Ryan McPherson, Gian De Castro and Riley Luft. {NBP Athletes}
A pair of former North Broward Prep state champions have officially announced commitments, while another former Eagle earned the opportunity to compete internationally with Team USA.
Gian De Castro, a 2024 graduate, is set to continue his collegiate career at Boosier Parish. De Castro starred during his time with the Eagles, helping lead the program to three state championships while hitting at least one home run in each of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
His best offensive season came as a junior when he hit three home runs and drove in 20 runs. During his high school career, De Castro totaled 60 RBIs, 15 doubles, and four triples. He also batted .382 as a senior and finished with a career on-base percentage just shy of .500.De Castro originally signed with Arizona State University, where he redshirted as a freshman before transferring to Long Beach State University. He made two starts during his first collegiate season and will now look to make an impact with his new program.
Riley Luft, also a 2024 graduate, is on the move after committing to South Alabama University. Another key contributor to three North Broward Prep state championship teams, Luft homered in all four years of his high school career, including five during his junior season.
He finished with 74 career RBIs, 17 doubles, eight triples, and 79 runs scored. On the mound, Luft posted a 7-3 record with a 2.35 ERA, going 5-1 as a junior before recording a remarkable 0.68 ERA with 120 strikeouts over 95.1 career innings.
Luft began his collegiate career at Appalachian State University, appearing in 94 games over his first two seasons. After batting .284 as a freshman, he raised his average to .300 as a sophomore while adding five home runs, six doubles, and 44 RBIs. Appalachian State won a combined 53 games during his two seasons with the Mountaineers.
He now joins a South Alabama program that finished 34-23 last season while competing in the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars have produced 146 MLB Draft selections and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 28 times.
Ryan McPherson is set to represent Team USA at the Collegiate World Championships after being selected to the roster. He started the team’s second game and allowed only one run in 3.1 innings as USA won 3-2. The team also won games over Chinese Taipei (10-6) and Korea (10-0), but lost 2-2 in extra innings in the gold medal games
McPherson was teammates with both De Castro and Luft during North Broward Prep’s championship run. Despite not pitching during his senior season, McPherson finished his high school career with an 11-0 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 98 strikeouts in 78 innings. Now pitching for Mississippi State in the SEC, the hard-throwing right-hander has compiled an 8-2 career record with a 3.82 ERA. After making all 10 of his appearances as a freshman in the starting rotation, McPherson transitioned into a key bullpen role this past season, making 18 of his 20 appearances in relief.
One of his biggest performances came in the NCAA Tournament, where he earned the win over Louisiana by tossing five outstanding innings, helping the Bulldogs advance while continuing his rise on the national stage.
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