Chaminade's Krasner and American Heritage's Rich are Broward 4A-1A Players of the Year
American Heritage's Jordan Rich made a choice to commit full-time to baseball.
He was one of the most dynamic players in Broward County long before he even made that decision.
Spencer Krasner, a former teammate of Rich's at Heritage, was one of the most outstanding pitchers in the state long before making the decision to transfer to Chaminade-Madonna.
Both ended up having career seasons this year for their respective teams.
And so, Krasner is the Miami Herald's Broward County Pitcher of the Year for Classes 4A-1A while Rich is the Herald's Player of the Year for that same group.
Krasner, a dominant left-hander and University of South Carolina commit, went a perfect 9-0 on the mound this past season, striking out 100 batters in 59 innings and compiling an 0.95 ERA. Krasner, who had already been a vital part of a state championship team at American Heritage as a freshman and state runner-up team as a sophomore, led Chaminade to a 24-5 record and a district championship.
Although the Lions were eliminated in a best-of-3 Region 4-2A quarterfinal series by Miami Westminster Christian, Krasner threw a three-hitter, striking out nine for Chaminade's lone win in the series.
Krasner had five games where he struck out 12 or more batters and eight games where he struck out eight or more.
Krasner figures to be a potential MLB draft prospect in addition to his potential opportunity to become an impactful pitcher in the Southeastern Conference in college.
Rich, formerly a standout on the Patriots' football team, is developing into one of the most versatile players in the state and showed it this season while guiding Heritage to its second state title in three seasons.
'I really feel really great about the decision to play baseball, and wish I had made the decision even sooner,' Rich said. 'I couldn't be happier.'
Rich, a senior outfielder, hit .393 and showed his power with seven home runs and eight doubles; his consistency as he drove in 26 runs; and his speed as he stole 38 bases.
A Miami-Dade College signee for baseball, Rich also showed his resilience returning from a season-ending injury last year to become a full-time starter on a state championship team.
'Two years ago, that 2023 state championship team, I feel, was similar to this team,' Rich said. 'It was a group of selfless guys who gelled at the right time and everything clicked. We just wanted to prove to ourselves we could do it. That's how we approached this season and ultimately finished it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chaminade-Madonna WR Jasen Lopez focused on playing football, basketball in college
HOLLYWOOD — Jasen Lopez is one of the premier multi-sport athletes in the state. The Chaminade-Madonna rising senior wide receiver/point guard showcased his skills in both sports the past week. He hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in front of college coaches on May 18, then scored the first touchdown of the Lions' spring scrimmage on May 19. Advertisement Lopez plans to play both sports in college. 'It's pretty important to me and my family,' Lopez said of playing football and basketball at the next level. 'It's something I've been doing since I've been a little kid. … That's a big opportunity, and it's something I'm looking forward to doing.' Ranked No. 41 overall and the top slot receiver on the USA Today Florida Network Top 100, Lopez has scheduled official visits to Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State and West Virginia. Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jasen Lopez catches a pass during the Lions spring scrimmage on May 19, 2025 in Hollywood, Florida. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder said his official visits will go a long way toward his decision. 'I just want to get up on campus, see how the coaches are, see how the campus is,' Lopez said. 'That's the place I'm going to live for the next four years, so I'll just get up there, check it out.' Advertisement More: 10 critical football recruiting questions on Florida 2026 class: Gators still rule state? Here are some other recruiting updates from Chaminade's spring scrimmage. RB Derrek Cooper Chaminade-Madonna running back Derrek Cooper watches the action during the Lions spring scrimmage on May 19, 2025 in Hollywood, Florida. Cooper, ranked No. 1 on the Top 100, took his first official visit to Auburn and said the Tigers 'set the bar.' 'Coach Nix (offensive coordinator Derrick Nix), he's a great coach,' Cooper said. 'I got to get on the board with him, draw up some plays, how things set up, how to get to the next level, how to separate yourself from different backs.' Cooper also has official visits scheduled to Miami, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, and Ohio State. WR Denairius Gray Gray, a longtime Auburn commit, plans to take official visits to N.C. State and Ole Miss this summer. Gray is No. 22 on the USA Today Florida Network Top 100. Advertisement 'My recruitment goes off the schools that really recruit me and show me the most love,' Gray said. 'That's what's special about Auburn is my relationship with the coaches.' WR Peter Pierre The talent pipeline just keeps flowing at Chaminade and Pierre, a rising sophomore, is the latest one colleges are noticing. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound pass catcher has picked up several offers this spring, including Oregon, USC, and Washington. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Recruiting: Chaminade-Madonna WR Jasen Lopez sets official visits
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Miami Springs' Roque and Estevez are Miami-Dade Baseball 4A-1A Players of the Year
Kevin Roque and Magdiel Estevez are best of friends. They have been since childhood. So it was only appropriate that they would be the Miami Herald's Class 4A-1A Pitcher and Player of the Year respectively, as they graduate together and move on to the next steps in their lives. After winning the award a year ago as a pitcher for Mater Academy, Roque turned the trick again this year after transferring to Miami Springs last summer. Only this time he had some extra hardware to go with it, a state championship medal around his neck and a ring on the way as well. Thanks to an outstanding season that saw him go 12-1 with a 1.54 ERA, Roque, along with his pal Estevez, led the Golden Hawks to a 28-3 record and made some history as they brought the school its first state championship in any sport since 1988. 'A state title and pitcher of the year, what a way to end my high school career, like right out of a dream,' said Roque, who recorded 88 strikeouts against just 28 walks and was the winning pitcher in the team's state semifinal win over Fort Myers Bishop Verot. 'I love pitching and I'm going to keep chasing. It's a dream and when you have a dream, you chase it. I'm looking forward to the next challenge and take a bigger step.' That challenge recently changed for Roque. He committed to Nova Southeastern more than a year ago but switched gears a few weeks ago and will now follow Estevez to play for coach Lazaro Llanes at Miami-Dade College in the fall. For all of Roque's season-long heroics, Estevez contributed on both the mound, as the team's No. 2 pitcher but also, even more importantly at the plate. When he wasn't pitching, 'Mags' as his teammates like to call him, was playing left field and, on a team that struggled offensively during the regular season (.273 team average), was coming through in a big way with his bat. Estevez hit .418, and while he hardly hit for power (only 13 of his 38 hits were extra bases), he constantly came up with key hits at key moments. He only had 19 RBI but batting No. 2 in the lineup can hold down RBI chances. 'I didn't really look at what others did and tried not to worry about it,' said Estevez when asked about the pressure of carrying his team's offensive load. 'I just went out there and did my best. You really can't control what everybody else is doing. It was a matter of keeping the faith, doing my best and hoping the rest of the team would catch up to me which they did once we got to regionals.' Ironically, if it hadn't been for Roque, Estevez could've made an argument for Pitcher of the Year himself as he finished with a 9-1 record, 1.41 ERA and struck out 74 against just 19 walks. Asked how Miami-Dade College's coaches are projecting him, Estevez said that hasn't been determined yet but admitted that his heart might be on the mound. 'I'm not sure, we're still going to have to figure that out,' said Estevez who was brilliant in the championship game against Santa Rosa Beach South Walton firing a complete game 2-hitter. 'At some point, it's a fork in the road and you have to go one way or the other. As a lefty, I feel I have a big advantage and I think with a lot of work and concentration I could do very well as a pitcher.'
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Miami Springs' Fanshawe and Mater Academy's Bencomo are Dade Baseball Coaches of the Year
The list is probably a short one. Coaches who have won a state baseball championship as a head coach, assistant coach and a player. It's one that David Fanshawe joined a few weeks ago when he watched his Miami Springs team complete a dream season. The Golden Hawks went 20-3 during the regular season, rolled to six straight regional playoff wins in Class 3A and then upset both Fort Myers Bishop Verot and Santa Rosa Beach South Walton to win not only the program's first state title, but the first state championship for the school in any sport in nearly four decades. For that, Fanshawe is the Miami Herald's Class 4A-1A Dade Baseball Coach of the Year. Fanshawe, who just completed his ninth season at Springs came over from Brito Miami Private in 2016 where he won back-to-back state titles as an assistant under Pedro Guerra in 2014-15. It was also the same place he won it as a player when he was on the mound as the winning pitcher in the 2006 championship game when Brito edged Jacksonville Eagle's View 4-3. 'The sport of baseball has been awfully good to me,' Fanshawe said. 'I've had some great experiences at a couple of great programs. I guess maybe I'm one to add to that list if there is one. The nicest thing about what we just did is that I got to watch those kids get to experience what I experienced as a player in high school.' Speaking of short lists, with Fanshawe's two players, Kevin Roque and Magdiel Estevez nailing down Pitcher and Player of the Year honors, respectively, Springs completed the Herald's triple sweep with him getting Coach of the Year. 'It's an honor to be recognized but obviously if it weren't for these kids and what they accomplished, there would be no coach of the year award for me,' Fanshawe said. 'They played their hearts out for me and the coaching staff and in order to have this success, you need to have great assistants as well which I was lucky to have.' For Humberto Bencomo, Mater Academy's state title in Class 5A was the program's second, but his first, as a head coach, assistant or player. For that accomplishment, Bencomo is the Herald's 7A-5A Coach of the Year. 'I'm truly humbled and honored to be recognized like this,' Bencomo said. 'This recognition is not just about me, it's a testament to the incredible heart and dedication of my players and coaches, the unwavering support from our administrators and the constant encouragement from our parents. Without all of that, none of this happens.' The Lions, who won their first championship in 2014, overcame a 1-5 start to the season, rolled to six straight regional playoff wins and then upended Fort Myers 8-5 in the state semifinal (battling back from an early 5-0 deficit) before defeating Wesley Chapel 6-1 for the title. 'In baseball you have to be willing to do whatever it takes,' Bencomo said. 'Whether it's a clutch hit, a perfect bunt, or a diving catch. That's what makes a championship team and that's exactly what we showed this past season.'
