shutout win at the Monarch Knights on Thursday afternoon. Since a shutout defeat at St. John Neumann to begin the season, the Lions (4-1) have outscored their opponents 31-6 since. Chaminade scored a pair of runs right out of the chute in the top of the first inning to immediately take control. Miguel Roa had an RBI single and John Bishop followed with an RBI double. Santiago Arismendi did his part on the mound to earn the victory. The junior right-hander tossed four scoreless frames, allowing two hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. Gage Agate closed things out with three shutout innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out three. Bishop was 2-for-3 on the day, and Isaiah Fernandez also had multiple hits in going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Box Score The Cypress Bay Lightning brought hot bats to Coral Springs on Wednesday night, slugging twelve hits to earn a 12-7 win over the Colts. Nearly every starter reached base, and the Lightning (1-3) scored in each of the first four innings to build an insurmountable lead.

“The Lightning played as a unit today,” Cypress Bay Manager Bo Diaz said. “It was definitely a team effort, as we played well in all three areas: pitching, defense and hitting.”

Senior Michael Ramos led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a solo home run. He also walked to reach base four times in five plate appearances, and he had four RBI. Senior John Escobar also collected three hits, going 3-for-4 with three runs, a walk and and an RBI. Seniors Diego Baron and Lian Geronimo both went 2-for-4, as Baron contributed an double and two RBI, while Geronimo scored twice.

“We have played good baseball but have fallen short on the end of the results,” Diaz said. “We have had a pretty tough schedule to start our season, but that’s what we want. We want to be battle-tested.”

Senior left-hander Gabriel Gener delivered a gritty performance to earn the victory. The southpaw surrendered six earned runs on five hits and three walks, totals his offense countered with 11 runs in support behind him. Gener put in four innings of work to give his team a lengthy start, and he recorded seven strikeouts. Senior Carson Cook held the line from there, with three shutout innings of relief. Cook allowed a walk and had three strikeouts on just 38 pitches. “We are excited about our group and our potential as we continue to work throughout the season. There’s a lot of baseball yet to be played and I wouldn’t want any other group,” Diaz said. The Colts (2-1) took their first loss of the year.

Box Score There has been an unmistakable excitement with the 2025 Everglades Gators. Following the retirement of their previous manager, David Monge, a veteran team united with a veteran skipper making a triumphant return to coaching, as new manager Carlos Perez has overcome a long health battle in order to come back to the dugout. On Wednesday that excitement fueled the way to a tough, 1-0 home victory over the Miami High Stingarees. Starting pitcher Julio Amoedo was a force, with five scoreless innings where he piled up 10 strikeouts and only gave up two hits.

“It’s my first win as the head coach here!” Perez said. “It was a real pitcher’s duel, and Julio Amoedo dominated on the mound.”

Senior Matthew Urena complimented his starter’s performance by closing things out with two scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out four and allowed just one hit. Senior Alexander Ramirez delivered an in-game clinic on how to manufacture runs to score the only run of the day. Leading off the fourth inning from the top of the order, Ramirez singled to left, then stole second, before then also swiping third base. Senior Anthony Lugo did the rest with an RBI single to right field. All the optimism and joy leading up to the season now has its first call for celebration. Coach Perez has set the sights high, and looks forward to many more thrills this season. But each step of the way is its own reward. “I am blessed here, and I could not ask for a better opportunity to come back to baseball here,” Perez said, during his HSBN Media Days press conference. “I am blessed to be with this group.”

Perhaps no team in Palm Beach is more talented this year than the Jupiter Warriors. Having a strong returning core, and a new manager at the helm to lead them, many were wondering what the Warriors would look like when they finally hit the field in 2025. Jupiter answered that question emphatically on Tuesday afternoon by going out and dominating the defending state Champion Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs, 13-5, in the HSBN First Pitch Elite tournament. The win was the first as manager of the Warriors for Giummule, but it also was the 300th of his career. A fact that he tried to keep hidden from the team leading into the game.

“None of my players or coaches were aware of the milestone before the game,” said Giummule. “This was my first game here, and I wanted to keep the game and the focus on the team, and our first game together.”

If the Warriors players didn’t know beforehand, they certainly played like they did. They scored one in the second, three in the fourth, and five in the fifth, to take a commanding 9-1 lead over the defending state champions. The big blow in the fifth inning came on a pinch-hit, two-run home run off the bat of senior Jon Kammerer. Jake Finnegan and Andrew Abad each also added two hits apiece for the Warriors. Abad had three RBIs. On the mound for Jupiter, Ethan Trivison started the game and went 3.2 innings, allowing only one hit and one unearned run, while striking out six. “We swung the bats well today, and did a lot of things right,” said Giummule. “There are still some things to clean up early in the year, but overall I thought it was a good first game for us.” While he did not want his team to know, the win was still significant for Giummule on several fronts. He made the difficult decision this past summer to leave coaching in Broward after two decades, and relocate his family up north, to take over the Jupiter program. His first game with his new team, and back in Broward, also was against one of his mentors.

“Obviously winning my 300th game in Broward was special,” said Giummule. “Jason (Hamilton, Gibbons Manager) is not only a friend, but someone I looked up to when I was a 9th grader and he was a senior at Coconut Creek High School. He kind of took me under his wing that year, and it’s something I have never forgotten.”

With the nostalgia and emotion of a big opening win, the Warriors will now set their sights on the quick turnaround of facing American Heritage-Delray today. Both teams are 1-0 in the tournament, and the winner will have a chance to possibly play for a tourney championship later this week. For Gibbons, they also are back at it today, with a match-up against Miami Christian, a team that came within one game of a state championship last year.