Original Florida Pokers Win State Championship with St. Thomas Aquinas. {Courtesy}
The Original Florida Poker’s travel baseball team continues to produce some of the best talent in the country.
With several players from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas team winning a State Championship, many local kids also won a State Title with St. Thomas Aquinas, along with one major commitment.
Andrew Alvarez, Thomas Giltner, Jonathan Lopez, and Cole Lasher all played for the 2025 team, which won two straight BCS National Championships, while Jaden Doverspike, Nico Sabatino, Julian Diaz, Brady Buxbaum, and Nick Fernandez all played for the 2026 team.
Alvarez is a State College of Florida signee who led the team with 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs while batting .382. Giltner is headed to Palm Beach State College and went 8-1 on the mound with a 2.30 ERA and one save.
Lopez started his high school career at J.P. Taravella and is signed with Florida Atlantic University. He hit .379 with seven home runs and went 4-0 pitching with a 2.33 ERA. Lasher will attend Florida Gulf Coast University after homering seven times this year and driving in 34 runs.
Doverspike wrapped up his junior season, hitting .339 with two home runs and 15 RBIs. Sabaatino had one of the catches of the year at the State Championship in center field and hit .339 with two home runs before he announced his commitment to the University of Florida.
“I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering love and support,” Sabatino said. “To my teachers and mentors-thank you for guiding me both on and off the field. “And to every coach who has helped shape me into the player and person I am today-your belief in me has meant everything. I wouldn’t be here without your time, knowledge, and encouragement.”
Diaz pitched in 13 games and went 9-2 with a 3.08 ERA, while Buxbaum led the team with a .434 batting average. He also homered nine times, drove in 42 runs with Fernandez innings this year, and did not allow an earned run.
All these players will be back in action this summer with the Pokers. Four will play college baseball next year, while five will return for their senior season.
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