Trinity Christian’s super seniors are finally Florida’s finest.
Nationally ranked throughout the year, Trinity Christian blew the game open in a five-run third inning and beat Miami True North 8-3 to capture the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A baseball final on May 19.
Denied in the opening round in 2023, in the semifinals in 2024 and in the final in 2025, a Trinity senior class to rank among the most talented in Jacksonville baseball history hoisted the trophy at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
For nearly a dozen Conquerors signed with illustrious college baseball programs — Florida, Alabama and LSU, just to name a few — they’ll make the move to the next level as state champions.
Title game newcomer True North (22-8) didn’t make it easy. But moments after True North had exploited fielding lapses and a close call at first base to tie the game 3-3 midway through the third, the Conquerors did what they’ve done all year long: blast the baseball for a big inning.
Trinity (27-8) sent 11 batters to the plate in the third, beginning with the second double of the night from Tyler Ellis and piling up runs until Jordan Martinez drove home two with an RBI single for an 8-3 lead.
That was all they needed. Daytona State College commit Brennan Bachtell worked around the rocky third to pitch five innings, Romy DeCenzo worked out of sixth-inning trouble with two crucial strikeouts and Trinity turned a game-ending double play in the seventh to complete the championship year.
LSU commit Martinez, Florida commit Ellis and junior Ja’Rod Flowers recorded two hits apiece, and Virginia Tech-bound Aiden Arnett reached three times.
Trinity and True North had to endure a delay of three hours and 20 minutes after the scheduled 4 p.m. start, but rain scrambled the early afternoon and the preceding Class 4A semifinal between Bishop Moore and American Heritage stretched 11 innings.
The Conquerors add a 2026 championship to join their only previous FHSAA trophy, when they defeated Bishop Verot 6-4 in 2015.
Trinity’s triumph concludes one of Northeast Florida’s most successful seasons in history. The region crowned the FHSAA champions (Trinity in 2A, St. Johns Country Day in 1A and Union County in Rural), the second time that has occurred and the first since Bishop Kenny (4A), Providence (2A) and Eagle’s View (1A) finished on top in 2008.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Finally: Trinity Christian baseball clears hurdle, wins FHSAA title
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
