Fairfield Union baseball ends 24-year wait for MSL-Buckeye title

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May 5, 2026 - 02:42

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Fairfield Union baseball ends 24-year wait for MSL-Buckeye title

LANCASTER — It has been a long time coming for the Fairfield Union baseball team, 24 years to be exact.

For the first time since 2002, the Falcons can call themselves champions. Fairfield Union clinched at least a share of the Mid-State League-Buckeye Division championship after defeating Liberty Union 4-0 on May 1. They can clinch it outright on May 6 at Amanda-Clearcreek in a game that was suspended with the Falcons leading 7-0 in the third inning.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Fairfield Union had such a rich baseball tradition under head coach John Nelson, who finished his illustrious career with 687 wins, 13 Mid-State League-Buckeye Division championships, six district titles, and appeared in six regional tournaments, as well as guiding the Falcons to a state runner-up finish in 1986.

For the first time since 2002, the Fairfield Union baseball team has won a league title. The Falcons clinched at least a share of the Mid-State League-Buckeye Division championship and can win it outright on May 6 against Amanda-Clearcreek.

Nelson retired in 1999, and other than a league title in 2002, under head coach Scott Burke, the Falcons’ baseball team has struggled and had plenty of different coaches.

However, Burke returned three years ago, and his number one goal was to get the Falcons back to championship-level baseball.

Heading into this season, the Falcons seemed primed to take that next step. With a solid senior class returning, which included Ashton Waldrop, Alex Burke, Garrett Dilcher, and Brady Andrews, things looked promising.

However, things could have gone sideways in a hurry after Fairfield Union lost its first two games of the season against Lancaster and Northridge. The Falcons were able to regroup, stay the course, and proceeded to rattle off 10 consecutive victories. Their only league loss was against Bloom-Carroll, 7-6. After losing a nonconference game at Westerville South on May 4, Fairfield Union has a 15-4 overall record and a 10-1 mark in the MSL.

“Everybody wants to win the league. Last year, we had an early exit from the tournament, and that left a sour taste in our mouths,” Burke said. “I thought we had a good team last year, and we knew we had a good group of seniors coming back this year. We weren’t sure where we would end up, especially after we lost the first two games of the season, but the guys battled through it and put a streak together, and here we are.”

Fairfield Union's Brady Andrews congratulates Ashton Waldrop after he scored a run in the first inning against Westerville South on May 4, 2026.

Winning a league title means a lot to Burke, who has so much respect for what Nelson did. He just wanted to bring respectability back to the program.

“Fairfield Union had such a rich baseball history, and when I was coaching before the thing I wanted most was to make coach (John) Nelson proud and carry on that tradition,” Burke said. “We were up and down and struggled for a while, as a program, but we wanted to get back to being more consistent and fighting for league championships every year.”

Waldrop and Dilcher, who have played together since Little League, said it's special to bring a championship back to Fairfield Union.

“We were confident coming into the season, and we felt like we had the team to win it,” Dilcher said. “As seniors, we were going to do everything we could to win a league championship. I don’t think people thought we could do it. But it means a lot, especially being 24 years since the last time it has been done.”

Waldrop added, “It feels amazing because a lot of people doubted us. We know how much work we put into achieving this. We push each other, the coaches push us, and we all hold each other accountable, which has led us to this point. It’s just a great feeling.”

The Falcons have done it with solid pitching and outstanding defense.

“We have had a lot of pieces fall into place, and the kids have bought into throwing strikes and playing defense,” Burke said. “They have bought into the process and not the result. We just try to make sure we go out and compete at a high level each time we step on the field.”

Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Fairfield Union baseball wins first league title in 24 years