For the first time since Blair baseball’s four-peat in 2015, the varsity baseball team captured the NJISAA prep “A” state championship this past Sunday. This marks the first state title for Blair in 10 years. In a single-elimination format, Blair defeated Lawrenceville 3-2 in the semifinal round, followed by a dominant 8-0 victory against Peddie in the championship.
In the game against Lawrenceville, Carson Bowman ’25 led the team with an outstanding pitching performance. The senior struck out nine batters and only let up two runs. Offensively, Carson, Michael Olender ’25 and Merritt Fisher ’25 all drove in runs to give Blair the victory.
After Lawrenceville, the team traveled to The Hun School to play in the NJISAA prep “A” final. After a season of ups and downs, Blair dominated from the first pitch to the last, earning a shutout 8-0 win over the Peddie Falcons. Shane Hadden ’26 had the game of his career for Blair, earning a one-hitter, seven-strikeout performance on the mound, as well as hitting a two-run homer. Will Bigham ’25 hit a double during the game that gave Blair momentum throughout the game.
“I’m so proud of these guys for the way they played and the togetherness they built over the course of the season,” said Will Murray, Blair’s head baseball coach. “They really believed in themselves from the beginning of the year, and the team chemistry allowed them to improve and play their best baseball in the last week of the season. Our senior leadership was elite. To go from not winning a MAPL game for several seasons to winning a state championship is pretty unique. They have earned this.”