Vote Now: South Florida Baseball Player of the Week (Feb. 20-24)
Tournament action created plenty of intense early match-ups on the baseball diamonds in South Florida, and many schools were able to find playing time for their depth.
South Florida once again is a hotbed for high school baseball, not only in the state of Florida, but nationally, with many players already committed to major colleges.
SBLive Sports Florida highlights several of the top performers for the week of Feb. 20-24 in our South Florida Baseball Player of the Week poll.
Who was the best of the best? The choices are below, in alphabetical order.
Sebastian Berrios, Doral Academy: It didn’t take long for the outfielder to find his timing at the plate. Berrios went 5-for-8 (.625) to start the season. The outfielder did some serious damage at the plate, belting a home run, and a triple, along with four RBIs. His OPS (on-base plus slugging average) is a whopping 1.917.
Anthony Ciscar, St. Thomas Aquinas: A junior, Ciscar already has committed to the University of Miami. In his first start, the right-hander flirted with a no-hitter in St. Thomas’ 10-0 win over Flanagan. Ciscar allowed one hit, a two-out double in the sixth inning, and he struck out 10.
Andres Cruz, West Broward: Cruz opened the season with two home runs to go along with a .429 batting average. As a pitcher, he was 1-0 with a 2.80 ERA with seven strikeouts in five innings. He also was credited with a save.
Devin Fitz-Gerald, Marjory Stoneman Douglas: In dominant fashion, Stoneman Douglas breezed to the BCAA (Broward County Athletic Association) Tier 1 tournament championship. In three games, the Eagles outscored their opponents, 28-1. Actually, several Douglas players could be listed here for top weekly honors. The choice is junior shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, a North Carolina State commit. In a 11-1 win over Taravella in the championship game, Fitz-Gerald had a three-run double, as well as a single and run scored in a seven-run third inning, which broke the game open.
Mateo Gray, North Broward Prep: On one of the state’s top teams, Gray is off to a hot start, going 5-for-6 (.833) with three RBIs and four walks. Gray is committed to the University of Central Florida.
Tugg Hollandsworth, Cardinal Gibbons: The son of former MLB outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, Tugg has come out hitting at Gibbons. He went 3-for-7 (429) with three runs scored, and an RBI.
Justin Lebron, Archbishop McCarthy: The senior third baseman is one of the top players in the state. Committed to the University of Alabama, Lebron also is a candidate to be selected in the top few rounds of the MLB Draft. In his first week, Lebron batted .444 (4-for-9) with two RBIs, three runs, one double and a triple. McCarthy pulled off a big win over Doral Academy, a state power, and Lebron was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the victory.
Brandon Lopez, Western: Under pressure, Lopez stepped up in a big way for the Wildcats in their 2-0 road victory against Flanagan in their BCAA consolation game. Western held a 2-0 lead in the seventh and final inning, but its bullpen lost the strike zone. Two different relievers walked the bases loaded, and Lopez inherited a no-out mess. Making matters worse, he was facing the heart of the Eagles’ order. But Lopez got out of it for the save. The right-hander induced two infield pop outs, and ended the game with a strikeout.
Jonathan Lopez, Taravella: Taravella is a young, but talented team, that reached the BCAA Tier 1 title game, before being upended by Stoneman Douglas. To reach the finals, the Trojans pulled off two dramatic victories. They were down by seven runs to Cardinal Gibbons, and rallied to a 9-7 win. Lopez was a big part of the offense that day, driving in three runs. For the week, he hit .429 (3-for-7) with a double and four RBIs.
Frankie Menendez, Doral Academy: Armed with a mid-90 mph fastball, Menendez is one of the best pitchers in the state. The southpaw already has pledged to play for the University of Florida. In his first start, Menendez was sharp, tossing five scoreless innings, with four strikeouts. He allowed three hits.
Evan Russo, Pompano Beach: In the BCAA Tier 2 championship game, Pompano Beach outlasted Pembroke Pines Charter, 4-3, in 10 innings for the trophy. Russo went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored. He was named the tournament MVP for his tier. The game was decided in the 10th on Eddie Marshall’s home run.
