Florentino "Tino" Burgos enters his third season as the head baseball coach at Savannah State University in 2027, continuing to build upon a successful first two seasons at "The Marsh."
Through his first two seasons leading the Tigers, Burgos has compiled a 59-34 overall record and a 47-19 mark against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) competition, establishing Savannah State as a consistent contender within the conference.
In 2026, Burgos guided Savannah State to a 27-20 overall record and a 23-10 mark in SIAC play. The Tigers advanced to the SIAC Baseball Championship, opening tournament play with an 11-9 victory over Morehouse before concluding their season against Benedict.
Three Tigers earned All-SIAC postseason honors following the 2026 regular season. Johan Sandoval was selected First Team All-SIAC at second base, while pitchers Austin McCormack and Adonis Perez earned Second Team All-SIAC honors.
Sandoval emerged as one of the SIAC's top offensive performers during the season, entering postseason play batting .374 while leading Savannah State in runs, hits, doubles, walks and stolen bases. McCormack developed into one of the conference's top starting pitchers, posting a 7-2 record with 67 strikeouts, a 3.77 ERA and four complete games during the regular season.
Burgos made an immediate impact upon taking over the Savannah State program in 2025. In his debut season, he guided the Tigers to a 32-14 overall record and a 24-9 record against SIAC competition, while leading Savannah State to its third consecutive appearance in the SIAC Baseball Championship Game.
The 2025 Tigers also earned national recognition, finishing No. 3 in the final Black College Nines Small College Division Top 10 Poll.
Individual accolades followed the team's success as six Tigers earned All-SIAC postseason honors, highlighted by Brayden Thomas being named SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year and Reginald Tuggle III earning SIAC Freshman of the Year honors. Thomas also earned ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II All-Region Second Team recognition.
Over Burgos' first two seasons at Savannah State, the Tigers have produced nine All-SIAC postseason selections, further demonstrating the program's continued development under his leadership.
Burgos came to Savannah State with an extensive championship résumé and a reputation for building successful programs. Prior to arriving at "The Marsh," he spent eight seasons as head coach at Florida Memorial University, where he transformed the Lions into one of the nation's most competitive HBCU baseball programs and led FMU through one of the most successful periods in program history.
Competing in The Sun Conference, one of the NAIA's strongest baseball leagues, Burgos developed Florida Memorial into a consistent contender both regionally and nationally.
The pinnacle of his tenure came in 2023 when Burgos guided the Lions to the Black College World Series Championship, defeating Albany State, 5-4, in the championship game.
His success at Florida Memorial extended well beyond a single championship season. In 2019, the Lions climbed to No. 1 in the Black College Nines National HBCU Baseball Poll for the first time in program history, and Burgos was named the Black College Nines HBCU Coach of the Year. That season, Florida Memorial finished tied for third in The Sun Conference and qualified for the conference tournament for the first time in more than 15 years.
Beginning in 2018, Florida Memorial became a regular presence in the Black College Nines Small School Division national rankings. In 2021, the Lions were selected to compete in the HBCU World Series in Alabama.
Burgos' program was equally committed to success in the classroom. In addition to producing numerous All-Sun Conference selections during his tenure, Florida Memorial regularly placed more than 10 student-athletes on The Sun Conference All-Academic Team, reflecting the culture of academic achievement and accountability Burgos established within the program.
His success at Florida Memorial earned recognition throughout college baseball. In 2019, Perfect Game College Baseball's Nick Herfordt described the Lions as potentially the best HBCU baseball team in the country regardless of division, reflecting the national growth of the program under Burgos' leadership.
A South Florida native, Burgos' baseball career began at Dade Christian School, where he developed into one of the area's top players. He was a three-time all-conference selection, a two-time First Team All-Dade County honoree and a two-time All-State selection. In 1997, he finished among the top three candidates for Florida Gatorade Player of the Year.
Burgos began his collegiate career at Seminole State College in Oklahoma before transferring to Miami Dade College, where he played under Hall of Fame coaches Lloyd "Zero" Simmons and Steve Hertz. He completed his collegiate career at Florida International University under head coach Danny Price.
During Burgos' two seasons at FIU, the Panthers made two NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional. Burgos earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2001 Coral Gables Regional and was a key contributor during FIU's 2002 postseason run, which included an upset of top-seeded Notre Dame at the South Bend Regional.
Following his collegiate career, Burgos signed professionally and competed in independent baseball in the Frontier League. Despite battling injuries during his professional career, he produced his best season in 2003 when he was selected to the Frontier League All-Star Team.
After concluding his playing career, Burgos returned to South Florida and began a career in education and coaching. He taught at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, where he was named Teacher of the Year in his second year.
Burgos later became head baseball coach at North Miami Beach Senior High School before being selected to establish the baseball program at the newly opened Hialeah Gardens Senior High School. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, he served as Chair of the Social Science Department for eight years.
During his high school coaching career, Burgos earned Coach of the Year honors, captured three district championships and made two regional appearances. Numerous players from his programs advanced to play collegiate baseball, while two went on to sign professional contracts.
From his championship success at Florida Memorial to his first two seasons at Savannah State, Burgos has established a track record of developing student-athletes, building nationally recognized programs and competing for championships. As he enters his third season at Savannah State in 2027, Burgos continues to build upon the Tigers' tradition while positioning the program among the SIAC's consistent contenders.
