BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — With some 16 combined runs on the scoreboard by the end of Friday’s Class 4A state baseball championship, you’d never have guessed that one intentional walk midway through the game would prove the most pivotal moment of the contest.
But it was.
Houston High senior Collin Bland was that big of a threat at the plate. All 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds of him.
And once Farragut began bypassing him, the Admirals bypassed Houston for good.
The Admirals knocked off Houston 11-5 on Friday at host-site Siegel High in a game that took nearly nine hours to complete because of inclement weather and a site switch.
But Farragut’s patience with the weather and at the plate paid off, earning the program its fifth consecutive state title and 15th overall.
Farragut (36-10) extended its state-tournament win streak to 20 games in a row. Its last state tournament loss came in the 2021 state semifinals.
Garza Law is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ 2026 TSSAA Spring Fling state championship coverage May 19-22 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Travis Brummitt Jr. went all seven innings on Friday. The 6-foot-6 senior watched former Farragut star Cole Draper handle early struggles on the mound in the 2025 title game, only to rebound and finish strong. Brummitt reminded himself of that when Houston jumped out to an early lead.
Brummitt held Houston (31-15) scoreless the final five innings but couldn’t hold back his emotions when the final out was made.
“It was the end,” said Brummitt. “I’ve been playing with some of my best friends.”
THE START
Houston nabbed the momentum first on Friday, as Vanderbilt signee and MLB Draft prospect Collin Bland ripped the first pitch like a rocket right back at Brummitt. The next batter singled, as well, and that snowballed into a three-run first inning for the Mustangs.
Farragut responded quickly, though, plating two in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Brummitt and Mason Shelton. Farragut had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the first when Houston went to its bullpen. Caleb Van Lant popped out to bring Farragut’s rally to an end.
Heavy rains delayed the contest at 11:34 a.m. Central time, halting the game in the top of the second. Houston had one runner on and one out.
Play didn’t resume until at 5:45 p.m. Central, as the game was delayed a second time at 4 p.m. and moved to nearby Siegel High School.
The first batter up? Bland. Deep into the count, he rocketed a ball to deep center for a two-run homer and a 5-2 lead.
Farragut responded once again. In the bottom of the second with two outs, Neyland Williams and Zain Kureshi-Smith drove in a run apiece with a single and double, respectively.
The Admirals weren’t done, though. Shelton smacked a loud single to right-center to drive in two more runs in the second inning, giving Farragut its first lead, 6-5.
The Admirals squandered a chance in the bottom of the third when they left the bases loaded. Still, they led, 6-5.
THE CRITICAL MOMENT
Houston got a runner on with one out in the top of the fourth. But when Bland prepared to bat from the left side of the plate, Farragut opted to intentionally walk him.
Turned out to be the wise choice. Farragut escaped the jam unscathed.
“That kid’s a great player. Definitely a threat offensively,” Farragut coach Garrett Copeland said of Bland. “I felt like, ‘He’s got us twice. I’m not going to let him get us again.’
“It was kind of a heat-of-the-moment decision. That’s the way the game felt to me. So that’s what we did.”
Moreover, the Admirals tacked on runs in the bottom of the fourth. Houston’s infielders lost a pop fly in the sky and let it hit ground safely. Cole Creasman scored. And then Neyland Williams drew a bases-loaded walk to bump the Admirals’ advantage to 8-5.
Farragut got three more RBI-walks to soar out front, 11-5, in the bottom of the fourth.
Shelton led Farragut with four RBIs against Houston.
Bland went 7-for-13 with three home runs, eight RBIs and seven walks this week. That seventh walk was another intentional walk issued by Farragut with two outs and one on in the top of the sixth.
Another wise choice, as Brummitt wound up picking off the runner at second during the ensuing at-bat. Inning over. Threat over.
“I noticed it last year. It’s kind of weird. When Farragut comes to the state tournament,” Brummitt said, “it’s just wins.
“We just win. It’s weird: no matter what, we win.”