2 Original Florida Pokers Announce Commitment: Star Player Shines in Postseason

by Matt Rothman October 31, 2024

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2 Original Florida Pokers Announce Commitment: Star Player Shines in Postseason

Daniel Tartaglia {954 Preps}

The Original Florida Pokers had a pair of players announce their commitment this week to play in college while a former played shined in the postseason.

Daniel Tartaglia announced his commitment to Hillsboro Community College and said it feels great knowing he has a chance to play at the next level.

“Hillsboro just felt like the one, with a great pitching coach and staff, close to family, and I get to play in the state of Florida, Tartaglia said. “Coach Fitz, Coach Cimi, and Coach Rob have helped a lot and are the ones that gave me a chance at the next level.”

Tartaglia started playing baseball when he was five. He spent his first three years at Monarch High School and transferred to Marjory Stoneman Douglas at the start of the school year. He also played for the Original Florida Pokers and had a great summer, going 4-0 and striking out 32 hitters in 29.1 innings. Targlia also had an ERA of 2.86 and was a part of the team BCS Championship.

Tartaglia will make his debut with the Eagles this spring. MSD will attempt to win its fifth straight State Championship, while Hillsboro Community College won 25 games last season. Ragusais headed to NC State and called the reciting process a relief after the frustration with the uncertainty of the new rules in college baseball.

“NC State felt like the perfect place for me, Ragusa said. “Coach Chrysler, the Pitching Coach, made it feel like home. They’ve been competitive for years, going to the College World Series the past two years.

Ragusa began playing baseball when he was four. He then started with the pokers four years later and went on to play high school baseball at Cardinal Gibbons High School. This summer, he was also a part of the BCS Championship team and won a State Championship at Cardinal Gibbons High School.

Michael Ragusa. {954 Preps}

Earlier this fall, Ragusa touched 95 on the radar gun and wants to thank Coach Rob, Coach Fitz, and the rest of the Pokers organization for helping him reach this point. Ragusa will play his final year of college baseball at NC State before joining a team that went 38-23 a season ago.

Former Original Florida Poker Mark Vientos had a historic postseason for the New York Mets. The slugging third baseman played for the Pokers in 2013 and 2014 and began the season in the minor leagues.

Vientos, though, was called up and hit a pair of walk-off home runs. He finished the regular season with 27 homers. He broke the Mets’ all-time postseason record with 14 RBIs and added five more home runs, including a grand slam against the eventual World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vientos also played alongside Christian Scott, a former Poker alumni. Scott rose onto the scene, pitching in nine games and striking out 39 hitters in 47.2 innings before undergoing Tommy John Surgery at the end of the summer.

2 Original Florida Pokers Announce Commitment: Star Player Shines in Florida

Christian Scott, Lenny Roberts and Mark Vientos. {Original Florida Pokers}

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Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.