'Pinch myself:' How Union County baseball pulled off the championship dreams it had all along
Toyloy Brown IIIMURFREESBORO – Josh Orrick’s Union County baseball team set a goal before the 2023 season: win the program’s first state championship.
Lofty, much?
It might have seemed that way, considering these Patriots entered this season having never won their own district, much less the TSSAA state tournament.
But Union County believed it was a champion. It pulled off what seemed like a stunner to win the District 2-2A championship against Pigeon Forge, a perennial power that was state runner-up this time last year. And then on Friday, these Patriots proved those preseason marching orders were no fluke.
“Honestly, I kind of have to pinch myself,” Orrick said.
Union County defeated Milan 8-2 in the TSSAA Class 2A state championship game at Middle Tennessee State, running away in the eighth inning after the game was tied at 2.
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A dynamic eighth inning fueled by Max Richardson
Max Richardon’s walk in the eighth epitomized the grit that carried Union County in Murfreesboro.
The 6-foot-2 senior was determined not to be struck out with the game tied and with two outs. Richardson smacked multiple foul balls on a 3-2 count and eventually hung in long enough to force a wild pitch that gave the Patriots the lead for good.
After that, the floodgates opened. Union County (32-10) scored another five runs to ride a tidal wave past Milan (32-10) and to its first state championship,
“What we say is quality at-bats,” Orrick said. “A quality at-bat for us is just extending the pitches, the at-bats and obviously Max was fouling off pitches.
“Max’s at-bat sparked that rout.”
Richardson said he had struggled some in the state tournament and was desperate to help.
“I wanted it,” Richardson said. "I wanted to help the team out.”
“Max is the total package, he has size, he’s athletic,” Orrick said. “He’s a special player and Union County baseball will always be in debt to Max Richardson.”
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How the Patriots found their spark
The turning point for the Patriots happened in the district tournament.
“They just refused to lose," Orrick said. "Once we got into the district tournament, we started playing our best baseball and it continued all the way through the state tournament.”
Union County's district championship win over Pigeon Forge catapulted the team's belief in itself, as it scored a winning run on Mr. Baseball winner Dylan Loy, a Tennessee signee, to advance.
"Winning that game, I felt something there, we all did,” Richardson said. “It sparked a fire in all of us.”
Union County brought the travel party
Union County’s fanbase drove three hours to pack the stands at MTSU and inspire the team.
“The crowd is crazy; everybody came out,” Richardson said. “More people than I figured would come out today. What a great feeling.”
“It’s amazing, just know that they care about you,” said Eben Hansen, who had a double and three RBIs. “It just means so much to the community.”
Orrick said the love from people who came to Murfreesboro “means everything."
The support even came from those outside the community, as his son’s 10-year-old travel baseball team, unaffiliated with Union County Schools, came out.
The collection of fans refused to miss the storybook end.
“First-ever district championship to region champions to state champions,” Hansen said. “We came a long way.”
Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email tbrown@usatoday.com. Twitter @TJ3rd_.