Power25 Countdown: No 26 St Thomas Aquinas

January 27, 2020
PBR Florida
PBR Florida Staff

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 25 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

SS Keanu Jacobs-Guishard

Team: St Thomas Aquinas
Preseason Rank: 26
2019 Record: 24-4
FHSAA Class: 6A
Head Coach: Joey Wardlow
Playoff Run: Regional Finals

TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Nate Thomas, RHP, 2020 (Miami)
Keanu Jacobs-Guishard, MIF, 2020 (USF)
Blake Purnell, RHP, 2020 (Florida)
Mikel Cuvet, OF/LHP, 2020 (Embry-Riddle)
Daniel Cuvet, RHP/3B, 2023 (Miami)

X-FACTOR

Keanu Jacobs-Guishard - After missing all of last year to injury, Jacobs-Guishard has an extremely high ceiling as an all around athlete. He can solidify the middle of the defense and the lineup and can lead the way offensively and if he returns to form could lead St Thomas to states.

KEY PLAYERS LOST
Matt Archer, INF, 2019 (UCF)
Nick Vera, C, 2019 (Pitt)
Raheem Salmon, OF, 2019 (Stetson)
Isaiah Hood, OF/LHP, 2019 (Florida Southwestern)
Chad Curtis, RHP, 2019 (Tusculum)
Connor O’Hara, C, 2019 (FGCU)

OUTLOOK
The Raiders have experience on their side with five position players and six pitchers returning from 2019. They went 24-4 last season, losing in the regional championship. RHP Nate Thomas (Miami) has a 14-2 record and 1.20 in the last two seasons and will front the pitching staff while SS Keanu Jacobs-Guishard (South Florida) brings pop and speed to the lineup. He missed 2019 due to injury, but hit .371 in 2018 as a sophomore and will be paired with MIF Jimmy Thies (Florida Atlantic) up the middle. Thies hit .385 in 2019. RHP Blake Purnell (Florida) was 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA last year. OF/LHP Mikel Cuvet (Embry-Riddle) is a two-way player with a fastball in the mid to high 80s and 6.7 speed. His younger brother, RHP/3B Daniel Cuvet (Miami), is a high profile freshman with a fastball up to 88. 1B Otis McDuffie (Tampa) had 40 at-bats last season and hit .385 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. Make sure to follow @pbrflorida on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.