Fernandina Beach Rolls Past West Nassau For 3A-4 Crown

The 2026 District 3A-4 champion Fernandina Beach Pirates. *Photo from @DugoutClubofFernandinaBeach.

The 2026 baseball season has been historical and magical for the Fernandina Beach Pirates, and on Thursday night that story continued as the Pirates stormed their way to their second straight district championship. Fernandina Beach scored in every inning and rolled to a decisive 11-0 victory over the West Nassau Warriors to clinch the District 3A-4 title.

The Pirates improve to 21-4 on the year, and have won seven of their past eight games to go into the regional playoffs with plenty of momentum. Ranked #6 overall in a very stacked Jacksonville Power Rankings and entering the state playoffs as a district winner, Fernandina Beach is all but assured of a home game when the FHSAA regional playoff brackets are revealed.

Although the offense had a monster day, it was equally matched on the mound. Junior Preston Matricardi threw a no-hitter, while also earning the complete-game shutout victory. Matricardi carved his way through the Warriors lineup, piling up 10 strikeouts while limiting West Nassau (13-14) to just three walks. He improved to 6-1 on the season, while picking up his 14th career high school victory.

The Pirates celebrate their district championship trophy. *Photo from @DugoutClubofFernandinaBeach.

The middle of the Pirates lineup did the heaviest damage. Batting in the three-hole, Trace Farmer went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three RBI and three runs, while cleanup hitter Conner Bayless was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. John Addington chipped in by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, and lead-off hitter Landon Holbrook set the tone at the top by going 2-for-3 with two runs.

The result is a rewarding turnaround for the Pirates, who won both meetings with West Nassau this season after falling in the regional playoffs to the Warriors a season ago. Fernandina Beach went 2-3 against West Nassau in 2025, as its season ended with a game three loss in the regional quarterfinals.

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