Douglas’ Rojas, Aquinas’ Sabatino are Broward 7A-5A Baseball Players of the Year
Special players often prove how valuable they are for their teams in the toughest spots.
Gio Rojas did that time and again for the Stoneman Douglas baseball team.
Rojas, who is a projected top 10 pick in next month’s Major League Baseball Draft, showed up and pitched in the biggest games for the Eagles on their way to a sixth consecutive state championship.
St. Thomas Aquinas senior outfielder Nico Sabatino shares that quality.
In the biggest games for the Raiders, his bat and his tools in center field were a major reason they were able to repeat as state champions in Class 6A.
As such, Rojas is the Miami Herald’s Baseball Pitcher of the Year for Classes 7A-5A. And Sabatino is the Player of the Year in the same category.
Rojas, who has signed with the University of Miami but many expect to sign to go pro later this summer, is the top left-handed high school pitching prospect per Baseball America.
He backed up his lofty ratings by going 11-1 this season with 124 strikeouts in 72 ⅔ innings while compiling an 0.58 ERA.
Rojas was a stellar two-way player as well, hitting five home runs and hitting .312 with 25 RBI when he wasn’t pitching.
When it came to trusting their ace, Douglas’ faith in Rojas was absolute.
So much so that Eagles coach Todd Fitz-Gerald chose not to start Rojas in their state semifinal game against Oviedo Hagerty. Instead, Rojas was held back in order to pitch against Venice, then the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, in the state final.
Douglas found a way to get past Hagerty with a 9-8 walk-off win. Rojas did the rest, allowing one hit during 6 ⅔ shutout innings as Douglas secured the state title with a 2-1 win.
“Words can explain it, but it’s always a blessing to be in that situation,” Rojas said. “To beat the No. 1 team in the nation was really special. I wanted to finish things out with a bang. We had never held back his top pitcher in the state game, but he rolled the dice and trusted me and our team had the first game covered.”
Sabatino was one of the big bats returning this season Aquinas, which belted a school-record 68 home runs in 2025. This season, there weren’t as many roundtrippers for the Raiders. But it didn’t mean Sabatino wasn’t one of the most dangerous hitters in the state once again.
Sabatino, an Appalachian State signee, hit .512 with five home runs, nine doubles and totaled 26 RBI while still hitting in the heart of one of the most potent lineups in the state.
Aquinas survived multiple tough battles in the playoffs including a three-game series with Miami Southridge in the regional finals. Sabatino’s clutch two-run home run in the sixth inning of the first game of that series, against Southridge ace and fellow Miami signee Isaac Vidal, led to a 3-2 comeback win.
