The enduring moment of St. Thomas Aquinas star Christina D’Agostino’s stellar 2024 season is getting drenched in Gatorade by her teammates after her game-winning hit clinched a district title or the Raiders.
“My first Gatorade bath. … It’s like indescribable,” D’Agostino said. “You’re so excited and just happy that you did something for your team.”
For Western senior Arlette Caravaca, the season continued past districts, through the regional playoffs and all the way to Clermont, where she and the Wildcats clinched the program’s second state championship.
The two star players put together dominant seasons at the plate this year, earning Sun Sentinel Class 7A-6A Broward County softball co-player of the year honors.
Drawing motivation from her favorite Bible verse (Philippians 4:13), D’Agostino worked through the offseason in batting cages to improve her offensive numbers. Feeling more comfortable in her second season at St. Thomas Aquinas helped her, as well.
“When I first transferred, it was kind of hard for me because it was a new school, new people, and I really didn’t know anybody” D’Agostino said. “During my season, I struggled in the beginning. But by the end, I started to adjust and I started hitting really, really well. I was helping my team to win some games. By now, it is normal for me. I love everybody on this team and I love this school, so everything’s just coming easy to me.”
D’Agostino was arguably Broward County’s top power hitter. The star shortstop racked up 35 hits for a team-best .432 batting average, notched a 1.541 OPS and bashed 13 home runs. D’Agostino also stole a team-leading 17 bases.
Caravaca had a similarly productive year. The standout outfielder, who was the Sentinel’s player of the year in 2023, had another outstanding season. She hit .413 with seven home runs, 19 extra-base hits and a team-leading 1.367 OPS. She also stole 13 bases.
At the state tournament, Caravaca contributed to the team’s championship run. She went 1 for 4 with a double in the state semifinal, driving in a run in an extra-inning win over Jupiter. Caravaca went 1 for 3 in the title game.
The Western star has her future planned already. She is headed to the Big Ten as an Iowa signee. D’Agostino, a junior, is still undecided on her college plans, though she would like to stay close to home.
“I’m still looking right now. I’m looking to stay in Florida,” D’Agostino said. “I really like Nova and, if I’m going to go play big, I want to go to UF — and also UM, supposedly, is making a team. … That’s also something to look forward to.”
