Jake Clemente and Jacob Gomberg of Marjory Stoneman Douglas .{MSD Athletics.}
By: Matt Rothman
There aren’t too many high school baseball programs as successful as Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and for a pair of Eagles, they now have the opportunity to continue that success at one of the best colleges in the country.
Jacob Gomberg and Jake Clemente, who won a state championship last season playing for separate high schools, will be teammates this year at MSD, then off to the University of Florida in 2023.
“Playing with Clemente is a blast,” Gomberg said. “We are neighbors and have a lot in common, so I’m excited to continue the future with him by my side.”
Gomberg, who pitched a pair of seasons for North Broward Prep, transferred to Marjory Stoneman Douglas before his junior year to reunite with his former travel baseball coach, Todd Fitz-Gerald.
The left-hander only pitched in three games as a freshman before making eight starts during his sophomore year.
Gomberg went 3-3, with an ERA of 3.87, and struck out 56 hitters in only 31 innings. He will be joining a rotation at MSD that features five elite-level arms in Christian Rodriguez, Derek Rodriguez, Sammy Beir, Christian Arroyo, and Clemente.
For Clemente, this senior also started out playing for North Broward Prep and transferred to MSD in 2020. The right-hander can reach 96 on the radar gun and is one of the top hitters in Florida.
Clemente hit .360 with four home runs and drove in 34 runs. He had 14 extra-base hits this past season, pitched to a 1.58 ERA on the mound, and was named to the 2021 First Team All-American Outfield and 2021 7A-12 All-District Team Outfield. With one more year left of high school baseball, he is eager to get back on the field with teammate Gomberg.
“We know each other very well, pushing each other to our limits,” Clemente said. “He’s there for me when I need support, and I give him advice like an older brother. It’s a friendship and relationship that has impacted me in baseball but also my personal life.”
After both players hope to repeat as State Champions, this time on the same squad, they will each be joining a program at UF that has the top-ranked recruiting program heading into this season.
The Gators have won 15 SEC championships, been to 12 College World Series, and earned their first National Championship in 2017.
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