Ex-Bloomingdale High Baseball Standout Giardina to Play for SwampDogs

Former Bloomingdale High baseball standout Sal Giardina will have a busy spring and summer ahead of him on the diamond.

Giardina, who next month will begin his sophomore season at Palm Beach State College, will also be playing for the Fayetteville (NC) SwampDogs for a second consecutive summer, according to a release from the team.

The SwampDogs compete in the Coastal Plain League, a summer league for college players that gives them a chance to refine their skills with wooden bats.

Giardina, a Valrico native, filled a utility role for the SwampDogs in 2011, playing catcher, first base, third base and pitching. He hit .318 with 11 RBIs and nine runs scored in 21 games in Fayetteville.

In his freshman year at Palm Beach State, Giardina hit .333 in 53 games with five doubles and 32 RBIs, while scoring 28 runs.

“We are excited to have Sal returning, he will be a valuable piece of the puzzle for us in 2012,” said SwampDogs head coach Darrell Handelsman in a media release. “He is a quality hitter from both sides of the plate and has the ability to play multiple positions including catcher. We expect Sal to come in and continue to grow and assume a leadership role on our club.”