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2026 FHSAA State Championships: Rural Recap

May 15, 2026
Prep Baseball Florida
Prep Baseball Florida Staff

The 2026 FHSAA Baseball Rural Class State Championships concluded in dramatic fashion at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, with Union County punching their ticket through the semifinal round on Wednesday before outlasting Trenton in a wild, back-and-forth eight-inning championship game on Thursday. Over the course of two days, three compelling contests defined the Rural Class postseason landscape and crowned a worthy state champion.

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Semifinal: Union County 2, Cottondale 0

Erick Lasseter was untouchable Wednesday morning, spinning a complete-game shutout to carry Union County past Cottondale and into the state championship. Working with efficiency, Lasseter went the full seven innings, scattering three hits while walking none and striking out three on 70 pitches. He did not allow a single run, keeping Cottondale's lineup off-balance from first pitch to last.

The only damage of the day came in the bottom of the second inning, when Mason Moore singled to plate two runs, which proved more than enough support. Moore went 2-for-2 at the plate and drove in both Union County runs, serving as the offensive catalyst in an otherwise pitcher-dominated contest.

Lane Johnson absorbed the loss for Cottondale, turning in a gutsy effort of his own, six innings, two runs allowed on two hits, three strikeouts, and three walks. The Hornets put together three hits on the afternoon from Conner Barton, Tyler Jones, and Alex Bellamy, but never managed to string anything together against Lasseter.

Semifinal: Trenton 8, Holmes County 0

If Union County’s semifinal was a pitching showcase, Trenton’s was a statement. Mason VunCannon dominated from the jump, firing a complete-game shutout of his own against Holmes County. Seven innings, three hits, zero runs, zero walks, and a staggering 10 strikeouts on 101 pitches.

Trenton’s offense wasted no time getting to work. The Tigers erupted for six runs in the first inning on a sequence of run-scoring singles. Pierson Weatherilt plated two, Gabe Cobb followed with two more RBI of his own, Luke Hartenstein drove in one, and Noah Owens capped the outburst with another.

Trenton added a run in the third on a Hartenstein RBI double down the right-field line, and tacked on another in the fifth to build the final margin to 8-0. For Holmes County, Egan Segers led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double. Bryant Mathis took the loss, absorbing eight earned runs on 10 hits over five innings.

State Championship: Union County 10, Trenton 9 (8 innings)

Thursday’s state championship game was an exciting back-and-forth battle that ended in extras. Union County outlasted Trenton, 10-9, to claim the state title.

Trenton drew first blood in the top of the first when Pierson Weatherilt grounded out to score a run. Union County answered immediately, as Erick Lasseter singled to right to tie the game at one. Trenton retook the lead in the second on a Pierson Weatherilt RBI single before Union County turned the tables with a four-run bottom half. Nate Robertson singled home two runs, Kendall Carter doubled in one more, and Wesley Crockett added an RBI to push Union County in front 5-2.

Trenton responded with the biggest inning of the tournament. The Tigers posted five runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a two-run double from Brant Bivens, to seize a 7-5 lead and chase starter Ayden Androlevich from the game. Brycen Nichols came on in relief and kept Union County in it long enough for the offense to recover, though Trenton tacked on two more in the fourth to push the margin to 9-5 and seemingly take control.

Union County chipped away inning by inning, and in the bottom of the seventh, they finally knotted the score at nine. Lasseter singled to set the table, Evan Christmas tripled to bring him around, and Jasen Sullivan delivered the tying knock to send the game to extra innings.

With the championship on the line in the eighth, Kendall Carter delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly to score the winning run and send Union County’s dugout into celebration as they claimed the Rural State Title.


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