BENTON — NorthWood defeated Fairfield 6-2 in the IHSAA Class 3A Fairfield Sectional 20 baseball championship on June 1, 2026. The victory marked NorthWood’s 15th sectional title in program history and its third consecutive.

NorthWood advances to a one-game regional against Highland on June 6, 2026, at a site to be determined by the IHSAA. The Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, sending nine batters to the plate, and never trailed after Fairfield had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning.

Fairfield stranded nine runners in the game, including the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning. Junior left-hander Ean Bogan relieved Drew Rains with no outs and the bases full, retiring the next three batters on just 11 pitches, seven of which were strikes.

Rains had pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and five walks, throwing 69 of 110 pitches for strikes. "He did not have his best stuff," said Zach Benko, NorthWood baseball coach. "He did not have the zip he usually has. He just continued to battle and compete. I’m proud of his performance, being able to stick it out and give us a chance to win. Championship games are never easy." Benko added, "When you’re up, you can do stuff like that."

NorthWood extended its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Brady Weaver scored on a single to left by Bogan. The Panthers added another run in the sixth as Bogan, hit by a pitch, eventually came home on a fielder’s choice. NorthWood finished with seven hits and left six runners on base, including four in scoring position.

Fairfield coach Darin Kauffman said, "We put pressure on them every time. We came out in the first inning and hit line drives right away. We lose six seniors (Landon Beasy, Grady Chupp, Grady Garber, Cole Knight, Logan Miller and Breckin Stair), but we have a lot of guys coming back. Seeing (NorthWood) celebrate, that’s motivation for next year."

NorthWood senior Ryder Ransberger said, "I didn’t expect all the guys from my grade not to play any more. I’ve been able to lead this young group and they’ve stepped up into huge roles."