Heritage’s Holiday and North Broward’s Gray are the Broward 5A-2A Players of the Year
North Broward Prep’s Mateo Gray and American Heritage’s Talan Holiday excel at being team leaders.
Both Gray and Holiday anchored their respective teams’ pitching staffs as two of the best arms in the state, leading them both to opportunities to play for state championships this season.
Gray, who also hits and plays shortstop, helped the Eagles cash in and win their third state title in four years.
Holiday led the Patriots back to the state finals where they came up one victory short of a repeat, but are poised to make another run with him on the mound next season.
As such, the two talented players are this year’s Miami Herald Broward County Baseball Players of the Year for Classes 5A-2A.
Gray, a senior, UCF commit and potential pick in next month’s MLB Draft, is the 5A-2A Player of the Year.
Holiday, a junior and North Carolina commit, wins 5A-2A Pitcher of the Year honors.
Holiday was at the forefront of Heritage’s run to a state championship as a sophomore and returned as part of a talented rotation eyeing back-to-back championships for the first time in school history.
But injuries hampered the Patriots early in the season putting any hopes of making that title run in doubt.
Holiday pitched some of his best outings late in the season to help Heritage turn the corner late in the season and make it back to Fort Myers.
One of these starts included a perfect game against Taravella on April 18 during which he struck out 12 batters.
Holiday finished with a 6-3 record and a 1.54 ERA in 68 ⅓ innings with 81 strikeouts.
“As a team this year we started off a little slow, especially as a pitcher as we weren’t at our best,” Holiday said. “The expectation as a team was to win a state championship again. As the year went on, the team and myself casually got into a rhythm. We got hot at the right time.
“As the year went on, I got a feel for the pitches and location.”
Gray had the best season of his career on the mound, finishing with an 11-0 record, 87 strikeouts and an 0.83 ERA. When he wasn’t on the mound, Gray was contributing on North Broward Prep’s infield and hit .354 with nine doubles, two home runs and finished with 21 RBI.
“In the past I solely was a pitcher who got weak contact, but I worked on improving the break on my breaking ball, the ride on my fastball and it allowed me to get more strikeouts,” Gray said.
His efforts helped the Eagles earn redemption a year after losing in the Class 3A state final. Gray formed part of a core of players that together helped put North Broward Prep’s baseball program on the national radar.
“It was the coolest thing to get back to state and win it,” Gray said. “Getting back there is a big deal, but winning was that much sweeter. I think I was crying both times, but this time the tears were much better.”
