North Broward Prep cruises to fourth consecutive regional baseball championship
North Broward Prep’s baseball team has become a regular at the state final four.
The core group responsible for leading the Eagles to a pair of state championships and a runner-up finish last season wasn’t about to let another shot at a title slip away.
North Broward Prep (26-3) wasted no time jumping all over visiting Boca Raton St. John Paul II on Tuesday night, scoring seven runs in the first inning en route to a 13-0 mercy-rule victory in five innings in the Region 3-3A final.
The Eagles, the top seed in the Class 3A state bracket, will next take on Fort Myers Bishop Verot in the state semifinals at 10 a.m. next Tuesday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. No. 2 seed Miami Westminster Christian will face No. 3 seed Jacksonville Trinity Christian in the other semifinal at 1 p.m. with the final to be played the following day at 2 p.m.
North Broward Prep will make its fourth consecutive appearance at the state final four and sixth overall as it looks to win its third state title in four seasons.
Senior and UCF commit Mateo Gray struck out eight and walked one, allowing only three hits over five innings to pick up the win. Gray also went 1 for 3 with an RBI at the plate.
Another UCF commit, junior Kiernan O’Neill went 3 for 3 with two RBI and Maxwell Burkholz went 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Riley Luft, an Appalachian State commit, went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI while FAU commit TJ Gramesty went 1 for 2 with a two-run home run. Gian De Castro, an Arizona State commit, went 1 for 2 with an RBI and Anthony Mestre finished with two RBI.
