Alonso workhorse Diaz ready to come alive in state semis

Alonso junior Marcelo Diaz has been the go-to stopper for the Ravens this season, appearing in 23 of his team’s 31 games, while posting a 0.99 ERA and going 5-3 primarily out of the bullpen.

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – If the Ravens had a game this year, it was probably a safe bet Marcelo Diaz’s right hand came into play. The junior pitcher proved indispensable for Alonso this season, as the Ravens have battled throughout the year – earning an at-large invite to the region tournament as a seven-seed, before taking down a Central Florida powerhouse in Windermere and two perennial juggernauts from Sarasota County in the Sailors and then-No. 2 nationally ranked Venice.

Diaz pitched in eight of the Ravens last 10 games, appeared in 23 of the 31 games for Alonso this year, and is more than ready for his chance to factor in as his team takes to the field at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on Friday in the FHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game against Parkland Stoneman Douglas.

“Marcelo has had his hand in almost every game for us,” Ravens head coach Landy Faedo said. “He’s got good command, mixes up his pitches with a good movement. He’s just a good pitcher who doesn’t hurt himself by putting guys on base.”

Ravens senior 3B Alvin Santiago is hitting .290 with 20 RBI and 15 runs scored this year.

That ability to mitigate damage is what has made Diaz so clutch for his team as he allowed an earned run in just four of his appearances.

The bigger the moment, the higher the pressure level, the more Diaz seems to step up. On the year he’s posted a 5-3 record, a 0.99 ERA and has 34 strikeouts in his 42 1/3 innings.

“It’s amazing to be honest,” Diaz said. “To come out of the bullpen, to be used as an asset like that when it’s most needed and then succeeding, I love that.

“When I get out there in that pressure, that’s when I feel the most alive.”

Diaz also isn’t taking it for granted.

A season ago, he said he was working on his lower-body strength and focused on his legs, but admitted he wasn’t stretching quite enough. That resulted in a freak avulsion fracture where the bone chips off at a tendon while running to first base and it cost him all but one appearance his sophomore season.

Senior Bryan Alonso contributed 13 starts – including an 11-strikeout perfect game in a 3-0 victory against Leto on March 27th.

Ravens junior Julian Batista is 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 14 appearances this year.

While Julian Batista worked primarily out of relief at the end of the year last season. This year the righty has stepped up with 14 starts on the mound, while going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA.

“These are guys who’ve kind of been overshadowed (in the county), I guess,” Faedo said. “But this is the first year starting for Julian and Bryan, and Marcelo was hurt last year – they all were on-and-off … so this year they’ve stepped up in those roles.”

Senior Bryan Alonso has 70 strikeouts on the mound this season, while also serving as the Ravens starting second baseman and driving in 11 runs.

Bryan Alonso is 7-4 this year, with a 2.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts, while also playing second base, driving in 11 and scoring 11 runs on offense. His success on the mound with little varsity experience as a starter is no surprise to his head coach.

“If things go bad, he keeps his composure,” Faedo said of his senior. “You know how it is, some of those guys – they’ve just got it. He doesn’t dwell on something bad happening behind him or giving up a hit.”

The only head coach in Alonso’s 23-year history, Landy Faedo leads the Ravens in search of the program’s third state title.

The Ravens met daunting challenges throughout the playoffs, and the next game is no exception. Stoneman Douglas (29-2) comes into the playoffs in search of its fifth-straight state title, but past history doesn’t intimidate the Ravens according to Diaz.

Ravens junior Raymond Llanes flexes after his walk-off double in the region semifinal clincher against Windermere. Llanes has hit .343 this year and scored 22 runs.

“This team has sacrificed a lot to get to this point,” he said. “And we know this is going to be a tough matchup. We know we could be playing the No. 1 team in the nation, but it’s another baseball game that we have a really good chance to win.”

And there is a really good chance, in a pressure spot, in a tight game, Diaz will get to have that “most alive” feeling on Friday. And he and his teammates will be ready.

“We all know we have the talent, anybody we play against needs to be ready for a dogfight,” Diaz said. “It isn’t much of an importance about the other team we are playing, because we have to do what we know we can do to get the W.”

Related Alonso 2025 News

2025 Class 7A State Semifinal
Alonso Ravens (21-12) vs Parkland Stoneman Douglas Eagles (29-2)

Where: Hammond Stadium, Lee County Sports Complex
14100 6-Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33912
When: Friday, May 16 at 4 pm

Alonso Summary: Bolstered by a strong pitching staff, the Ravens have battled to the state semifinals for the fifth time in program history in search of Alonso’s third state title (previously winning in 2009 and 2011). The rotation has been led by senior Bryan Alonso is 7-4 on the mound with a 2.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts, while also scoring 11 runs and driving in 11 at the plate, and junior Julian Batista is 5-2, with a 2.72 ERA with 67 K’s; while junior Marcelo Diaz has locked things down on the back end making 23 appearances, while posting a 0.99 ERA and 34 strikeouts. On offense, senior Alvin Santiago (.290 avg, 15 runs, 20 RBI) has anchored the heart of the lineup this year, while junior Raymond Llanes (.343, 22 runs, 20 RBI, 21 stolen bases) and senior Daniel Despaine (.439, 20 runs, 24 stolen bases) have setup the scoring. The return of Stetson signee Samuel Fernandez to the lineup at the end of March has been a huge shot in the arm for the Ravens, as the senior has belted five homers in the last three games, and has 14 RBI in just 10 games.

How the Ravens got here: Alonso dropped its district semifinal to Newsome in extra innings, but entered the 7A-Region 2 tournament as the No. 7 seed. The Ravens took to the road in the region tourney, splitting the first two games at Windermere, before returning home and rallying in the seventh inning to advance on a 4-3 win. Alonso took both games at Sarasota – winning each game by three runs; and earned a spot in the state semifinal with taking the second game off of National Top 10 ranked Venice, forcing a deciding home game where the Ravens unloaded with a seven-run sixth to take a 10-3 win.

Stoneman Douglas Summary: The Eagles have entrenched themselves at the top of Florida’s highest classification for a decade, winning five titles in that stretch and including four-straight titles heading into this weekend. An upperclassmen-heavy lineup led by seniors OF Bennett Gary (.378, 36 runs, 21 RBI & 5 HR), OF Nick Diaz (.375, 39 runs, 21 RBI and catcher Drew Freeman (.382, 30 RBI, 7 2Bs), and junior 3B Jake Rizzo (.354, 33 runs, 25 RBI). Junior ace LHP Gio Rojas leads the pitching staff, going 11-0 (including a win over 4A semifinalist Jesuit) with an 0.80 ERA with 104 strikeouts this year, while also batting .398, with 23 runs and 32 RBI; senior Daniel Tartaglia has 91 strikeouts in 56 innings and is 7-0.

How the Eagles got here: Douglas dropped the second game of the year to Miami True North Academy, and 5-4 decision to Sickles during a daunting spring break trip, but have ripped off 12-straight wins. The run included a district title win over Davie Western, and region series wins against Weston Cypress Bay, Coral Springs Taravella and a region title win over Pembroke Pines West Broward where the Eagles rallied with a four-run seventh to take an 8-7 win.