Hard work, talent are keys to North Broward Prep’s baseball success
COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA – To fully appreciate North Broward Prep’s run to the Class 3A state baseball title in 2022, it’s important to understand all the obstacles the Eagles had to overcome.
By mid-season, they lost five of seven games, and were struggling to piece together a healthy lineup. During that difficult stretch, the flu bug sidelined several players.
“We were just trying to keep our head above water,” coach Brian Campbell said. “Then once we got everybody healthy, and got back on track, the work ethic and everything was right back to where it needed to be. We started winning games.”
North Broward Prep has had to overcome a great deal adversity over the last seasons, yet the Eagles have won two consecutive Class 3A state championships. Could a 3-peat be next?
As if a switch was flipped, so were the fortunes for the Eagles. The talent and resolve of the team surfaced.
“When you start winning, it kind of lights a fire,” Campbell said. “The second half of our season was really, really good. We carried that momentum into the playoffs.”
Getting hot at the right time, North Broward Prep won 16 of its last 17, including their final eight. When the Eagles knocked off Berkeley Prep, 5-3, they had captured their second straight state championship.
Record-wise, it wasn’t dominating. North Broward Prep finished 23-9. But when it counted, the Eagles rose to the occasion.
Still, halfway through the season, there were doubts.
If someone had told Campbell, ‘Don’t worry, you’re still going to win the state championship.”
“I’d have said, ‘You’re crazy,’” Campbell said. “I’m looking at the schedule just trying to find wins. But the boys responded. That was a special group that came together.”
The identity of Campbell’s clubs is an unrelenting work ethic, inspired by his humble upbringing in Southeastern Kentucky.
Work hard. Be a good teammate. Those are two principles the North Broward Prep coach preaches."
When it comes to an identity and what I want to see, a lot of it doesn’t have to do with baseball,” Campbell said. “It has to do with a blue collar attitude and hard work ethic.
"I always worked for what I had. I guess that’s the way I kind of coach. And the players buy in. We’re pretty much a blue-collar baseball program. On top of that, I want guys who are great teammates. Guys who are just as happy for their teammates’ success as their own.”
The work ethic of the 2022 squad was evident by the early work from the players.
It became common for them to field about 100 ground balls and take dozens of swings in the cages before practice even started.
“They’d have to change their shirts because they were soaking wet,” Campbell said. “That was before practice even started. That’s not me telling them to do that. That’s them taking the initiative, on their own, to get better. When things like that start happening, and you’ve got good players on top of it, it can be pretty special.”
With seven starters returning, North Broward Prep is primed to contend for another state championship in 2023.
“They know everything that goes into it,” Campbell said. “If they can keep on going and stay hungry, we’ll have a shot. No guarantees. But hopefully, they’ll have a shot at it.”
The Eagles lose three key players from the ’22 squad, but are still loaded.First, they’ll have to replace right-handed pitcher/first baseman Yoel Tejada, who is now playing at the University of Florida. Infielder Jonathan Xuereb has moved on to Appalachian State. Outfielder Clancy Marsh, a student at Florida State, no longer plays baseball.
Returning is right-hander Ryan McPherson, the ace of the staff, and a Mississippi State commit.
McPherson pitched in the championship game, and finished ’22 with a 5-0 record and 1.82 ERA, striking out 53 in 42 2/3 innings.
Third baseman Gian De Castro, a junior, is committed to Memphis after hitting .298 a year ago.
Riley Luft, who hit .330 with 19 RBIs and 21 runs, also pitches. In 30 innings, he fanned 34. Luft plans to attend Appalachian State.
Second baseman Maurico Bejarano is committed to Eastern Kentucky, and catcher/outfielder Nathanael Coupet will be playing collegiately at Georgia Tech. Pitcher/infielder Mateo Gray, a Cypress Bay transfer, has already agreed to play at the University of Central Florida.
Right-hander Jensen Seculer is one of the team’s top pitchers, posting a 2.60 ERA a year ago. Right now, he’s uncommitted, but that is expected to change by the end of the season.
Junior catcher/outfielder TJ Gramesty will be attending Florida Atlantic University. Andrew Cutler is a junior outfielder and left-handed pitcher who hit .298 with 22 RBIs as a sophomore, and first baseman Nikolas Koorse, another junior, batted .288 with three home runs in ’22.
The roster has plenty of experience, and yet still is loaded with underclassmen, meaning the team should be strong for at least a few more seasons.
“It’s weird,” Campbell said. “Our junior class is pretty good. All they know is winning state championships. They’re juniors in high school, and their first two years of high school, they won state championships. That’s really all they know.”
The Eagles will get an early taste of tournament action in March when they travel to Hoover, Ala., to participate in the Perfect Game High School Showdown.
Campbell has sent his team to the tournament for several years. Each time, the club comes back better for having played tough competition.
“I can tell you that every year, we’re better when we come back from Hoover than when we went there,” Campbell said. “A lot of it is being on the road together. Team chemistry, and all that good stuff.”
