Latest news with #StonemanDouglas'
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Douglas' Rojas, Aquinas' Malvasio are Broward 7A-5A Baseball Players of the Year
Stoneman Douglas' Giovanni Rojas put together one of the most dominant pitching seasons in recent history. St. Thomas Aquinas' Zachary Malvasio spearheaded one of the best hitting seasons for a team in county history, led by his own remarkable senior campaign. Their efforts helped lead their respective teams to state championships. Rojas, a junior, is therefore the Miami Herald's Broward County Baseball Pitcher of the Year for Classes 7A-5A. And Malvasio, a power-hitting outfielder, is the Broward 7A-5A Baseball Player of the Year. Rojas, a University of Miami commit, helped Douglas make history as the first team in Florida to win five consecutive state championships. At a school already rich in tradition when it comes to dominant pitchers, Rojas stood out. A 6-4, 190-pound lefty, Rojas was nearly unhittable at times, going 12-0 with 120 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 68 innings and compiling an 0.72 ERA. Rojas' performances often helped Douglas navigate through tough stretches of the regular season as the Eagles found their footing and put together another impressive march to a championship. 'It's a once in a lifetime chance you get to do that. It's a feeling you can't re-create,' Rojas said about being part of a historic state title streak. 'It's only in that moment that you can experience something like that.' Rojas worked his way back from an arm injury, which kept him from pitching during his sophomore season. But this year, even as he hit .375 with two home runs, eight doubles and 32 RBI, Rojas didn't miss a beat on the mound. Rojas threw a no-hitter against Flanagan and had four more one-hitters and three more games allowing two hits. The future potential early MLB Draft pick is committed to continuing to develop his game. 'I really work on my focus on the mound and try to stay consistent with it whether I'm in the bullpen, or playing catch, I just try to keep everything consistent,' Rojas said. 'This offseason, I'll be working more, trying to improve off this past season.' The same can be said for Malvasio, who is itching to get to Orlando and join UCF where he will play his college ball this fall. Malvasio hit .414 this season and a staggering 16 home runs as the key cog in a prolific Aquinas lineup, which hit 68 home runs overall. 'One of my favorite parts about this year was that up and down our lineup, we had studs,' Malvasio said. 'If one didn't get it done, the other did. I always got four or five at-bats per game and that's how you knew we were always scoring runs.' Malvasio wasn't just about power at the plate, though. His consistent bat also produced 16 doubles and 48 RBI overall. 'It all started with the work in the offseason, in the weight room, outside of practice,' Malvasio said. 'I just had the discipline to keep going.' Malvasio's efforts helped the Raiders secure their first state championship since 2018 and the program's fourth overall. 'It was an incredible ride from the start in the fall. To have that core returning, we all pushed each other and had the focus of winning a state title,' Malvasio said. 'We took it all pitch by pitch, game by game and stuck to the fundamentals and our team chemistry was off the charts. Everybody was together and wanted to win.'
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Somerset's Gabler, Douglas' Bagirathan, Pine Crest's Chalich are Tennis Players of the Year
Stoneman Douglas' Savita Bagirathan and Pine Crest's Bridget Chalich had very different outlooks entering this tennis season. Bagirathan had already won an overall singles state championship last season and returned as a favorite. Chalich had quit the sport at one point last season having lost her confidence. Both found their way to the top this season as overall state singles champions in their respective classes. Meanwhile, Somerset Academy senior Quentin Gabler capped a memorable career with another trip to state after an undefeated season to that point. The three accomplished Broward County players are all recipients of this year's Miami Herald Broward Tennis Player of the Year awards. Gabler is the winner of the Boys' Player of the Year award. On the girls' side, Bagirathan and Chalich share the honors after each secured state titles. In two seasons, Bagirathan has quickly become one of the most dominant singles players in the state overall and the nation. This season, Bagirathan rolled through the competition on her way to repeating as the Class 4A state overall singles champion. She also had a dominant season in doubles playing alongside her younger sister, Dhea Bagirathan, as they qualified for the state meet together. In Class 2A, Chalich was nowhere near being considered a favorite entering 2025. But she persevered and regained the faith she needed to put together the best season of her career as she navigated her way to her first overall singles title. Chalich, who in August will enroll at Florida State University, said she doesn't plan to play tennis in college. She plans to major in Accounting while on a pre-law track. 'I've been playing tennis since I was four years old,' said Chalich, who had only advanced to state once prior in her career as a freshman. After her match at this year's state meet, she let her emotions out after what had been a tough journey back. 'This,' Chalich said, 'was the most meaningful match of my life.' For Gabler, a state championship was not in the cards this season. But he still showed why he is considered one of the best players in the state overall, as Gabler advanced to the Class 2A singles final after going unbeaten in the regular season. Gabler, who was an individual state qualifier each of the past two seasons, followed in his family's footsteps when it came to playing the sport. 'My sister and brother and my father all played tennis and I followed their lead,' Gabler said. 'I loved going to the state tournament because of the competition.'
