Titusville Downs Astronaut To Win District 3A-8 Title

The 2026 District 3A-8 champion Titusville Terriers. *Photo by Amy Teed.

The Titusville Terriers are district champions once again.

Following an unusual path that led to playing at Astronaut High against the host War Eagles in Friday’s District 3A-8 finale, the Terriers had a big day offensively to slug their way to a 7-3 victory. Titusville (10-9) wins its first district title under current Manager Andy Hanson, and its first since the 2019 season.

The game was moved from a neutral site at Cocoa High due to a lighting issue, just another hiccup down the final stretch of the regular season, following a brutal run of rainy weather that made playing baseball nearly impossible to accomplish the past two weeks. Although the Terriers were shut out in a 9-0 loss at this field earlier in the season, they avenged that result by winning the rubber match that mattered the most.

Titusville eared a berth into the regional playoffs, where it will travel to the North Marion Colts in a 3A-2 Regional Quarterfinal. The Colts (18-6) won the District 3A-6 championship with a 3-2 decision over the Umatilla Bulldogs.

*Photo by Amy Teed.

The Terriers scored in the top of the first inning to set the tone for the day at the plate. Nolan Edwards doubled to center and was then replaced by courtesy-runner Ethan Zuber, who scored thanks to an RBI single from Ethan Lynskey.

The War Eagles (11-9) answered right back to take a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Blake Sargenti blasted a solo home run to even the score, and Nate Edwards followed with a single to further rally the offense. Cannon Hanson worked a walk that moved Nate Edwards into scoring position, and Matthew Hickman delivered an RBI single to center to put his club ahead.

Titusville responded in the third with three runs that put it back in front for good. Jayvon Morris singled and Nolan Edwards drew walk, before he was again replaced on the bases by Zuber, who got to jog around the bags and come home after Ethan Lynskey slugged a three-run home run for the deciding runs.

Ethan Lynskey celebrates with his teammates at the plate after hitting a home run. *Photo by Amy Teed.

The Terriers added some insurance runs to pull away with the victory. Kyle Cox had an RBI single to drive in Taelong Long in the fifth, and Morris scored on an error in the sixth, and Ethan Lynskey then followed off an RBI single from Ryland Nicolaisen.

Astronaut kept fighting until the very end. Chase Nason drove in Sargenti with an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but reliever Benjamin Pastor then got a swinging strikeout to record the final out.

Sargenti had a monster day to battle for his team, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two runs.

The Titusville Terriers celebrate after earning the district championship trophy. *Photo by Amy Teed.

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