Todd Fitz-Gerald has spent many years coaching some of the best teams in Broward County.
The Stoneman Douglas coach has gotten to experience a different kind of success the last couple of years, celebrating not just his team’s success, but his son’s success, as well.
He and his son Devin have won four straight state titles — one for each year of Devin’s high school career.
“Obviously, it’s special,” Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “Getting to do that with him was just probably the highlight of my coaching career.”
The younger Fitz-Gerald has grown into one of Broward County’s top players, helping power the Eagles to another state title and earning Sun Sentinel Class Broward County 7A-6A Player of the Year honors.
“That was the plan the whole year,” Devin Fitz-Gerald said. “We had some struggles here and there. We had some ups and downs, but just to get to where we wanted and to win — especially being the last year ever playing for my dad — and just winning a state title, that meant everything.”
Fitz-Gerald was a key cog in the Eagles’ deep and talented lineup. He hit .407 with five home runs, notching a 1.254 OPS. He also stole eight bases.
His offensive numbers were down a small tick from his junior year, but where Fitz-Gerald really improved was with his plate discipline. He walked 19 times last year and struck out 17 times. This season, he struck out 12 times and walked 28 times.
“It was all about being patient and waiting for my pitch and taking walks against the arms I knew that weren’t going to throw to me,” Fitz-Gerald said. “Just really being a patient hitter this year.”
But even that was not quite as good as Fitz-Gerald wanted.
“He actually didn’t reach his goal this year,” Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “He didn’t want to strike out more than 10 times.”
Fitz-Gerald is headed north later this year, signing with N.C. State.
“What I liked the most is just the coaching staff and how they develop their guys,” Devin Fitz-Gerald said. “They know how to win. They’ve been in Omaha before, a couple years ago, and they just know how to get the job done.
