State Champions! Nick Diaz’s Walk-Off Hit Lifts Marjory Stoneman Douglas to 4th Straight Title

by Matt Rothman May 19, 2024

296Shares

State Champions: Nick Diaz's Walk-Off Hit Lifts Marjory Stoneman Douglas to 4th Straight Title

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Baseball Wins 4th Straight State Championship. {Vale Sandoval}

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball team dynasty continued this weekend, winning two more games to secure a fourth straight State Championship. The victory was highlighted by a walk-off hit by Nick Diaz in the final game.

“It was such an unreal experience, and I couldn’t be happier for my coaches and players,” Head Coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “They wanted it so badly. They are so resilient, and I couldn’t be happier for the year they had.”

The Eagles are now the only public school in Florida to win four straight State Championships, and they are also one of only two schools to win four straight, joining Archbishop McCarthy High School.

In the final, Rylan Lujo and Niko Benestad had RBIs in the first inning before Windermere tied the game in the fourth. Luke Cherry came on and worked out a bases-loaded one-out jam in the seventh before tossing a clean eighth inning after a dominant start from Jayden Dubanewicz. The Eagles loaded the bases in the eighth before Diaz had the game-winning hit.

“Before my at-bat, Coach Fitz-Gerald told me to get on top of the plate and get hit, and the first pitch was in a little bit, but I jumped out of the way on accident,” Diaz said. “But once I got the hit, I touched first and saw all my teammates running toward me. It was a crazy feeling knowing I won a State Championship.”

MSD previously beat Vero Beach High School 9-7 in the State Semifinals and 13 seniors with Devin Fitz-Gerald, Benestad, Lujo, Alex Rodriguez, Dubanewicz, Gavin Gargiulo, Brayden McCluskey, David Goldapper, Christian Milliken, James Smith, Reese Burton, Mickey Case, and Riley Mudlin. Fitz-Gerald, Benestad, Lujo, and Rodriguez had all won titles in their first three years of high school baseball before falling for the first time. They will all get set to play college baseball next year, along with Gargiulo, McCluskely, Goldapper, Smith, and Case.

“It’s memorable, “Devin said. “I’m at a loss for words to do this in all four years of high school. It is just incredible and truly something special, and that is what it was, and that’s what this season was.”

Rylan Lujo, Alex Rodriguez, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Niko Benestad. {Vale Sandoval}

MSD has previously won the last three State and National Championships. Despite losing five games in the regular season, MSD played their best baseball down the stretch and finished the season on a 12-game winning streak.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group of guys and how we handled the adversity this season,” Benestad said. “We all believed in one another and had each other’s back in any situation. I love my team, and I’m so happy to make history with this group.”

Lujo finished as the team leader in batting average and RBIs. He also hit four home runs, which were tied with Benestad and one behind Fitz-Gerald. Diaz also hit three home runs and was one of four players to drive in at least 20 runs this year. Bennett Gary, who missed time with an injury, also had a home run with Lorenzo Laurel.

On the mound, Gargiulo went 9-2, while Dubanewicz went 8-2, and both had ERA’s under 1.75. Gio Rojas was dominant in his four starts, going 4-0, including an 18-strikeout performance against J.P. Taravella. Breylynn Courtney added three wins, while McCluskey pitched to an ERA of 1.05.

Send your news to Parkland’s #1 Award-Winning News Source, Parkland Talk. Don’t miss reading Tamarac Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, and Margate Talk.

Author Profile

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.