Heritage’s Snow, Somerset’s Mora are Broward Baseball 4A-1A Players of the Year
American Heritage is no stranger to having pitching depth or stellar aces at the top of such deep rotations.
But senior Brady Snow took things to a level rarely seen this season.
Snow’s efforts helped Heritage overcome early-season adversity and make it back to the Class 4A state final four.
And at Somerset Academy in Pembroke Pines, senior center fielder Jon Mora put together a stellar final chapter to an outstanding career.
Mora’s reliable bat and clutch plays on defense helped the Panthers advance to the Class 4A regional finals for the first time.
Snow is the Miami Herald’s Baseball Pitcher of the Year for Classes 4A-1A while Mora is the Player of the Year in the same category.
Snow, a University of Florida signee, overcame an injury that kept him out for the first month of the regular season. Upon his return, the Patriots found their stride following a 6-8 start to the season.
Heritage won 15 of its next 16 to reach Fort Myers.
Snow pitched 53 ⅓ innings during that stretch and compiled an impressive 85 strikeouts and an 0.79 ERA.
Unfortunately for Snow, nature halted his final season at Heritage.
Snow started Heritage’s 4A state semifinal against Orlando Bishop Moore, but after an over two-hour weather delay in the second inning, Patriots coach Bruce Aven chose to be cautious and not put Snow back on the mound.
“Being out after the first inning was hard, and I tried to stay loose, but it was hard,” Snow said that day in Fort Myers. “I didn’t know what I was coming into at the start of the season coming to Heritage. A state championship is the standard here. I knew the season would come down to winning or losing…At the end it didn’t go our way, but it’s just baseball.”
Snow’s future looks bright as he’ll either head to Gainesville or somewhere in the minor leagues should he be drafted and sign with an MLB team next month.
The same can be said for Mora, who was one of the most consistent bats for the past four years for a Somerset program looking to take its place among Broward’s elite.
Mora, a University of Miami signee, hit .521 with five home runs, seven triples, 10 doubles and finished with 32 RBI.
He matched his efforts at the plate by showing off his other tools, such as his speed and range in the outfield during Somerset’s dramatic 11-10 comeback win over Belen in the regional quarterfinals. The Panthers made it to the regional finals before losing in a two-game sweep to Heritage.
“A huge night for me and this program. I’ve been a starter ever since freshman year so this would’ve been my last high school game tonight,” Mora said after the Belen game. “I didn’t want it to end and now we’re moving on. This is great stuff.”
