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Gio Rojas started 31 games for Stoneman Douglas over the last three years. Twenty-eight of those times, he was the winning pitcher.
The star left-hander dominated opponents as the Eagles’ ace for the second year in a row, and for the second consecutive season, he is the Sun Sentinel Broward County 7A-5A player of the year (he split the honors with St. Thomas Aquinas’ Zachary Malvasio last year).
Rojas’ senior campaign had one blemish on it: a five-inning, seven-run loss to West Broward on Feb. 25. It was the sole loss on Rojas’ record the last three seasons. Five of the runs were unearned, and the Bobcats upset the Eagles 9-5.
Rojas gave up only six more runs in his last 10 appearances combined.
The senior star finished his last season with a record of 11-1. In 71 innings pitched, he led Broward County with 124 strikeouts. He walked only 17 batters. Rojas had a minuscule 0.59 ERA.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Rojas went 28-1 with a 0.71 ERA. He had 284 strikeouts in 158 innings.
“I can’t be (more) thankful to coach (Todd Fitz-Gerald) and the coaching staff around me for the opportunity I had,” Rojas told the Sun Sentinel.
Rojas ended his high school career in the best way possible: taking down national No. 1 Venice to clinch the 7A title. Rojas got the ball in the state championship game. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball, striking out 12, before hitting the pitch limit in the Eagles’ win.
“This performance was kind of like the cherry on top to go out on such a big win, especially facing the best team in the country,” Rojas said.
The victory gave Stoneman Douglas its sixth consecutive state championship. It had extra emotional heft, as Fitz-Gerald and his family have been reeling in the wake of Fitz-Gerald’s wife, Colleen, being diagnosed with brain cancer.
“With coach Fitz’s situation, he was very emotional,” Rojas said. “…I feel like we came out and produced for him. I feel like this win was (for) Colleen.”
Rojas’ career is poised to take one of two tracks now. He signed with Miami, but his chances of ending up in Coral Gables next season are slim. Rojas is a projected top pick in this summer’s MLB draft. MLB Pipeline rates him as the No. 8 prospect eligible for this year’s draft.
But Rojas does not let the future get in the way of the present.
“I never let that distract me,” he said.
Continue reading...
The star left-hander dominated opponents as the Eagles’ ace for the second year in a row, and for the second consecutive season, he is the Sun Sentinel Broward County 7A-5A player of the year (he split the honors with St. Thomas Aquinas’ Zachary Malvasio last year).
Rojas’ senior campaign had one blemish on it: a five-inning, seven-run loss to West Broward on Feb. 25. It was the sole loss on Rojas’ record the last three seasons. Five of the runs were unearned, and the Bobcats upset the Eagles 9-5.
Rojas gave up only six more runs in his last 10 appearances combined.
The senior star finished his last season with a record of 11-1. In 71 innings pitched, he led Broward County with 124 strikeouts. He walked only 17 batters. Rojas had a minuscule 0.59 ERA.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Rojas went 28-1 with a 0.71 ERA. He had 284 strikeouts in 158 innings.
“I can’t be (more) thankful to coach (Todd Fitz-Gerald) and the coaching staff around me for the opportunity I had,” Rojas told the Sun Sentinel.
Rojas ended his high school career in the best way possible: taking down national No. 1 Venice to clinch the 7A title. Rojas got the ball in the state championship game. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball, striking out 12, before hitting the pitch limit in the Eagles’ win.
“This performance was kind of like the cherry on top to go out on such a big win, especially facing the best team in the country,” Rojas said.
The victory gave Stoneman Douglas its sixth consecutive state championship. It had extra emotional heft, as Fitz-Gerald and his family have been reeling in the wake of Fitz-Gerald’s wife, Colleen, being diagnosed with brain cancer.
“With coach Fitz’s situation, he was very emotional,” Rojas said. “…I feel like we came out and produced for him. I feel like this win was (for) Colleen.”
Rojas’ career is poised to take one of two tracks now. He signed with Miami, but his chances of ending up in Coral Gables next season are slim. Rojas is a projected top pick in this summer’s MLB draft. MLB Pipeline rates him as the No. 8 prospect eligible for this year’s draft.
But Rojas does not let the future get in the way of the present.
“I never let that distract me,” he said.
Continue reading...
