Baseball Closes Season Falling to Shelton State
Tuscaloosa, AL / Decatur, AL — Calhoun baseball closed out the 2026 regular season this past week, dropping all four games of an ACCC series against Shelton State. The Warhawks opened the series on the road in Tuscaloosa on Thursday before returning home to Decatur on Saturday to wrap up the season against the back-to-back-to-back conference champions.
Game 1 – Shelton State 5, Calhoun 0
Facing one of the conference's top programs with a limited roster, Calhoun battled early before Shelton State broke through in the middle innings.
The Warhawks held the Bucs scoreless through the first three innings before Shelton State plated four runs in the fourth to take control. Josh Burrell turned in a strong effort on the mound, tossing a complete game in the loss, while offensively, Adam Yazel led the Warhawks with a double.
Game 2 – Shelton State 9, Calhoun 7
Calhoun showed resilience in game two, mounting a late comeback that ultimately fell just short.
After falling behind 9-0 through five innings, the Warhawks began to chip away, scoring one in the sixth and two in the seventh to cut the deficit to 9-3. Calhoun then surged in the ninth, plating four runs but coming up two runs shy.
Bryant Jones, Kai Kuroda, and Ashton Dickey each provided valuable innings on the mound, while the offense came alive with 14 hits. Gavin Gonzalez led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, and Trent Wilson drove in three runs.
Game 3 – Shelton State 8, Calhoun 5
Back in Decatur, the Warhawks again found themselves in an early hole but battled back late.
Shelton State built a 6-0 lead through the first four innings before Calhoun got on the board to make it 6-1. The Bucs extended the lead to 8-1 in the fifth, but the Warhawks responded with four runs in the sixth to close the gap.
Despite the rally, Calhoun ran out of time in the comeback effort. Justin Slaton delivered a complete-game performance on the mound, throwing 122 pitches, while Jayson Smith Jr. paced the offense with a 2-for-3 outing and three RBI.
Game 4 – Shelton State 7, Calhoun 3
In the season finale, Calhoun again showed fight but could not overcome a late push from Shelton State.
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Warhawks responded with three runs to cut the deficit to 4-3. Both teams generated opportunities over the middle innings but were unable to add on until the Bucs broke through with three runs in the ninth to secure the win.
Kaiden Wear, Tatum Sivley, and Ashton Dickey saw time on the mound, while six different Warhawks recorded hits. Austin Williamson added an RBI in the loss.
Head coach Cameron Chafetz reflected on the group's effort throughout the season. "I'm really proud of the work this group put in all year and the effort they showed," Chafetz said. "The guys we finished the season with stuck with it, even when it wasn't easy. Sometimes you've just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward when things get tough, and this group did just that. I'm excited to get back out there in the fall with these competitors and a strong recruiting class to continue building this program."
Calhoun finishes the 2026 season with a 14-37 overall record and a 10-26 mark in ACCC play. The Warhawks' 2026 signing class is expected to include more than 25 student-athletes as the program looks ahead to the future.