Unbeaten Stoneman Douglas clubs three homers to dominate Columbus and return to state
They’re just different.
That’s the way veteran Stoneman Douglas baseball coach Todd Fitz-Gerald describes his team these days.
And it’s hard to argue when you watch the Eagles play and see just how far above they seem to be from the competition.
Douglas was at it again on Tuesday night, making one of the best teams in the state look outmatched as they dominated Columbus for a 10-1 victory in the Region 4-7A final at Anthony Rizzo Field.
The Eagles (27-0) advanced to the state final four for the third consecutive season and are two wins away from winning their third consecutive state title and likely their third consecutive national title.
Douglas is ranked No. 1 nationally by Baseball America. They’ve won 49 consecutive games - the nation’s longest active streak. And it would become the first team in Broward County history to complete a perfect season if it can win those two games starting with a state semifinal matchup next Tuesday against Port Orange Spruce Creek at 7 p.m. at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
They would be the first team from South Florida to go unbeaten since Miami Westminster Christian in 1996. But even that team had one tie.
“They’re just a different group of kids and nothing bothers them,” Fitz-Gerald said. “Today, they just did what they’ve been doing all year. Once the bats get going, it seems to have a never ending effect and they keep passing the baton to the next guy.”
Fitz-Gerald was describing the latest offensive eruption by his club, which scored nine runs in the second inning including six against previously unbeaten Columbus ace and Stetson signee Gabe Cruz.
The Eagles hit three home runs in the inning including back-to-back blasts by first baseman Matt Ossenfort and Niko Benestad. Alex Rodriguez also hit a two-run home run. Douglas sent 14 batters to the plate in that frame as Ossenfort came up and hit an RBI ground-rule double and Benestad followed with a two-run single in their respective second at-bats of that inning.
Columbus used three pitchers in that inning until Nick Zarranz stopped the bleeding and allowed only one run over 4⅓ innings. Carlos Jacome was one of Columbus’ few bright spots, going 2 for 2 and driving in the Explorers’ lone run in the fifth inning.
The Explorers (24-5) entered the game on a 16-game winning streak that started after they gave Douglas one of its toughest challenges of the season before losing 8-6 on March 24.
“Gabe was at 90-91 mph today and we’ve seen guys throwing 95-96 this season,” Fitz-Gerald said. “It’s just a lineup that is really good at making adjustments and they’re just baseball rats. They come to work every day and they don’t horse around. I don’t have to motivate them at all. They motivate themselves.”
Douglas scored 10 or more runs for the fourth consecutive game and beat Columbus for the fourth time in a row in the postseason and sixth time overall.
“It’s just the mindset we have,” Benestad said. “We lock in every day in the cages and just have each other’s backs and we stay locked in.”
Douglas’ ace Christian Rodriguez pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks and striking out four. Rodriguez also went 2 for 4 with a triple.
“I’ve got enough of these championships but I want this one for them because they are chasing something very special,” Fitz-Gerald said. “I don’t even know if they really realize it. They just know they’re going to Fort Myers. It would be a great end to a great year.”
