Bloomingdale handled by St Thomas Aquinas in semi

Story by Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
Photos by Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

FORT MYERS – Mercy.

That’s the first word that comes to mind when discussing Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, a team that has made mincemeat out of many a pitching staff over its 27-win (and counting) season.

Raking over 150 extra base hits including a mind-boggling 67 home runs and batting over .360 as a team, the Raiders’ stats alone can strike fear in an opponent.

Click for more photos from this game.

Unfortunately for a game Bloomingdale squad making its return visit to Fort Myers and the 6A semifinals Friday afternoon, STA’s attack jumped off the stat page and right into the Bulls’ faces via a 15-0, four-inning mercy-rule blowout.

Bloomingdale senior RHP Hayden Porter

Bloomingdale’s staff, led by senior Hayden Porter and junior Javier Navas-Hoyer, ranked among the best in the state in strikeouts. But the Raiders, from leadoff man Nico Sabatino to No. 9 Brad Sigler and everyone in between, made hard and consistent contact to take away any doubt about who would face Buchholz in Saturday’s final.

“Base runners and barrels is our motto,” said Raiders head coach Joey Wardlow. “If we get base runners on, we’re going to get barrels on balls and stack on runs. Then we play really good defense and that multiplies the pressure.”

Nico Sabatino heads to the plate after his solo home run in the third.

Production started with Sabatino who started the game with a line double, added a solo homer – his eighth and No. 68 for the team – in the third, and finished with a fourth-inning, bases-loaded walk.

“My job is to get the team going, get a rally going and keep the line moving,” Sabatino said. “Nothing more than that.”

Raiders senior Andrew Alvarez was 3-for-3, with two doubles, two RBI and scored three times.

Others that helped move the line were UCF commit Zack Malvasio and USF commit Brady Buxbaum (two singles, two RBI, two runs scored each), State College of Florida commit Andrew Alvarez (two doubles, two runs scored), along with Florida Gulf Coast commit Cole Lasher (single, double, RBI)

“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Bloomingdale head coach Kris Wilken said. “We knew (STA’s) offense was explosive but we didn’t know exactly how explosive. We saw it (while scouting) and now we’ve seen it first-hand.”

Senior Thomas Giltner held Bloomingdale to two singles in his four innings of work, striking out a pair.

The Bulls (28-7) could only muster a first-inning single from Mason Johnson and a base hit from A.J. Cruz to lead off the second. Senior starter Thomas Giltner was able to retire Cruz as part of a double play and then the next eight batters he faced, finishing with two strikeouts.

As disappointing as the loss feels, expectations are real that the Bulls could be back here in 2026 as they only graduate three players, although that small number includes the No. 1 battery in Porter along with captain and catcher Vinny Dinzeo.

Bulls senior C VInny Dinzeo Jr.

When asked what his four years in the Bulls’ program meant, Dinzeo said: “It meant that I have a lot of brothers on and off the field. We see each other in school, give each other big smiles in the hallways … we’re all friends. I’ve got four different years of guys to become friends with and even family, and it’s the best culture to have.”

And of what the 2026 edition will have to do to uphold that culture, Dinzeo said: “I just want them to stay positive and know that I believe in them to make a run down here again. The culture of winning is fun. Keep winning, and if everyone does their job, we’ll be fine.”