The Farragut Admirals faced the Nolensville Knights in the TSSAA Class 4A state championship game at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Farragut won 3-1. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — Say this for Farragut High School Baseball, the Admirals never take winning for granted.
When Eli Evans charged in from third, scooped up a baseball bare-handed and whipped a lightning bolt of a throw to first for the final out in Farragut’s 3-1 win over Nolensville, every player — whether on the field or in the dugout — charged toward the mound to celebrate the Class 4A state championship as if it were the program’s first.
But it wasn’t.
It was Farragut’s 13th overall, which ties them with Christian Brothers out of Memphis for the most state titles in TSSAA history.
And, the Admirals’ state championship Friday completed a three-peat, which has been done only once before (2008-11) in Farragut history.
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More than anything, the elation that erupted from Farragut’s roster Friday released the tension and weight of winning it carried — especially the players from the Class of 2024 — from hefty expectations from the moment they arrived on campus at the West Knoxville school.
More than 15 seniors from Farragut will play college baseball next season — a majority of whom will play Division I, even a handful in the SEC.
Farragut was supposed to win this.
And they did.
The Admirals completed the season with a 40-5 record, not losing to a single team from Tennessee.
“It’s a lot of emotions right now. I knew they were a special group a long time ago,” said Farragut coach Matt Buckner. “But they have exceeded every expectation. We won every game against every team in the state (this year).
“I don’t mean this to be disrespectful to any team in the past, but I think this is the best team that’s ever played in Tennessee. I think it’s the deepest team. I think it’s the best team. That’s no disrespect. It’s just a talented roster of kids who were very determined. They worked extremely hard. I’m very proud of them.
“It’s hard when you’re the hunted. And we’re always the hunted.”
Farragut junior Cole Draper took the mound again for the Admirals, starting the title game for a second year in a row. He allowed seven hits to Nolensville (35-9) but no earned runs. He struck out three and walked two.
Draper did not allow a hit the last two innings.
The Admirals came out red hot in the first, scoring two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Farragut senior Lukas Buckner, who went 1 for 2 and got the hit needed to become the program’s all-time leader in hits (246), singled to start. He later scored on a passed ball.
Eli Evans, who went 3 for 3 in his final game, drove in Jake Merrick with a single to left.
Merrick added his own RBI in the third inning, scoring Buckner on a single to center.
Nolensville nearly tied the contest in the fifth, putting a few runners on. But Buckner made an unreal snag at short on a line drive by Evan McElvain to end the inning and preserve the 3-1 lead.
Farragut won its final 23 games and was 36-1 over its final 37.
“It’s definitely been hard, but we’ve put in the work. We’re here for a reason. And that’s God reason. It’s Him. It’s all thanks to Him. I just want to give Him all the glory. We couldn’t do this on our own,” said Farragut senior Michael Delph. “We put in the work. He gave us the ability.
“We got talent. But we exceeded expectations (in our careers). We did what we could do. We kept it in control. We didn’t panic or anything. And we came out here and took care of business, just as we did all year.”