After going 0 for 4, a composed Roman Anthony of Douglas hit a towering home run at Coors Field
What a week for Stoneman Douglas baseball player Roman Anthony.
One day he’s in Atlanta competing in a prestigious summer national tournament, and the next day he’s flying to Denver for an elite MLB all-star high school game.
“I started playing baseball as soon as I could walk,” Anthony said. “I love it more than anything.”
He sure does.
Not only does he love it, but he excels at it.
MLB and USA Baseball invited him to compete during MLB All-Star Week in the MLB All-Star High School All-American Game on Friday (July 9) at Coors Field, home of the MLB Colorado Rockies.
That occurred during the WWBA National Championships in Atlanta. It wasn’t easy, but he participated in both.
Anthony returned to Atlanta on Saturday (July 10) where he continued helping the Canes National 17U team.
Stoneman Douglas baseball coach Todd Fitz-gerald said: “He has a God given ability. He works hard and does everything the right way. He wants to be the best in the country, wants to be in the big leagues.”
MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo, who covers the MLB Draft and the Minors for http://MLB.com and http://MLBPipeline.com, covered the All-American game, which was part of MLB All-Star Week at Coors Field in Denver
https://www.mlb.com/news/high-school-all-american-game-top-performers
Mayo noted his top players of the game, and the top two were South Florida baseball players: Game MVP Jason Torres of Miami Springs High School and Anthony.
2. Roman Anthony, OF, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Mayo wrote: “Anthony was 0-for-4 coming into his final at-bat in the ninth inning. Then the Mississippi recruit absolutely crushed a 92-mph fastball to right-center field for a two-run homer. It was a kind of blast that barely made the outfielders move, sent 450 feet and hit 105 mph off his bat.”
Fitz-gerald was also impressed with that home run in the All-American Game.
“I know he has that kind of power. He had a rough game, up until that point. That says what kind of person he is. That’s what professionals do. Each at bat is its own at bat. It’s about making adjustments, and he does that. He is an advanced player, an advanced hitter.”
Anthony noted: “I knew I was playing against the best. No one was a joke, all legit players.”
Anthony and Torres were part of the winning American League team.
Anthony said: “It’s a game, and it’s supposed to be fun; so I did not get down [going 0 for 4]. I’m in a [MLB] ballpark, an [MLB] clubhouse, former [MLB] players around. I just have to do what I do best, keep my approach, re-set each at bat.”
That’s what he did.
Anthony added: “It was a lot of fun, great being around the best 35-40 players [2022 Draft Class] in the country, coached by great coaches, being around MLB players.
“Being selected is an honor. It was really exciting to get the invite.”
Friends were texting him throughout the game.
“Some saw me strike out a couple of times, and they were texting me to keep my head-up.”
They didn’t realize Anthony had one more at bat in the ninth inning, and what an at bat it was.
Anthony belted a home run at Coors Field. No doubt about it.
“One hour later, they’re texting me, ‘Wow.’”
More “Wow”
Anthony traveled on Thursday (July 8) to Denver from Atlanta where his Canes National 17U baseball team was competing in the WWBA Championships, the biggest travel baseball tournament of the summer.
After participating in the MLB All-Star High School All-American Game on Friday (July 9), he caught a return flight Saturday morning (July 10) to Atlanta, re-joining Canes National.
He batted .500, helping Canes National reach the finals of the prestigious event.
Anthony, committed to Mississippi, is an outfielder who helped Stoneman Douglas baseball win the FHSAA Class 7A state championship.
In that 2021 state championship season, he batted .462, with five home runs, 18 RBI and 24 runs en route to Miami Herald All-Broward 7A-5A first team honors.
He was third in the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 7A Player of the Year state voting.
New coaches and award winners
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have new hires, or coaches and athletes who won special awards (local, state, regional, nationals), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
