2024 All-813Preps Baseball Class 2A-5A Team
Sponsored by Jaime’s Adult Day Centers
2024 Most Valuable Player (2A-5A)
With 10 multi-hit games, and leading the offense in batting average (.411), RBI (28) and home runs (four), Jesuit senior Noah Sheffield was the catalyst for Hillsborough County’s latest state championship squad. Sheffield, an MLB draft prospect and Florida State signee was virtually unstoppable in the Saladino Tournament, driving in nine runs across the Tigers five games en route to a second-straight tournament crown.
Sheffield made starts across the diamond, before securing third base for the final half of the season, but the changing defensive assignments never disrupted an offensive production, which included six multi-RBI games and eight multi-run scored games.
“Noah Sheffield was outstanding for us this year,” Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez said. “A selfless player who moved around the infield at times and finally settled in at third base where we needed him the most. He was our most consistent hitter and produced in the biggest moments for us. His home run against Island Coast set the tone for the whole playoffs.
Sheffield, who was an All-813Preps First Team selection as a sophomore at Tampa Prep before transferring to Jesuit last year and earning Second Team honors that year, helped the Tigers win back-to-back district and region titles, and of course, claim the 2024 FHSAA Class 5A state championship – where he scored five times in the Tigers’ two final four games in Fort Myers.
“He transferred in as a junior and fit right in. He was a great teammate and leader as well,” Menendez said. “His ability to handle everything we asked of him speaks highly of his character as a person and also his ability as a baseball player.”
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2024 Hitter of the Year (2A-5A)
After two solid varsity baseball seasons, Seffner Christian outfielder Addy Scott turned up the production in a big way and earns our 2A-5A All-813Preps Hitter of the Year honors. With a single home run in both his sophomore and junior seasons, Scott led the county and tied for the national lead with 14 long balls in 2024, while also leading the county in runs scored (37) and RBI (33). Signed to Coastal Alabama-South Community College, Scott helped the Crusaders to an 18-6 record, a district runner-up finish and a region playoff berth; while hitting .426, with a county-best 1.713 OPS, while adding four doubles and 11 stolen bases.
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2024 Pitcher of the Year (2A-5A)
After earning the win in the Saladino Tournament final, senior McCall Biemiller and the Jesuit Tigers hit a rough patch, going 5-4 over the next nine games and were looking for a spark to turn the season around. The Florida-signed lefty was more than up to the challenge, and seven days after the Tigers suffered a mercy-rule loss to then-No. 1 ranked Florida team IMG Academy, Biemiller took to the mound against the Ascenders and struck out 15 in a 2-1 victory and kick-starting a 13-game win streak that Jesuit rode all the way to the Class 5A state championship. Biemiller was 8-1 this season, with a 2.29 ERA and 104 strikeouts, earning the victory in the state title game against Plantation American Heritage.
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2024 Coach of the Year (2A-5A)
Jesuit skipper Miguel Menendez led the Tigers to a 26-6 finish which included Saladino, district and region titles, and finally, the Class 5A state championship. The state title was Menendez’s third in his nine seasons with the Tigers, and Jesuit’s seventh overall crown. Menendez was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A Coach of the Year.
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The 2024 All-813Preps Team has been sponsored by:
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All-813Preps First Team Class 2A-5A
Cambridge Christian’s Brody Bellomo batted .419 this season, with 21 RBI and scored 24 runs for the Lancers. His 10 doubles tied for second-most in Hillsborough County and his five home runs tied for third-most. Bellomo, a junior, was an All-813Preps Second Team selection last year.
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Carrollwood Day’s Nick Bonollo batted .302 on the year, with 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, five doubles and a county-leading four triples (tied with four others), while helping the Patriots to a best-ever 25-6 record, a Class 2A-District 10 title and a region final berth.
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Senior Jack Clark helped Jesuit to a Saladino Tournament title, earning tourney MVP honors going 7-for-13, with eight runs scored, five RBI, two triples and stellar defense. On the season, the High Point commit hit .338, scored 26 times, with five doubles and four triples, helping the Tigers to district, region and state titles.
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Patriots junior Christian Clarke was named Carrollwood Day’s Male Athlete of the Year after helping his team to a 25-6 record with hits in all but five games this season. Clarke hit a team-best .372 (35 hits), with 24 RBI, five doubles and two triples. He scored 21 runs and stole 13 bases, leading the Patriots to a district title and a region final appearance.
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A four-year varsity player for Jefferson, first baseman Cameron Copple hit .436 in his senior season, with a team-leading 26 runs and 20 RBI for the district champion Dragons. The Indiana University of Pennsylvania signee had eight doubles and three homers. In his four seasons with Jefferson, he helped the Dragons win a combined 70 games.
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A two-time All-813Preps First Team selection, Ethan Duncan amassed 71 hits in his three varsity seasons, including a .311 average in his senior year, scoring 25 runs and driving in 14. On the mound, the Lakeland Community College (Kirtland, OH) signee was 7-4, with a 3.38 ERA and 60 strikeouts for the Crusaders.
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Tampa Prep shortstop Ignacio Gonzalez tied for the county lead with 10 doubles, while batting .395, with 19 runs scored and 20 RBI. Gonzalez was the high-energy leader for the Terrapins and a sure-handed defender. He was named to the Florida League Invitational All-Tournament team and stole 11 bases this season.
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Berkeley Prep’s junior ace Rivers Kurland was a steadying influence and a huge factor in the Buccaneers second-half turnaround, which saw the team finish the year 16-2, earning a spot in the region tournament and a region final appearance. Kurland earns his second-straight All-813Preps First Team selection going 9-1 on the mound, with a 1.49 ERA, a county-leading 118 strikeouts – including six double-digit K games and on no-hitter. He was also a Second Team selection his freshman season.
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Earning his second-straight All-813Preps First Team honors, Jefferson’s Cameron Mallo batted .475 (third-best in the county), scoring 21 times and driving in 14 runs for the district champion Dragons. Mallo, a Presbyterian College signee, hit eight doubles and struck out just eight times this year. He his strong arm at shortstop also showed up on the mound as he pitched 14 2/3 innings and struck out 19.
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Another Dragons player who earns his second-straight All-813Preps First Team selection, right-hander Mikey Marroquin was 9-2 on the mound this season with a 1.06 ERA and 59 strikeouts for the region quarterfinalist Dragons. In his 169 innings during his career at Jefferson, Marroquin (a Presbyterian College signee) earned 20 wins and struck out 179 batters.
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A potent part of the Crusaders offense and a rock behind the plate, Seffner Christian’s Garrett Morgan earns First Team honors after hitting .384, with 10 runs scored, eight doubles and three home runs. Morgan’s 25 RBI was second among Hillsborough County catchers, and he struck out just six times in 86 at-bats.
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All-813Preps Defensive Player of the Year: Jesuit senior DJ Pirela had a huge second-half impact for the Class 5A state champion Tigers. His defense in centerfield was incredible, but starting at the midway point of the year his offense was equally as impressive. Pirela, an FGCU signee batted .350, with 19 RBI, 10 doubles (tied for second in the county) and scored 32 times (tied for third in Hillsborough). He led off Jesuit’s championship game with a double, scored the first run and drove in the deciding run on a sac fly against American Heritage.
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A two-way standout for the region finalist Patriots, junior Nick Riedel went 7-2 on the mound with a 1.70 ERA and 70 strikeouts. In his final three appearances on the mound this season, Riedel pitched 17 innings, allowing just two unearned runs, giving up seven hits and striking out 17. On offense, he hit .319, with eight doubles, two homers, 17 RBI and 12 runs scored.
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Helping the Crusaders to a district title, a region semifinal berth and a 19-9 overall record, senior righty Alex Sotiropoulos was 9-2 on the mound with a 1.80 ERA, 102 strikeouts. The future Ivy Leaguer (Columbia signee) was 17-4 in his career on the mound, amassing 182 strikeouts in 104 innings. This season he also chipped in with 20 hits, 14 runs scored and 13 RBI. Sotiropoulos was a All-813Preps Second Team selection last year.
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All-813Preps Second Team (2A-5A)
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All-813Preps Honorable Mention (2A-5A)
Bell Creek: Tate Anich, Noah Berning, Andrew Golden; Berkeley Prep: Nolan Metcalf, David Parker, Julius Pfau; Blake: Ze’Kori Newton; Brandon: Charles Rodriguez; Brooks DeBartolo: Joe DiCecco, DJ Valley; Cambridge Christian: Brent Ferris, Blake Haffner, Trigg Listerman, Braiden Price; Carrollwood Day: Logan Babb, Ethan Heintz, Logan Mazur, Gabe Troya, Steven Vargo; Chamberlain: Jaden Hyde, Kenneth Madrid; Freedom: Liam Harris, Cade Hoffman; Foundation Christian: Peyton Coakley, Caleb Hom, Henry Salter; Jesuit: Wilson Andersen, Will Burke, Jacob Lozano, Zane Pestalozzi; Jefferson: Ja’Marques Benton, Isiah Fernandez, Moises Gudino, James Van Meter; King: Koveyontez Balentine, Nicholas Brown, Cooper Messenger, Carlos Rivera; Robinson: Santiago Rojas, Maddox Thomas; Seffner Christian: Jenuel Ortiz, William Rudometkin, Cyrus Shokrani, Austin Trimble; SLAM: Alex Duncan, Isaiah Morales, JJ Shipherd; Spoto: Cullen Cairns, Peyton Nisy; Tampa Catholic: Jose Carrero, Ethan Frame, Dominic Woodward; Tampa Prep: Liam Akins, Kyle Brill, Will Jennewein.
