Clay Shuts Out Baker County For District 4A-3 Title

The 2026 District 4A-3 champion Clay Blue Devils. *Photo from @ClayHighBlueDevilsBaseball.

The Clay Blue Devils picked the right time to deliver their best performance of the season. With a district title on the line on Thursday night, the Blue Devils responded with a 6-0 shutout over the Baker County Wildcats to claim the 4A-3 championship.

Clay (14-13) wins its second consecutive district title, and fourth overall in program history. The Blue Devils have now earned a berth into the regional playoffs, and they enter the playoffs carrying the momentum of a five-game winning streak.

“We graduated a solid group of seniors last year, with the majority of them starting as sophomores. This year we knew we’d have some gaps to fill, but I felt like this was a gritty group who could grind out close games,” Clay Manager Josh Persinger said. “I put together an insane schedule, including a three-week span of Jesuit,St. John’s Country Day twice and Trinity Christian. My plan was to emulate the playoff structure. I told the boys this squad could go 12-13 in the regular season and make a solid run into the playoffs. We are going to be battle-tested. I continued to use the analogy of a prize-fighter who is bruised and bloody after the fight, but holds his head high as the champion.”

Junior Rylan McMahan set the tone on the mound, delivering his most dominant performance when it was needed the most. McMahon picked up the win by pitching into the seventh, piling up an incredible 15 total strikeouts while scattering four hits and three walks. He improved to 6-4 on the year, matching his win total from a season ago.

Every Blue Devils starter in the lineup reached base to contribute, all the runs coming in two big bursts in the third and fourth innings. Clayton Hickey led the way in going 3-for-4 with a double and a run, while Caden Looney was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs and Tyler Gunsaulaus went 2-for-3 with a run. Peyton McRae added an RBI double and a run, and J.C. Rosette was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

Hank Dyal was 2-for-3 to lead the way for the Wildcats (15-12), who managed five total hits.

“To be able to avenge the district championship loss in 2021 to Baker County was something we don’t take lightly,” Persinger said. “We’re in a good spot and the boys are ready for the bracket release party on Monday at 2:00 to see who’s next.”

Clay now awaits the bracket announcement for the FHSAA regional playoffs to see who its opponent will be in the Region 4A-1 quarterfinals.

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