Bishop Kenny Earns Sixth Straight District Championship

The Crusaders celebrate after claiming their championship trophy. *Photo from @PaulSulzbacher.

The streak continues.

The Bishop Kenny Crusaders registered a 9-2 victory over the St. Augustine Yellow Jackets to win Friday’s District 4A-4 championship. The Crusaders (15-12) have now won six straight district crowns, dating back to the 2021 season. Technically, they have won seven in-a-row, as 2019 champions also, but there was no title game during the 2020 global pandemic that ended the season early. It is the program’s tenth district championship since 2013, to go in a crowded trophy case that includes two state titles and numerous regional and sectional trophies over the years.

The Bishop Kenny offense went right to work to take control in the title contest, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looking back. Braxton Dowdle walked, advanced on a wild pitch and then moved to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Austin Green. Andres Diaz delivered with a grounder for a fielder’s choice RBI and a 1-0 lead, reaching second base on an error. Colin Ulrich next also reached on an error, and Caleb Pasko plated the winning runs with a two-RBI double down the right field line.

The 2026 District 4A-4 champion Bishop Kenny Crusaders. *Photo from @PaulSulzbacher.

The Crusaders added on four more runs in the third to pull away to victory. Ulrich singled to left and Cooper Revenaugh was hit by a pitch, with Ulrich next scoring on a squeeze bunt from Grayson Vogel. Henry Dillard walked to load the bases, with Revenaugh then stealing home for another run and Vogel following him in on an RBI single from Dowdle. Green capped it off with another bunt RBI that pushed Dillard home for a 7-1 advantage.

St. Augustine (14-13) cut the deficit down to two runs when it got on the scoreboard in the second. Cole Hall singled with one out and Caiden Smith followed with a double to left. Drew O’Quinn then delivered a fly ball to center for a sac-fly RBI. But the Yellow Jackets did not answer again until the seventh, when Kaiden Blakney doubled to right and later scored on an error.

The Crusaders have now won seven straight in the all-time series against the Yellow Jackets. St. Augustine last defeated Bishop Kenny on March 20th, 2009, a 6-2 road victory.

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