By: Matt Rothman

Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball has started their season off strong after winning their first three games of the year.

The Eagles return many star players from the 2020 season despite it being shut down due to COVID:19. MSD has five players currently signed to play college baseball next year and saw many of them shine this week in their wins over Belen Jesuit, American Heritage, and St. Thomas Aquinas.

In their opening game against Belen Jesuit, Jake Clemente hit a three-run home run while Santiago Ordonez knocked in two runs with a triple, and Cameron Harris drove in one. Rolando Lujo also had a three-bagger in the victory as Chris Arroyo earned the win on the mound with his four innings.

The next game, MSD scored only one run as Clemente once again had an RBI as the Christian Rodriguez, and Von Smeltzer allowed no runs and four hits on the mound against American Heritage.

The Eagles finished off the week with a 3-2 win over St. Thomas Aquinas High School. After Clemente was the team’s hottest hitter through the first two games, he shined on the mound and pitched 4.1 innings before Derek Rodriguez came in out of the bullpen and earned the win.

Ordonez drove in two more runs while Lujo knocked one in during their victory.

Head Coach Todd Fitz-Gerald liked what he saw but knows there is a lot of season left.

“We have to get better each week,” Coach Fitz-Gerald said. “We have a long way to go to reach our potential. This team is a special group of guys from top to bottom.”

Up next, the Eagles baseball team will host Coral Reef High School on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. under the lights in Parkland.

Send your news to Parkland’s #1 News Source, Parkland Talk.

Author Profile

Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is now attending the University of Florida as a graduate student. Matt also covers the New York Islanders for The Hockey Writer, the New York Mets for Last Word on Baseball and Florida Gators Athletics for ESPN Gainesville.