For the first time since the 2021 season, the Gainesville area will have a baseball state champion.
That much is guaranteed before first pitch of the FHSAA Rural State Championship Game because it’s an all-local matchup.
Trenton will face Union County in a battle between the winners of Region 4 and 3 and the top two-ranked teams in the class.
It was a matchup that was scheduled to transpire April 8, but rain canceled it.
Newberry, in 2021, then a member of Rural Class, was the last local team to win it all. The last all-local matchup came two years before when Williston knocked off Chiefland.
Both the Union County Fightin’ Tigers and the Trenton Tigers enter Thursday’s battle with high confidence. Trenton has rolled through every team it faced in the postseason. It’s won all five postseason games by an average of nearly nine runs.
In the state semifinal 8-0 win over Holmes County, Mason VunCannon delivered a complete-game three hit shutout. At 23-5, TMHS is in the Final Four for the third year in a row but in the title game for the first time. The Tigers are seeking their third state title to go with 2013 and 2017.
Union County hasn’t won a state title since 2012, but it carries around some confidence of its own, and deservedly so.
Two of the Fightin’ Tigers’ wins in the region playoffs came by one run, but they needed to advance past powerhouse Lafayette to reach this point. UCHS still hasn’t lost a playoff game, and Erick Lasseter dominated in the state semifinals with a three-hit shutout vs. Cottondale.
Follow for live updates from Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
FHSAA Rural Baseball State Championship live updates
Trenton brings across another run | T3
Trenton brings across another run to make it a one-run game.
Union County still leads Trenton 5-4.
Trenton tightens the gap, Union County makes a pitching change | T3
Trenton junior Luke Hartenstein sends an RBI double out to left centerfield to bring in a run for the Tigers and forces Union County to make a pitching change. The Fightin’ Tigers will look to Brady Tetstone to take over pitching duties.
Union County leads Trenton 5-3.
Union County takes a three-run lead, Trenton makes pitching change | B2
Union County junior Kendall Carter sends a double out to right field to score another run and stretch the Fightin’ Tigers’ lead out to 5-2. Trenton, meanwhile, makes a pitching change, bringing in Noah Owens in place of Brant Bivens.
Union County tacks on two runs | B2
A Noah Robertson hit brings in a pair of Union County runners to put the Fightin’ Tigers up 4-2 in the bottom of the second inning.
Union County ties the game back up at 2-2 | B2
Once again, the Fightin’ Tigers of Union County tie up the ball game as senior Wesley Crockett hits an RBI single to tie the game at 2 all.
Trenton takes a one-run lead | T2
Trenton takes a one-run lead in the top of the second inning as the Tigers lead Union County 2-1.
Trenton, Union County trade runs | B1
Both teams score one in the first inning. Tigers put runners on second and third and score with a groundout from Pierson Weatherlit. Fightin’ Tigers tie it up with a single from Erick Lasseter. Tied after one inning.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Trenton baseball vs Union County FHSAA Rural State Championship game live updates
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
