2024 Florida Early Signees With the spring season fast approaching, this past week marked an exciting and unforgettable occasion for many Florida baseball players whom enjoyed the chance to officially sign their college futures. The Fall Early Signing Period welcomed student-athletes the chance to cement their schools of choice, and the baseball community celebrated among them as they took part in ceremonies honoring those moments that they all have worked so hard to reach. This is the moment in the process that they have all waited so long to reach. From the gruel and the grind on the field of play and then through the gruel and grind in selecting the right college, this chance to finally sign that document and make it official is that moment then frozen in time that makes it all seem real. Now you can sigh in relief, now you can celebrate and let those who support you also celebrate for you.

“National Signing Day is one of the most thrilling and unforgettable moments in an athlete’s recruiting journey,” Jupiter Manager Joe Giummule said. “It’s the day when dreams become reality, as athletes officially commit to the college programs they’ve worked so hard to join. Signing that letter not only symbolizes their athletic achievements but also their journey to the next big chapter of life.”

No matter how many players each school had, each community marked the occasion with a special ceremony that shone the spotlight down on each student-athlete. This is a special occasion for players, but also for their coaches and families, as it means a lot to them to see these players realizing and enjoying such an important moment in their lives. They have sacrificed in hopes of this day, and this is a memory that will be cherished for years to come. In many instances, larger groups of players all signing together helped turn these events into large parties befitting the festive atmosphere. This is a chance to dress up, as many signees often do. It is a chance to revel in the moment with your teammates that are living it with you, too. But most importantly, it is a chance to represent your college of choice now that you are officially among its ranks. College baseball is where it’s at. The chance to get an education and still continue your playing career against the other college elites is something that most any high school baseball player dreams about. For many of them, that just became a reality.

One of the perks of creating High School Baseball Network, is that year after year, I get to meet hundreds of new people associated with the South Florida high school baseball community. For the 14 years HSBN has been in existence, I have met thousands of coaches, players, parents, umpires, and just fans of the game. Along that journey, hundreds have become friends, dozens close friends, and then a handful have become lifelong friends. The downside of that opportunity is that life is fragile, and just in sheer numbers alone, that means I have come across my fair share of having to say goodbye to some of these people I have met. All loss of life is emotional, but sometimes, it hits closer to home. I was always blessed with an ability to put into words what others could not. Taking the feeling and emotion of a situation, and painting a picture that makes sense to everyone going through it, or witnessing it with their own eyes. A walk-off home run. A no-hitter. A state championship. A feel-good story. Or in some cases, the painful truth that loss of physical life brings. This weekend, the South Florida community learned of the passing of Joe Luciano, known affectionately here as Baseball Joe. I am going to do my best to paint the picture of what Baseball Joe meant to not only this community, but to me, and the people closest to him. When I started High School Baseball Network back in 2011, the first thing I did was go around to all the coaches and programs in South Florida, and inform the coaches of what I was trying to build. At the time, I was told by many of these coaches, that there was someone that was trying to do something similar to the HSBN concept. Someone who wanted to bring more coverage to high school baseball down here. So naturally, my first instinct was this is our competition, and this is who we must conquer if we want to be the best at what we do. I came to find out, that this “rival”, was attempting to do a baseball magazine monthly, to go in-depth with high school baseball stories. Knowing what I did with the amount of work I was putting in, I decided, I had to find out who this person was, and what they were all about. And that decision was the start of an amazing friendship and collaboration. Upon meeting Baseball Joe, I learned that our approaches to how to deliver the baseball news and stories was much different, but there was a commonality I could see from the start. We both had an intense passion for high school baseball. So as we got to know each other through those early years, and I convinced Joe to come work for HSBN. We needed someone that cared about the game with a passion that went beyond doing this as a job. Eventually, Joe came on board, and together, along with the website programming abilities of my brother Jamie, and my relentless do-it-all sidekick, Rick, we proceeded to build the most informative high school website in the country. Jamie did the programming, Joe brought the enthusiasm, did the reporting, and the analysis, and Rick did it all. Me, I just connected all these pieces together. As I got to know Joe, I learned that Rick and Joe both came from the same background. They worked at the Sun-Sentinel in the high school sports department. Ironically, my now-fiancé, Nicole, also worked with Joe at the Sentinel. Only back in those days, he wasn’t Baseball Joe. He was Cup-A-Joe. And that was the endearing trait that Joe had. He made everyone happy. He was the lovable, make everybody laugh with his “Dad” jokes, type of guy. He didn’t care about the nonsense. He would take a funny meme over a political discussion any day. I remember his favorite Halloween costume, that he shared on social media every year. He was the Kool-Aide Man. And he won the award for best costume. Because honestly, it really was. He was a perfect fit for that costume. But back to the baseball and the friendship. What connected Joe and I was this idea that, if we cared about high school baseball enough, then others would also. And it worked. It worked for several years, until Joe decided to relocate and get back into the newspaper industry. No matter how much Joe liked doing baseball reporting, his true passion was newspapers. He became an editor, and did his thing, this time, creating the headlines for all sports, and not just high school baseball. He found a new life when he moved first to Arkansas, and then Louisiana. He dedicated himself to working on his health, and his newspaper craft. But he still could be found on social media making his daily corny jokes. Looking back, he became one of those above-mentioned, “lifer friends”. From formal rivals, to close enough friends where him and his mom spent several Christmas holidays at my house. Did we always see eye to eye? No. We had different philosophies on many aspects of the high school baseball reporting. But what we shared was a love for the game. The excitement. The story behind the story. And that, in my industry, is rare. Baseball Joe may have moved on from physical life this past weekend, but he will forever be known as an ambassador for the game of high school baseball here in South Florida. He will also be forever known as my friend. And that is the part of this job that is hard to say goodbye to.

Last week, plans were approved that will bring two-out-of-three playoff series’ to the regional quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The 28 games were denied for the upcoming season, leaving the teams 25 allowed regular season games. The reactions to the system changes have been broad, with opinions mostly falling along tier lines. The schools that have built traditionally deeper programs, are in favor of the new format. Schools that have seen their programs raided in recent years by the top programs, believe the gap has grown wider, and the chances of them making a magical run to the State Final Four, have diminished. HSBN caught up this week with coaches from across South Florida. Here are their reactions to the new format…

“I think it makes the game a little more strategic on who throws, and match ups, or how deep your pitching staff is. If these series’ go to a third game, you are talking about it being your 5th or 6th arm on the mound. That makes it more important to make sure you get those guys innings during the regular season, so they are battle-tested come playoff time. I like the change. No more using one or two guys to get you to states.” – Todd Fitz-Gerald, Manager, Stoneman Douglas

“Anything that is going to help us play more games, I think is a great thing for the kids. The new system is going to ensure that the best teams get into the state tournament.” – Ralph Suarez, Manager, Doral

“I’m glad to see the FHSAA willing to make some changes. However, I think a better playoff format would have been to keep the regional format the same as in previous years, but go back to the district champion and runner-up advancing. Then, the state finals be a three game series between the two final teams.” – Joe Franco, Manager, Coral Glades

“I like the new format of best-of-three for regionals, it is something many of us have wanted for years. Matt Cleveland did a terrific job of drawing it up, and explaining the rationale for the entire proposal. The component of allowing 28 games is something I really wished would have passed. I would eliminate the district tourney, and give 28 games, and then straight to regional playoffs based on rankings. But at least we moved the needle closer to a baseball system where we have the best teams advancing.” – Jerry Albert, Manager, West Boca

“I was really hoping the 28 games would pass. Sadly, Florida still plays less games than many other states, that can’t play year-round like we can. At the end of the day, the more opportunities these players get. The new playoff structure will benefit the better teams and will ensure the best teams in each region advance to states. I also want to acknowledge my good friend Matt Cleveland for his tireless effort and dedication he put into advancing both the 28 games and two-out-of-three playoff system.” – Joe Giummule, Manager, Jupiter

“I like the new playoff format. It is more representative of the game of baseball.” – Jorge Miranda, Manager, Taravella

“I am a fan of the two-out-of-three formal. However, I am a little disappointed in losing a regular season playing week with the new timeline. Only having nine week to get in 25 games creates a lot more three-game weeks. For teams that have the depth and pitching to do that, it will be fine. But for the majority of the programs, that don’t have that depth, they may have to choose to play less than 25 games, and that will short change the kids. I also don’t like that districts start two weeks earlier. April is such a busy time for seniors, there are a lot of distractions and obligations for them. Another major obstacle to maneuver around for underclassmen is mandatory testing in April. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.” – Nick Franco, Manager, Dr. Garcia

“We are very happy and thankful for Matt Cleveland, who spearheaded this process in Gainesville with the FHSAA. The new playoff format ensures all programs will have to focus on developing deeper pitching staffs, which in turn provides more opportunities for our student athletes. It is a big win for high school baseball in Florida, and surely allows our baseball talent to shine on a higher level, like our rival states.” – Dan Rovetto, Manager, University School

“I do not like the two-out-of-three regional playoff format. Most teams do not play back-to-back days, or double-headers all season. My first thought is that injuries may come into play, after a condensed regular season grind, and playing in Florida weather, I think teams may be limping into the state Final Four. I would like the 2-out-of-3 format for just the regional finals. You have to be really good to get to the regional finals in most regions, and a two-out-of-three at the end of regionals would send the best teams to states, without having to play a possible four additional games.” – Jason Hamilton, Manager, Cardinal Gibbons

“The new system was needed. During regional games in the past, the best teams could have a bad game and would be out. Now, they will have a chance to rebound from a bad game. It is going to take high school baseball to another level. The competition in these best of three series’, and the community interest is going to be elevated.” – Carlos Iglesias, Manager, Pembroke Pines Charter

The FHSAA has spent the past several years completely revamping the high school baseball landscape here in Florida. First, they added a couple classifications. Then they went to a rankings based postseason system, and now they have gone full throttle towards ensuring the best teams end up in Fort Myers. Coaches at some of the most competitive programs in the state have been lobbying the FHSAA for years to expand the playoffs to include two-out-of-three formats in regional play. This year, the group also attempted to expand the regular season to 28 games. After all of the posturing and lobbying, coaches ended up with half of what they were seeking. This week, plans were approved that will bring two-out-of-three playoff series’ to the regional quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The 28 games were denied for the upcoming season, leaving the teams 25 allowed regular season games. The reactions to the system changes have been broad, with opinions mostly falling along tier lines. The schools that have built traditionally deeper programs, are in favor of the new format. Schools that have seen their programs raided in recent years by the top programs, believe the gap has grown wider, and the chances of them making a magical run to the State Final Four, have diminished. As someone who is in constant contact with coaches from all tiers, I will try to outline each of their stances, along with some insight of my own. The traditional power teams like the new format, because it strongly lessens the chance that their teams have a bad day, and get knocked out of regionals to what would be considered a lesser opponent. Logic says that the teams with the deeper pitching staffs would be much better positioned to win a two-out-of-three series. Teams that are in the middle of the pack, or are attempting to rebuild their programs are against the new format. In past years, these teams traditionally have one or two top players, which coupled with a group of players that buy into a system, made for some stunning and exciting regional upsets. So where do I stand? As someone who strives to help all programs reach new heights, and tries to spotlight all programs, I am torn between my responsibilities to the baseball community, and my desire to see the best baseball being played at the state tournament. Too often over the past decade, teams have rode one star pitcher to the state tournament. Once there, the team usually has a strong showing in the state semifinal. The issue is once the state final came around, these teams have not had the depth to compete, and the result has been some blowout state title games. So the baseball fan in me, tells me we will get much more exciting baseball in the state Final Four. The other part of me, however, has to acknowledge that some of the best stories we have written, or games we have covered, have come from regional games where an underdog team upsets a favored powerhouse program. There is little denying the excitement surrounding those games, and the lifetime of memories that have been created by the student-athletes and players who were part of those upsets. The obvious debate is over the two-out-of-three format and what it does for playoff success. But I think there are some bigger underlying issues that could be in play. First off, by moving to the two-out-of-three format, the season schedule for the regular season had to be compressed. That means more teams will be forced to play three game weeks to get their 25 games in. For the majority of programs, pitching and healthy arms is a problem for three games in a week. So that may lower the level of play we see during the regular season. Secondly, and the bigger factor, is one that has rarely been talked about. Recruiting is rampant these days. When we started HSBN 14 years ago, we processed on average, 10-15 transfer players a year. The past five seasons, that number has increased substantially in each year. With 2024 seeing over 300 transfer players in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade alone. How does the new system affect this? Well, knowing that it will take four to six quality arms to make a state title run, the pressure will be on the big time programs to produce these arms. And the only place those arms can come from, are teams that are clinging to their one or two top arms each year. We had already entered a time of top-heavy programs, with not much being done to keep student-athletes at their home schools, and my fear is that will move further in that direction. How it will play out, nobody knows. One thing the FHSAA must get credit for is, they are always open to altering their formats in search of a better system. Sometimes they get it right, and sometimes it goes wrong. The one thing I have been telling the dozens of coaches, parents, fans, and players that have been calling me is, give it time. Don’t rush to judgement and create a strong opinion. Keep an open mind, and see how the system plays out before saying how great or terrible it is. At the end of the day, its still all about playing the game. And rule changes like this shouldn’t take away from the excitement of another season being just around the corner. ***Check back tomorrow for reactions from coaches around South Florida to the new system changes***

2024 MLB Amateur Draftees It did not take long for the state of Florida to ring the bell and celebrate one of its own in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. The three-day event kicked off with the first 74 picks on Sunday night, and that included four Floridians in the opening round, and six total. University of Florida standout Jac Caglianone was taken sixth overall to lead the group, as the former Plant Panther was chosen by the Kansas City Royals. Caglianone already has his name attached to MLB history, as he was part of eight straight college players who were selected to begin the draft. This had never happened before in the 59-year history of the MLB Draft. With the fourteenth pick, Florida State University third baseman and former Palm Beach Central star Cam Smith was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Smith was the 2022 HSBN Palm Beach County Hitter of the Year in his senior year for the Broncos, before going on to star for the Seminoles. Jurrangelo Cijntje was the next player to represent Florida, when the ambidextrous pitcher was selected 15th overall by the Seattle Mariners. Cijntje was the ace for two seasons at Champagnat in Miami, before going on to a standout college career at Mississippi State University. Even though this draft was historically low for high school players coming off the boards, the fifth high schooler chosen was Hardee shortstop Kellon Lindsey, who was picked 23rd overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers. IMG Academy was then represented by a pair of former players in the next rounds. Former LSU third baseman Tommy White went in the second round with the 40th selection to the Oakland Athletics, and left-hander Blake Larson was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the 68th overall pick, in the Competitive Balance B round. The draft continues on Monday with rounds three through ten, beginning at 2:00 P.M.

Cardinal Gibbons has one of the most storied baseball programs in the history of Broward County. The Chiefs have been the standard of how to run a program for nearly a half century. Despite the decades of success in producing college and pro players, the school had only one state title in history, and that came back in 1987. Wednesday afternoon, Manager Jason Hamilton and his group of perfectly-executing, pulling-together, fly-under-the-radar players, changed all of that. Gibbons came out aggressive, and showed from the first pitch that this would be the year they were no longer denied. The result was a 4-1 win over South Walton, claiming the 4A state title. When the final out was recorded, it sent the Gibbons players, coaches, and fans into a frenzy, setting off a celebration 37 years in the making. Afterwards, an emotional Hamilton tried to put into words what the state title meant to him.

“My dad, he was a baseball coach. That’s what he did,” said Hamilton. “And all I ever wanted to do was follow in his footsteps and make him proud. Cardinal Gibbons is all I know, it’s my family. I met my wife there, I was married in the chapel there, my kids have all grew up there. It is a tremendous community of people, and I am just so honored that we get to bring this title back home for this school.”

The 2024 Gibbons team was expected to be an above average club, and the team learned early on in the season that they could be special. The Chiefs began the year in the HSBN First Pitch Elite Invitational, and in game three of that tourney, after going 0-1-1 in the first two games, the Chiefs rallied from a 4-0 deficit, to defeat American Heritage-Delray 8-4. Hamilton could be heard in the dugout telling his players during the comeback, “If you guys come back and win this game, this could be a special season.”

“We knew we were a close bunch, and we knew we could be a good team, but that game gave us the confidence that we could be great,” said catcher, Eddie Marshall. “Since that game, we have gone into every game knowing we can win, and we put the work in to get better everyday. It’s a special feeling today, because we are the state champions, and nobody can ever take that away from us.”

Gibbons received a strong pitching performance in the semifinals from senior Mike Kass, and on Wednesday, they turned to Brenden Trujillo. The junior had a 4-2 record on the year, with a 1.23 ERA. On Wednesday, he was lights out, going the distance for Gibbons, allowing only two hits, while striking out seven. “If you would have told me that Brenden would have pitched a complete game today, I would have said that wasn’t even in the game plan. He was terrible in the bullpen. Then he went out and flipped the switch when the game starts. We were going inning by inning with him, and he just kept getting stronger as the game went on. It all starts on the mound, and he was phenomenal today.” For Trujillo, it was all about one pitch at a time.

“My pregame bullpen I was all over the place,” said Trujillo. “But once the game started, I was locked in. Getting the four run lead early allowed me to relax, and I just tried to stay ahead and mix my pitches up.”

The win by Gibbons, gave Broward their third state title this season out of the seven classes. Douglas won the 7A title last weekend, and North Broward Prep won the 3A title earlier in the day Wednesday. It was a dominating display from Broward, and one that Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald took note of. “Nothing better than South Florida baseball anywhere in the country,” said Fitz-Gerald after the Gibbons and North Broward Prep wins on Wednesday.

3A State Final Press Conference Box Score Four seasons ago the North Broward Prep Eagles planted their flag and claimed their first state title. But that was only the beginning, as the team worked its way back every year since. On Wednesday afternoon, the Eagles returned full circle to claim another state championship, its third overall during this historic run. North Broward broke a late tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, then held off one final push to earn a 5-4 win over the Westminster Christian Warriors, to win the Class 3A state championship at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

“It’s hard to win here, and anybody who wins here should feel good about it,” North Broward Manager Brian Campbell said. “It’s hard to get here and it’s hard to win when you do get here. I defer a lot of the credit, because I am one of the least important parts of this. I’ve got a coaching staff that I’ve had for a really long time and they do a fantastic job, I have an athletic administration that supports us and really, really has our backs. And I’ve got players who will run through a brick wall for each other. I say all the time I am not the most important part, but I am grateful to be a part of this.”

This trophy brings it full circle for some of the cornerstone players who have been a part of this entire run, since winning it the first time as freshmen. Those same guys were the ones flying around on the field making the big plays, adding the final layer of cement to their legacies. “Just to celebrate with the boys was awesome,” senior Gian De Castro said. “All the hard work that we put in each and every day, for it pay off means everything to me.” Senior Mateo Gray provided his guys with an immediate spark by crushing a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to put North Broward up right away. TJ Gramesty singled to left with one out, and Gray worked the count in his favor to then jump on a 2-0 offering and send it deep and over the left field fence.

“It was huge for us to jump out ahead,” Campbell said. “It made our starting pitcher settle down too when we had a two-run lead. To get that lead and give our pitcher a moment of breath and he doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, it’s huge. That gave us a boost and a little breathing room.”

That breathing room got a bit smaller when the Warriors split the deficit with a run in the third. Manny Marin clubbed a double on a liner to center, and Talan Beckford drove him in with an RBI single to left. But the Eagles responded to get that run right back. Tanner Uderitz singled on a ball deep to short, Kiernan O’Neill followed with a base hit to left and Gramesty dropped down a bunt on the third base line that loaded the bases in leaving the fielder with no play. Gray then came through with another big swing to deliver a sac-fly RBI on a ball deep to right. The Warriors continued to battle back, and tied things up with two runs in the top of the sixth. Ethan Puig singled and Jose Lopez doubled to put two runners in scoring position, and James Suarez laced a single to right that had both runners flying around the bases to race in ahead of any relay throw. With the Warriors electrified in that moment, the momentum shifted. But North Broward answered right back, retaking the lead with the deciding runs in the bottom of the inning. Nik Koorse was hit by a pitch and Max Burkholz reached on a fielder’s choice. O’Neill then hit a ground ball that got past the fielder to allow both runners to come home for a 5-3 advantage. “Hats off to Westminster Christian, I thought that was a really electric and fun high school baseball game. You expect nothing less in a state championship game,” Campbell said. “Congratulations to them on a great season, but I am really proud of my team. A lot of work has gone into this, and some of these guys have been here all four years. I’m just really, really proud of them, and I’m proud to be their coach.”

Cardinal Gibbons Postgame Press Conference It has been a whirlwind season so far for Cardinal Gibbons Manager Jason Hamilton and his Chiefs program. Back in October, Hamilton was inducted into the inaugural class of the HSBN South Florida Hall of Fame. Then, come spring, his team started out 1-1-1, and Hamilton and Chiefs fans were wondering what would become of the 2024 Chiefs. All they have done since then, is go 23-3-1, win district and regional titles, and now will be playing one game to become only the second Gibbons team in history to win a state title. Gibbons followed a script on Tuesday that has been their blueprint the entire season. Get strong pitching performances, play great defense, and use situational and timely hitting to win close games. Michael Kass and Jack Campbell took care of the mound work, combining to give up only one earned run, and six hits, in a 3-2 4A state semifinal win over Mulberry.

“This guy (Kass) had a pretty major injury that kept him out for over a year, so it was fitting to see him come back from that and go out there and do what he did today,” said Hamilton. “That is the type of player he is, and he represents what this entire group in 2024 is all about.”

Offensively, it was Eddie Marshall who gave the Chiefs the lead in the fourth inning with a two-RBI double. Marshall has been a one-man wrecking crew for Gibbons down the stretch, coming up with big hit after big hit for the Chiefs in their playoff run. “All I can say is its nice to have him on our side, knowing that opposing teams have no idea how to pitch to him and get him out,” said Hamilton. “He is a leader for us not only offensively, but he controls the game for us behind the plate, and is a true leader.” After Gibbons scored their two runs in the fourth, Mulberry immediately tied the game with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth. In the sixth, Gibbons scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, and then they turned the ball over to Campbell to close out the final two innings. Campbell gave up only a hit, while striking out three over those two innings. Campbell, as well as Kass and Hamilton, gave credit to an unlikely source. It is not too often coaches and players mention assistant coaches, but that is exactly what happened when all three spoke about pitching coach Tim Shields.

“I think it’s important to mention our pitching coach Tim Shields,” said Hamilton. “He does a tremendous job calling pitches, and with these guys during games.”

Kass and Campbell agreed. “We trust everything that he calls,” said Kass. “He knows how to attack each hitter, and he mixes up the pitch selection. We couldn’t do what we do without him and how he calls a game.” “We never have to worry about the wrong pitch being called, he knows all of us and knows how to go after each batter,” said Campbell.” The win moves the Chiefs within one game of becoming only the second team in Gibbons history to win a state title. The only title the school has came back in 1987, when none of the current players were even born. Hamilton, however, understands the history.

“When we lost in extra innings back in 2019 up here, I remember looking back out over the field after the game, and wondering if I would ever get back up here. As you get older as a coach you start to think of that stuff. We appreciate getting back up here, and its such a tight family at Cardinal Gibbons, we want to win this state title for all our coaches, fans, and the school.”

Box Score The North Broward Prep baseball team arrived at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers for the state Final Four this week, and it gave the team the chance to check their mail, tidy up their lockers and catch up with the Mighty Mussels stadium staff. OK, so maybe that is a little far-fetched, but after the regularity with which this team has been here to the state tournament these last several seasons it is just crazy enough to actually be true. The Eagles landed at the Final Four for the fourth straight season, and once again they took care of business in the semifinal to advance to the title game for the fourth consecutive year. North Broward held back a scrappy Bishop Verot Vikings squad to earn a 4-1 victory and a chance for its third state trophy. Champions in 2021 and 2022, before then falling in the final a season ago, now the Eagles (27-3) return once again for the chance to take back the crown.

“Fortunately, we know what to expect,” North Broward Prep Manager Brian Campbell said. “We’re a senior-led team, and a lot of our seniors have been here every four years, since they were freshmen. So, the routine of getting here early and doing stuff on the side fields, it is something you have to get used to. But Bishop Verot had an advantage with the crowd; they had home-field advantage with that crowd. We won the game because Mateo Gray pitched excellent, we did enough offensively and we played really good defense. If we do those three things, we are a pretty good baseball team.”

The Eagles certainly proved they are a pretty good baseball team by the way they shut down a dangerous Bishop Verot squad, one that also benefited from a huge crowd of fans that showed out in support of the local team. Mateo Gray went the distance to earn the complete-game victory, the Eagles struck early to score all their runs in the first two frames, and the defense made all the plays when it mattered most. “We had a well-played baseball game,” Campbell said. “Mateo controlled the game on the mound. He bent a couple of times but never broke, and it was a good team win. But we didn’t come here to win the semifinal, so we’re going to get some rest and get back after it tomorrow and hopefully win a title.” North Broward will take on a familiar opponent from down in South Florida, as the Westminster Christian Warriors also advanced with a 6-4 win over the Trinity Christian Conquerors in Tuesday’s other 3A semifinal. Now the two will meet in Wednesday’s championship, set for a 2:00 PM start. Gray was impressive on the bump, providing leadership and inspiration by how he gutted it out in the hot sun for the full seven innings. In doing so, it also preserved the rest of the pitching staff to now be available for the title game. He surrendered one earned run on five hits and two walks, and he struck out six.

“I just tried to do the same old usual,” Gray said. “I don’t want to change things up too much, because for me it is just another game. I just do what I love; getting ahead and attacking the guys and trusting my guys behind me.”

The guys behind him got the offense going right away to provide immediate run support, as the Eagles struck for all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first. Kiernan O’Neill led off with a single to left and T.J. Gramesty drew a four-pitch walk. Riley Luft then got the scoring started with an RBI single to left. After Gian De Castro walked to provide another base runner, Gramesty came home on an error and Luft followed thanks to an RBI single to center from Max Burkholz. “I think it may be the first time that we’ve had a lead in Fort Myers and we didn’t have to play from behind,” Campbell said. “It was very important for us to come out of the gates early, and the guys responded and I’m super proud of them. With Mateo on the mound and the way we were playing defense, we were going to be a hard team to beat today. We always want to get out of the gates early; that’s not anything new to the tournament. That’s just how we play our season.” It was O’Neill who continued to provide the spark, as he connected for a double when he came up with one out in the second. Gramesty followed with a base hit to left to drive him in for the Eagles’ fourth and final run.

“The lead-off spot is pretty important,” O’Neill said. “You are starting off the game, so a lot of pressure is on you. I don’t try to do too much, as a junior I look up to these seniors. So I always ask for advice what I can do better and what I can do to contribute to the victory. Today, I had a great day, but everyone contributed to the win today. That really helped me focus for my success today.”

The Vikings avoided the shutout and got on the scoreboard in the fourth, thanks to a solo home run from Joseph Lawson. But that was as close as they could get, as every other scoring threat was thwarted by Gray recording a big strikeout to end the inning. Although he has an arsenal of pitches, Gray trusted his lethal changeup to get him out of the big moments against left-handed batters. “It’s a lefty-killer,” Gray said. “I just love throwing to lefties, and I’ll throw at least one every at bat to a lefty. It’s kind of my bread-and-butter to lefties. It was my best pitch, so I knew I had to throw it there.”

6-5 over 11 games. That was the stretch the Douglas Eagles baseball team faced back over the last week of March and the first two weeks of April. At that time, I remember getting texts and phone calls asking what was wrong with Douglas, that their dynasty may be coming to an end this year. This year’s team didn’t have what it takes to be a champion. Fast-forward to Saturday evening, and the Eagles answered all those critics in dramatic fashion. After righting the ship late in the year, Douglas went on their usual playoff run, and finished it off with a thrilling 3-2, extra-inning win over Widermere.

“A lot of people doubted us,” said Eagles shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald. “But we knew that we were going to get it right. We work hard every day, and we have a lot of pride in this program and what the teams before us did, and we weren’t going to let that tradition fall just because of a tough stretch. We showed tonight that we are still the champions.”

The game started out like Douglas would cruise, as they scored two runs in the first inning. With
Jayden Dubanewicz on the hill, Windermere had their work cut out for them. The Wolverines were up for the task. After the rough first inning, Windermere turned to freshman Joey Waddingham came in and threw 6.1 innings, allowing only one earned run, while striking out 11 Eagles batters. In the fifth inning, down 2-0, Windermere tied the game with two runs of their own. From there the game remained tied into the sixth. The Wolverines loaded the bases, but Douglas reliever Luke Cherry came in and got out of a bases loaded, one-out jam. It was the second straight night the Eagles reliever came up big late in the game. “Honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Cherry. “The coaches have put me in these positions many times, and I am used to it. I just had to worry about executing my pitches, and I was able to do that tonight.” After nobody scored in the seventh, Cherry worked a quick top of the eighth inning. Douglas then loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with two outs, and Nick Diaz stepped to the plate. Diaz hit a big home run in the semifinal game, and now was in a spot to come up big again. Diaz proceeded to line a 2-2 pitch to left field for the game-winning single, sending the Eagles dugout chasing their new hero around the field as they won their fourth straight state title, a record for public schools in the state of Florida. “The at bat started with a fastball high, then he went curve ball fastball. I got the count to 2-2, and then I was looking for one pitch, got it, and was able to hit it for the single to win the game. To contribute to our success two days in a row and come up big in special.” Equally special for the Eagles was the ending of an era for Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald and his sons. Fitz-Gerald’s older son, Hunter, graduated from Douglas in 2019, and Devin was a senior this season. Devin was one of the Douglas players that was on all four Eagles state champions during their current run.

“I love winning the championship tonight, but its bittersweet,” said a choked up (Todd) Fitz-Gerald. “This was the last game I will ever coach one of my sons. We have the state all-star game in a couple weeks, so I guess that will be the last time officially, but this is it in a Douglas uniform. It is emotional.”

The younger Fitz-Gerald agreed. “Having my dad coach me, and having today be our last game, it is special. It is something I will never forget. It makes it even more special that we were able to finish off and achieve all of our goals, and win this state title.” While the win ends a great four year run for several Douglas seniors, Fitz-Gerald and his younger guys are already looking to next year. “It’s time for the drive for five,” said Fitz-Gerald. That drive will have to include some re-tooling, but there are several players returning that have learned about how to carry on tradition, one of them being junior Cherry.

“I have learned so much from Devin and these other seniors about how to be a leader, and what is expected for us to stay at this level,” said Cherry. “Now it is time for us to take the torch and run with it, and we will be ready to do that come the Fall.”

Douglas finished the season 26-5.

It always gets tougher to come up short the closer you get. In a rematch of last season’s title game, it was the Jesuit Tigers who prevailed in Saturday’s 5A championship with a 5-2 win over the defending-champion American Heritage Patriots, at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The Tigers earned their seventh state championship, while avenging the loss to the Patriots in the same contest a season ago.

“It was a tough game,” Heritage Manager Bruce Aven said. “We knew it was going to be a battle. We were able to get guys on base in four or five of the innings, but we didn’t get the big hit in the right moment. They got on us early, and they did a good job of executing. They did situational baseball, they got the fly balls, they got some guys over, they moved up on balls put in play and they did a good job. We just didn’t have enough ammo and we couldn’t get that big hit when it was time to get the big hit.”

Jesuit (26-6) clicked right away, scoring all its runs in the first three innings to take a 5-0 advantage. But the things threatening to get away from them, the Patriots showed their mettle to hold the line and stay in the fight. They held the Tigers scoreless over the final four innings, as starter Talan Holiday dug in and competed with his best stuff when it was needed the most. “I’m proud of this guy battling in that heat today,” Coach Aven said of his starter. “I never saw an excuse, never saw any gestures or bad body language. He just kept pounding the zone and he kept working. Talan did a good job, threw 105 pitches and kept them at bay. We just couldn’t get over that hump today. That’s the way baseball goes.” The Patriots (21-11) continued to battle until the end, chipping away for a couple of runs late to keep them in the contest. Christopher Levy led off the top of the fifth with a single past first, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a ground out from R.J. Machado. Lucas Ramirez then got his team on the scoreboard with an RBI double on a drive deep to the center field wall. Heritage kept adding pressure to threaten further damage. Sebastian Garavito walked and Andrew Ortiz was hit by a pitch to put two base runners on, prompting a call to the bullpen for Wilson Anderson to relieve starter McCall Biemiller. Anderson was up to task, recording two straight outs to end the threat.

“We did manufacture some hits and we did do some stuff. We put ourselves in position to actually make a comeback,” Aven said. “Just because we want the good hit doesn’t mean we get it. They had a very good defense and their pitchers did a good job of mixing up their pitches. You had to be aggressive at the plate today, and I think at times today we were too selective. You have to get that pitch early. I feel bad for our kids, because they battled. But that’s the game. We’ve done this all year, and we’ve won some like that and lost some like that.”

Anderson went the rest of the way for the Tigers. He ran into trouble again in the seventh, but his defense had his back. Ramirez led off with another double, and then Garavito followed with a liner to shallow center. But center fielder D.J. Pirela came charging in, laid out and snared the catch. Ramirez did eventually score. He advanced to third on a ground out from Andrew Ortiz, and Rafael Furcal sent him home with an RBI single. But it was too little, too late, as the next batter flew out to center to end the contest. “I’m proud of what we did,” Coach Aven said. “I would have loved to win the game and finish up, and last year at this time it was the opposite. They had to sit there and watch us celebrate, and this year we had to watch them celebrate. We’ll have something that will motivate us to get back here next year and try to get that ultimate championship.” While it is pretty rare for the same two teams to meet in two straight finals, it does help to create a rivalry between them. The two programs have a total of ten state championships combined, and the realistic goal they set for themselves every season is to get back there and win another. So it is not a far-fetched idea that they could find themselves back facing each other again, which would essentially serve as the rubber match after they split the last two championship meetings.

“We’ve got to get back to playing the game, and loving the game and competing. I love the fact that Jesuit wanted to knock Heritage off, because we need to do the same thing,” Aven said. “We need to get that rivalry and get back to that point where we are competing as baseball players, where you enjoy playing the game. I don’t have anything against that team. That team today was outstanding, and I saw some great things today. But I’m also always going to bet on my team. Now what do we need next year to come back and beat them?”

Those sort of rivalries used to be more prevalent, and a return to that sort of dynamic would be very welcomed. These two programs have shed each other’s blood on the battle field, and have earned each other’s respect, and embracing rivalries like that only help make the games and the outcomes more exciting.

Douglas Eagles State Semifinal Press Conference Over the past three seasons, all of which resulted in state championships, the Douglas Eagles combined scores in semifinal and championship games has been 37 to five. Needless to say, they have not been challenged much during their current run. That changed on Friday afternoon when they faced off with Vero Beach. The Indians scored the first two runs of the game, and then staged a furious rally in the sixth inning. In the end, despite the close game, it was the Eagles who came away with a 9-7 7A state semifinal victory, sending Douglas back to the state finals with a chance to become the first public school team to ever win four straight state titles.

“We were challenged today,” said Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald. “They were a scrappy team that we didn’t know much about. They had good approaches at the plate, and they gave us a battle. I was glad we were able to do the things we did to come away with the win.”

The game began with the Indians jumping up early with a near flawless inning of offensive baseball. Lead off hitter Finley Holmes worked a nine-pitch walk. Jace Romans then executed a hit and run base hit, putting runners on first and second. A perfect bunt base hit by Chase Wilson loaded the bases, and when the throw got away, Holmes scored the games first run against Douglas starting pitcher Gavin Gargiulo. Garret Srigley followed with a squeeze bunt, putting the Indians up 2-0. Even their final two outs of the inning were good at bats, with both hitters grounding out to second. In their half of the inning, Douglas did what champions do, they answered the Indians runs with one of their own. Alex Rodriguez singled, followed by a Devin Fitz-Gerald double. Vero starting pitcher Sebastian Dimitroff escaped a big inning by giving up only a Niko Benestad fielders choice RBI groundout. The Eagles then took their first lead of the game with a three-run second. They added on two in the third, extending the lead to 6-2. When Nick Diaz stepped to the plate in the fifth and blasted a two-run home run, it appeared the Eagles would cruise into the championship game with their 8-2 lead. The Indians, however, had no qwit in them on this day. Putting together a string of quality at-bats, the Indians scored five runs, and had the tying and go ahead runs on base with two outs, but Brayden McCluskey was able to strike out Cole Morgan to keep Douglas up 8-7. After scoring a run in the sixth, Douglas turned the ball over to Luke Cherry, who retired the Indians in order to send Douglas back to the title game.

“I told Luke in the fourth inning, we were not going to use him today,” said Fitz-Gerald. “The plan was to save him for tomorrow, but when things started happening there we had him go down and get ready. He did today what he has done for us all year. He is kind of the guy we go to to shut things down, and he did that again today.”

On the other side of the field, Vero was left to wonder what could have been. After years of having strong teams that set the foundation, the Indians finally broke through and advanced to the state final four, and that is what Manager Bryan Rahal will remember from this years team. “We have had some very good players and teams through the years,” said Rahal. “Even through the regional run, we had around 30 of them a game showing up to support this years team. It isn’t easy getting out of any region in 7A, so I am proud of what this group of players accomplished.”

American Heritage State Semifinal Press Conference American Heritage is making a habit out of people overlooking and doubting them, and the Patriots getting the last laugh. This season, much like last year’s state title team, the Patriots have played a tough schedule, that has kept their record from being what it could have been with a lesser schedule. Because of that, for a second straight year, not many people though Heritage had a chance to win a state title. Also for the second straight year, the Patriots are proving people wrong. On Friday, it was Lincoln, out of Tallahassee, that experienced what the Patriots are capable of. Heritage took an early lead, then fell behind, and battled back, to escape with a 3-2 5A semifinal win.

“We try to block out the outside noise,” said starting pitcher Spencer Krasner. “We know within ourselves, that all season we are working to get better so we are prepared for these games. Today, it was another team effort to get it done. We are confident in the way we can play as a team, and we showed that today.”

Lincoln had the lead for much of the game, taking a 2-1 lead in the second inning, and then cruising through the middle innings. In the fifth, the Patriots were able to tie the game when Rafael Furcal had a one-out single. Pinch-runner Jordan Rich, who has been battling back from injury, came in and stole second, then scored on a Joseph Castro single. “That stolen base was the biggest play of the game,” said Heritage Manager Bruce Aven. “Jordan gets into scoring position, and allows us the opportunity to tie the game.” In the sixth inning, the Patriots grabbed the lead on a Sebastian Garavito sacrifice fly to center. Before the sac fly, Garavito had missed getting two squeeze attempts down. “I coach these guys hard, and with Sebastian, I was letting him know he needed to get those bunts down, but also, that he had to forget about them and finish his at bat and do a job. He was able to do that and hit the sac fly that gave us the lead. It was a big point in the game, and he came through.” For Garavito, it was a lesson in perseverance at a time when players tend to jump from team to team when they face adversity.

“He came into the season as our third string catcher,” said Aven. “And he ends up our starting catcher, and possibly our team MVP. That is what it takes to give yourself up for the team, and that is what all these guys have bought into. That is why they are one win from a state title.”

To close out their second straight state title will not be an easy task. They will be facing Tampa Jesuit, who has a long history of winning titles themselves under Manager Miguel Menendez. It sets up to be a state title game for the ages. “We know the history they have, and they are just as accomplished as we are. They will be ready, and we will be ready. It very possibly could come down to one hit or one bounce to decide who wins this title. It should be a fun game to be a part of,” said Aven.

It has been five years since Cardinal Gibbons last reached the state final four. On Tuesday, the Chiefs put the finishing touches on what has been an impressive regional run, with a dominating 8-0 win over Mater Lakes, sending Gibbons back to Fort Myers in grand style. The last time we saw the Chiefs in the state final four, they lost a devastating extra-inning affair 6-3, to Melbourne Central Catholic in the 5A state title game. “As older coaches, you start to think about if you will ever get back,” said Gibbons Manager Jason Hamilton. “I remember looking back at the field after that finals loss and wondering if that was the last time I would be on that field.” The next season, Hamilton had a strong class coming back, that projected to be one of the best teams the school has ever had, but COVID wiped out the 2020 season, ending any shot at a return trip for that group of players. On Tuesday, the current version of the Chiefs made their case to be considered one of the best teams in school history, by defeating a strong Mater Lakes team in every facet of the game. Gibbons received stellar pitching from starter Michael Kass, who threw four innings of no-hit baseball, and Jack Campbell, who went the final three innings, allowing only one hit.

“Today was all about Kass and Campbell,” said Hamilton. “What can you say about those two guys other than they were outstanding. To hold a team like Mater Lakes, with guys that can really swing it, to no runs and only one hit, is really special.”

While the pitching has been there all year for the Chiefs, it was the offense that has sometimes been sporadic this season, that came up big, putting up eight runs, with a combination of big hits, sacrifice bunts, and timely hits. The biggest of those timely hits came early in the game. Vinn Buerosse had a two-run single in the first to get the scoring started, and Brenden Trujillo launched a two-run homer in the third. “That type of offensive production is not something we have been used to seeing in the 2024 season,” said Hamilton. “For these guys to execute the way they did today, and put up eight runs against a good Mater Lakes team, that was a pleasant surprise.” With the win, Gibbons advances to face Mulberry, who upset McKeel on Tuesday. For Hamilton, the return trip to the final four is a special one, having only been their once in 26 years of coaching.

“I’m just so happy for this senior class,” said Hamilton. “They faced a lot of adversity the past few years, with several of them missing seasons and significant time due to injuries. To watch them be back on the field, and have it all come together is great to see. It is great to do this today for the school, the administration, the players, the coaches, and the parents, who have all been so supportive of this team this year.”

It is not often a program that has been to four straight regional titles has redemption on their minds, but that is the case with the 2024 North Broward Prep Eagles. After winning back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022, they fell short in the state semifinals last year in a loss to Calvary Christian out of Tampa. On the mound that day for the Eagles, was Mateo Gray. On Tuesday, Gray ensured that his Eagles would get another crack at a state title, by throwing a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits, while striking out eight.

“Mateo did a great job on the mound for us tonight,” said NBP Manager Brian Campbell. “He was in control the whole night, and did exactly what he has done for us all year. It was a great outing, and one we needed to get the job done tonight.”

While Gray was putting up zeroes on the mound inning after inning, the offense was equally as impressive. The Eagles piled up 13 hits, and made sure the game was put away early, scoring seven runs in the first inning, and then one in the second, three in the third, and two in the fourth. Kiernan O’Neill and Max Burkholz had three hits and two runs each. Riley Luft added two hits, and Gray, TJ Gramesty, and Gian De Castro all had hits for NBP.

“It was a big team effort offensively,” said Campbell. “I am really, really proud of our senior class. It’s a special group, and I am happy they get a chance to go back to Fort Myers and hopefully come back with a state title.”

A state title in 4A this season will not be easy, as it projects out as one of the toughest state final fours in Fort Myers. The Eagles, the #2 team in HSBN’s Broward Power Rankings, will face HSBN’s #2 Southwest Florida team, Bishop Verot in one semifinal. In the other semifinal, it will be a match up of HSBN Miami’s #2 team Westminster Christian, and HSBN Jacksonville’s #2 team, Trinity Christian. It will be the first time in history that four teams, all ranked #2 in their county HSBN rankings, will face off in the state semifinals.

There was a time, back in late March and early April, where the Douglas dynasty looked vulnerable. The team that had earlier in the year ran their winning streak to 59 games, over three seasons, suddenly faced a stretch where they went 3-3 in a six game span.

“People counted us out because we lost a few games,” said Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald. “Don’t ever count us out. Winners win, and this 2024 group of players are winners.”

The current version of the Eagles dynasty showed that on Monday evening, defeating West Broward, a worthy opponent, 4-0, while advancing to their fourth straight 7A Final Four. “To go back to the final four for a fourth straight year as a public school ist truly amazing,” said Fitz-Gerald. “I couldn’t be happier for this team and the resiliency they have showed throughout this year.” The Eagles have used many methods over the four years to win games, but the formula that has worked the best is strong starting pitching, timely hitting, and big defensive plays. Douglas had all three on display on Monday, as they played one of the most complete games they played all season. On the mound, it was Jayden Dubanewicz who went the distance. The senior dazzled through most of the night, allowing only three hits, while striking out six Bobcat batters. “Duby was electric tonight,” said Fitz-Gerald. “I thought he pitched great, and giving us all seven innings sets us up for the state tourney later this week.” The only real trouble Dubanewicz ran into came in the fifth inning. West Broward’s Alejandro Sardinas and Manny Sarcos hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. With a couple of passed balls putting runners on second and third with no outs, Dubanewicz was forced to bear down. That is when the defense came to life for the Eagles. A fielder’s choice on a ground ball to shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, kept runners on second and third, with one out. Isaiah DelValle then laced a low line drive that appeared headed towards center field, but Dubanewicz somehow corralled it in his glove, which fell off his hand, for the second out. A ground out to second then ended the threat. With two-thirds of the formula complete, the offense filled in the gaps with the runs needed to complete the trip back to Fort Myers. An Ethan Askins double in the second inning, brought in the first two runs for the Eagles. In the third, Niko Benestad hit an RBI single, scoring Fitz-Gerald, and upping the score to 3-0. Douglas would add an insurance run in the sixth, closing the scoring in the 4-0 win. The win moves Douglas into a familiar place in Fort Myers, trying to do something no Broward public team has ever done, win four straight state titles. It will not be an easy path for the Eagles, as Windermere and Timber Creek out of Orlando will be waiting, as well as Vero Beach out of the Space Coast.

Talan Holiday fired a one-hit shutout and Lucas Ramirez homered, doubled, and singled to lead American Heritage to a 2-0 win over Archbishop McCarthy in a regional finals game on Monday.

“It was a great game tonight,” said American Heritage manager Bruce Aven. “We had a great pitching performance by both pitchers from McCarthy and Heritage. “Talan did a great job. We’re proud of him. He’s been a tough pitcher for us, a big game pitcher. Our defense played great behind him and we were able to get enough runs to support him.”

Holiday struck out three and walked just one in his 75-pitch gem, of which 48 were strikes. The Patriots’ junior right-hander retired 12 batters in a row between the second and fifth innings and was in complete command throughout. He got all the offensive firepower he would need from Ramirez, who led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo homer to center field to extend the Patriots’ lead to 2-0. “That was a big moment,” Aven said. “Our team’s been playing better this late in the season. They’ve been playing better defense. Our pitching has been keeping us in every ballgame throughout the season giving us a chance to win.” American Heritage (20-10) ranked #8 in Broward, got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when R.J. Machado and Lucas Ramirez bounced one-out singles before Sebastian Garavito delivered a fielder’s choice grounder that scored Machado. Ramirez collected three of the Patriots’ seven hits with Andrew Ortiz and Blayden Caballero also contributing one each.

“We’re excited to get another opportunity to go back to state and get a chance to repeat,” Aven said. “It’s not very often you get those opportunities and we’re very fortunate that we have worked hard and overcome a lot of obstacles to get to this place. “We have two more games that we need to go out and try to compete and do the best that we can to see if we can win another one.”

Archbishop McCarthy (15-15) got outstanding pitching as well from senior right-hander Stephen Joyce, who struck out six over six innings and walked just two while scattering seven hits. Bryan Arriata had the lone hit for the Mavericks, a lead-off single in the top of the sixth inning. Pinch-runner Cody Kunka went to second on an error and reached third base on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Matthew Conger, but was stranded there.

Box Score If you’re a high school baseball enthusiast, Saturday’s Class 4A regional semifinal at Cardinal Gibbons was just the game for you. Gibbons hosted the Key West Conchs in a back-and-forth battle that left it all on the field, as the Chiefs rallied in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with an 8-7 victory. On the brink of doom in the top of the seventh, Key West erupted for five runs to grab a 7-6 lead and turn the tides of momentum. But Gibbons put three straight batters on to start the bottom of the seventh, and freshman Nick Ragusa eventually scored on a wild pitch to walk it off. It seemed almost criminal for the game to end in such fashion after the high caliber that it was played, but sometimes you make your own luck with the effort you give.

“Our kids didn’t quit,” Gibbons Manager Jason Hamilton said. “We had four freshmen on the field today, and that’s just what we’ve done all year long. We’ve never been out of games, and we came back. We were able to score to in the seventh and win a very, very great high school baseball game. We thought we had a pretty good game plan against Key West, but all of our scouting reports were way off. That team we played today from Key West really came to play, and they played hard. They put the ball in play, and they hit the ball hard.”

Hamilton claims he witnessed one of the best games he has ever coached in or played in over is entire career. The lead changed hands six times, as both teams kept slugging away to stay in the battle. Most of the players on the field elevated their game to deliver the greatest performance of their high school career. “Today belonged to Eddie Marshall,” Hamilton said. “He was 3-for-3 with a double and a home run that went off the right-center field buildings at Cardinal Gibbons. He really gave us a lift. He’s been our leader all year, and it just seemed like he wasn’t going to let us lose today.”

Juan Cerra laced a double to center field with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and Stephen Joyce scored, to lift Archbishop McCarthy to a 5-4 extra-inning win over the Rockledge Raiders in a regional semifinal game on Friday. Joyce reached base with a one-out single and moved into scoring position on a fielder’s choice. That’s when Cerra provided what proved to be the game-winning hit for the Mavericks (15-14) in their upset of Rockledge (26-3), which came into the game ranked #1 in Space Coast. The game went back and forth with Archbishop McCarthy taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Rockledge answered with a three-run fourth inning for a 3-2 lead. But the Mavericks regained the advantage, 4-3, with two more runs in the sixth, only to have the Raiders tie it in dramatic fashion with a run in the bottom of the seventh. McCarthy broke a scoreless tie in the third inning on RBI-doubles from Danny Machado and Miguel Delgado. But Rockledge answered an inning later when J.J. Silberzahn singled and eventually scored on a passed ball. Kaden Jones then delivered an RBI-single, and Ezra Fafard lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Cayden Cross with the go-ahead run. Momentum shifted back to Archbishop McCarthy in the sixth inning with RBI-singles from Bryan Arrieta and Greg Caban as the Mavericks regained a one-run advantage. But Rockledge answered back. A sacrifice fly with one out in the seventh inning off the bat of Jonathan Matos scored Cross with the tying run and sent the game into extra innings. Although things could have been worse, as the winning runs were on the bases before the Mavericks got out of trouble.

“We end up getting out of a crazy, crazy jam by only giving up one run,” Vorachek said.

Nine different Mustangs collected 10 hits. Cerra had two and eight others added one apiece. Among them were Caden Coleman, Robert Kerns, and Michael Conger. McCarthy pitching was also outstanding, beginning with starter Zach Tavarez, who worked the first six innings while striking out four and allowing just three hits and two walks. Jeff Vallejo pitched 1.1 innings of one-hit ball, and Nick Miller earned the win in relief with 1.2 innings of work. He allowed no hits and struck out one. “Zach Tavarez, he’s a freshman, and he pitched excellent on the mound for six innings, gave up three runs. Honestly, he shouldn’t have given up any runs,” Vorachek said.

Isaiah Del Valle delivered a one-out RBI single in the bottom of a wild seventh inning and West Broward walked off with a 7-6 win over Columbus in a regional semifinals game on Friday. Del Valle ripped a line drive to center field, scoring Michael Manocchio with the winning run, which capped an eventful seventh inning in which the two teams combined for seven runs on eight hits. The game was tied, 3-3, heading into the seventh inning after Columbus rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a three-run fifth inning. The Explorers scored three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab a 6-3 lead. But West Broward (22-5-1), ranked #4 in Broward, recorded its sixth consecutive win with a four-run rally in the bottom half of the inning. Consecutive singles to open the inning from Ethan Lindor, Adrian Bermudez and Jason Wachs made it a 6-4 game, and the Bobcats were on their way to the improbable comeback. Manuel Sarcos tied the game with a one-out, two-run double and an intentional walk to Ivan Sabater set the stage for Del Valle’s walk-off single. The Bobcats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Wachs belted a two-run homer to right field in the first inning. They extended it to 3-0 in the fourth on an RBI-double by Reggie Rodriguez. But Columbus (20-6), ranked #5 in South Dade, fought back in the fifth inning to tie the game. An RBI-single by Aquiles Arzeno plated Maximus Alvarez. Zahir Barjam then singled home Jason Garcia, and the Explorers pulled off a double steal with Arzeno swiping home on the back end to knot it at 3. The Explorers grabbed the lead with a two-out surge in the top of the seventh. RBI doubles from Franklin Francisco and Rene Ramirez, along with a run-scoring single by Jose Correa gave Columbus a 6-3 advantage before the Bobcats answered in the bottom half. Sabater started on the mound for West Broward and worked four strong innings, striking out six while allowing just two hits. Bermudez pitched the final three innings to pick up the win in relief. He struck out two and walked just one while yielding four hits. Columbus starter Jason Vasquez pitched well over 5.2 innings, striking out four while giving up just four hits.

Chaminade-Madonna came into the season with a new manager, Mark McCoy, and the expectations were that McCoy could turn around the Lions program, but that it may take some time. On Wednesday night, Chaminade exceeded all those expectations, and put the rebuild on a fast-track. The Lions went on the road against traditional 3A powerhouse Monsignor Pace, and came back home to Hollywood with a 9-7 victory.

“Big regional win for Chaminade tonight,” said McCoy. “I think it just kind of captures what this year has been about for us, turning this program around.”

Early on, things did not look good for the Lions as Pace took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After the rocky first, Lions junior starter Manny Delaosa settled in, allowing only one other run in five innings of work. Delaosa finished with seven strikeouts, while allowing only two earned runs. The Chaminade offense struck big in the third and fourth innings, with two runs to take the lead in the third, and then four runs to open up a 6-1 lead in the fourth. In the sixth, Chaminade would add on three additional runs, upping the score to 9-2. The Lions were aided on the night by a patient approach at the plate, which led to 12 walks from the Spartans pitching staff. Things became interesting in the late innings, with Pace scoring one run in the sixth, and then rallying in the seventh. The Spartans used a walk, an error, and a couple base hits to cut the lead to 9-6. reliever Gage Agate, however, was able to work out of the jam, inducing a flyout to center to end the game, and complete the upset. “We couldn’t ask anything more of our guys today,” said McCoy. “Manny did a great job against a very strong offense over there, and gage coming in and closing the game, was a great job by him. For Chaminade, McCoy’s squad delivered something the Lions haven’t experienced in 10 years.

“This was our first regional win since 2014,” said McCoy. “It was a lot of fun, and a good win. Now we have to get prepared for Saturday.”

The Lions, with the win, will move to the regional semifinal this weekend, and the opponent will only get tougher, as they travel to face the current HSBN Miami #2 team, Westminster Christian. For the Spartans, their season ends on a bitter note, with a record of 19-8. Pace won their first 11 games, but struggled down the stretch, going 8-8 in their last 16 games.