Douglas Captures Record Fifth Straight State Title
The Douglas Eagles have won the past four 7A state titles in many different ways, from strong pitching, to overpowering offenses. And in most years of the run, the Eagles were dominant.
Coming into the 2025 season, Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald was faced with the idea that the 2025 squad had a lot of questions to be answered. Many of his players had not played big roles in previous titles, and he was unsure what to expect from his team.
For the first time, Douglas looked vulnerable.
Sometimes, vulnerability can lead to greatness.
The 2025 Eagles completed a record-setting fifth straight state title run on Saturday, by defeating Jupiter 3-2, and in the process, became the most successful Eagles team of all-time, at 31-2. The win secured not only a state title, but positioned themselves for another possible national title.
“We spoke yesterday about how this team was different from past teams,” said Fitz-Gerald. “They played loose, sometimes too loose for my liking, but when it came time to get the job done, they stepped up. And now they become the team that created history for us.”
That history, five straight state titles, is something that no Florida team has ever done, in over 100 years of high school baseball. Erick Torres became one of only a few players in state history to win four state titles, and he summed up what it was like.
“The guys that came before us set the standard, and it was up to us to carry that standard on,” said Torres. “And now, it is up to us to pass that standard on to the next guys. It is a family here at Douglas, and we just continued to do what the players that came before us did.”
Of all their titles, this one was the one that was most in question. They ran into a Jupiter team that outhit the Eagles 10 to seven. For most of the game, it appeared that the defending champs were on the ropes, but like many champions, they reacted by coming up with the big hits and pitches, when the Warriors could not, and it led to the 3-2 win.
“That was a great baseball game today,” said Fitz-Gerald. “It could have gone either way, but we were able to make a big pitch here, come up with a big at-bat there, and in the end, these guys solidified themselves as one of the best teams to win a state title here during this run.”
In recent memory, only Archbishop McCarthy has come close to the success of a dominant run as the Eagles are on. The numbers Douglas have put up have been staggering.
Since 2021, Douglas has an overall record of 145-11. During that time, they have outscored their opponents 1199-269. It is a run of dominance that may never again be seen at the high school level.
“We talked yesterday about how special this is,” said Fitz-Gerald. “This has never been done before, and I don’t think it will ever be done again. We are just enjoying the process, and the family atmosphere that has been created. You look up into the stands, and there are a ton of alumni that come back year-after-year. There is a pride associated with what we have done, and everybody from the coaches, to players, to the school, has felt it, and has been a part of it.”
So what is next for the Eagles, well of course its a run for number six. Losing 14 seniors will again have the Eagles looking to reload, but they will have a big starting point with ace Gio Rojas again anchoring the staff in 2026.
Whatever the future brings, Douglas has already set themselves apart from the rest of their competition, and have set a standard that every high school program in the state will strive to become.
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