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At this same time last year, the Buchholz Bobcats were chasing their first baseball state championship in school history.
Last season, Buchholz reached the state finals for the first time in program history, when the Bobcats fell to William T. Dwyer High School, 10–3.
Heading into this year, Buchholz had one goal. Avenge that loss and return to the finals, this time to finish the job.
Now, the Bobcats are one win away from a return to the Class 6A state championship game.
2025 Class 6A State Tournament
Buchholz defeated the Pace High School Patriots, 5-4, in extra innings on the road Saturday to clinch the Region 1-6A title and advance to the state semifinals.
![Buchholz's Kai So (19) tags out Pace's Brenton Busby (15) at home plate during Buchholz's extra-inning win over Pace in the Region 1-6A final on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Pace High School.[Ben Grieco/bgrieco@gannett.com]](https://www.gainesville.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2025/05/11/PPEN/83566627007-pnj-19020.JPG?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
In the top of the eighth inning, sophomore Blake Brewer delivered the go-ahead RBI double that gave Buchholz a 5-4 lead.
@BothSidesSports pic.twitter.com/S4b3jDLw93
— Sean B (@Seanbgator) May 11, 2025
But the Bobcats still needed three outs. Junior Aidan Kastensmidt returned to the mound in the bottom of the eighth and struck out the final batter to seal the win and send Buchholz to Fort Myers.
FINAL
Buchholz with a strikeout to winning in extra innings. 5-4. Bobcats to Fort Myers. pic.twitter.com/zHeohzRNFT
— Ben T. Grieco (@BenGriecoSports) May 11, 2025
It was not a smooth ride to the top. The Bobcats dropped Game 1 of the series, 11–4, before bouncing back with an 11–2 win in Game 2.
“We took it one game at a time. We said, ‘Don’t let Wednesday lead us into Thursday.’ We had to concentrate on Thursday. Once we won on Thursday, we formulated a plan,” Buchholz head coach Ron Brooks said.
The loss in Game 1 was Buchholz’s first since April 5, when they fell to Tallahassee Lincoln, 10–4. It remains just their second loss of the season.
Before the regional final, the Bobcats had swept both of their playoff opponents, going 4–0 across the first two rounds.
Up Next
Buchholz (26–2) will face the Wharton High School Wildcats (27–7) on Friday in Fort Myers in the Class 6A state semifinals.
The winner will advance to the state championship game to face either the Bloomingdale Bulls or the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders.
