Westminster Christian’s Collera and Marin are the Dade 5A-2A Baseball Players of the Year
Westminster Christian is one of the premier high school baseball programs in the nation.
But there was no doubt Lazaro Collera and Manny Marin’s presence took the Warriors to another level.
Although the Warriors ran into another national powerhouse, which denied them a record-setting 12th state championship, the two potential selections in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft showed off their great talents both on the mound and on the field this season.
As a result, Collera is the Miami Herald’s Class 5A-2A Baseball Pitcher of the Year while Marin is the Class 5A-2A Player of the Year.
Collera, a righthander and University of Miami signee who stands 6-6 and weighs roughly 230 pounds, overpowered numerous hitters with his high velocity touching the low-mid 90s and endurance to lead the Warriors to multiple important victories this season.
Collera went 10-2 this season with 87 strikeouts in 64.2 innings and a 2.27 ERA.
He pitched deep into several of his starts including a 105-pitch outing in Westminster’s 9-4 win in the Region 4-3A final against Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian.
“Everything was for this, all the practices, all the hard work, it was a great team win,” Collera said after the win over Calvary Christian. “It’s a testament to the whole team. My team was picking me up and I just wanted to give it back to them.”
Marin, who was Team USA Baseball’s 18U national team starting shortstop in 2023 and a Tennessee commit, hit .389 with 11 home runs and 23 RBI and scored 35 runs. Marin is also considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the 2024 draft class.
“There’s only one Manny that could be better than (Marin) and his name is Machado,” Westminster Christian coach Emil Castellanos said after the regional final. “But he’s got the best hands I’ve seen out here. He goes after it and works hard and wants to be a great competitor.”
Marin showed off his steady glove and smooth skills at shortstop during both of Westminster’s games at state and nearly led the Warriors to a comeback win in the state final before losing to North Broward Prep.
“These are the moments you dream of as a kid,” Marin said after a state semifinal win over Jacksonville Trinity Christian. “When they come you slow the heart rate and make the play. It showed our character and I don’t think we quit at all ever this year. We’re going to keep showing it.”
