Burns High School Bulldogs head baseball coach Alex Leonhardt knew the obvious question - "How did it feel winning the 2A state championship?" - was going to come up eventually so he had his answer ready; it was a short, sweet, and got to the point, "It was a surreal feeling."

The Burns Bulldogs defeated South Granville, 9-5, last Saturday, May 3, in Holly Springs, NC, to get the two-game sweep, best-of-three series, getting the school's first-ever baseball state championship.

Coach Leonhardt continued, "Everything we had worked for coming to fruition at that point was an amazing feeling."

As for it being "a first" in baseball for Burns, Coach Leonhardt replied, "Yes, it is our first high school state championship in baseball. We did win the Junior Legion state title last year."

The win was a culmination of a great season for Leonhardt and his fellow 2023 Bulldogs "diamond kings", who are as follows: #1 - Ben Mauney, Sr.; #2 - Joshua Powell, Sr.; #3 - Colby Putnam, Soph.; #5 - Gabe Holiday, Jr.; #6 - Josh Taylor, Jr.; #7 - Nick Williams, Soph.; #8 - Jacob Whiteside, Sr.; #9 - Hagan Hoyle, Soph.; #10- Haydin Smith, Sr.; #11-Ethan Guy, Jr. #12 - Camden Mackall, Soph.; #13- Mason Humphries, Soph.; #14 - Reid Stroupe, Sr.; #15- Jaxon Dubesko, Soph.; and #24 - Marshall McGowan, Soph. Coaches are: Alex Leonhardt, Chris White, Mark Mackall, Brad Hoyle, Wade Walker, and Nick Triplett.

The path to the 2A championship for the SCPC 1A/2A conference champs, who were 19-3 overall, and 11-1 in the conference, and were the number one seed in the West (they were the home team each playoff game, said Coach Leonhardt) was: Round 1 - SW Randolph, 10-8; Round 2 - East Gaston, 2-1 (conference opponent, 4th time playing them); Round 3 - Lincoln Charter 4-3; and Round 4 - West Stokes, 4-3.

The Best-of-3 Western Finals was: Game 1 - Morehead, 7-0; and Game 2 - Morehead, 13-6.

In the State Championship games it was: Game 1 - defeated South Granville, 6-1, and Game 2 - defeated South Granville, 9-5.

Coach Leonhardt wanted to give the following "shout-outs" to: the Top Five in averages - Marshall McGowan, .478 (55 hits, and a school record); Ben Mauney, .421; Colby Putnam, .380; Ethan Guy, .358; and Nick Williams .352.

His Top Five doubles hitters: Putnam, 14; McGowan, 13; Mauney, 10; Guy, 6; and Stroupe, 4. The Top Two triples hitters: Mauney, 2; and Williams, 2.

Burns' Top Five home run hitters were: Mauney, 6; Putnam, 6; McGowan, 4; Stroupe,

1; and Guy, 1. The Top Five in RBIs were: McGowan, 51 (a school record); Putnam, 34; Mauney, 33; Guy, 30; and Stroupe, 19. The Top Five in Runs: Mauney, 49 (a school record); McGowan, 34; Putnam, 33; Guy, 29; and Williams, 21.

The Top Five in stolen bases were: Guy, 11; McGowan, 10; Mauney, 9; Whiteside, 7; Putnam, 5; Hoyle, 5; and Holiday, 5.

The Top Five with pitching wins are: Putnam, 12; Taylor, 6; McGowan, 4; Mauney, 3; and Powell, 2. Most strike-outs: Putnam, 123; Taylor, 47; McGowan, 44; Mauney, 19; and Powell, 9; and ERA's: Putnam - 1.42; Taylor - 1.85; McGowan - 2.39; Powell - 2.62; and Mauney - 3.5.

There were six seniors on the championship team: Ben Mauney (who will graduate in December), Joshua Powell, Jacob Whiteside, Haydin Smith, and Reid Stroupe.

Leonhardt noted the Burns community came to the school to greet them upon their return. "It was great seeing people come out to just cheer our return," said Coach Leonhardt.

For Coach Leonhardt, who is a 1994 Burns graduate, it is his sixth year as head coach of the Bulldogs.

"I have coached baseball at Burns for 13 years. I have taught almost all the history courses and I am currently teaching PE," he added. Additionally, he is the Assistant Athletic Director and an Accredited Interscholastic Coach (USA Heads Up Football Coach).

From the BHS baseball Facebook page comes this quote from Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman and his staff and officers, "Sheriff Alan Norman and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office would like to congratulate the Burns High School Bulldogs Baseball team for winning the NCHSAA 2A State Championship! Way to go!"