Mater Academy’s second ever state baseball title meant more than just a trophy and medals
Player dogpiles after winning championships typically happen on the mound.
It started that way Saturday afternoon for the Mater Academy baseball team.
But after the Lions realized second baseman Eiker Noguera had still not gotten up after making the final out of the season in short right field, they all got up and piled on their emotional teammate.
If there’s a “heart and soul” of Mater Academy’s team, it’s Noguera, a senior, who fittingly went 2 for 3 with an RBI and, even more appropriately, caught the game-ending pop up to seal the Lions’ 6-1 victory over Wesley Chapel and the Class 5A state championship.
“We always knew this was the goal,” Noguera said. “We’re blessed.”
Mater Academy (24-9-1) secured its first state championship since 2014 and the second ever for its program.
Noguera dropped to his knees and put his face in the grass where he laid for several seconds after making the clinching catch, letting the happy tears flow.
After emerging from the pile of Mater players, Noguera never let the ball go.
He carried it with him as the team celebrated. He held it up for all to see as he and his teammates lined up along the third base line to accept their medals and later their state championship trophy.
Noguera said he’s keeping the ball forever. But the victory meant more to him and the Lions than just the hardware they collected Saturday at Hammond Stadium.
It was about honoring someone special to them who couldn’t be there in person.
“This is all for this man, whose name is on this wristband here,” Noguera said postgame pointing at a black wristband with the name, Isaul Olivera, that he placed, along with the baseball he caught, atop the table where he sat in the postgame interview room.
Olivera, a former assistant coach at Mater Academy, passed away suddenly from a heart attack in January 2023 when Noguera was a sophomore.
Noguera said the Lions plan to visit Olivera’s grave on Tuesday and plan to take the ball and the trophy with them.
“We played for him and fought to honor him and we wanted to bring it home for him,” Noguera said in Spanish as his teammate, Alfrin Rosario, translated to English for the reporters present.
“We believed in ourselves and kept fighting. We knew what we had. Everything that happened brought us more together and that’s why we’re here now.”
After the Lions spent so many games this season, coming back to win games, they were the ones who led throughout Saturday’s game. Noguera opened the game with a single to kickstart a three-run first inning, highlighted by Bryan Arrieta’s two-run single and an RBI double by Rosario.
Noguera, who had five hits combined in the two games this week at state, drove in Jeuri La Rosa in the second inning with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Rosario pitched 6 2/3 innings, and gave up nine hits, but only one run and three walks, while striking out seven. Rosario allowed two runners to reach base in four different innings, but closed each out with a strikeout. Aside from the third inning, when he allowed the Wildcats their lone run on a bloop single by Cole Ranchel, Rosario escaped unscathed.
“I like being in those jams sometimes. Coaches don’t like it, but that’s why people think I’ll be a closer in the future,” Rosario said. “One of the reasons I like pitching is I like to have the ball and be involved in every play. This was a great way to end it as a state champ.”
When the final ball hit by a Wesley Chapel (19-15) batter in the seventh sailed high and right over Noguera, Mater coach Humberto Bencomo said he had no doubt he would catch it, giving the Lions the perfect ending to their season.
“I knew that ball could hit a bird or anything, and it was not going to be dropped,” Bencomo said. “These guys have fought and been through a lot, but we signed up for this since day one and said we were going to do it, and we did.”
Noguera gave an impassioned speech, expressing his gratitude to his teammates and coaches, after Mater Academy beat Varela last week to clinch a berth in the state final four.
The Lions overcame a rough start to the season, which saw them lose five of their first six games, and put a season that began with high expectations in doubt.
But Mater Academy found its stride in late March and rolled through the 5A playoffs on its way to Fort Myers.
“These guys are great and I always reminded everyone we were fighting for something else, day after day, practice for practice and showing them what Mater meant to us,” Noguera said. “It was more than a team. We’re a family. This is incredible.”
