Tri-County Academy wins back-to-back baseball titles
Tri-County Academy baseball reached new heights on Friday night, securing back-to-back MAIS 4A state titles for the first time in program history with an 8-5 win over North Delta School.
After trailing 5-4 in the sixth inning and having their championship hopes hang in the balance, Tri-County’s resilience and championship experience prevailed, scoring four runs on a two-run double by senior Brayden Walsh and a two-run home run by Hayden Smith, earning the Rebels their second consecutive state title.
“In those moments, you just have to check back and go back to what you’ve been practicing and doing all year,” Walsh said. “You just have to go back to the basics and keep it simple and know that good things will happen if you follow that.”
Tri-County was no stranger to late inning heroics in this series. The Rebels trailed 7-5 in the final inning of game two of the series on the road, and after falling in game one, things looked bleak as they were down to their final strike. However, freshman Grayson Rymer tripled with two strikes and two outs to give the Rebels a lead that they didn’t relinquish and kept their state championship hopes alive.
“Our kids have been in this situation before, we’ve just told them it’s about the next pitch, the next play, and the next moment,” Tri-County Academy Head Coach RJ Barrett said. “You can’t dwell on moments that didn’t go your way and expect something different. When you’re in a situation like we were in game two, it’s not about what already happened, it’s about who is going to rise up in that moment.”
Overall, it was a dominant season for Tri-County, as they finished with a 28-6 record and won their second consecutive district and state title. The Rebels also played an extremely tough schedule, especially in non-district play. That difficult non-district schedule prepared them for the run they went on during district play, winning 20 games in a row from February 18th to April 18th.
“I think the key for this year’s team was buying in, taking what happened last year and moving on from that,” Barrett said. “We’re going to build off what we do each year and get better, not just as baseball players, but as young adults.”
The three key seniors for this group have been invaluable for the program, winning back-to-back state titles for the first time in program history and laying the foundation for Tri-County Academy to continue to be a powerhouse into the future.
“Just to do something that hasn’t been done in Tri-County history is truly special and to do it with our guys means a lot to me,” Walsh said. “Tri-County has really meant everything to me. I don’t think people realize just how tight-knit this community is and the support that we get from them, they shape you not only into a better ball player, but into a better man and prepare you for the future.”
Even with some very talented senior leadership graduating, Tri-County Academy will return multiple contributors next year and will hope to take the program to even bigger heights next season and in the years to come.