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2026 OHSAA Tournament: Division III State Final - #1 Badin vs #2 Bishop Watterson

AKRON - Badin won its first state championship in 30 years with a 7-2 win over Bishop Watterson in a matchup of the top two ranked teams in Division III.

The Rams scored three runs in the first, three more in the fifth and one in the sixth while the defense came through with a pair of big double plays in finishing the season with a 26-game winning streak.

"We've been really good for a long time, it's wonderful to win our last game and seal a great season off with a win," Badin head coach Brion Treadway said. "We've had a lot of great seasons we left here not winners, so it's nice to put a finishing touch on this one.. I feel proud for our whole community and all the guys that have worn this uniform before."

Three pitchers combined to hold Watterson to six hits in helping Badin end the season on top for the first time since 1996. The Rams have finished second seven times, five since '96, and been to the Final Four 11 times since the last time winning it all.

"A lot of these guys were here as sophomores so this is their third trip," Treadway noted. "I think that experience has helped us "

Badin scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the first after Watterson jumped in front on a Michael Wozniak double and Michael Mulligan triple in the top of the inning. Derek Ogden led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and scored on a Chandler Taylor double. Colt Emerson and Austin Vangen both added RBI singles in the inning for a 3-1 advantage.

"We've been talking about this all year," Taylor said.. "One game at a time. It feels great to say I can go out as a winner."

After the Eagles pulled within 3-2 in the fifth on singles from Cade Mangini, Mulligan and Ben Uhlenhake, Badin scored three in the last of the fifth with the big hit an RBI double from Emerson and victory was near for the Rams.

"We have a bunch of senior leadership on this team," Taylor pointed out. "We've been here way too many times that we're always on the downside. Today we came out on the big side."

A pair of twin killings proved huge in making it happen, something that did not go unnoticed by the head coach.

"Our defense is incredible," Treadway said. "I think we have 14 errors on the season and most of those are by our pitchers or guys that are backups. We've been watching this all year. Cade Cummins has the fastest hands on a double-play turn of anybody I've ever seen and Derek Ogden's the best shortstop I've ever seen, so you put those two together and you have a special combo. It was awesome for our pitchers to get those ground balls."

Brooks Treadway went the first 4.1 innings to pick up the win for Badin, making the title even sweeter for the head coach.

"I have a son who's a senior, and I've known a lot of these kids since they were eight or nine years old, so it doesn't get any better than that.," Treadway concluded. "It's incredible. It's like a dream come true. It's the best thing a coach could ever ask for I think."

HOT TAKES

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ogden hit a single, walked twice and scored a pair of runs for the state champions. But it was the defense of the sophomore shortstop, who started a bases-loaded double play with a backhand grab of a grounder with the Rams clinging to a 3-2 lead in the fifth. An inning later, the SS for Badin took the toss from second baseman Cummins for a 4-6-3 DP with two on and nobody out.

DIVISION III TOURNEY MVP: Taylor hit two doubles and drove in three runs in the two wins while also scoring once. The Alabama commit was also stellar in center field for the top-ranked team in Ohio.

WHAT'S NEXT?: Center fielder Caden Mangini and catcher Ben Uhlenhake are players to build around for Watterson and head coach Jeff Boulware, who is an impressive 122-34 in seven seasons.. ... Ogden is an outstanding infielder, fellow 10th-grader Keegan Sawyer hits third and catches and 2028 Cooper Clay starts in right field this year for Badin, one of the top programs in the state with Treadway now holding a career mark of 318-103.

LINESCORE

Watterson      100  010  0  -  2  6  1
Badin              300  031  x  -  7  8  2

Records: Badin 30-3, Watterson 27-4.

Winning Pitcher: Brooks Treadway (4.1 innings, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 6 hits, 0 strikeouts, 2 walks. Others: Beau Chaney, Beau Neal.

Losing Pitcher: Max Steinbrunner (3.1 innings, 3 runs, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks). Other: Connor Adkins Davidson.

Leading Hitters: (Watterson) - Caden Mangini single, run; Michael Wozniak double, run; Michael Mulligan single, triple, RBI; Ben Uhlenhake single; Carter Baldwin single. (Badin) - Derek Ogden single, 2 runs; Chandler Taylor double, run, RBI; Keegan Sawyer single, run, RBI; Vince Laugle single, run, RBI; Colt Emerson single, double, 2 runs, RBI; Austin Vangen single, 2 RBIs; Reece Donges single.

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