- Buchholz baseball team finished as state runner-up for the third consecutive year and placed five players on the 2026 All Area Big School Baseball team.
- Buchholz senior pitcher Reed Thomas posted an 8-1 record with a 1.06 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 66 innings during the 2026 season.
- Newberry junior Tavis Honeycutt, a University of Florida commit, finished fourth overall for the Florida Dairy Farmers Player of the Year award.
Editor’s Note: This is the third of five stories unveiling the 2026 Bosshardt Realty All Area Softball and Baseball Teams. Click here to read about the Small School Softball Team, the Small School Baseball Team and the Big School Softball Team.
Another year, another championship game appearance for the Buchholz baseball team.
The Bobcats got off to a slow start this season, losing four of their first six games. But they caught fire in late March, winning 16 out of 17 to capture another district title and won the Region 1-6A title at Pace for the second consecutive year. After a state semifinal win over Martin County (Stuart), the Bobcats dropped the 6A state championship game to St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) for the second straight year.
With their third consecutive state runner-up finish, the Bobcats dominated the 2026 Bosshardt Realty Big School All Area Baseball team once again.
Buchholz placed five of the 11 players on the squad, led by junior infielder Roen Kresak. Kresak won the District 7 Player of the Year award, batting a team-high .413 while also leading the Bobcats with 43 hits. He added 25 runs, 23 runs batted in (RBIs) and nine doubles.
“Very happy for Roen. He had a fantastic junior year and really stepped up for us in countless situations,” Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs said. “He was named our player of the year at our year-end banquet and led us in multiple offensive categories. As good as he was at the plate, his glove at 3B has been elite for two years now. He made some plays this year that very few high school infielders, much less third basemen, make. He’s very deserving of all the accolades he’s received this year.
Senior second baseman Blake Brewer was also one of Buchholz’s most consistent hitters. The Northwest Florida College signee hit .390 with a team-high 30 RBIs and added 41 hits, 28 runs, 13 steals and six doubles.
“Blake has been so dynamic for Buchholz High School throughout his career,” Malphurs said. “He is a hard-nosed, highly cerebral player and will be missed. Another player who is deserving of all the accolades he has collected. He has a professional work ethic and is a student of the game. Blake has come through in so many clutch situations and it’s his calm confidence he plays with that ensures no moment is ever too big for Blake Brewer.”
As we continue our tour around the Buchholz infield, senior first baseman Zac Brown was also named to the team. Brown, who signed with Lake-Sumter State College in Leesburg, batted .360 with 32 hits, 25 runs and six doubles and also stole 11 bases. Brown also anchored the Bobcats’ infield with a .987 fielding percentage and committed only two errors.
“What a success story Zac Brown has been, “Malphurs said. “One of my favorites that I’ve ever coached. Here’s a guy who at any other school would be a starting middle infielder for two, maybe three years. We had a need in 2025 for a first baseman, and we tried Zac there. Not only did he go and learn the position with no objection, he played 36 games there…made plays that would make your jaw drop. He was such a huge piece of our success and an anchor in what I’ll argue was the best infield in the state of Florida. He set the tone as our leadoff man this year at the plate. He is the type of guy that, whatever opportunity he got, he took it, ran with it, excelled and never looked back.”
In the outfield, senior Drew Almond patrolled in left and was also a reliable bat for Buchholz, with a team-high 31 runs and five home runs, along with 26 hits, 26 RBIs and nine doubles. The Stetson signee also led the Bobcats with 14 steals.
“Coming into the season, we knew we would need some new faces to step up in our outfield if we wanted to reach our goals,” Malphurs said. “Drew Almond did that and then some. He ended up hitting in the middle of the order all year and was either right at the top or was the team leader in all offensive categories. He was always on base and led us in stolen bases and also in homers. He made his presence felt all year. This is a guy who battled back from an arm injury early in his high school career and has worked extremely hard both on the field and in the weight room to get where he is. Very proud of his efforts. Can’t wait to see how his career progresses at Stetson.”
Pitching was a major key for Buchholz again this year, as the Bobcats had a team ERA of 2.01. Senior starting pitcher Reed Thomas stepped up in his final year with the Bobcats. Thomas, who signed to play at Florida Gulf Coast, went 8-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 13 starts, allowing only 10 earned runs in 66 innings, with only 13 walks and 81 strikeouts.
“Buchholz is losing one heck of a competitor on the mound, “Malphurs added. “I watched Reed grow so much over the last year. He was our pitcher of the year and dominated the majority of his starts. His consistency start-to-start was one of the best I’ve seen in my 16 years. He’s a great pitcher, but even better person. He cares about his team, wants the best for everyone and is a fantastic teammate. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Reed. Florida Gulf Coast is getting a winner.”
Another team with multiple players on the team is Suwannee (Live Oak). The Bulldogs defeated Fernandina Beach in the regional semifinal before losing to eventual 3A state champion South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach) in the Region 1-3A Final.
Junior catcher Jace Moran led the Bulldogs in most offensive categories, batting .365 and also leading Suwannee with 38 hits, 26 RBIs, 23 runs, 11 doubles and four homers. He added seven steals and two triples. Behind the plate, Moran had a .994 fielding percentage with only one error.
The University of Florida commit spent the 2026 season catching Suwannee’s ace starting pitcher, junior Grayson Greene. Greene was 6-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 13 appearances, with 85 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
Despite an 18-7 record, Newberry just missed out on the 2A playoffs after a 9-7 loss to Trinity Catholic (Ocala) in the District 4-2A championship game. The Panthers still had one of the best players in the area and the state in junior shortstop Tavis Honeycutt.
Honeycutt, who is committed to the University of Florida, finished fourth overall for the Florida Dairy Farmers Player of the Year after a junior season in which he led the state and finished in the top 10 nationally with 16 home runs. He also led Florida and was eighth in the nation in slugging percentage at 1.406, was second in the state with a .609 batting average, had a team-best 21 steals, was second in the state with 49 runs scored and 49 RBIs and was third in Florida with a .745 on-base percentage. The numbers just go on and on for Honeycutt.
“Tavis Honeycutt is a coach’s dream, ” Newberry coach Mike Spina said. “He’s hardworking, humble and plays for his team. As successful as he is, Tavis is the guy who never stops growing. He listens to feedback, processes that feedback well and then puts it into play. His game IQ is top-notch, and you can see as he’s playing that he never stops thinking. His wheels are always turning, thinking about the next play or his approach at the plate. Tavis holds the single-season home run record at NHS with 16 this year. I hope to see him break his own record next season.”
Honeycutt is joined on the All Area squad by teammate junior catcher Aidan Michaux. Michaux finished second on the Panthers’ team with a .470 batting average. He also piled up 44 RBIs, 39 hits, 29 runs, 17 doubles, 15 steals and six homers.
“Aidan Michaux had a great year hitting behind Tavis Honeycutt, ” Spina said. “When Tavis was pitched around or intentionally walked, Aidan always came through with big hits and/or RBIs. They thought walking Tavis would cut us at the knees, but that doesn’t happen when you have Michaux right there. He was a force for us behind the plate with a big voice and a strong arm. Aidan challenges everyone around him to be better, whether it’s on the field or in the weight room. That’s the kind of leadership teams need and coaches hope for. We’re looking forward to having both Honeycutt and Michaux back for their senior year in the 2027 season.”
Columbia (Lake City) finished 16-11 and again won the District 3-5A title to advance back to the 5A state playoffs. The Tigers were led in 2026 by sophomore utility player Nolan Slaymaker. Slaymaker had 22 hits, 22 RBIs, four doubles and three homers. On the mound, he had a 3.06 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 48 innings.
“Nolan was only a sophomore this past season and there’s no limit to how good he could really be,” Columbia head coach Chris Howard said. “I’m honored to be his coach and thrilled to see what the future holds for him. He’s becoming more of a team player and leader and that will be a good recipe for the Tigers.”
The final member of the team is sophomore utility player Ty Quinn of Gainesville High School. Despite missing the playoffs, GHS improved to 13-10 and Quinn was a major reason why.
He led the Hurricanes with 31 hits, 20 steals and seven doubles, was second with a .388 batting average and 23 runs while making nine appearances on the mound.
2026 Bosshardt Realty All Area Big School Baseball (Class 2A-6A)
C – Aidan Michaux, Newberry (JR)
C – Jace Moran, Suwannee (Live Oak) (JR)
INF – Tavis Honeycutt, Newberry(JR)
INF – Roen Kresak, Buchholz (JR)
INF – Zac Brown, Buchholz (SR)
INF – Blake Brewer, Buchholz (SR)
OF – Drew Almond, Buchholz (SR)
Utility – Nolan Slaymaker, Columbia (Lake City) (SO)
Utility – Ty Quinn, GHS (SO)
P – Reed Thomas, Buchholz (SR)
P – Grayson Greene, Suwannee (Live Oak) (JR)
Honorable mentions
Bradford (Starke) – Ryland Rike (SR), Jaxson Carter (SR), Cannon Sapp (JR), Kaedan Parks (SO)
Buchholz – Aidan Kastensmidt (SR), Angel Irizarry (SR), Dion Wilburn (SR), Cohen Lafler (SR), Hudson Sapp (JR), Tyler Thurmond (JR)
Columbia (Lake City) – Abraham Martinez (SR), Tison McCray (SR), Cason Maddox (SR), Kyler Keen (JR), Madden Mann (SO)
Eastside – Zach Dressell (JR), Rodney McClellon (JR)
Gainesville – Cade Dixon (SR), Connor Kemph (SR), Chris Eckhardt (SR), Yunel Rojas (JR), Jacob Ostreicher (JR), Diego Barranco (JR)
Keystone Heights – Destin Harnage (SR), Ethan Franklin (SR), Ryder Trull (SO), Cason Barton (FR)
Newberry – Trey Preister (SR), Desmond Taylor (SR), Brody Joyner (SR), Brycen Ochs (JR), Koleby Benson (JR), Brantley McCoy (SO)
P.K. Yonge – Tyler Belleville (JR), Nico Wheeler (SO, Matt Knott (SO), Sam DePaul (SO), Colt Kramer (SO), Gerardo Barrios (8th)
Santa Fe (Alachua) – Cohen Bennett (SR), Jackson Ruppert (SR), Ryan Jablonski (JR), Dylan Doria (JR), Trent Keel (SO), Cole Crevasse (FR)
Suwannee (Live Oak) – Noah Lopez (SR), Kyler Watson (JR), Colton Rogers (JR), Easton O’Quinn (FR)