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. More: Fairfield Union baseball extends win streak to nine games 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.