The Gorham baseball team won its first ever Class A baseball title on June 20, Father’s Day weekend in Augusta, in high-stakes fashion. This was Gorham baseball program’s second state championship game match-up with the Bangor Rams since 2018. This year’s team is described as a very “gritty” group by head coach Ed Smith, in his third year as varsity head coach for Gorham.
The team did a lot of little things right both offensively and defensively. Strong pitching (many players are moving on to pitch in college) and phenomenal defense were also difference makers for this 2026 group. Another signature trait for this team was their playlist for away games, which kept things on the “loose” side. One of their bus drivers shared, “The team gave me their playlist and it was made up of songs that you would hear at weddings.”
Looking back, it seems fitting for the team’s mindset of a fearless attitude and lightheartedness to get through some tough games, especially during their playoff run. In the first round, Gorham defeated Falmouth 3-0 at Old Orchard Beach Ballpark in a game that was moved due to rain the day before. Next stop, the Rams would need to get by a very strong Thornton Academy team. The team would defeat TA in a heart-pounding semifinal game in Gorham, 4-3, to move on to the Regional final. The Rams played their Regional final at the University of Southern Maine’s Flaherty Field, taking down Noble 7-2.
The State game would prove to be another tenacious test, which ended up going into 11 innings. Miles Brenner and Wyatt Washburn shared all of the pitching duties. Brenner pitched 7 outstanding innings, scattering 4 hits and racking up 6 strikeouts. Washburn, entered in relief, throwing 4 scoreless innings to secure the victory. Both teams scored two runs apiece in the 6th inning. The game remained at a standstill until the top of the 11th when Hunter Finck blasted one to opposite field, an RBI game-winning single. This clutch hit scored teammate Cooper Whitehead, sealing the 3-2 victory and securing Gorham’s first-ever Class A State Championship. Congratulations to the 2026 State champs.