Legacy Teammate: DeCarlo set for fourth state semi

Jesuit senior Vincent DeCarlo has had a standout career with Jesuit over the past four years, and becomes the first player in program history to to reach four state semifinals – with a chance to be the first three-time state champion. Jesuit hopes to win its eighth baseball state title, while becoming the first Tigers’ baseball team to win back-to-back crowns. 

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – Expectation and legacy – two weighty words applied to teenagers playing a game. But the standard that has been engrained in Jesuit dating back decades means sometimes huge accomplishments can slip by unnoticed or uncelebrated.

Things like four-straight state semifinal appearances.

“That we’ve made it down here four years in a row, to me, is unbelievable,” 11-year Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez said. “I think everybody assumes it’s easy (for Jesuit) with the talented kids that we have, but the fact is these kids work incredibly hard. And (success) like this is not given away, it’s earned.”

Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez (along with current junior Wilson Andersen and 2024 alum DJ Pirela) at the post-game press conference after the Tigers won the 2024 Class 5A state title.

Jesuit takes to the field at Fort Myers’ Hammond Stadium for the FHSAA Class 4A state semifinal on Monday at 4 pm against Mulberry – for the fourth time – attempting to earn the program’s eighth title and third in four seasons.

But one thing the Tigers program has not done yet: win two in a row.

“To do something at this school that has never been done before, that’s been our motivating factor all year,” Menendez said. “We don’t hide from it. We talk about it all the time. And now we are two wins away.”

Legacy is important to senior catcher and captain Vincent DeCarlo.

Tigers coach Miguel Menendez credited DeCarlo for his energy and attitude that spreads throughout the team. The veteran coach, who is in search of his fourth state title in 11 seasons at Jesuit, said his senior captain is all smiles until game time, when a “flip switches” to fierce competitor.

The North Carolina State signee is focused helping the team reach its goal, but he’s not so interested in what it would mean for him.

“At the end of the day it’s not about me, it’s about Jesuit,” he said. “That’s definitely something we are taught and are all proud of here. We play for each other, we play for our families. I couldn’t care less if I won one ring or five rings for myself.”

Menendez however, has no problem addressing the potential accomplishment for his senior backstop. With this run to the state semis, DeCarlo becomes the first Tigers player to reach four final fours, and if things go well, would become the first Jesuit player to be a part of three state title wins.

“If you were going to pick somebody in my 11 years here that has worked really hard, done everything the right way, and if someone is going to be rewarded with that kind of honor – to be the first person to do it – Vince is that guy,” Menendez said. “… He epitomizes what it means to be a Jesuit Tiger and I think it would be a very fitting honor for him to be the first one to win three.”

DeCarlo (third from left) welcomes then-Tigers senior and current Florida State ace Jamie Arnold back to the dugout during the 2022 FHSAA state semifinal against Naples.

DeCarlo got a late-season call-up in 2022, serving as the backup at catcher and third base, and though not in the lineup for that trip to Fort Myers, he was in uniform and rostered for the Tigers in a supporting role.

DeCarlo was Jesuit’s starting first baseman as a sophomore, seen here during the 2023 state semifinal against Sebring.

A year later, he took over as the Tigers starting first baseman leading the team with nine doubles, while driving in 18 runs as Jesuit finished as the runner-up to Plantation American Heritage, dropping an extra-inning championship game, 8-5.

“That was a learning moment for us,” DeCarlo said. “And though you can’t win them all, it definitely propelled us into the next year, knowing we wanted to be exactly where we were and hopefully playing the same team, which we did.

“Ultimately, that led us to come out on top. The ‘revenge tour,’ that’s what we called it. We wanted American Heritage and we knew we were going to beat them.”

The “revenge tour” in 2023 saw DeCarlo move to his natural position behind the plate, drive in 20 and hit .301, while having a standout defensive season in helping the Tigers claim the Class 5A state title besting American Heritage, 5-2.

DeCarlo warming up in the bullpen at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers last season prior to the 5A state title game.

If the Tigers are able to get by Mulberry (26-9), which makes its second-straight trip to the 4A semifinals, American Heritage (which like Jesuit, moved down a classification under an offseason FHSAA realignment) has a chance to be Jesuit’s opponent for the third-straight season. The Patriots (27-6) must first contend with Panama City Beach Arnold (27-7) in Monday’s 7 pm semifinal.

This season, DeCarlo has been the Tigers’ most-consistent hitter, batting .383 (36 hits) with three homers, seven doubles and 19 RBI.

The stat line made all the more impressive by Jesuit’s daunting schedule, which tied (with West Broward) for toughest among FHSAA schools as ranked by MaxPreps.com.

That schedule saw the Tigers going 25-9 – just the second nine-loss season of the last 20 years for the program – and included a 6-7 mark between March 8th’s loss to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (the Class 6A state champions) and April 4th’s loss to Plant (a region semifinalist in 6A).

“In the locker room after the Plant game, Vince said some things in front of the team, and the coaches as well, that really resonated,” Menendez said. “He talked about how we have a chance to do something really special and asked what we wanted our legacy to be? And it’s really taken off from that point.”

DeCarlo congratulates Kaden Waechter after Jesuit won the 2024 Saladino Tournament.

And from that point, the Tigers steamrolled through the rest of the season, the offense picking things up and matching the stellar pitching staff, as Jesuit went 10-1 the rest of the way to today’s semifinal – all 10 wins coming via shutouts.

During that stretch, DeCarlo batted .500 (14-for-28), walked six times to just three strikeouts, and drove in 10 runs.

“He’s been the one guy consistently all year long that has steadily hit while we’ve dealt with injuries – Kaden (Waechter) being out for the first half, Cannon Murtagh going down with an injury – he’s been the guy I’ve been able to rely on the whole way,” Menendez said. “We’ve bounced him around, he’s hit leadoff, hit second, hit fourth and now with our lineup back healthy he’s settled into that normal, three-hole role. I have such great confidence every time he steps up to the plate that something good is going to happen.”

He’s also continued his game-changing play behind the dish, while calling the pitches for a staff that has posted a 1.40 combined ERA and struck out 335 batters this spring. Leading that group will be Monday’s semifinal game starter, junior righty Wilson Andersen, who is 9-3 with 99 K’s and a 0.93 ERA.

“I’ve known Vincent my whole life and we’ve played together our whole lives,” Andersen said. “He’s really tough and a good communicator, and we have such a close relationship that we’re always on the same page.

“We’ve played together so long, I usually have a pitch in my mind and that’s almost always what he calls … He’s got a great energy and personality, and he’s fun to be around, but when the game starts, he’s all business.”

Tigers junior RHP Wilson Andersen said he and DeCarlo have been teammates since they were kids and are so close they are often thinking the same thing. But they almost got too close as the Jesuit senior backstop made an out catch while harmlessly colliding with his teammate against Tampa Catholic earlier this season.

Menendez agreed.

“He’s such a good person, number one,” Menendez said. “You talk to any of his teachers, what he does off the field community service-wise, he goes to church every Sunday and is deep in his faith, but it’s almost like the switch flips when he gets on the field. When he’s there he’s focused, he’s intense and just hates losing.”

DeCarlo “hates losing,” and hasn’t done a whole lot of it in his four seasons at Jesuit. Maybe there are two more wins in store for him and his teammates.

Expectations are weighty, but legacy?

Vincent DeCarlo wears that lighter than his jersey – one with the only thing he really cares about emblazoned across the front.

“Don’t get me wrong, it would be cool (to win a third state title) and I would be proud,” he said, “but it isn’t about me personally. We, the team – Jesuit – we want to win. That’s what matters.”

Related Jesuit 2025 News

2025 Class 4A State Semifinal
Mulberry Panthers (26-9) vs Jesuit Tigers (25-9)

Where: Hammond Stadium, Lee County Sports Complex
14100 6-Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33912
When: Monday, May 19 at 4 pm

Jesuit Summary: The Tigers pitching staff has been incredible this year posting a 1.40 ERA and posting 335 strikeouts in 225 innings. Junior RHP Wilson Andersen (who earned the save in last year’s 5A state championship win) has gone 9-3 this year with a 0.92 ERA and 99 strikeouts and hasn’t let up an earned run over his last 32 innings. He’s also been a force at the plate, batting .281 with five homers, six doubles and 19 RBI. Senior designated hitter Robby Santana leads the team with 29 RBI, while batting .333 with nine doubles, four homers and 18 runs scored; catcher Vincent DeCarlo has 36 hits and 19 RBI; East Tennessee State signee OF Brody Smith has scored 25 runs this year; junior OF/LHP Ben Burke has provided depth in the outfield with 10 runs scored and a .318 average, while also earning four saves and an 0.40 ERA in 11 appearances, striking out 31 in 17.2 innings; and sophomores 3B Bryse Besece (.333, four triples, 23 RBI) and 1B/RHP Samir Mohammed (.288, five homers, 21 RBI; 3-2, 2.91 ERA, 45 K in 33 2/3 innings) have also been factors this year. Junior RHP/SS Kaden Waecther’s midseason return to the offense helped the Tigers find its rhythm as he had hits in 15-of-17 games, and an RBI and three runs scored respectively in his two hitless games. His return to the mound in early April only bolstered a dangerous team, as he has 4-1 in his five appearances, with a 0.67 ERA and back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances in two six-inning region wins.

How the Tigers got here: After starting the year 9-1, a gauntlet of a schedule tested Jesuit through a 6-7 stretch. But by the time the playoffs rolled around the Tigers were cruising, easily handling Brandon and Countryside in the district tournament, then sandwiched a flat 4-3 loss to Bonita Springs in the region quarterfinal between two lopsided wins – including a five-inning no-hitter from Andersen (11 K’s). In the region semifinal Andersen and Waechter delivered shutout wins over Countryside, and then did the same in region final series wins against Naples Barron Collier (Andersen with 16 K’s and Waechter 10 in their starts). Jesuit makes its 25th state semifinal appearance in search of the program’s seventh state title – and first-ever back-to-back crowns.

Mulberry Summary: With only one junior regularly in the lineup, the senior-heavy Panthers make a return trip to the 4A Final Four, where Mulberry fell in the state semifinal to eventual 2024 state champion Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, 3-2. Senior CF Brock Thielen leads off for a steady Panthers lineup, which has seven players with 25 hits or more this season. Thielen has batted .328 this season, with 22 runs, 22 stolen bases and 17 RBI; C Hayden Wyatt’s 22 RBI and seven doubles lead the team; Nic Partridge (Florida signee) anchors the defense at shortstop and hit .310 this year with 21 runs and 16 RBI. On the mound, senior RHP Gavin Stedman has 93 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings this year, while going 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA, and won each of his last four starts (the district semifinal and first game of each region series). Griffin Cline has also pitched 57-plus innings this year, while going 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 73 strikeouts; while Jaden Sweeney is 5-0 with a 2.89 ERA with 43 K’s in 43 innings, and earned the decision in both the region quarterfinal and championship deciding game; and Coby Anker, a Bishop State CC (Mobile, Ala) signee has seven saves, while posting a 1.52 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 23 innings.

Mulberry senior SS Nic Partridge (UF signee)

How the Panthers got here: Partridge and Thielen drove in runs to push Mulberry to a 2-1 district final win against Lake Wales and the Panthers entered the Region 2 tournament as the No. 2 seed. In the region quarterfinals Mulberry won a competitive series against Eustis, with the Panthers taking one-run wins in the first and third games – as both teams scored a combined 14 runs apiece. Taking two games in the region semis – including an 11-strikeout performance from Stedman in a 1-0 game one win, and earned the Panthers a region final berth against No. 1-seed Orlando Bishop Moore. Mulberry and the Hornets traded decisive games in the first two, before the Panthers won the deciding game 3-1, with a Steadman RBI single and a two-run hit from Dominick Gotauco giving Jaden Sweeney (6ip, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 K) the support he needed on the mound. Mulberry won state titles in 1951 and 1960, but had made just four region appearances over the next 60-plus years before 2024’s 19-10 season returned the Panthers to the state semifinals.

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