Perfect season would be ‘cherry on top’ of Douglas star Christian Rodriguez’s baseball career
Christian Rodriguez knows his best baseball is still ahead of him.
He’s all but guaranteed to be selected at some point in the 20-round MLB Draft this July. And even if he doesn’t get picked as high as he wants, his backup plan will be going to play college ball with the Florida Gators, a team always in the conversation for the College World Series. Not a bad Plan B.
But Rodriguez isn’t thinking about all of that just yet. He has a lot to focus on over the next week and a half.
Rodriguez is nearing the end of an illustrious high school career with powerhouse Stoneman Douglas. He’s the ace of their staff. He’s the cleanup hitter in a lineup littered with Division I talent.
And the team is three wins away from perfection.
The Eagles enter their Region 4-7A final against the Columbus Explorers on Tuesday with an undefeated 26-0 record. They have won a staggering 48 consecutive games total dating back to last season. It is the longest active streak in the nation.
Should the Eagles win on Tuesday and follow it up with victories in the state semifinal on May 23 and the championship on May 24 at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Stoneman Douglas will not only win their third consecutive state title and be a contender to win a third consecutive national championship.
They will be what is believed to be the first-ever undefeated high school baseball team in South Florida history. Westminster Christian’s 1996 team came close, finishing 36-0-1 en route to the first of three consecutive Class 2A state championships.
“That’s like the cherry on top,” Rodriguez said. “That’s just history. It’s something that people dream of and we’re really making it come true. I can’t be more happy about it. We’re taking it one game at a time, but it would be great to top off [my career] with another state and national championship.”
Rodriguez has been integral in the Eagles’ success since he started as a freshman. Stoneman Douglas is 90-6 over his four years.
On the mound, Rodriguez has a career 1.77 ERA with 300 strikeouts over 177 2/3 innings and that’s even factoring in his freshman season being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This season, the 6-0 righty has logged 105 strikeouts against just nine walks while giving up six earned runs over 57 2/3 innings — that’s 1.8 strikeouts per inning and a 0.94 ERA.
Rodriguez’s fastball sits around 90-93 mph and touches 95 and his changeup is arguably the best among the 2023 high school draft class, according to Baseball America, which has Rodriguez ranked as the No. 268 overall prospect in the 2023 draft class. Rodriguez also mixes in a low-80s slider to round out his three-pitch mix.
“My slider and my changeup have improved a lot over the past few years,” Rodriguez said. “I’m walking less guys and pitching more to contact.”
In addition to his work on the mound, Rodriguez became a regular in the lineup the past two seasons while also playing in the outfield when he doesn’t pitch. Since the start of his junior year, Rodriguez is hitting .361 (53 for 147) with eight home runs, 45 RBI and 46 runs scored.
“I’ve been with him since he’s 7 years old. Just to watch him develop the way he’s developed over time, it’s pretty special,” Stoneman Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “I couldn’t be more happy for him and the things that he’s gotten in his career. He’s the humblest kid you’ll ever meet in your life, a first-class act that comes from a first-class family.”
This chapter of Rodriguez’s career is nearing an end. If all works out, he’ll have a third state title to show for it. For now, though, he’s just taking in the final moments while he can.
“It’s a special feeling, especially since it’s my last year,” Rodriguez said. “It’s winding down. It’s a little sad, but I’m having a great time.”
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