Douglas One Win From State History After Semifinal Victory

Douglas Semifinal Photo Gallery

2025 FHSAA 7A Semifinal Press Conference: Douglas

There comes a point with the Douglas Eagles when you can run out of superlatives to describe their team and program. Today, however, is not that day, as the current version of the program continued on Friday to write their own story in what has become a dynasty for the ages.

Douglas cruised to a 7A semifinal 5-0 win over Tampa Alonso behind the left arm of ace Gio Rojas. The junior continued to show why he is one of the top junior pitchers in the entire country, with a mesmerizing performance, a complete game, one hit, 15 strikeout masterpiece.

Rojas, who had an injury in 2024 that kept him off the mound in Fort Myers, relished the opportunity to get his first start at states.

“I felt good out there today,” said Rojas. “I obviously couldn’t be out there last year, so getting on the mound today was awesome. I knew what my job was, and I just went out and tried to execute each pitch.”

To say he executed with precision would be an understatement, as he completely dominated an Alonso lineup that had put up 18 runs in three game last week.

When asked about their approach coming into the game against Rojas, Ravens Manager Landy Faedo did not mince his words.

“Our approach was to just not strike out. Do everything possible to just put the ball in play. But even with that approach, it didn’t work out to well.”

In fairness to the Alonso hitters, that approach has not worked out to well for any teams in 2025, as Rojas had a county-leading 103 strikeouts in 59 innings coming into Friday. Rojas also led the county in ERA at 0.83, and wins, with 12.

“This is what he has done all season long for us,” said Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald. “You couldn’t ask for much more than what Gio gave us out there today.”

Offensively, the Eagles combined aggressive baserunning, with timely hitting, to give Rojas the five runs he needed. The offensive attack was spread throughout the lineup, with Erick Torres leading the way with two hits.

Jake Rizzo, Drew Freeman, Lorenzo Laurel, and Cade Raley all had RBIs for the Eagles, while Rojas, Freeman, Torres, Laurel, and Bennett Gary scored a run each.

The win moves this year’s Eagles into rare air during the team’s five year state Final Four run. They became the second team, joining the 2022 team, to reach 30 wins. With a win in the state final on Saturday, the 2025 team would officially become the most successful team in school history, with a 31-2 record.

That is something Fitz-Gerald, even with all his confidence, could not have predicted from a team that appeared to be his most vulnerable of the past five years. They came into the season having to replace many key parts from last year’s title run, and had the least experience of any team since their first title team back in 2021.

Additionally, this team has a personality that is much more flamboyant and loose than previous Eagles’ squads.

That loose personality could be a reason for this year’s success, which Fitz-Gerald pointed out.

“Sometimes they are too loose. But what they are is a close group. We weren’t sure what we were going to get out of them this year, but as a group, they have stepped up and risen to the challenge.”

That challenge now has only one game standing between Douglas and history. While Archbishop McCarthy has previously been to five straight state Final Fours, no team in the over-100 year existence of the FHSAA, has ever won five straight titles.

“They have a chance to do something very special tomorrow,” said Fitz-Gerald. “Something that has never been done, and I may be wrong, but something we may never see happen again.”

Standing in their way will be a familiar foe in Jupiter Manager Joe Giummule. The Warriors manager, who has taken his team all the way to the state championship game in his first year with the program, had been at Taravella the past six years.

The Trojans are a city rival of Douglas, and Fitz-Gerald and Giummule have squared off many times throughout the years, but never with a state championship, and history, at stake.

The 7A state title game between Jupiter and Douglas is set for today, at 5PM.

Leave a comment using your facebook account!