Two Florida high school baseball pitchers record 18 strikeouts in the same week
Pitching, pitching and more pitching.
The story of the week in South Florida baseball has been – you guessed it – pitching!
Yes, there are plenty of quality arms in one of the most talented areas of the country. But even so, what transpired this week has been special – even by South Florida standards.
Not once, but twice, two pitchers each logged one-hit, complete game shutouts, while striking out 18. That’s right, 18! Keep in mind, they play seven inning games.
Gio Rojas of Marjory Stoneman Douglas did it on Wednesday against Taravella. Then, on Thursday night, Flanigans’ Brayden Allison fanned 18 in a one-hit, shutout of Coral Springs.
Stoneman Douglas' Gio Rojas (left) and Flanigan's Brayden Allison each had 18 strike out performances last week as high school baseball got fully underway last week. They were just two of several outstanding performances turned in by South Florida hurlers.
Both memorable games came in the Broward County Athletic Association (BCAA) Championship Baseball Tournament, being played across the county all week.
SBLive Sports Florida is tracking all the action, and this week, we highlight the top pitching performances.
Brayden Allison, Flanagan: The Falcons are participating in Tier 2 of the BCAA tournament. Allison, a left-hander, was simply dominant in a 9-0 win over Coral Springs. Along with fanning 18, the southpaw didn’t walk a batter and he allowed just one hit. But the night will forever be remembered for the 18 Ks. At the plate, Allison collected two doubles and drove in two runs.
Landon Combs, NSU University: The Sharks stunned state-ranked Archbishop McCarthy, 13-2, on Thursday night. One of the standouts was Combs, a freshman right-hander, who gave up one run in four innings with four strikeouts in relief.
Michael Kass, Cardinal Gibbons: After missing all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Kass is showing why he’s committed to the University of Central Florida. In a 4-0 win at Flanagan, Kass threw five shutout innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. The right-hander boasts a terrific slider to go with his ability to locate his fastball. Also worth nothing, Flanagan lefty Richard Bello fanned nine in 4 2/3 innings in a terrific pitchers’ matchup.
Felix Ong, Key West: It’s not very often that Key West plays on the road in either Miami Dade or Broward Counties. But the Conchs did so on Tuesday to face NSU University. The Florida Gators recruit drew about a dozen scouts to see him throw 3 1/3 innings (80 pitches) of relief, with five strikeouts. Ong’s fastball touched 93 and his curveball is at 73 mph.
Gio Rojas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas: Just a sophomore, look for Rojas to move up the rankings of the boards of the national scouting services. The left-hander topped at 94 mph, as well as a nasty slider (77-79 mph). Everything was working on Wednesday in a 2-0 win against Taravella in Tier One of the BCAA tournament. Rojas had a perfect game going for 6 2/3 innings. Rojas was one out away from setting down all 21 batters he faced before allowing a hit. Again, 18 strikeouts and a one-hit shutout has created national attention.
J.P. Querales, West Broward: Stats and high velocity don’t jump out at you when watching Querales. The ability to compete and will his way through innings does. The senior did just that in the Bobcats’ 8-1 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. Querales worked five innings, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out just two.
Anthony Quigley, Taravella: Talk about a hard-luck outing. Quigley, a South Florida commit, held down a powerful Stoneman Douglas team, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts in five innings. The right-hander, however, happened to be throwing on the night Rojas struck out 18. Still, Quigley is drawing plenty of attention from pro scouts, with his fastball sitting 88-91 mph, and topping at 92 mph.
