TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Lincoln baseball team won the program's first ever State Championship in 2017 when this year's group of seniors were freshmen. It's something they remember and something they wanted to repeat but, state title or not, this is a team that they'll never forget.
The Lincoln High School baseball team boasted nine seniors this year.
"We were all close," said Justin Bragdon. "We were all friends off the field."
Nine friends.
"Most of us have been playing since we were 8, 7 years old," said Kyle Randolph.
Nine athletes who are still coming to grips with a season that should have been so much more.
"It hurts," Jared Edmonston said. "It hurts bad. We got what we could, the best out of our eight games but I really wish we could have made a run late in the year."
The Lincoln nine watched the Trojans win a State Championship as freshman. There's nothing they wanted more than to win one themselves in their final season.
"We've been talking about it since freshman year, like, we're going to win State, we're going to win State," said Leo Bronakoski. "It's just, you don't get over stuff like that."
"Just made us want it more since freshman year," Parker Wakeman said. "We want a ring on our finger really! It's all in the past and everything happens for a reason."
A past that didn't end the way they wanted, but it's one they'll never forget.
"It was a blast," said Tommy Mills. "Nothing like it. Always having some fun, doing something, keeping us motivated and happy."
"It was awesome," MT Reed said. "If I could go back, I would for sure at the drop of a hat. It just sucks thinking about it that we're not going to play anymore."
A career in the books as Trojans but a career that's given all nine a new appreciation for the game.
"You never know how much you love something until it's gone," said Nick Standridge. "Just cherish every single moment that you have. I'll never be able to play with them again. That's it."
"It's still sad when I think about it that it's actually over," Bragdon said. "Knowing that we really wanted to do great things as a team and win a State Championship. It makes you actually realize what it is and you should never take it for granted."
"It's just something we can take, the patience, and accepting failure," said Randolph. "That's what this game is all about. Accepting failure and how to move on to the next thing."
Moving on as teammates, friends and Trojans.
Five of the guys are playing baseball in college, Stanbridge, Bragdon, Reed, Landon and Wakeman.
Bronakoski, Mills, Randolph and Edmonston are headed to college as students but said they're definitely going to keep up with their teammates at the next level.
