Membreno’s two home runs power Miami Springs to first GMAC baseball title since 2007
Miami Springs senior outfielder Ivan Membreno knew he needed to make some adjustments at the plate after a tough start to this season.
After a talk with his coach David Fanshawe during batting practice on Thursday, Membreno found his power stroke again, belting a pair of home runs to lead the Golden Hawks to a 7-2 victory over Southwest in the GMAC championship game at Andre Dawson Field.
Membreno’s individual turnaround mirrored the remarkable recovery the Golden Hawks have made in recent weeks on their way to winning their first GMAC title since 2007.
Miami Springs (15-7) won its ninth game in its past 10 and is 14-4 over its past 18 games following a 1-3 start.
“After we started bad, we had a talk and started to do team bonding and trying to connect together,” Membreno said. “The past few games we’ve really started to show what we can do. We get our rhythm and show stamina throughout the game. This gives us confidence that we can play and go deep into games.”
The Golden Hawks completed an impressive run in the tournament that included road wins at Varela, Columbus and Southwest.
Miami Springs hopes the recent stretch can catapult it to a deep run in Class 4A this postseason.
The Golden Hawks are hoping to reach the state final four for the first time since 2019 when they made it for the first time in Fanshawe’s third season as their coach.
“It gives us a ton of confidence and goes to show we can make a deep run in the playoffs and that’s what it’s all about,” Fanshawe said. “We beat three really good teams at their schools. The morale is high here.”
Dawson, Southwest’s most famous alum, was on hand to watch his alma mater on Thursday and even threw the ceremonial first pitch.
But while “The Hawk” hoped to inspire his school’s baseball team, it was the Golden Hawks who hit like champions.
Membreno’s two-run home run to right field off Southwest starter Pedro Martinez highlighted a five-run second inning for Springs, which earned some payback for an 11-6 loss to Southwest (17-4) earlier this season and a loss in the GMAC final two seasons ago.
“We all know what he’s capable of,” Fanshawe said. “I told him not to rush things. He made some adjustments and gave us an early lead and then followed up with another one.”
Membreno crushed another home run to deep center field off reliever Christian Vasquez to lead off the fifth inning and give Springs a 7-0 lead.
Membreno leads the Golden Hawks with four home runs this season. His first blast was preceded by a two-run double by Roydan Perez, Springs’ leadoff hitter.
“I was seeing pitches better since the last game. I saw a pitch I liked and I just put a good swing on it,” Membreno said. “We can take this (trophy) back to our school. For me, as a senior, it feels special to be a part of this.”
Miami Springs’ turnaround coincided with the improvement of its pitching, which struggled in the early part of the season.
During the GMAC tournament, the Golden Hawks gave up only four runs in three games including a nine-inning shutout of Varela in the quarterfinal round.
“The pitchers have been dialed in,” Fanshawe said. “Walks were an issue early. But we’ve been putting kids in the right situations.”
This story was originally published April 18, 2024 at 11:45 PM.
