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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/12/2022

Original Florida Pokers Win 16u BCS

Riley Sheppard     
Photo: Original Florida Pokers 2024 (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Despite a majority of the team being fitted for championship rings twice this year, Original Florida Pokers 2024 is not after the material, they just want to get better.

“This is all about development for us, we're really not chasing trophies,” head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said Sunday. “We're glad we want it but at the end of the day, this isn't what it's all about. It's just about us playing together as a team and learning the game and the concept of the team, that's more important than anything else.”



Less than two months ago, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was crowned state champions in JetBlue Park.

And following Sunday’s BCS National Championship game, many of the same players were crowned a different champion, but on the same field they were on in late May.

Their championship run was capped off with a 9-6 thriller over X Team 2024, with uncommitted top-500 prospect Alex Rodriguez named MVP following the game.

“It’s awesome, just playing with your guys, gelling and doing your thing out there and everybody giving their 100 percent all the time,” Rodriguez said following the game. “We picked a great day to have a great day, it feels great.”

The first run was not scored until the top of the fourth, following Rodriguez ripping a double out to right field. After he quickly stole third, one of Poker’s four sac flies on the day drove him in.

X Team quickly took a one-run lead after bringing two across in the fourth, but the Pokers wasted no time tying things up, ignited by extra bases from UCF commit Gavin Gargiulo and a sac fly from Ryan McPherson in the top of the fifth.

Following a four-run ambush in the bottom of the fifth, Fitz-Geralds’ team found themselves facing a 6-2 deficit with six outs remaining.

“I told them, 'We're not out of this game. keep grinding and find a way,'” Fitz-Gerald said. “Just keep plugging and good things will happen to us, we played hard man and you know, well deserved.”

Down two outs in the top of the sixth, four consecutive walks loaded the bases for the Pokers and led to Niko Benestad, Anthony Quigley, Ethan Askin and Reese Burton all making their way home to tie things up for the final time.

A six-pitch walk from McPherson led off the seventh, and one of Rodriguez's two doubles on the day put them in scoring position with nobody out.

Two sac flies in three at-bats from EJ Burns and Benestad scored them, and an RBI double from Andrew Ortiz extended the lead to 9-6.

Rylan Lujo came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and protected the lead over his two innings, giving up just one hit and striking out three with a low-80s fastball.

With this win making two ring sizings this year, Fitz-Gerald and the rest of his Stoneman Douglas players now only have space for eight more with BCS National Championship ones on the way.

“A lot of them are from Stoneman Douglas where I coach at, and Taravella High School, our rival,” Fitz-Gerald said. “They're just a great group of guys that enjoy playing together and they're really starting to gel and understand what their role is on the team. I just couldn't be happier for them.”
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