- Buchholz baseball reached its third straight Class 6A state final under first-year coach Chris Malphurs.
- Union County baseball won its first state title since 2012 with coach Jiwan James named Rural Coach of the Year.
- Trenton softball won its third straight state title in 2026, the first area team to do so since Chiefland in 2014-2016, as coach Kevin Benson won his second straight Coach of the Year award.
- Columbia (Lake City) softball claimed the 4A state championship, led by coach Joe Saucier.
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth 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, the Big School Softball Team and the Big School Baseball Team.
This past spring was the “Year of the Tigers.”
The Trenton softball team won its third straight state title, Columbia (Lake City) softball won its first since 2013, and the Union County (Lake Butler) baseball team won its first state title in 14 years.
Those were easy selections for the 2026 Bosshardt Realty All Area Coaches of the Year (COY).
For small schools (Rural & Class 1A), Union County baseball coach Jiwan James and Trenton softball coach Kevin Benson, who each won a Rural state title, earned top honors.
Joe Saucier of Class 4A state champion Columbia (Lake City) softball and Buchholz baseball coach Chris Malphurs were honored as the big school COY.
Malphurs got the Bobcats to the Class 6A state championship game. It was their third straight appearance, which ended with a 5-1 loss to repeat state champion St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) in the title game.
“I’m honored to cap off an amazing 2026 season receiving Coach of the Year,” said Malphurs, who was in his first season after Ron Brooks retired in 2025. “It was a magical year with some of the best kids we could have asked for. After having a month or so to reflect, there’s no doubt some of the moments from this season will live with me forever.”
Buchholz (25-8) won a fourth straight district title, swept nationally ranked Pace on the road in the region final, and defeated Martin County (Stuart) in extra innings in the state semifinals.
“While I truly appreciate the recognition, my whole staff deserves credit,” Malphurs said. “I’m lucky to have a dedicated, skilled and knowledgeable group of leaders to work with. They pour into our kids and program every day. We’re a tight group that love being Buchholz Bobcats. I appreciate all they do to make us the best we can be.”
Special recognition goes out to Billy Moran of Suwannee (Live Oak) and Chris Howard of Columbia (Lake City), who each led their schools to district titles and state playoff appearances.
Suwannee, which defeated Baldwin, 4-2, to win the Class 3A-District 3 title, had wins against West Nassau (Callahan) and at Fernandina Beach (in three games) to get within a game of the final four.
The Bulldogs (19-14) lost at eventual state champion South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach) in the 3A-Region 1 Final.
Columbia (16-11) defeated Fleming Island (Orange Park), 6-2, to win the 5A-District 3 championship, before ending the season with a 5-2 loss at Mosley (Lynn Haven) in the 5A-Region 1 Quarterfinals.
Union County won its first state title since 2012.
“Mission accomplished,” said James, who was also named the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural COY. “Hard work pays off. Winning a state title is what the boys worked so hard for back in the fall and to see them get the ultimate reward for all their hard work is amazing.”
A 2-0 win against Cottondale in the Rural state semifinals, followed by a walk-off win in the championship game against Trenton, sealed the deal as COY for James, a Williston alum who played nine years professionally between the Phillies, the Tigers and Indy Ball.
“It’s an honor to be named COY, but that’s not anything I could’ve done by myself,” said James, who is in his fourth season. “That award just means I had some really good guys around me. A good group of players that worked their butts off and coaches around me that did the same and helped put these kids in the best position to be successful.”
Trenton’s Chris Marlo earned honorable mention after leading his Tigers (23-6) to their third straight final four.
Trenton defeated defending state champion Holmes County (Bonifay), 8-0, in the state semifinals, but the Tigers lost a 10-9 heartbreaker in the title game to Union County.
Chris Santamarina (Saint Francis Catholic Academy) and Denver Ripley (Williston) joined Marlo as honorable mention selections.
Saint Francis Catholic Academy defeated Oak Hall School, 10-1, to win the Class 1A-District 5 title. The Wolves (22-6) beat Lake Mary Prep in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs before losing at Mount Dora Christian in the regional semifinals.
Williston, the Rural-District 7 runner-up, defeated Marathon on the road in three games to advance to the region final. The Red Devils lost at Trenton, 6-1 and 8-2, in the Rural-Region 4 Final.
Benson, who is in his second season, repeated as COY after leading Trenton to its third straight state title.
“I’m honored to be recognized as small school Coach of the Year, but this award is really a reflection of our players, assistant coaches, and the support of our entire community,” said Benson, the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural COY. “This team has been committed to excellence and willing to do whatever is asked of them every day. They have been a fun group to work with and their determination to continue pushing themselves and each other to achieve our goals every day is what I’m most proud of this season.”
It was the first time an area team had won three straight softball titles since Chiefland (2014-2016).
“Winning a third consecutive state championship took tremendous commitment, sacrifice, and teamwork from everyone involved,” he said. “I’m proud of what this team accomplished and grateful to be a part of their journey, helping guide and encourage them to push their limits and see just how far we can push the bar and reset the standard of excellence for our program.”
Special recognition goes to Jeff Blankenship of Bronson, who led the Eagles (11-12) to their first state playoff appearance in 23 years.
“Being recognized as an honorable mention for Coach of the Year is truly an honor, but this recognition belongs just as much to our players, assistant coaches, families, and community as it does to me,” Blankenship said. “In just our second year, we reached the regional playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years, and that’s a credit to the hard work and belief of everyone involved in our program.”
Bronson lost to Williston, 9-6, in the Rural-District 7 Semifinals, but earned an at-large bid in the FHSAA playoffs.
“What makes it even more special is that we accomplished it with a very young team made up primarily of underclassmen and middle school players,” Blankenship said. “While I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far, I’m even more excited about where we’re headed. The foundation has been laid, our culture is growing and I believe the future of Bronson softball is very bright.”
Other honorees include Oscar Saavedra of Rural region finalist Branford and Keley Coleman of Williston, who lost at Trenton in the region final.
Branford (19-9) won the Rural-District 6 title and eliminated Union County in the regional semifinals before a season-ending 3-2 loss in nine innings to Madison County in the FHSAA Rural-Region 3 Final.
Williston lost at Trenton, 12-2 in five innings, in the Rural-District 7 championship game, but the Red Devils (13-11) gave the Tigers a scare in a season-ending 2-1 loss in the FHSAA Rural-Region 4 Final.
Saucier and the Tigers defeated Baker County (Glen St. Mary) twice on their way to a second state title.
They defeated the Wildcats, 7-4, in the 4A-District 3 title game, and they defeated Baker County, 6-2, in the region final to advance to their first final four in 13 years.
Columbia (29-3) had a walk-off win against Seminole, 6-5, in the state semifinals, followed by a 3-2 win against Lake Wales in the 4A state championship game.
“Looking back on this season, I can just say these girls worked extremely hard, but they bought in and trusted each other,” said Saucier, who was named the Florida Dairy Farmers overall Coach of the Year. “The thing that made us special was that the 15 girls on this team truly loved each other and they put the team first before themselves. We are losing eight seniors, and I would be lying if I said that is fine, but we will be okay. We have a talented group of ladies that will be competing to fill the holes left by that senior class. I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Honorable mention selections include Chris Chronister of Gainesville High School, Gene Findley of Santa Fe (Alachua), Will Hooper of Buchholz and Michele Roundtree of Newberry.
GHS and Santa Fe won district titles and advanced to the region final in Classes 5A and 3A, respectively. Newberry won a second straight district title and Buchholz advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2014.
“As a nominee for Coach of the Year, you are only as good as the people around you (players, assistant coaches, school admin, parents, etc.),” Hooper said. “We have some great kids that want to compete and assistant coaches that are truly passionate about the game and player development. There are some great coaches in this area, so to even be mentioned in this category is an honor.”
BASEBALL
Small School Coach of the Year (Rural/1A)
Jiwan James (Union County)
Honorable mention: Chris Santamarina (Saint Francis Catholic Academy), Chris Marlo (Trenton), Denver Ripley (Williston)
Big School Coach of the Year (2A-7A)
Chris Malphurs (Buchholz)
Honorable mention: Chris Howard (Columbia), Billy Moran (Suwannee)
SOFTBALL
Small School Coach of the Year (Rural/1A)
Kevin Benson (Trenton)
Honorable mention: Oscar Saavedra (Branford), Kelcey Coleman (Williston), Jeff Blankenship (Bronson)
Big School Coach of the Year (2A-7A)
Joe Saucier (Columbia)
Honorable mention: Gene Findley (Santa Fe), Michele Roundtree (Newberry), Chris Chronister (GHS), Will Hooper (Buchholz)