Rojas remains a constant for Douglas baseball in chase for sixth title in a row
Stoneman Douglas’ baseball team is back in familiar territory.
The Eagles, a four-time national champion, re-entered the national rankings this week at No. 20 in MaxPreps’ latest poll.
They are playing in the regional finals this weekend against familiar rival, West Broward, and are four wins overall from extending their state-record state championship streak to six in a row.
But it hasn’t been a typical regular season for Douglas, a program not long ago won 59 consecutive games.
Through some ups and downs, the constant continues to be senior ace Gio Rojas.
Much like the team he pitches for, Rojas has been dominant even when not throwing his best stuff, and it’s why Douglas remains one of the favorites heading into its Region 4-7A final best-of-3 series against the Bobcats this Friday and Saturday.
“I come out every day ready to work and feel things out,” Rojas said. “From the fall, we’ve made big adjustments to be ready for upcoming challenges and we’ve been able to be successful.”
Rojas, a 6-4, 190-pound lefty, remains one of the top prospects in the country as he prepares to make the jump to the next level.
Rojas is signed to the University of Miami. But he is also the top high school left-handed pitching recruit in the nation per multiple outlets, ranked among the top 5 high school prospects overall by Baseball America, and expected to be a first-round pick in July’s Major League Baseball Amateur draft.
“He’s been great for us for three years. Maturity is maturity. He’s far beyond high school baseball,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said.
Armed with a fastball consistently in the upper 90s, which has touched 98 mph, and an ability to mix a slider and changeup effectively, Rojas has been nearly unhittable again this season. He is 9-1 with an 0.59 ERA over 59 innings, two complete games, 102 strikeouts and 13 walks.
Rojas issued four of those free passes in his most recent start last Friday in a 1-0 Douglas win over Southwest Miami in the first game of their regional semifinal series.
Rojas struck out 12, but the walks and one hit batter, drove up his pitch count and he exited after 6 1/3 innings after 108 pitches.
“I told him just trust the fastball, and keep throwing it till they hit it,” Fitz-Gerald said. “He was better in the back half of the game than the first part. He competed. I know he’s not happy, but that’s all part of the process.”
Rojas continues to look advanced on the mound when it comes to handling such situations this season, learning how to work through tight spots or bounce back after slightly subpar outings. He’ll get such a chance again this Friday when he takes the mound in the first game against West Broward, which is the only team to hand him a loss this season.
But if Douglas is to continue its historic run, it will need more than just Rojas’ dominance.
The Eagles are looking for more consistency from their lineup, which plated just one run in Rojas’ start last Friday, but then exploded for 20 runs in their second game last Saturday against Southwest.
“We’re all a family here, and we’re all rooting for one goal,” Rojas said. “I believe we can do it if we stick to doing all the little things right.”
REGIONAL FINALS
NOTE: If a third game is necessary, it will be played 30 minutes after the second game on Saturday.
4-7A: West Broward at Stoneman Douglas, 6 Friday; 11 a.m. Saturday
4-6A: Southridge at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 Friday; 4 Saturday
4-5A: Archbishop McCarthy at Mater Academy (Westland Gardens Park), 7 Friday; 1 Saturday.
4-4A: Somerset Academy at American Heritage, 6:30 Friday; noon Saturday
3-3A: North Broward Prep at Clearwater Calvary Christian, 7 Friday; 1 Saturday
4-3A: Miami Springs at Gulliver Prep, 3:30 Friday; 1 Saturday
4-2A: Chaminade at True North, 4 Friday; 1 Saturday
4-1A: Brito at Schoolhouse Prep, 7 Friday; 1 Saturday
