4A Semifinal Photo Gallery
4A Semifinal Press Conference: American Heritage
Defending champion American Heritage squared off on Tuesday against Bishop Moore in a 4A semifinal. After 10.5 innings of scoreless baseball, the Horneys broke through in the bottom of the 11th, to win 1-0, and move on to the state title game.
Coming into Tuesday’s 4A state semifinal between defending champion American Heritage, and Bishop Moore, the Patriots had to feel good about their chances.
They had their ace, Brady Snow, on the mound. Snow went 6-2 this season, with an ERA under one, and nearly 90 strikeouts. He has been as dominant as any pitcher in the state.
The Hornets countered with their ace, JT Costello.
The dream match up never materialized, however, as after the first inning, there was a weather delay of over two hours.
When play resumed, the hornets chose to send back out Costello, while Heritage Manager Bruce Aven went to his co-ace, Mason McGeehan.
“Had it been a short delay, we likely would have came back with Brady,” said Aven. “But as the delay went on, we have to think about more than just winning this game. He has a professional career in front of him, and we weren’t going to take any chances with that. If it was up to him, he would have taken the ball. He wanted the ball. But we didn’t feel good about that.”So McGeehan took the mound, and not much changed for the Patriots. He threw eight dominant, no-hit innings, striking out 11 Hornets along the way. “If I am being honest, that is what I expected from him,” said Aven. “He has been our 1A all season, so it was not surprising to see how he performed out there today. He wasn’t planning on pitching today, so to make that adjustment and do what he did, was impressive,” said Aven. While the Patriots were doing what they had done all year on the mound, the offense struggled to get anything going against Bishop Moore pitching. Heritage was only able to scatter three hits, and struck out 12 times on the afternoon. “Pitching and defense has been our winning formula all year,” said Aven. “We didn’t barrel a lot of balls up today. When you get to this position, you have to change the approach a bit, shoot some balls the other way. This stadium plays big, and especially with the wind how it was early, not many balls are getting out of here. We just weren’t able to make that adjustment.”
Neither team had much offense to speak of, as the Horneyts managed just two hits. The difference in the game was Bishop Moore’s ability to work eight walks.
In the 11th inning, after a flyout to start the inning. the Hornets worked three straight walks, and when Hayden Ramos was hit by a pitch, Bishop Moore was on to the championship game.
Heritage finished the season at 21-10, and they will now turn their attention to the 2027 season, one that will be challenging without Snow and McGeehan, who accounted for over half of the Patriots wins and innings this year.
“Obviously losing these two guys is a big deal, they have been great for us all year,” said Aven. “But we will get back to work and start preparing to make another run next season.”
7A State Championship Press Conference: Douglas
Douglas Championship Photo Gallery
It worked.
When the story of the 2026 Douglas Eagles baseball team is told for decades to come, the memories will play out like a Hollywood movie.
There was hard work, pitfalls on the field, heartbreaking moments off the field, perservearance, a re-connection three-quarters of the way through the season, and twist of a decision made in the final moments that will define not only a team, but a community.
Let’s start with the on-field results from Saturday’s 7A state championship game between the Eagles and Venice. Douglas took care of business behind a gem of a performance from ace Gio Rojas, defeating the Indians 2-1, and capturing their record 6th straight state title.
“We came together late in the season and decided that we were going to focus in on winning this title for ourselves, and for Coach Fitz,” said Rojas. “It has been a tough year, but we are champions again, and that was the goal coming into the season.”The on-field results, however, was only the ending to a story that has played out all season long. Way back in August, when the Eagles came together for the new season, the goal was simple. The standard was the standard, and the Eagles were chasing ring number six. Business as usual. Until it wasn’t. Right before Thanksgiving, Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald’s wife, Colleen, was diagnosed with a brain cancer diagnosis. The program was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, and the Douglas family came together, along with the community, to face what was ahead. Fund-raisers were held, practices were missed by Fitz-Gerald, as the family started the fight that would define not only the family character, but the character of an entire program and community, and ultimately, the 2026 Douglas baseball team’s season. As treatment began, so too did the new season. As a five-time defending champion, there is no time for pause, just a dedication to work hard on the field to escape what was taking place off it.
At first, it appeared the team may crumble under the pressure. After winning their first five games, the Eagles hit a stretch where they lost three of five games, two of which came at the hands of Columbus and West Broward, teams that Douglas had dominated in recent years. The Bobcats loss, in particular, was eye-opening, as the Bobcats beat Ruiz.
From there, the Eagles went on a soul searching mission. Was this the end of their historic run? Were the circumstances surrounding the season too much for even a perennial champion to overcome?
As the season headed past the halfway mark, Douglas went off to Vegas, and went 3-1 in a tournament in which their head coach did not travel with the team. Fitz-Gerald was busy back home, supporting Colleen through her cancer treatments.
The week after the Vegas trip, Douglas suffered a loss to Flanagan, again raising questions of whether their mental states were focused on the field.
And that is when a switch went off. Something changed. Hope was restored, and the Eagles caught fire.
They rolled off four straight wins to end the regular season, defeated Taravella and Western in back-to-back shutouts to win the district title, and then crushed Coral Gables in a regional quarterfinal shutout.
A 1-0 regional semifinal win over Southwest completed the team’s fourth straight playoff shutout, and when Douglas beat Southwest the next day, the Eagles were on to the regional finals.
West Broward gave the Eagles a fight, with the teams splitting the first two games, but Douglas prevailed with a 7-0 game three win, securing the regional title.
And that brings the story back to this week. On Monday, Douglas seniors, led by Lorenzo Laurel, marched into Fitz-Gerald’s office, and said they had a plan. But this wasn’t just any player plan, this one came equipped with data, and simulations played out by Chat GPT. A player led-AI movement.
The premise was simple. The seniors told Fitz-Gerald they wanted to hold ace Rojas back in the semifinals, and save him for a possible match up with the #1 ranked team in the country, Venice.
“Normally I would just kick them out of my office when they came to me with something like that,” said Fitz-Gerald. “But they did their homework, and were prepared with what they wanted, backed by data. So I asked them if that was what they really wanted, and they said yes. So we rode with it.”
The plan almost backfired Friday, as Hagerty gave the Eagles all they could handle in the semifinals. But these Eagles would not be denied. They were playing for something much bigger than a state title. They were all healing as a family, through baseball.
In the title game Saturday, the team showed how selflessness corrolates to winning and a winning culture. Laurel, who was ejected from the semifinal game, was thrust into a role of supporter, as he had to sit out the championship game.
Fitz-Gerald had traveled back and forth on both Friday and Saturday, to make sure he was back to help care for Colleen each night after the games.
And Rojas, a player who is projected to be a Top 10 pick in the upcoming MLB draft, was facing a situation in the first inning, where most players of his caliber would have shot for the stars.
Rojas came up with runners on first and third and one out. As the four-hole hitter, nobody would have blinked an eye had Rojas swung for the fences.
But what he did, exemplified everything about this Douglas team and season.
Rojas dropped a perfect bunt for a base hit, between the pitcher and first baseman.
“I was just thinking, they won’t be expecting that, because I am the clean-up hitter,” said Rojas. “We needed that first run to get the lead. We knew there wouldn’t be much scoring in the game, so I felt it was important to get that first run.”The game remained 1-0 until Douglas added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, and it ended up being as important as any run the Eagles scored all season. In the bottom of the seventh, Douglas had to pull Rojas with two outs. And Venice sophomore RJ Shields promptly launched a solo home run to right, cutting the lead to 2-1. Reliever Ben Bianchi then settled in and struck out the final Indian batter, giving the Eagles their sixth straight title. The tears flowed. For a title won. For history that was made. For the feelings of watching some of the closest people to the program, getting some joy in a stressful year. And for the camaraderie of overcoming odds that seemed unsurmountable at times. “What these kids went through this season, and how they showed up to face every challenge, it is just special,” Fitz-Gerald said. “It is kids like this that have followed a culture set before them. It is a culture of compassion, hard work, dedication, and a sense of family. There is none other like it, and it is the reason this program keeps ending up in these situations. I could not have asked for anything more than these players gave.”
So the story of the 2026 Eagles comes to a close, champions again, as the return to a bigger battle continues for Fitz-Gerald and his family. But even in that battle, Colleen had a message from back home to the Eagles family:
“I am so touched by all the support in the community and thankful that so many have respected and supported our family during this time. I am going to beat this!!!”The Eagles manager delivered a similar message late Saturday night. “I have been a longtime Coral Springs resident, since 1979. I am so grateful, can’t even put into words, what it has meant to have the support of this community, the school, the parents and players in the program, longtime, and new friends, that have come together. I can’t describe how we feel as a family, it is overwhelming. One day, I will pay it forward. God is good.”
The 2026 Class 6A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders.
“We have been saying all season, last year’s team is last year’s team, and this year’s team, is this year’s team,” said Wardlow. “They are two completely different teams, with different personalities and styles. But together, they have done something special, that has never been done before in school history. I am proud of what this team this year has accomplished.”The Raiders spent most of the playoffs coming from behind in miraculous fashion. They had to grind out wins in game three of both the regional semifinals against West Boca, and the regional finals over Southridge. That left what happened this weekend as a walk in the park. St. Thomas had the lead all the way through in their 4-1 state semifinal win over Land O’Lakes. In the title game, they erased an early 1-0 Bobcats lead, bys scoring two in the top of the fourth, one in the sixth, and then two more in the seventh, en route to the 5-1 win.
“We had enough drama in the regional playoffs,” said Wardlow. “It was nice to come up here and play with the lead for a lot of the time. We faced some good competition up here, but our guys stayed focused, and we played good baseball. It is always an honor to represent St. Thomas, and to bring back a title to the school is special.”
On Saturday, senior Joey Hendren took the ball, and he was lights out all day long. Mixing his pitches, and keeping the Bobcats hitters off balance, Hendren finished with five innings of two-hit ball, allowing only one run, while striking out three.
“We knew it was going to be a battle today, and I have such a good defense behind me, I had to just throw strikes and stay ahead of batters,” said Hendren.Brady Gollan threw the final two innings for the Raiders, giving up no hits, and securing the title. Offensively, Mauricio Clement starred from the bottom of the order. Clement went 2-for-3, with three RBI. He had several big hits throughout the game.
“We had a game early in the season where we were down eight runs in the sixth, and Mauricio had three RBI in that comeback,” said Wardlow. “He has had some big at bats all season long, and became someone we can rely on. For a sophomore to come up here and do what he has done, and what he has done throughout the year, is exciting to see.”
Hayden Robinson and Jake Carruthers had two hits eaxch for St. Thomas in the title game. Brady Buxbaum had a hit and an RBI, which came in the seventh, to take the game from 3-1 to 4-1.
“That hit came at a big moment for us,” said Wardlow. “Getting those two insurance runs in the seventh made the last inning not as stressful.”St. Thomas finishes the season at 28-6, the second straight season they have finished with more than 28 wins. The state title was the Raiders fifth in school history. They have now won back-to-back championships, and three in the past nine years.
“They did it for my wife,” Coach Fitz-Gerald said. “That’s all I can tell you is that it has been a tumultuous year, it has been a rough year for all of us. We’re playing for her, and I just couldn’t be happier. Another mom is going through it as well, and these guys are just so tight and pulling for each other and fighting for each other. I’m proud of the resiliency that they showed tonight, and the intestinal fortitude.”The Eagles (27-6) survive and advance to the state championship with a chance at an unprecedented sixth straight title, in a showdown against the top-ranked Venice Indians (32-1). They will now have their ace, Gio Rojas, ready to go in the marquee showdown, which was what the team wanted and asked for. The players backed, and even promoted, the decision to save Rojas, in the relentless charge to win this semifinal battle, and prove that you have to get past all of the Eagles if you want to dethrone them, no matter who is on the mound. The Douglas family tree has many members. To see the guys who stepped up and played the heroes turns this night into a very special chapter in this historic odyssey the team remains upon in chasing title after title. “They love their coach,” Fitz-Gerald said. “My wife is fighting hard, and I am sure she is jumping up and down in the chair because we just walked it off. I wish she was here with us, but she watched the game at home. Now we’ve got another tomorrow.”
So many players shined in their chances, while Jackson Taylor led the charge. By delivering the winner he already did enough, but his overall performance is a testament of his love for his team and his coach.
“I did everything that I could for my team to the best of my ability, just trying to win for my team,” Taylor said. “I’ve never been here before and this is my first time at states, and I was just doing this for my team and for Fitz, and for everyone here who came out to see me and the team. It’s hard to put into words how amazing it feels to do this for the team. I believe in my team more than anybody else in this world.”
Taylor was 3-for-4 overall, first delivering an RBI single with the bases loaded in the second, while also coming up clutch to tie the game at 8-8 with an RBI single that plated Sean Torres in the bottom of the fifth.
“Coach Fitz was in the hospital room when I was born, being my dad’s best friend,” Taylor said. “Being able to play for him, and being able to do this for him, and keep our team going at states for a six-peat just feels incredible. I never thought that I’d be doing anything like this.”When news got around that Gio Rojas wasn’t going to start, there were others that also thought the Eagles would never accomplish anything like this. To go into battle with your season on the line, you want to have your best. But the Eagles have always gotten here by everyone being their best, when their best was being called upon, from Kyle Shay to Santiago Ordonez to Cayden Freels to Tyler Stertzbach. The players knew it was dangerous to face a tough team like Hagerty without their ace on the mound, but the reward would be to have him ready to go in the title game against the number one ranked team in the entire country. “Sometimes you’ve got to roll the dice and sometimes you’ve got to take chances,” Fitz-Gerald said. “I’ve always been a little bit of a risk taker, and I couldn’t be happier for all of them. I’m so proud of these guys.”
Things did not follow the desired plan at the start, as the Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning that provided plenty of fuel for any doubters still questioning the big decision. Although the Huskies likely had not game-planned for Eagles starter Reid Dadic, they managed to get the bats going right away.
Nate Rhodes walked and Isaias Torres reached on an outfield error that allowed Rhodes to race around the bags and score on. Aiden Kearney then lined an 0-2 pitch to center for an RBI single, and Shaurya Bhosale followed with an RBI double down the right field line.
Rather than get down, Coach Fitz-Gerald and the staff continued to believe in the guys.
“In the first inning, if we catch a fly ball than maybe it’s a ten-pitch inning and it’s a different story and they don’t score three,” Fitz-Gerald lamented. “But I didn’t say a word to him about it, and later he got a great bunt down for us to get the bases loaded and answer back. You’ve just got to make the kids feel relaxed in that situation.”Dadic settled down and delivered a 1-2-3 second inning, aided by a 4-6-3 double play turned by the defense. The Eagles then went to work in the bottom of the frame to rally for the lead in this tug-of-war battle. Lorenzo Laurel was hit by a pitch, Dadic walked and gave way to courtesy-runner Brody Gargiulo and Angel Rodriguez loaded the bases with an infield single. Matthew Toback got the Eagles on the scoreboard with an RBI single to first that left the bat at 102 miles per hour. The runs kept coming. Taylor next got his big day started by plating Gargiulo on a base hit to left, Rodriguez and Toback both scored on consecutive errors, and Randy Ruiz made it 5-3 with an RBI ground out that scored courtesy-runner Sean Torres. But Hagerty did not wait long to respond, jumping back in front with four runs in the top of the third. Jalin Copeland walked, Rhodes singled to left and Torres followed with an RBI base hit to right. Kearney next had a single to right that filled up all the bases with Huskies.
Douglas went to the bullpen there, bringing sophomore right-hander Tyler Stertzbach into the high-pressure situation. Bhosale then jumped on the first pitch and crushed it deep to center field, resulting in a bases-clearing RBI triple that moved Hagerty back ahead with a 7-5 advantage.
Despite the unfriendly greeting, Tyler Stertzbach was unfazed. He settled in quickly and went to work, and he saved the rest of his bullpen by taking the ball the rest of the way.
“He can really pitch,” Fitz-Gerald said. “They ambushed a heater, and we probably should have thrown a slider there. That’s his best pitch. But he hung in there, and he came to me in the fifth inning and said he was not coming out of there and that he’s got it. I believe in him, so go get it and let’s go win this thing.”
Once again, that family connection held strong. Tyler is the son of Eagles Assistant Coach Von Stertzbach. Stertzbach rung the cowbell for five full innings to finish the game, allowing one earned run on seven scattered hits and a walk, while he piled up a career-best eight strikeouts.
“It was great, just amazing,” Stertzbach said of the opportunity he was trusted to deliver. “The defense behind me was incredible, and I don’t think they had an error all game. I had full trust in my teammates the whole time to try and get that job done, and we did. Coach Fitz is like my second father, and I’ve known him forever. He’s taught me the game and the ups and downs, and I love him. He’s got trust in me and I’ve got trust in him, so whatever goes with him it goes with me.”Douglas got one back in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to an RBI double from Ruiz that drove in Jake Rizzo. Hagerty quickly answered back when Carlos Cruz lined an RBI single to left to plate Colton Beams for an 8-6 lead in the fifth. Yet here came the Eagles yet again. Laurel walked and Toback singled for runners on the corners in the fifth, before a wild pitch allowed Laurel to score and Toback to advance into scoring position for the hot-hitting Taylor. He wasted no time in jumping on the next pitch for a game-tying RBI single. After Stertzbach held the line with two more scoreless frames of relief work, the Eagles capitalized on their final chances to walk it off and set up the Primetime match up against the Indians. Elorriaga worked a one-out walk, advanced to second on a 5-3 ground out from Toback, and then scored the winning run when Taylor delivered one final time. Now at last, Douglas can focus on the next task in taking on a Venice team that is as dangerous and challenging as any in the nation. History will happen, one way or the other. But for those few precious hours the game will cancel everything else around it, the rest of the universe outside of that diamond seeming to no longer exist.
“It’s the number one team in the country and we’re the underdog. We embrace it,” Fitz-Gerald said. “We were the underdog all year and everybody said we were done, and it just goes to show you the culture and standard of the program.”
6A Semifinal Photo Gallery: St. Thomas vs. Land O’Lakes
6A Semifinal Press Conference: St. Thomas
Friday afternoon had to feel a little awkward for the St. Thomas baseball family. The past few weeks have been filled with roller coaster-type games, as the defending 6A champions had to come back late in both the regional semifinals game three, and the regional finals game three, to advance back to Fort Myers for the second straight season.
Everyone that has followed the Raiders journey, just assumed that the state semifinal against Land O’Lakes would provide similar drama.
That was not the case, however, as St. Thomas took an early 3-0 lead, then cruised to a 4-1 win over the Gators, ensuring the chance for the Raiders to do something no St. Thomas team has ever done. Win back to back state titles.
“We were up here last year, and won, but we made sure early on to recognize that last year was last year, and that this year was a new team and a new opportunity,” said St. Thomas Manager Joey Wardlow. “After all the come from behind wins throughout these playoffs, it was nice to get a lead and then have that lead hold up all game.”
One of the reasons that lead held up all game was the performance of Julian Diaz. The senior went the distance, allowing only three hits and one unearned run, while striking out five.
“It was nice to get those three runs early. It allowed me to settle in and just pitch my game,” said Diaz. “And the defense behind me is always strong.”
One of those defensive gems happened in the third inning. With St. Thomas up 3-1, and the Gators rallying for the first time in the game, Brody Marks drilled a ball that appeared to be going up the middle for a base hit. The ball hit Diaz, and bounced towards second base, where Raiders shortstop Jaden Doverspike was covering the bag with the runner from first stealing on the hit-and-run attempt.
Doverspike cut the ball off, quickly stepped on second, and completed the double play, ending the threat.
“That play by Doverspike was outstanding,” said Wardlow. “That was a time in the game where they had a little momentum, and that play brought the momentum back to us.”The game stayed 3-1 into the fifth, and with tensions running high, Brady Buxbaum delivered the hit that would let the Raiders faithful exhale. Buxbaum drove a double to center, scoring Nico Sabatino, and extending the lead to 4-1. “That was a great at-bat,” said Wardlow. “And they were playing their outfield in a bit, so he reeally had to get into it to get it by them in that situation. It was an insurance run that was needed at the time.” From there, Diaz was able to close out the Gators over the final two innings. The game may have been closer had it not been for the three runs in the Raiders first. St. Thomas scored three runs, on just one hit, a two-run double from Hayden Robinson. “Getting that lead allowed us to settle into the game,” said Wardlow. “We have had so many games that have been wild, and these guys have always come up with the big hits when we needed them. Today, we just got those hits earlier, which gave us a lead.”
Now, St. Thomas will try to do something no Raiders baseball team has ever done, win back-to-back state titles.
“These guys are really close, and it is such a family. Every year is different, and these guys are writing their own history. We had a goal coming into the year, and we have one game left to complete that goal,” said Wardlow.The title game will be at 2PM today, as the Raiders will take on Bucholtz, who defeated Martin County 3-2, in Friday’s first semifinal.
3A Championship Game Photo Gallery
There can only be one champion. Each year, dozens of teams compete across four Florida regions, to become a state champion. At the end, only one can win their final game of the season.
That is unfortunate, considering the performance that South Walton and North Broward Prep treated fans to in Thursaday’s 3A state final championship game.
The Seahawks won the thriller 6-5, in walk-off fashion, capturing the first state title in school history.
“We have a lot of respect for Coach Brian Campbell and his team at North Broward Prep,” said South Walton Manager Nick Borthwick. “He does a great job, and when I look at them, they are a first-class operation. Much respect. They have some outstanding hitters and they were very talented offensively.”
While South Walton was crowned the champions, North Broward Prep showed that they had a heart of a champion.
The Eagles came back from down 4-0, and 5-1 deficits, to tie the game at five with three runs in the top of the seventh, before a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Hudson Quinn won the game in the bottom of the inning.
“I can’t say enough of how this team performed not only today, but all season long,” said Eagles Manager Brian Campbell. “They have a very good team over there at South Walton, and they deserved to win. They played an excellent game. Our guys are pretty good also, and tonight they battled all game long, to put us in a position to possibly win the game at the end.”
NBP had a daunting task offensively, as they faced off against the Seahwaks Denton Lord. The senior started the game strong, with his mid-90’s fastball, mixing with several effective off-speed pitches. He shut the Eagles out through the first three innings.
South Walton managed to plate four in their half of the third off Eagles starter Zachary Tavarez.
“There were some pitches there in the third where my arm angle just wasn’t where it should have been, and locating pitches was a bit of a problem,” said Tavarez. “It wasn’t the performance I was looking for tonight.”Down 4-0, NBP started clawing away at the lead. They scored single runs in the fourth and sixth, and had several opportunities with runners on base. The Eagles biggest threat came in the fourth inning, when they pieced together a triple from Alex Smith, an RBI base hit off the bat of Julian Rodriguez, and a Marcus Hall single. Tavarez hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, that Lord threw wide of first, pulling the first baseman off the bag, and loading the bases for the Eagles. At least that is how it appeared to most in attendance. South Walton Manager Nick Borthwick asked the first base umpire to ask for help on the call he had made, and when the umps huddled up, the home playe umpire changed the call, saying the first baseman had stayed on the bag. “That was a tough one,” said Campbell. “An umpire that was 90 feet away from the play, overruled an umpire that was six feet from the play.”
It was one of several calls that went against the Eagles on the night.
With the odds against them, and facing an MLB prospect that was on cruise control, NBP showed their championship pedigree in the seventh. Tavarez singled to lead off the inning, and Adrian Rodriguez had a base hit that suddenly brough the tying run to the plate.
A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and a Gabriel Coupet single, suddenly closed the deficit to 5-4. A stolen base by Coupet, and a Caden Coleman single suddenly tied the game at five.
A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Alejandro Cabral moved Coleman to scoring position with one out. An intentional walk, a strikeout, and a hit by pitch, loaded the bases with two outs.
Seahawks reliever Parker Granse, however, did what he did just a day earlier in the semifinal, and put out the fire with a strikeout.
So how did the Eagles offense finally solve Lord, and tie the game?
“We have a lot of confidence in our lineup, and after seeing him (Lord) a couple times earlier in the game, we were able to make some adjustments,” said Smith. “It was a tough loss today, but we are going to take this feeling and make sure we come back next year, get bigger, stronger, faster, and finish the job.”Tavarez agreed. “This feeling, I am going to keep it with me every day until next season. We are going to work hard, and we are going to be hungry to get back here again, and have a different outcome than today.”
“It’s where you want to be, right? It’s a really good baseball team and we’re looking forward to the challenge,” North Broward Manager Brian Campbell said. “To get here and earn another chance to play for a state championship is special and we’re really looking forward to it.”They head into that game coming off a near-perfect performance in Wednesday’s semifinal. The Eagles collected seven hits and got contributions all up and down the lineup, Rostock delivered another gem and the defense played high-caliber, error-free baseball. “If we play defense and we pitch, we have a chance to win the game. We work really hard at it,” Campbell said. “We ran ourselves into a couple of bad spots on the base paths, but other than that I thought it was a pretty clean baseball game. Jack Rostock was amazing on the mound, and he was able to let everybody relax once we got the lead, because he was pretty dominant out there. I’m super proud of the team.”
Rostock was exceptional. The senior right-hander mowed down the Raiders with precision, needing just 80 pitches to go the full seven innings to earn the complete-game shutout. He scattered four hits and hit one batter, but did not issue any walks. Rostock had just three strikeouts, as he filled up the zone and enticed the Raiders to swing away and challenge his defense.
“Our defense was very good,” Rostock said. “I didn’t have as many strikeouts as I envisioned, but I put the ball exactly where I wanted it and I threw strikes. I played my game and my defense was there to back me up numerous amounts of time. I’m able to trust my defense, especially with runners on in a very critical game in very critical situations. Plus, every time I looked up at the scoreboard I saw the runs and that we had the lead.”North Broward got on the scoreboard to take control right away in the bottom of the first inning, quickly positioning itself in the driver’s seat to victory with a lead it never relinquished. Alejandro Cabral smacked a double to left and then scored on an RBI single from Julian Rodriguez that plated the deciding run.
North Broward steadily added more insurance to its total, scoring in each of the next two frames and adding one final run in the fifth. Gabriel Coupet drove in Anthony Diaz with an RBI double in the second, Alex Smith scored off a sac-fly RBI on a liner to left from Nico Di Bella in the third and Smith drove in Caden Coleman with a sac-fly RBI in the fifth.
While it takes runs to score and win games, the way the North Broward Prep defense performed all night was even more impacting in keeping the Raiders from generating any momentum. The Eagles defense was incredibly disciplined and smooth, making tough plays look routine, communicating effectively to make the right decisions with the baseball, while playing error-free baseball even though nearly every out came from a ball put into play.
“They talk and communicate, and they are together,” Campbell said. “It’s fun to watch and I’m super proud to be a part of it.”Rostock agreed that pitching with the lead gives him so much more confidence. He fearlessly attacked the zone to keep throwing strikes and give the Raiders pitches to hit. “I was just pounding the zone and throwing strikes, letting me defense work. That’s exactly what happened tonight,” Rostock said. “I’m so proud of my boys. It was unreal defense and an unreal way to end it tonight, but we still have one more to go tomorrow.”
Douglas advanced to the 7A State Final Four on Saturday, winning Game three of a hard-fought series with West Broward, 7-0, to take the three game series 2-1.
That is the easy part of this story. Because Douglas is used to winning these games at this moment. They have now won six straight regional titles, and is set to defend their record, five straight state titles.
So how did they get here in 2026? Now, that is the part that shows just how special this program has become.
Over the years, there has been a lot thrown at the Douglas Eagles, as they have built their baseball empire.
Their playoff runs have been filled with dramatic comebacks, funny bounces, dominant performances at times, and an overall resolve to get through anything that has come their way.
This season, the Eagles were faced with the ultimate task, of navigating through their Manager, Todd Fitz-Gerald, being away from the team throughout the season, to be with his wife, Colleen, who is battling a Brain Cancer diagnosis.
And while the Eagles family, along with the entire community, has rallied around the Fitz-Gerald’s, it took the team some time for the team to deal with the emotions of the situation, and come together and gel on the field.
Wat back in February, in their first game of the preseason, the Eagles tied West Broward 5-5.
Then, in late February, the teams faced off again in the BCAA tournament. The Bobcats won the game 9-5, delivering one of the few times that Eagles ace Gio Rojas has been hit hard.
Fast-forward to the regional final match up between the two teams that started Friday, and the momentum was set for West Broward to finally get over the Eagles barrier that has kept them from states several times over the past five years.
Friday night, Rojas got his revenge, delivering a complete game, five-hit performance, striking out 10, and allowing only one unearned run.
The Eagles offense turned the tide from their early season game, as they defeated West Broward ace Ivan Sabater, in a similar fashion that the Bobcats had handled Rojas in the first match up.
West Broward fought back in game two. After falling behind 6-1 in the third, the Bobcats showed how much they had grown through the year, by scoring 11 straight runs, eight in the fourth, and three in the sixth, eventually winning 12-7.
Game three, however, was all Douglas, as Drew Boivan and Tyler Stertzbach combined on a three hit shutout, as the Eagles won the game 7-0.
Cade Raley had two RBIs, while Jake Rizzo and Lorenzo Laurel had two hits each in the game.
The win sends Douglas back to Fort Myers, where one of the toughest Final Fours they have faced, awaits. Vero Beach, a program Douglas defeated back in the 2024 state semifinals, will be up first.
The other two teams in the finals are Hagerty, and Venice, the team currently ranked #1 in many national polls.
Despite the tough road, Douglas will be ready, and battle-tested, both on the field, and mentally.
Fitz-Gerald spoke earlier in the year, and then again this past week, about what this team and moment has meant to him.
“I find myself grateful every day that I get to wake up next to my wife,” said Fitz-Gerald. “And these guys have been through a lot, with their coach not being out there every day. I am proud of how they have responded and come together as a team, and am grateful for everyone in the community that has helped out through this entire year.”Douglas (7A) joins an impressive group of defending champions that have earned a trip back to states this year. Holmes County (Rural), Miami Springs (3A), American Heritage 4A, Mater Academy (5A), and St. Thomas Aquinas (6A), all also won their regional championships to defend their crowns. The other two champs from a season ago both fell in game threes on Saturday, coming just short of an unprecedented return of every defending champion.
The ultimate goal is to win a state championship. But it takes a regional title first in order to get to the state tournament and give yourself that chance, and in a showdown such as this, that regional crown is just as special as the trophy at the very end.
In the pivotal third game on Saturday, the North Broward Prep Eagles slugged their way to a narrow, 8-7 win over the Calvary Christian Clearwater Warriors to win the series and become the victors of Region 3A-3.
The Eagles (24-7) advance to the state tournament for the first time since the 2024 season in which they won their third state championship. They also answer back in this rivalry series with the Warriors (28-3), who swept them in the same round last season and also defeated North Broward Prep in the 2023 state final. As two of the top powerhouses in Class 3A the past several years, these match-ups have lived up to the high billing, and this regional final series was no different.
“It was really, really difficult situation, but the boys, they dug down and found it and persevered,” North Broward Prep Manager Brian Campbell said. “It was a great series win by our team against a really, really tough opponent in Calvary Christian Clearwater. It was a three-game series that went all three games.”North Broward jumped in the driver’s seat by taking the opening game with a 3-0 shutout, giving the Warriors only their second loss all year. But Calvary Christian avoided elimination by taking the second game, as the Warriors rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning for the comeback victory. It was North Broward’s first loss in the playoffs, and also snapped an eight-game winning streak. With the season now on the line for both sides in the rubber match, the Eagles stormed out of the gate to take control right away. North Broward took a 5-1 lead after two innings, powered by a lead-off solo home run from Caden Coleman to start the game and a three-run blast from Julian Rodriguez in the second.
But after Calvary rallied back within a run to make it a 5-4 game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles responded with three more runs in the sixth that were the difference. Julian Lopez had a two-RBI double and Zachary Tavarez plated the deciding run with an RBI on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded.
Reliever Anthony Diaz worked his way through some traffic on the bases to close out the final inning and preserve the victory that rewards his team with the goal they have set their sights on all season long.
“We battled through some injuries and played really good teams. So we’re looking forward to a couple of days of rest, and then we’re looking forward to getting back to Fort Myers,” Campbell said.
The champs are back!
With a 9-6 victory over the Somerset Academy Panthers on Saturday, the American Heritage Patriots completed the series sweep to win the Class 4A-4 regional championship. The 2025 Class 4A state champions have now punched their ticket back to Fort Myers, with the chance to defend their title while chasing after their fifth state championship in program history.
Heritage has also never won back-to-back state championships before.
American Heritage (21-9) joins an impressive group of defending champions that have earned a trip back to states this year. Holmes County (Rural), Miami Springs (3A), Mater Academy (5A), St. Thomas Aquinas (6A) and Douglas (7A) all also won their regional championships to defend their crowns. The other two champs from a season ago both fell in game threes on Saturday, coming just short of an unprecedented return of every defending champion.
The American Heritage Patriots dogpile after winning the 2025 Class 4A state championship. Will the Patriots do it again this season?
The Eagles and Bobcats are linking up again in the playoffs, this time in a regional final. We sat down with Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald to preview this weekends match up.
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7A Regional Final Preview: Douglas vs. West Broward
Archbishop McCarthy will travel to face the defending 5A state champion Lions this weekend. We sat down with Mater Manager Humberto Bencomo to preview the regional final match up.
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5A Regional Final Preview: Archbishop McCarthy vs. Mater Academy
The Panthers and Patriots will square off in a crosstown affair this weekend, with a trip to Fort Myers on the line. We sat down with Somerset Manager Juan Mora to preview the match up.
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4A Regional Final Preview: Somerset Academy vs. American Heritage
It is a battle of two of the top teams in the region for a shot to go to Fort Myers. We sat down with Lions Manager Jerry Albert to preview the regional finals match up.
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2A Regional Final Preview: Chaminade-Madonna vs. True North
Southridge has been one of the best teams in Miami all year, and they will face off with defending state champion St. Thomas. HSBN sat down with Spartans Manager Manny Ojeda to preview the match up.
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6A Regional Final Preview: St. Thomas vs. Southridge
When the FHSAA, and the powers that be, drew up this years plan for the regional playoffs, it stands to reason that series’ that West Boca and St. Thomas just played, capped by games within those series’ like the one that occured Saturday night, were exactly what they had in mind.
After the Raiders won Friday, and the Bulls Saturday, both with strong pitching performances, things went haywire Saturday night.
The teams combined to use 11 pitchers, score 29 runs, and put on a thrilling show for all in attendance. In the end, a Nico Sabatino two-RBI double closed out a wild series, with the defending champion Raiders winning 15-14, and advancing to the regional finals.
“The heart that our guys showed tonight was special,” said St. Thomas Manager Joey Wardlow. “I am proud of the way they kept battling. They never quit, even when we were behind late.”So how exactly did this series play out? On Friday, Julian Diaz went six innings on the mound, allowing two runs, while striking out eight. Brady Buxbaum hit two home runs, and had three RBIs. Kaio Ramos had two hits and two runs, and Mauricio Clement added two RBIs, as the Raiders took game one. In the first game Saturday, West Boca answered back, with Max McDougall throwing six shutout innings, allowing only two hits. Pierce Weyland went 3-for-3 in the game, with a home run, and all five RBIs in the 5-0 Bulls win. That set the stage for the wildest game of the weekend. Early in game three, it appeared that St. Thomas was going to show they were the better, and deeper team, scoring six runs in the first three innings, building a 6-1 lead. After a scoreless fourth inning, the fireworks started in the fifth. West Boca sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs, and taking an 8-6 lead. The Raiders immediately answered with four of their own in the fifth, re-taking the lead at 11-8. West Boca, however, wasn’t done. After their seven run fifth, the Bulls put up another six runs in the sixth, going back on top 14-10. St. Thomas cut the lead in half with two runs in their half of the sixth. That set up possibly the biggest moment of the game. With both teams pitching struggling, Buxbaum came on and gave the Raiders a shutout inning in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, a groundout, and singles by Trace Zalman and Matthew Conger, put runners on first and second. Jaden Doverspike, who went 4-for-6 on the day, delivered one of those four hits, to cut the lead to 14-13. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Nico Sabatino stepped to the plate, and after working a 2-2 count, hit the game-winning, two RBI double, securing the 15-14 Raiders win.
“All year long, if we get in a situation in a game where Nico Sabatino can win a game for us, we are all confidsent that he will get it done,” said Wardlow.The win ensures that St. Thomas will be at home next week, when they face one of the top teams in Miami, Southridge, with an opportunity to go to the state final four on the line.
“McKeel is a heck of a team. They came out swinging the bats from the jump Friday night and really pushed us, and thankfully we were able to answer,” North Broward Prep Manager Brian Campbell said. “So it’s a great team win for the series, and we’re looking forward to whoever we play in the regional final.”The Eagles were held scoreless through the first five frames by Wildcats starter Rhett Dion. They finally got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the sixth, before the offense came to life in the seventh to erupt for six runs that swung them out in front with a comfortable advantage.
“We were down 4-0 going into the sixth, and got a little life from a two-out hit from Marcus Hall,” Campbell said. “That put us on the board, and then we kind of opened it up in the seventh. We had a homer from Caden Coleman and added on a little bit from there.”Alejandro Cabral singled and Alex Smith walked to put some ducks on the pond in the sixth. Marcus Hall delivered with a two-RBI single to right field to pull within 4-2. Gabriel Coupet had an RBI single that drove in Zachary Tavarez to get it going again in the seventh, and then Coleman delivered a three-run blast that gave the Eagles the lead. Cabral kept it going with a double, next scoring thanks to an RBI single from Smith. Fittingly, it was Hall who then capped it off with an RBI single that plated Smith.
Whwen we reach this point in the season, it is common for the teams remaining to have dealt with some type of adversity throughout the year. Archbishop McCarthy is one of those such teams.
After losing Manager Mike Fiers to a yearlong suspension, the Mavericks have had to make adjustments as Fiers’ staff took over for the rest of this year.
This weekend, McCarthy players continued to respond. After falling behind 1-0 on Friday in their regional semifinal series, the Mavericks came out Saturday with renewed focus, and swept games two and three by a combined score of 20-4, advancing to the 5A regional finals next weekend.
“The first game, our guys came out and set the tone for the day,” said Mavericks Coach Josh Shapiro. “An outstanding pitching performance from Felipe (Benitez), Cole (Ivey), and Androckles (Larsen), allowing only one run. We needed that type of game, since we came in today down a game in the series.”While the pitchers were doing their part, McCarthy hitters also made sure early that there would be a third game. The Mavs scored seven runs in the first three innings to lock away the game. Joey Shapiro was 2-for-2, with three runs and two RBIs. Nestor Herrera added three hits, three runs, and two RBIs, while Robert Kerns had two hits. The second game script was similar, with Derek Winchester throwing six innings, allowing only two unearned runs. The offense, hoiwever, took a while to get going. Heading into the bottom of the fourth, McCarthy trailed 2-1. Over the next three innings, they would score eight runs, and put the game out of reach. Shapiro had three RBIs on the game, and Kerns contributed two hits to the 10-hit barrage. “It was nice to see how the boys came out and played today,” said Shapiro. “We had some big individual performances, but as a team, they played really well. They played with the urgency needed in a short, three game series.” With the series behind them, the Mavs will turn their attention to preparing for next week’s regional finals opponent, defending 5A state champion Mater Academy. McCarthy knows they will have their hands full with that match up.
“We look forward to the challenge of next week, and we are going to prepare the same way, and hopefully we play with the same focus and execution that we showed today,” said Shapiro.Mater will host the games, with game one being on Friday night, and games two and three on Saturday.
Coming into their 2A regional semifinal match up, Chaminade-Madonna and St. John Paul had some off-field drama that had the potential to be a distraction.
After working through the process of gamesmanship regarding start times for the games in the series, the two teams finally laced up and played on Friday.
The results on the field all went the Lions way, as they played nearly flawless baseball for two straight games, and secured the regional semifinal series win, defeating St. John Paul 13-0 and 10-0.
“There was a little bit of noise throughout the week, some peripheral things going on,” said Lions Manager Jerry Albert. “But our kids were able to follow our lead, quiet the noise, take a total business-like approach to go up there, take care of business, execute our game, and come out on top.”The “outside noise” began when the two teams attempted to agree on a game time for Friday’s game. The Eagles had prom on Friday night, and requested to play the game early in the day Friday. The Lions were concerned about their players missing school, and pushed for a later start. Eventually, the two teams agreed on a 2:30 game time. When the game began, Chmainade ace Spencer Krasner made sure to instantly squash all the outside talk, and threw six shutout innings, allowing only three hits. Krasner struck out 11. Offensively, the Lions scored in six of their seven innings, putting up seven runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Joshua Wright, Chase Potter, and Dylan Goris all had two hits for Chaminade. AJ Vargas had two RBIs. The offense received RBIs from eight different hitters in the lineup. “What I am most proud about is that the approach of our kids was outstanding,” said Albert. “Spencer was tremendous yesterday to set the tone for the weekend, and then Santi was equally as impressive today,” The “Santi” that Albert was referring to was Saturday’s starting pitcher Santiago Arismendi. The senior threw a five-inning complete game, matching the zeroes Krasner and reliever Ryan Galinis put up the day before. The offense also brought back their best, with Saturday’s performance being even more impressive, as it came against St. John ace Jack Wilhoit. Seven of nine in the lineups had hits, led by Potter, who went 3-for-3, with two runs and three RBIs.
“To come on the road and play with the focus they did this weekend, is all you can ask from your guys as a coach,” said Albert. “I am hoping we have a good week of practice, and we can carry this focus and momentum into next weekend.”With the win, the Lions will now face True North in the 2A regional finals. The teams have not met since last season, when Krasner threw five innings, and the Lions defeated the Titans 5-3.
The Mavericks and Jaguars are separated by only a few miles, and this weekend they will face off in a crosstown regional semifinal. HSBN sat down with both coaches to discuss the match-up.
Enjoy!
5A Regional Semifinal Preview: Pines Charter vs. Archbishop McCarthy
Five-time defending state champion Douglas hosts Southwest this weekend. We sat down with HSBN Hall of Fame Manager’s Todd Fitz-Gerald and Mandy Pelaez to discuss the pivotal semifinal match-up.
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7A Regional Semifinal Preview: Douglas vs. Southwest
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