Cincinnati St. Xavier 4, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 2 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Cincinnati St. Xavier rode a strong pitching effort from Liam McGeady and Sam Vovak to a 4-2 win over Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller in the 2026 Division I state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
McGeady earned the win, allowing one run on three hits over 5-1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. Vovak came on in relief in the sixth and allowed a run on three hits, but retired the final five hitters he faced to earn the save.
St. Xavier won its second baseball state championship and first since 2003. Moeller was in its 14th state tournament, tied for the fifth most in state history, and took home runner-up honors for the first time to go along with nine state championships, tied for the second most in state history.
St. Xavier opened the scoring in the top of the first, when Jack Ryan and Jackson Sherrard both doubled with two outs. The Bombers added two more runs in the fourth, when Cullen O’Brien’s single combined with an error scored pinch-runner Thomas George from second and Cameron Schaefer, running for O’Brien, scored on Samuel Sprengard’s sacrifice fly.
Along the way, McGeady limited Moeller to just one hit and three total baserunners over the game’s first five innings.
In the sixth, three straight Moeller hitters singled to load the bases with one out. Conner Cuozzo made it four straight singles and drove in Zac Wittenauer with the Crusaders’ first run. Matt Ponatoski’s sacrifice fly scored Reggie Watson, but St. Xavier escaped the inning with a 3-2 lead intact.
The Bombers added an insurance run in the seventh, Braden Bricking’s sacrifice fly plating Cameron Schaefer, and Vovak retired Moeller in order in the seventh to close out the 4-2 win.
Dillon Brus was 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot for St. Xavier. Five other Bombers had one hit apiece.
Watson, Moeller’s leadoff hitter, was 2 for 3 and scored a run.
New Albany 4, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 1 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - New Albany scored four unearned runs in the fourth inning and starting pitcher Aidan Wyche went the distance on the mound as the Eagles defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 4-1, in the 2026 Division II state championship game.
The win capped a tournament run in which New Albany out-scored its six opponents 48-4 and allowed no more than one run in any of its six postseason games.
New Albany won its third state title in its fourth trip to the state tournament; the Eagles also won championships in 2004 and 2021.
Walsh Jesuit was in the state tournament for the 11th time and finished runner-up for the third time to go along with four state championships.
Wyche allowed just the one run on seven hits, struck out two and walked two. He retired the final six Walsh Jesuit hitters in order and worked out of a jam in the fourth, inducing an inning-ending double play after Walsh Jesuit had loaded the bases with one out.
Only twice did Wyche allow hits to consecutive batters—in the scoreless fourth, and in the second, when Walsh Jesuit’s Will Blueter doubled home Sean McHugh after a leadoff single.
Walsh Jesuit’s 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the fourth, when New Albany plated four unearned runs. Connor Bahr singled and Van Routhier bunted for a hit to put two runners on with one out. An error allowed Bahr to score from second with two outs, and Caden Kistner followed with a single that brought home Routhier and put New Albany in front, 2-1. A wild pitch moved Kistner and Nardell, who reached on the error, to second and third respectively, and Remy Trautner’s base hit to center drove them home with New Albany’s third and fourth runs.
Bahr was 2 for 3 and scored once for New Albany. Six players accounted for the Eagles’ seven hits, all of which were singles. McHugh was 2 for 3 for Walsh Jesuit and scored the Warriors’ run in the second inning.
Luca Borichevsky started on the mound for Walsh Jesuit and allowed the four unearned runs on seven hits over four innings. Blueter, who started the game behind the plate, pitched two shutout innings in relief. He struck out two and walked one.
Hamilton Badin 7, Columbus Bishop Watterson 2 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio – Hamilton Badin scored three runs in the first and fifth innings to defeat Columbus Bishop Watterson 7-2 in the Division III state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park on Friday.
Badin was making its 17th appearance in the state tournament with their two previous titles coming in 1991 and 1996. Watterson was making its eighth appearance in the state tournament, winning titles in 1988, 1991, and 1997.
Watterson scored in the top of the first inning when senior Michael Mulligan tripled down the right field line, plating senior Michael Wozniak to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Badin answered in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Chandler Taylor doubled home sophomore Derek Ogden and later scored on a single by senior Vance Laugle. Senior Austin Vangen added an RBI single later in the inning to give the Rams a 3-1 advantage.
The score remained unchanged until the fifth, when Watterson cut the deficit to 3-2 on an RBI single by junior Ben Uhlenhake that scored junior Caden Mangini.
Badin responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double from Emerson, a passed ball that scored Laugle, and a sacrifice fly from Vangen. The Rams added their final run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Keegan Sawyer to extend the lead to 7-2.
Starting on the mound and picking up the win for Badin was senior Brooks Treadway. He threw 4-1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and two walks. Senior Beau Chaney came on in the fifth inning and induced an inning-ending double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam. Sophomore Beau Neal threw the final two innings without surrendering a run and striking out one.
The starting pitcher for Watterson was sophomore Max Steinbrunner who threw 3-1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two. In relief for the Eagles was senior Connor Adkins Davidson who went the final 2-2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks, collecting one strikeout.
Leading the way offensively for Badin was Colt Emerson who was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. Also contributing was leadoff hitter Derek Ogden who went 1-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases, and two runs scored.
Watterson was led by Michael Mulligan who was 2-for-3 with an RBI triple, walk, and stolen base.
Sandusky Perkins 5, Franklin Bishop Fenwick 1 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Sandusky Perkins is a baseball state champion for the first time after defeating Franklin Bishop Fenwick, 5-1, in the 2026 Division IV state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
Perkins, the Division IV state runner-up in 2025, claimed its first baseball championship in its fourth trip to the state tournament. Fenwick was in the state tournament for the fifth time overall and first time since 1982; the Falcons won state championships in 1974 and 1981 and finished runner-up in 1982.
Perkins led 4-0 after two innings, and starting pitcher Braxden Martin went the distance for the Pirates. He allowed just the one run on six hits while striking out five and walking two.
Perkins sent all nine hitters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored three times. Talon Walton singled and scored on Carter Koch’s triple. Kash Koch singled home Carter Koch, and Dante Shipp drew a bases-loaded walk for the third run. The bases were still loaded when Fenwick centerfielder Hudson Kreke made a diving catch of Grant Parker’s line drive to end the inning.
Walton bumped Perkins’ lead to 4-0 in the second inning when he singled for the second time in as many at-bats, stole second and third, and came home on a wild pitch.
Kreke scored Fenwick’s run in the top of the third. He singled with two outs, then scored from first on Caleb McMonigle’s double down the left field line.
Perkins tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Sam Schweinfurth led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a balk and scored on Shipp’s double down the right field line.
Walton was 2 for 3 with a walk, scored twice and stole three bases for Perkins. Shipp was 1 for 2 with a walk and double and drove in a pair of runs, and Schweinfurth was 1 for 1 with a pair of walks, stole a base and scored a run.
Six players had one hit apiece for Fenwick.
Apple Creek Waynedale 9, Gahanna Columbus Academy 5 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Apple Creek Waynedale scored five times in the top of the seventh inning to break open a tie game and defeat Gahanna Columbus Academy, 9-5, in the 2026 Division V state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
Waynedale, which also won state titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025, became just the third school in OHSAA history to win four baseball state titles in a five year span (Newark Catholic, 2002-04 and 2006; Cincinnati Elder, 1955-56 and 1958-60).
Columbus Academy was in its fourth baseball state tournament. The Vikings won a state title in 1982 to go along with runner-up finishes in 1981, 2003 and 2026.
The game was tied 4-4 as Waynedale came to bat in the top of the seventh. In that inning, the Golden Bears pushed across five runs on the back of two hits, three walks, a hit batter and four stolen bases. Jordan Miller walked on four pitches to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on Hudson Barkman’s single to give Waynedale a 5-4 lead. Barkman stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored on Collin McGlothlin’s sacrifice fly.
Waynedale scored three more times with two outs in the inning. Brock Reifsnyder, who had drawn a four-pitch walk, scored on a wild pitch; Maddox Kidd, who had walked and stolen second, scored from there on another wild pitch; and Brayden Steiner, who had been hit by a pitch, scored from third on a passed ball.
Columbus Academy led 1-0 after one and 4-2 after five. Waynedale took its first lead with single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, but Columbus Academy answered with a three-run fifth. Dominic Dunkle’s one-out single scored Ethan Parish to tie the score at two, and with two outs Leibas tripled into the right field corner to drive in Anthony Penney and Trey Ransom.
Waynedale scored twice with two outs in the sixth to even the game at 4-4. Brayden Steiner doubled in McGlothlin, then scored from second on Logan Troyer’s single.
Steiner pitched around a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth to set the stage for the five-run seventh.
Seven different players had a hit for Waynedale, led by Troyer’s 4 for 5 effort. He had three singles and a double and drove in a run.
Steiner went the distance on the mound, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking four.
Leibas singled, tripled and drove in four in his three at-bats for Columbus Academy. Dunkle singled, walked three times, scored twice and drove in a run. Dunkle also started on the mound for Columbus Academy and took a no-decision, allowing four earned runs on eight hits over 5-2/3 innings.
Hartville Lake Center Christian 2, Berlin Hiland 1 | Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Hartville Lake Center Christian scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and held off a late Berlin Hiland rally for a 2-1 win in the Division VI state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
Lake Center Christian (25-4-1 overall) won its first state title in its second trip to the state tournament; the Tigers finished runner-up in Division VI in 2025.
Hiland, in the state tournament for the fourth straight year and ninth time overall, finished 25-5 overall. The Hawks had won 29 straight postseason games en route to state titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025; Hiland now has four state-runner trophies to go along with four baseball state titles.
The game was scoreless until Lake Center Christian manufactured single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Colton Smilek walked to the lead off the bottom of the fourth, moved to second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on Brayden Myers’ groundout. Smilek scored one batter later when Jacob Rainieri’s grounder to a drawn-in Hiland infield was misplayed.
In the fifth, Aaron Zietlow led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and went to third when Grant Coblentz flied out to right. Luke Heckert’s single to right scored Heckert.
Isaiah Wagler’s one-out double in the Hiland seventh scored Logan Yoder from first and cut the Lake Center Christian lead in half, but Caleb Shelly came on in relief and retired the final two Hiland hitters.
Grant Coblentz earned the win for Lake Center Christian, allowing just the one Hiland run on seven hits over 6-1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one. Shelly recorded the final two outs to earn the save.
Coblentz was also 2 for 3 at the plate with a double.
Grady Monigold was 2 for 3 at the plate for Hiland. Five other Hawks had one hit apiece.
AKRON, Ohio – Delphos St. John’s junior Andrew Elwer threw a complete game shutout as the Blue Jays defeated Leipsic 10-0 in the Division VII state championship game at 7 17 Credit Union Park on Saturday.
St. John’s was making its second appearance in the state tournament and their first appearance in the state title game. Leipsic was making its second appearance in the state tournament, winning the state championship in 1976.
St. John’s started the scoring in the first inning on an Andrew Elwer sacrifice fly that scored senior Tyce McClain and give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.
St. John’s offense exploded in the second inning, tacking on six more runs to extend the lead to 7-0. Junior Aidan Swick, sophomore Braden Lindeman, senior Cameron Elwer, and McClain all contributed RBI hits in the inning.
St. John’s added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single from senior Drake Fittro and when senior Evan Martz scored on an error.
Leipsic’s best scoring chance came in the sixth inning when a single from sophomore Aaron Hazelton and double from junior Colin Niese put runners on second and third with no outs, but Andrew Elwer was able to work out of the inning unscathed with a strikeout and a double play.
St. John’s ended the game in the sixth inning with an RBI single from senior Maddox Kroeger to settle the final score at 10-0.
St. John’s starter Andrew Elwer threw all six innings, allowing zero runs on five hits while striking out eight. Elwer issued just one walk.
Starting the game for Leipsic was Niese who pitched one inning and allowed three runs on one hit and one walk. Sophomore Julian Zuniga pitched the final 4-1/3 innings for the Vikings allowing three earned runs on nine hits with zero walks and collecting two strikeouts.
St. John’s offense swatted 12 hits with eight of the nine starters notching at least one hit in the contest. Andrew Elwer, Fittro, Swick, and sophomore Braden Lindeman all collected multiple hits.
Leipsic was led by Hazelton and junior Myles Camareno who each had two hits in the contest.