Riley Luft. {Courtesy}
Many great baseball players have come out of Coconut Creek and have continued to produce at both the college and professional levels.
Xavier Edwards is currently playing with the Miami Marlins. A 2018 graduate of North Broward Prep, Edwards is in his third year in the big leagues and is hitting .288 with 15 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He has one home run in the major leagues, which happened in 2024, and has scored 25 runs this year.
Yoel Tejada Jr. was also drafted back in 2023, and while he is not in the big leagues yet, he is certainly having a strong season with the Fredericksburg Nationals. Tejada was initially drafted in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB draft but decided to play in college.
He began his collegiate career with the Florida Gators and went on to play for Florida State University before being drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB draft. Tejada is currently 2-2 this year with an ERA of 3.83.
At the collegiate level, a handful of players debuted this past season, including Ryan McPherson, competing in the NCAA Tournament. He pitched for Mississippi State and went 4-1 with three saves. One of his most impressive outings came in relief during the postseason, tossing four scoreless innings against Northwestern University. Riley Luft appeared in 42 games for Appalachian State, making 36 starts and slashing .284/.350/.362/.712. He had his first home run against Old Dominion and also had a seven-game and a six-game hitting streak. Mateo Grey did not allow an earned run with the University of Central Florida and also had his first collegiate home run against Texas Tech. He also finished his freshman season with seven RBIs.
A.J. Cutler hit .292 with five doubles and a triple in his 96 at-bats for Union College. Nikolas Koorse pitched and hit at Palm Beach State College, tossing four complete games and securing his first hit against Santa Fe College. TJ Gramesty and Gian De Castro did not appear in any games for Florida Atlantic University or Arizona State University, respectively, but will still have four years left of eligibility.
Mauricio Bejarano, a sophomore this year at Eastern Kentucky University, made 28 starts and scored two home runs, 15 RBIs, and 20 runs. Nathaniel Coupet of Georgia Tech had his first RBI against Mercer and then went on to knock in seven runs during a two-game streak highlighted by a grand slam.
Jonathan Xuerub missed time during his freshman and sophomore seasons but impressed in 17 games with Appalachian State, homering against Marshall University and recording back-to-back three-hit games.
Got News in Coconut Creek? Send it Here. Don’t Miss reading NW Broward County’s #1 News Sites: Parkland Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Margate Talk, Tamarac Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.
Author Profile
Related
NewsJuly 9, 2025Alexa Schwartz of North Broward Prep Highlights Incredible Group of Student-Athletes
NewsJuly 8, 2025Coconut Creek’s Jayda Washington Names All-American at US Track and Field National Youth Outdoor Championship
NewsJune 26, 2025Monarch and Coconut Creek All-Conference Selections Announced
NewsJune 21, 2025Coconut Creek Baseball Stars Shining at College and Professional Level