By Lori Miller
History has been made for our Seahawks!
In dramatic walk-off fashion, the South Walton High School baseball team captured the Florida Class 3A State Championship this season — delivering one of the most exciting finishes in 2026 Florida high school baseball and bringing home the program’s first-ever state baseball title.
The championship victory came in unforgettable style as South Walton executed a perfectly timed suicide squeeze in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat North Broward Prep 6-5 in the FHSAA state finals. The thrilling finish quickly drew statewide and national attention across sports media and baseball platforms.
For Walton County, the title represents far more than just a win on the scoreboard. It marks the culmination of years of dedication, coaching, player development and community support surrounding one of the area’s rising athletic programs.
The Seahawks’ championship roster also reflects the increasingly high level of talent emerging from Northwest Florida. Among the standout athletes leading the historic run is Coleman Borthwick, a nationally recognized Auburn baseball commit regarded as one of the top two-way prospects in the country.
Borthwick, who plays both on the mound and in the field, has garnered attention for his powerful bat, commanding pitching presence and elite size and athleticism. Recruiting outlets have ranked him among the top players in the Class of 2026, with fastball velocities reportedly reaching the mid-90s.
South Walton also celebrated another Auburn connection this season as Parker Granse announced his commitment to play baseball for Auburn University, further highlighting the caliber of athletes coming through the Seahawks program.
In fact, the Seahawks’ championship roster featured one of the deepest collections of college baseball talent in Northwest Florida in recent memory. In addition to Auburn commits Coleman Borthwick and Parker Granse, South Walton’s roster included Virginia commit Griffin Loy, Mississippi State commit Denton Lord, Florida State commits Lyndan Flanary and Braxton Varnes, South Alabama commit Vaughn Howard, Georgia Southern commit Frank Wells and Georgia Tech commit Charlie Willcox — underscoring the remarkable level of talent that fueled the historic state-title run.
As celebrations continue across South Walton, the championship is already being viewed as a defining moment not only for the school but also for local athletics as a whole.
For the players, coaches, parents, families and fans who believed this day could come, the Seahawks are now officially state champions.
