Ben Murphy
Contributing Writer
(Photo by Ben Murphy/TCJ – The Charlotte baseball team poses with their district championship trophy.)
There was plenty to be happy about for the Charlotte baseball team this season. The Orioles racked up an impressive 27 victories and had things culminate with a Division 2 district championship.
“I am incredibly proud of this group,” fifth year head coach Lance Beasley said. “The 2026 Oriole Baseball season was truly defined by grit, enjoying the game, playing without fear of failure, and a deep commitment to one another. We strove to value the process over results and the mission over our mood. Seeing their hard work translate into a championship-caliber season was deeply rewarding.”
Beasley believed in this group from day one. But even his players surprised him at times with what they managed to accomplish.
“It blew past expectations in terms of our sheer resilience,” Beasley said. “I knew we had talent, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted we would secure 13 come-from-behind wins. It showed the unbelievable mental toughness of these players. They genuinely believed that if they controlled the six inches between their ears, it would reflect on the scoreboard, and it did.”
The 27 wins were the most for the team in at least 12 years and they went 10-3-1 overall in the CAAC White to take third place in the league. The season also featured Beasley getting his 100th career win and they won the Fowler Invitational. The team also had Mason Croley get a program record 12 triples and led the team with 46 hits. Karter Jackson struck out just one time all year and had 44 RBI and Brayden Parshall tossed a perfect game against Eastern.
“Winning the district championship was an unforgettable team milestone, but seeing individual moments of selflessness stand out is what makes coaching special,” Beasley said. “Watching Brayden Parshall throw his perfect game against Eastern, or seeing Cooper Ryan step onto the big stage in the regional semi-final to record seven straight clutch outs out of the bullpen, are moments I won’t forget.”
The team’s season did come to an end in the regional semi-finals against Wayland, 5-0.
“It is always incredibly tough, especially with a group that possesses this much heart and chemistry,” Beasley said of the year ending. “When you have a dugout where players genuinely love being around each other and fight until the very last out, you never want the season to end.”
The team graduates six seniors from the team. They’ll look to keep up the good times in 2027, with a pretty solid group coming back for more.
“They added years to our championship banners and set a new standard for Charlotte baseball,” Beasley said of the seniors and team. “My hope is that our returning players take the blueprint left by this senior class and keep building. We want them to stay hungry, put in the work, and continue to foster the close-knit brotherhood that made this year so special. We also have some incredibly talented players working their way back to 100-percent healthy, like junior Ethan Cheyne, who battled through a painful arm injury to star at the plate this year. Getting everyone healthy and stronger is the main goal.”
