Choctaw’s special 2026 season came to an end this weekend as Clay swept the Indians in two games in the Class 6A state quarterfinals at the Andy Snaith Baseball Complex.
- The Blue Devils took Game 1 on Friday night, 9-2, then completed the sweep Sunday with a 6-3 victory after rain pushed Game 2 from its originally scheduled Saturday start.
Game 1: Clay 9, Choctaw 2
Jack Marracco started on the mound for the Indians opposite Florida commit Rylan McMahan for the Blue Devils, with a steady rain falling from the second inning on.
After two scoreless frames, Clay broke through in the third — and everything that could go wrong for Choctaw did. Tyler Gunsaulus walked, JC Rosette singled, and an error by Carter Marracco allowed Gunsaulus to score the game’s first run. Lukas Moore followed with a single to plate Rosette, McMahan doubled, and Clayton Hickey’s sacrifice bunt scored Caleb Ainsworth, a courtesy runner for Moore, to make it 3-0.
- Choctaw was in position to get its third out, but a miscue by first baseman Brody Harrell allowed Carson Connolly, a courtesy runner for McMahan, to score. Caden Looney struck out to end the inning with Clay ahead 4-0.
The Indians showed some life in the fourth. Seth Young walked, Trevor Camden reached on an error by Gunsaulus, and Jordan Figueroa doubled to score both runners and cut the deficit to 4-2.
But the Blue Devils answered immediately. Ainsworth walked, and while Jack Marracco managed to pick off Ainsworth and McMahan flied out for two quick outs, Hickey singled, Wyatt Rapoza was hit by a pitch and Ethan Mathis walked to load the bases. Marracco was pulled in favor of Garrett Meggs, who gave up a single to Looney that scored Hickey and Rapoza, followed by a Gunsaulus single that plated Mathis to push the lead to 7-2.
Clay tacked on two more runs in the seventh on additional Choctaw miscues and held on for the 9-2 win.
Game 2: Clay 6, Choctaw 3
Camden got the start for Choctaw in Game 2, opposite Mathis for Clay. Once again, things got off to a rocky start for the Indians. After blanking the top of the first, Camden opened the bottom half with two straight walks, prompting a quick hook in favor of Meggs.
- Meggs struck out McMahan but gave up a single to Hickey to load the bases. A hit-by-pitch on Rapoza scored Peyton McRae, though Choctaw limited the damage when Rosette was thrown out trying to score and Mathis struck out.
The Indians rallied in the third. Carter Marracco walked, Jack Marracco reached on an error, and a double from Young scored both Marracco brothers to put Choctaw ahead 2-1. A Camden single scored Jacob Mickey, a courtesy runner for Young, to stretch the lead to 3-1. It looked like the Indians were on track to force a Game 3.
But the miscues that plagued Choctaw in Game 1 resurfaced. Rosette scored on a fielder’s choice from Mathis to cut the lead to one, and Clay took over in the fifth. Meggs walked two batters to open the frame, Gunsaulus singled to score Looney and tie the game, and McRae followed with a single that scored Bradley Herringdine, a courtesy runner for Anthony Campbell, to give the Blue Devils the lead for good.
McMahan singled to score Gunsaulus, Looney scored in the sixth, and Clay’s defense locked things down the rest of the way, completing the sweep and punching its ticket to the Final Four.
The Blue Devils now await re-seeding, though they appear likely to land as the No. 4 seed with a date against No. 1 Jesuit on May 19 in Fort Myers.
Looking ahead
For Choctaw, the sting of the sweep doesn’t overshadow what was a landmark season. The Indians earned the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed and made their deepest playoff run in recent memory.
And the future is bright. Choctaw loses just four seniors — Figueroa, Blake Peters, Isaiah Rohn and Parker Powell. The core returns intact: the Marracco brothers, Young, Camden, Gentry, Meggs and John Brown, positioning the Indians as an early state title contender heading into 2027.
