Mater Academy Charter claims first state baseball title in 11 years

Alfrin Rosario gives up one run in 6 -1/3 innings and the Lions celebrate the FHSAA 5A state crown

Mater Academy Charter's Alfrin Rosario impressed in the heat in the Lions' Class 5A state championship game against Wesley Chapel. / Joe Frisaro

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – When Mater Academy Charter started the 2025 baseball season with three straight losses, the Lions’ immediate focus was finding a way to win.

Little did many envision back on Feb. 15, that Mater Academy would wind up its season with a dogpile of players celebrating a Florida state championship.

If ever there is a case of it’s not how you start, but how you finish, Mater Academy Charter proved that over their dramatic 35-game season.

On Saturday afternoon, Mater Academy Charter received 6-1/3 strong innings on the mound from Alfrin Rosario and defeated Wesley Chapel, 6-1, to claim the Class 5A state championship.

The Lions (25-9-1) are state baseball champions for the first time since 2014.

While the season started off slowly, there was never anyone who disputed the quality of talent on the Lions’ roster.

At one point, the Lions were 1-5, but finished the season with an 11-game winning streak after falling 3-1 to American Heritage Plantation on April 9.

Rosario showed tremendous resolve on a scorching hot afternoon. While Wesley Chapel (19-15) out-hit Mater, 9-7, the big hits came from the Lions.   

Mater Academy Charter’s ability to bounce back was shown in Thursday’s state semifinal game at Hammond Stadium.

Against Fort Myers, Mater was behind 5-0 through three innings, and rallied to an 8-5 win, earning a spot in Saturday’s title game.

Rosario, in fact, recorded the final three outs against Fort Myers.

In the title game, the right-hander was at 104 pitches entering the seventh inning, meaning he could face no more than one batter. Rosario struck out the last batter he faced.

The Lions went to the bullpen and Adrian Pena recorded the final two outs. Shortstop Brandon Lorenzo made a sensational diving play, and throw across the diamond for the second out. The final out was a soft pop up to second baseman Eiker Noguera.

After the last out was recorded, the Lions’ players stormed the field, and took the dog pile celebration to Noguera at second base.

In the first inning, Wesley Chapel mounted a threat when Nolan Hartley and Zorre Wright collected back-to-back, one-out singles. But Rosario worked out of the second-and-third jam by logging a strikeout.

Mater Academy Charter quickly countered, scoring three runs in the first inning off Wildcats starter, Chase Flemming.

Noguera singled to get things going for the Lions, and Yodelkis Quevedo blistered a single to right. Bryan Arrieta delivered a two-run single, and with two outs, Rosario launched an RBI double.

Mater Academy tacked on a run in the second inning on Noguera’s run-scoring single.

Wesley Chapel in the third inning got on the board after Hartley led off with a triple, and Cole Ranchel collected an RBI single.

A chance for a bigger inning for the Wildcats was stalled when left-fielder Jeuri La Rosa made a diving catch on JoJo Guevara’s line drive, and Mater threw on to second for a double play.

La Rosa also came through at the plate with a sacrifice fly, helping the Lions end an 11-year drought without a championship.