Panthers Manager Robbie Conver has improved his teams record in each of his first three seasons, and 2026 is the year Pine Crest is looking to take that next step, and make a run at Fort Myers.
Find out what Conver and his team leaders had to say about the upcoming season. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Pine Crest
Manager Juan Mora and his Panthers squad have had some shining moments in the two years he has been at the helm, and are looking for more consistency in the upcoming season.
Mora and his team leaders sat down at HSBN Media Day to discuss their goals for the upcoming season. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Somerset Academy
Westminster has a long history of winning in a big way.
Jason Stettner, no stranger to winning state titles, himself, having won as an assistant at both Archbishop McCarthy and Douglas, is being called on to lead the Lions into their next era of dominance.
Find out what Stettner and his team leaders had to say about the upcoming season at HSBN Media Day. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Westminster Academy
The Chiefs had a rare down season in 2025 under Manager Jason Hamilton, but Gibbons is looking to rebound in a big way as the calendar turns to 2026.
Let’s see what Hamilton and his leadership group had to say about the upcoming season at HSBN Media Day. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Cardinal Gibbons
The Paladins are without former Manager Trevor Chang for the first time in a decade, and the keys to the Paladins dugout have been handed off to alum Mike Goulette in 2026.
Goulette and a couple of his team leaders sat down at HSBN Media Day and discussed what the expectations are in the skipper’s first season at South. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: South Plantation
The Raiders have won four state titles in their history, but have never repeated as champions. The 2026 is loaded, and is expecting to change that.
Manager Joey Wardlow and his team leaders spoke at HSBN Media Day about what it will take to get back to Fort Myers for a second straight season. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: St. Thomas
The Cowboys are entering Manager Chad Rose’s fifth year, and the squad is chasing their first district title since 2015.
Manager Chad Rose and his players sat down to discuss why 2026 could be the season they break through and win that elusive district title. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Cooper City
HSBN Hall of Fame Manager Jerry Albert is taking over a Lions program that went 24-5 in 2025, and the change, along with a strong group of returning players, has Chaminade eyeing a state title.
Albert and his seniors, led by ace Spencer Krasner, sat down at HSBN Media Day to discuss what it will take to get the 2026 Lions to the state final four. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conferences: Chaminade-Madonna
It has been two decades since Manager Carlos Iglesias took over the Jaguars program, and in year 20, Iglesias and his squad are looking to make another state final four run.
Iglesias and a couple of his seniors explained at HSBN Media Day this past weekend, why this years team could be a special one. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Pembroke Pines Charter
It is year three with Manager Antonino Schembari at the helm of the Bulldogs program. Will This be the year the Bulldogs break through and make a state title run?
Lets find out with the manager and his team leaders had to say about their expectations in 2026. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: South Broward
The Jaguars are under new leadership in Manager Ernie Gonzalez, and they are looking to improve on a season that saw them win 14 games in 2025.
With some key pieces back, the Jags are hoping to sneak up on some teams in 7A-13.
Gonzalez and some of his Jag players sat down at HSBN Media Day to discuss the transition to a new coach, and their expectations this spring. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Coral Glades
The Wildcats are coming off a 13-16 season in 2025, but with some new faces, and a year of growth for the returners, expectations are high for Western in 2026.
Manager Onel Garcia and his upperclassmen leaders discussed their expectations at HSBN Media Day this weekend. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Western
The Mustangs struggled in 2025 for one of the only times in over a decade under the leadership of Manager Oddibe McDowell, and they have their sights set on redemption in the new year.
Hear what McDowell and his players had to say about their expectations in 2026, as they sat down a HSBN Media Day. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: McArthur
Manager Jorge Miranda’s squad played well in 2025, but the team is flying under the radar in 2026, and is poised to be a surprise title contender.
Miranda and his team leaders sat down at HSBN Media Day to discuss their expectations of the upcoming season. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day Team Preview Press Conference: Taravella
The Titans started last season 6-0, before faltering late. In 2026, the Titans are looking to put a full season of wins together, in the quest of their first district title since 2023.
Manager Brian Luebkert and some of his team leaders sat down at HSBN Media Day to discuss the upcoming season, and the expectations around the program heading into 2026. Enjoy!
HSBN Media Day: Nova Team Preview Press Conference
Coach Barrios, with his wife, Vivian.
“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.
The 2025 Class 6A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders.
“There’s a work ethic when you step in at St. Thomas Aquinas,” Wardlow said. “We had a great message yesterday from Coach Lawson, and Coach Cameron, and Coach Waters is here with us. Some of the alumni sent us a message in a video, and it is STA Pride. It is kind of in every thing we do.”With earned confidence and a lineup that simply could not be stopped, the Raiders wasted no time in cementing this title run. Three runs in the first were followed quickly by three more in the second that made the difference to victory, as they continued to pound the baseball, put runners on base and wear down the opposing Bobcats. “Like I said yesterday, when we get some runs, we’ve only got to stack one or two at-a-time. Every run we get, they’ve got to score two to beat us,” Wardlow said. “So we went with that plan, we took advantage of some mistakes and it kind of worked out.”
Andrew Alvarez scores for the Raiders.
“When you score runs in an inning, you don’t want to give up runs the next inning. But that guy put an excellent swing on that ball,” Wardlow said. “It was a good pitch; it was down. It’s going to happen. But that happens and you don’t panic. We talk constantly about it. We know what we are going to be able to do throughout the game.”Proving the strength and depth of the lineup, it was C.J. Pangallo batting in the nine-hole who sparked the next scoring burst. Pangallo led off with a base hit to center, Nico Sabatino kept it going with a single as well, and Jonathan Lopez followed with a double to right field that plated them both to make it a three-run lead again. Joshua Jennings then delivered an RBI single to left to drive in Sigler. In one of the most unforgettable moments of the entire state tournament, Sabatino then came through with his glove for a highlight reel catch that was nothing short of spectacular. Buchholz’s Zac Brown crushed a ball to center leading off the bottom of the second, on a blast that seemed destined for three bases and perhaps more in the cavernous outfield of this MLB field. But Sabatino tracked it down and reached over his shoulder to snare the ball with the incredible catch that stole all the momentum.
In his preparations in practice on the back fields, Sabatino realized that he would be able to play more shallow in this outfield. With the amount of room he had behind him, he knew that he could run down any fly ball.
“There’s always two sides of the game. Even if you’re not doing great offensively, you can make a play to save the game,” Sabatino said. “That’s how you’ve got to approach it. If you strikeout or pop out, you try to go out there and make a play. That’s what I did. I was 1-for-5, but I made a play and was able to save us a couple of runs today.”The Bobcats eventually tallied one last run in the fifth, but never got any closer. The Raiders matched that when Alvarez scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.
Jonathan Lopez was effective and successful in his outing on the mound, giving five solid innings to earn the win. He allowed all three runs on five hits and three walks. He also recorded three strikeouts, even though he was pitching with a different game-plan in mind.
“We have a phenomenal defense, so my mentality going on the mound was just fill it up and let them hit it,” Jonathan Lopez said. “They’re playing in a big league ballpark. It’s 405 to center, 330 to the corners. I knew that if I could fill up the zone, I definitely had a chance to win this game.”Andres Lopez closed out the final two innings to preserve the victory. The senior right-hander scattered three hits and struck out three in two scoreless frames.
Once that final out was accomplished, all that was left was to celebrate and enjoy the moment.
“The most exciting thing this whole weekend, was being able to stand at the back of the dugout and watch them dogpile,” Wardlow said. “We have a rule that we don’t dogpile unless it’s the end of the season, the last game. They’ve been waiting a long time.”For a good many of the Raiders, another thing they have long been waiting for was their high school graduation. But as that also happened at the same time on Saturday, back in Broward County, the Raiders made the choice to have their graduation memories cemented in another manner. All 15 members of the 2025 Class donned their caps and gowns and ‘graduated’ on the field at Hammond Stadium.
The 15 St. Thomas Aquinas seniors celebrate their graduation and state championships together, while the rest of the class of 2025 graduated together back in Broward County.
The American Heritage Patriots dogpile after winning the 2025 Class 4A state championship.
Heritage did not waste much time in taking control. Mulberry had last won the second of its two state titles back in 1960, and are not regulars at the state tournament the way Heritage has been. But the Panthers (27-10) were back after reaching the Final Four a season ago, and this time around they had advanced to the finale.
But once the Patriots landed the first blow with a five-run second inning, the Panthers were never able to respond back with a crooked number.
The first three batters all reached to load the bases for Heritage in the second. Sebastian Garavito singled to right field and was replaced by courtesy-runner Ethan Till, Zack Wilson walked and Hayden Harrison was hit by a pitch. Christopher Levy then got the party started with a liner to left for a two-RBI double. A balk plated another run, and a walk to Jordan Rich put runners on the corners. Rich then broke for second and drew a high throw that allowed Levy to score. R.J. Machado next delivered a sac-fly RBI that drove in Rich.
An inning later the Patriots tacked on their final run of the night. Blayden Caballero singled on a liner to center, Garavito walked and Wilson singled to right to load the bases once again. A wild pitch then allowed Caballero to come home.
Mulberry answered back to get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Dominick Gotauco was hit by a pitch, Nic Partridge walked and Griffin Cline reached on an error that loaded the bases. A.J. Medina then sent an RBI single into right field to drive Gotauco in and avoid the shutout.
A grounder to right field off the bat of Blayden Caballero gave the American Heritage Patriots a 3-2, walk-off win over the Arnold Marlins on Monday night, in the Class 3A state semifinal at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
The Patriots (27-6) advance to Tuesday’s 4A state final, where they will face the Mulberry Panthers at 7 P.M., also at Hammond Stadium. The Panthers (27-9) advanced to the finals with a 3-2 victory over the Jesuit Tigers in Monday’s other 4A semifinal.
With a pair of base runners on and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Caballero jumped on the first pitch he saw to step up and be the hero for his team. After setting the stage with a double to center, R.J. Machado came around to score the deciding run that now has the Patriots playing for a chance at their fourth state championship in team history.
Caballero was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run to lead the Heritage offense, the only batter on his team to record multiple hits. Dylan Dubovik was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and an intentional walk, and Joseph Castro went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Caden Garro earned the win, after throwing two-and-two-third innings of scoreless relief. He allowed a hit and a walk, while striking out four. Starter Talan Holiday struck out eight over five-and-a-third innings of work, surrendering two earned runs on six hits and two walks.
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.
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