The 2026 baseball season will be remembered as a watershed moment for St. Albans, as the team secured its first state championship since 2019, rallying the community with a series of dominant performances that culminated in a decisive victory on the diamond.
A season defined by excellence
At the heart of the triumph were senior standouts Braxton Burke and Brogan Samms, both earning first-team all-state honors. Burke made history as the first St. Albans captain to lead the first-team since Jake Carr in 2019, while Samms delivered a .468 batting average, 52 hits, 19 doubles, two home runs and 40 RBIs.
Pitching ace Burke posted a 1.75 ERA and struck out 53 batters across 15 games, anchoring a rotation that helped the team navigate a tough schedule. Their achievements were complemented by a host of teammates whose contributions kept the squad competitive week after week.
The accolades extended beyond the local spotlight. St. Albans joined three other Class AAA programs with multiple first-team all-state representatives, underscoring the depth of talent across the state. Bridgeport’s Kasen Baun and Owen Sondericker, Shady Spring’s Tyler Wilhite and Sam Barnett, and Robert C. Byrd’s Xavier Carvelli and Cooper Floyd all earned spots on the elite list, while John Marshall’s Hayden Hughes added his name on the mound.
Additional recognitions highlighted the season’s breadth. Brooke’s Andrew Murdock was named OVAC 5A player of the year, and PikeView’s Landon Wyatt combined 40 runs with 44 RBIs, 32 walks and 33 steals. Princeton’s Brody Combs rounded out the honors with a second-team all-state captaincy.