Six South Florida high school baseball teams peaking at the right time

With the high school baseball regular season entering its final week, it's time for clubs to step up

Juan Cera of Archbishop McCarthy is a big reason the Mavericks have gotten hot in the second half. / Joe Frisaro

Hard to believe, but the Florida high school baseball season is entering its final week.

It seems like baseball just started. But the new format in 2025 shortened the regular season from 11 to nine weeks, and the regional playoffs will now be best two of three. So, plenty of playoff action is on the horizon.

But first, South Florida schools will be looking to finish strong.

High School on SI has been tracking all the action, and here is our list of six South Florida schools peaking at the right time.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

When you’re 20-2 and ranked second in the state, as well as being nationally ranked, picking the Eagles may appear to be a no-brainer. Why Stoneman Douglas tops our list has less to do with the overall record, and more of how well the team is playing.

The Eagles recently traveled to the Tampa Bay area and played three games against tough opponents in three-straight games. The headliner was facing Jesuit Tampa. Douglas won that game, 7-4. Even though the Eagles fell to Sickles Tampa, 5-4, the next day, the trip was certainly successful. Playing three straight days prepares Douglas for the expanded regionals.

Since returning to South Florida, Douglas defeated St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) and easily handled Fort Lauderdale (10-0) and Monsignor Pace (9-0). Douglas has one of the best overall pitching staffs in the state. Junior lefty Gio Rojas is arguably the top pitcher in the state. At the plate, Bennett Gary, Drew Freeman and Jake Rizzo have been consistent all season. Douglas is clicking as a team, and again are the team to beat in Class 7A.

Chaminade-Madonna

All the Lions do is win. Coach Mark McCoy’s team has rattled off eight straight victories, and are 20-3 overall. They hit. They pitch. They compete, and they are definitely a club to contend with in Class 2A. Trace Zalman (.466 batting average), John Bishop (.443) and Josh Wright (.400) are stepping up at the plate. The pitching is strong with lefty Spencer Krasner (7-0) and Santi Arismendi (6-1). The Class 2A-District 14 playoffs will be interesting with NSU University and Westminster Academy.

Archbishop McCarthy

The way the season started for the Mavericks, it appeared this could be a rebuild year for first-year coach Mike Fiers. But the Mavericks have really developed into a formidable team. They ‘ve won seven straight and are 12-9, putting themselves in the mix in Class 5A to get to the state playoffs in Fort Myers. Danny Machado (.476 batting average) and Juan Cerra (.459) are two seniors who have stepped up. Jose Torres, Zach Tavarez, Xavier Domenech and Nick Llinas are four pitchers capable of shutting down opposing offenses. The Mavericks last week held down Jupiter (7-1) and then shutout out Miami Christian (2-0). On Monday, they will be tested by West Broward, and on Tuesday they face Chaminade-Madonna.

St. Thomas Aquinas

The Raiders have one of the most explosive offenses in the state. They’ve scored 10 or more runs in nine of their last 10 games. Their loss was to Stoneman Douglas. Remember, they faced Rojas that day. In Class 6A, St. Thomas will host its district playoffs. Josh Jennings (.460 batting average), Brady Buxbaum (.446), Nico Sabatino (.391) and Zack Malvasio (.378) are their batting average leaders. As a team, they’ve hit 43 home runs, with Malvasio ranking among the national leaders with 11. Buxbaum has seven homers and Cole Lasher chips in with five. Jonathan Lopez has six homers, and Andrew Alvarez is second on the team in RBIs with 27. From top to bottom, the lineup is strong. Pitching, Julian Diaz posts a 6-1 record and Thomas Giltner is 4-1.

True North Classical Academy

The Titans (15-6) have been one of the top teams in Miami-Dade County. Coach Adrian Nieto has his club executing fundamentals. They can bunt. They hit-and-run, and find ways to manufacture runs. Mikey Cuenca is batting .419 and Misael Uriepero is batting .397. Pitching is going to be key for the Titans. Yancarlos Cordova and Alex Diaz have been consistent on the mound. In Class 2A, they’ll be challenged by Westminster Christian, which reached the state title game a year ago.

North Broward Prep

From the start of the season to now, North Broward Prep has made a gigantic leap. Coach Brian Campbell’s club is young and talented. They’re now among the most dangerous teams in Class 3A, having won nine in a row. Max Burkholz (.566 batting average), Josiah Haslem (.364) and Kiernan O’Neill (.342) are among the team leaders. The pitching staff is strong, with sophomore Logan Bristol (5-2) already catching the attention of major colleges and Major League teams, and Jack Rostock is 4-0.