Nine Gainesville-area Florida high school baseball teams learned their season isn’t over Monday.
Buchholz, Columbia, Suwannee, Palatka, St. Francis Catholic, Oak Hall, Trenton, Williston, Lafayette and Union County each earned FHSAA playoff bids.
Some hold more difficult paths than others, but each share the same goal of reaching Fort Myers and lifting the championship trophy.
Here’s a look at each team’s path to states:
Rural-Region 3
Union County
The Fightin’ Tigers, ranked as the Rural Class’ No. 1 team in Florida, are of course the top team in Region 4. It opens the postseason vs. Madison County in the region semifinals before a Region Final vs. either No. 2 seed Aucilla Christian or No. 3 Lafayette.
Lafayette
The Hornets, as mentioned, open vs. Aucilla Christian. In a difference from last season, all three games of the postseason will be at the lower seed, meaning the Hornets will be on the road.
Region-Region 4
Trenton
After a strong start to the 2026 season, the Tigers suffered some losses that took them off the top spot in Rural. But Trenton is still the No. 1 seed in the region. It opens vs. Dixie County before facing either No. 2 Marathon or No. 3 Williston.
Williston
The loss to Trenton in the district championship means a LONG road trip awaits the Red Devils. Williston will travel 434 miles to Marathon for what it is hoping is a Florida Keys vacation until the potential region final vs. Trenton.
Class 1A-Region 2
St. Francis Catholic
For the second year in a row, the Wolves earned a top three seed in the postseason. Their explosive offense opens vs. Lake Mary Prep at home before a three-game series at Mount Dora Christian.
Oak Hall
The Eagles still managed to earn a playoff bid despite a bumpier than normal season. It won’t be easy, though, with a trip to Orangewood Christian. The Rams are the No. 3 in Class 1A and top 60 in the state and won the region last season.
Class 3A-Region 1
Suwannee
The Bulldogs won a district title and that gave them the top three seed in the region. It opens with a favorable matchup vs. West Nassau before a region semifinal vs. either No. 2 Fernandina Beach or No. 7 Bay. South Walton, ranked No. 2 in all of Florida, is the No. 1 seed in the region.
Palatka
The Panthers, as a district champion, open at home vs. South Sumter despite being a No. 5 seed. In the region semifinals, a matchup with either top seeded North Marion or Titusville is on tap.
Class 5A-Region 1
Columbia
Some losses near the end of the season pushed Columbia down to a No. 6 seed. However, a district championship means the Tigers can still host the first round of the playoffs. It’s against No. 3 Mosley. Niceville and Beachside are the No. 2 and 7 seeds, respectively, and Chiles is the top seed in the region.
Class 6A-Region 1
Buchholz
The Bobcats, although not the No. 1 seed in 6A-Region 1, are still the top-ranked team in the area – by far. Buchholz has lost just three times since February 20. It holds the confidence to go to Pensacola and defeat Pace. Before that, the Bobcats must take care of Mandarin and either No. 3 Bartram Trail or No. 6 Oakleaf. Both rounds will be at home.
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: Schedule for Gainesville-area baseball teams in the FHSAA postseason
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
