Douglas baseball walks off Windermere to clinch historic fourth state title in a row
It seemed fitting that in a season where it had to persevere a little more than usual, the Stoneman Douglas’ baseball team had to battle to the final at-bat to win another state championship.
The Eagles didn’t mind because they never stopped believing they would come out on top.
Junior right fielder Nick Diaz’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored courtesy runner Cabe Raley to lift Douglas to a 3-2 walk-off win over Windermere in the Class 7A state championship game at Hammond Stadium on Saturday night.
The Eagles won their fourth consecutive state championship, becoming the first public school to do so in state history and joining Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy as the only programs to accomplish the feat. Douglas also snapped Windermere’s 20-game winning streak.
And with that, Douglas (26-5), which lost more games this season than it had the previous three seasons combined, added more history to its storied program despite hearing the doubts earlier in the season as to whether their championship run was about to end.
“This one’s for all the people out there that said Stoneman Douglas was knocked out,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “The teams that put it out on Twitter. You know who you are. We’re the last man standing. Four-time state champions. Often imitated, never duplicated. It can’t happen.”
It took a complete effort for Douglas to stay at the top and overcome some early miscues that made the final few innings of Saturday night’s final an adventure for the Eagles.
After committing four errors overall, one of which contributed to Windermere tying the game at 2 in the top of the fifth, Eagles starter Jayden Dubanewicz needed to dig deep to make sure the title didn’t slip away.
Windermere’s Randy Ruiz hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and one out to level the score. But Dubanewicz responded by striking out pitcher Jack Waddingham and catcher Juan Lopez back-to-back to end the inning.
“I mean the reality of being that close in the game gave me an adrenaline boost and I knew my boys had my back,” said Dubanewicz, who pitched 6 ⅓ innings, struck out seven, gave up five hits and two walks, but no earned runs. “From the beginning of the season, I knew we had that dog in us and that it would come up at the right moment.”
Douglas won the last seven playoff games in which Dubanewicz, a University of Florida signee, pitched.
The Eagles’ bullpen once again led by junior lefty Luke Cherry made sure of that. Cherry entered in relief of Dubanewicz in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and one out. He proceeded to induce a pop up from Javier Calzadilla and strike out Aidan Reyes to end that threat.
“(He’s got) steel,” Fitz-Gerald said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
The game was a reflection of the way Douglas finished the season on a 12-game winning streak after struggling toward the middle once its 59-game winning streak was snapped.
“The resiliency of this program and the togetherness they showed is why we’re here,” Fitz-Gerald said. “Niko’s walk-off homer (against North Broward Prep) completely turned the corner for us. People doubted us with no Christian Rodriguez and no Matt Ossenfort. We lost some thumpers last year and for these guys to show that resiliency and fight like they did. My coaches did a great job. I’m just leading the ship.”
Diaz’s heroics capped a memorable weekend for the junior, who will be part of the next wave of Douglas players hoping to continue its dynasty next season.
Diaz stood in and delivered against Windermere reliever Cruz Warp, who relieved Waddingham after he pitched 6 ⅓ innings, striking out 11 and allowing only one earned run on four hits with no walks.
Warp walked Bennett Gary to load the bases. He then nearly hit Diaz with a pitch to open the at-bat, which would have forced in the winning run.
Then, one night after he hit a towering two-run home run to help Douglas beat Vero Beach 9-7 in the state semifinals, Diaz roped a single to left field to set off a wild celebration that ended with a dogpile of players in shallow right field.
“I was trying not to press too much and got the curveball I wanted and drove him in,” Diaz said. “I walked up on top of the plate trying to get hit. That first pitch whizzed by my shoulder. I flushed it away and just went to the next pitch.
“It’s a crazy feeling. Started in eighth grade watching all those former players win their first and second championship. I can’t believe it. It’s our turn now and people have to step up now.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2024 at 10:14 PM.
