Celebr-EIGHT:
Andersen, Boesen & Burke lead Jesuit to eighth title
Jesuit senior Ben Burke throws up his arms in celebration after firing a strike to first base to record the final out of the FHSAA Class 4A state championship game. Burke recorded the final two outs of the Tigers’ 9-0 win against Orlando Bishop Moore.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
FORT MYERS – A baseball sized purple knot was blooming at the left elbow of Jesuit senior Wilson Andersen as he stood among his teammates near the home seating section of Hammond Stadium late Wednesday afternoon.
But the Tigers four-year varsity standout shrugged off the remnants of a first-inning fastball to his front arm during his first at-bat: “I can’t even feel it right now.”
Maybe on Thursday, because in that moment – Andersen and his 2026 Jesuit Tigers baseball teammates were only feeling good – state championship good.
Behind Andersen’s 6 1/3 innings of one-hit, 12-strikeout, shutout baseball Jesuit defeated Orlando Bishop Moore, 9-0 in the FHSAA Class 4A state title game.
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Jesuit senior RHP Wilson Andersen, a Mississippi State signee, earned his 11th win of the year, striking out 12 and allowing just one hit in his 6 1/3 innings of work.
Surrounded by celebrating Tigers taking selfies, posing for photos from their families behind the netting at field level, Andersen took a moment to reminisce on his four trips to the state final four – including one runner-up finish, one state semifinal finish and titles in his sophomore and now, senior seasons. Andersen pitched in all four seasons, including a save in the 2024 championship and a win this year.
“There is no feeling like this,” Andersen said. “Since last year, this has been on my mind. I don’t think I’ve ever been as crushed as I was last year, and I really wanted to win this for my freshman year team and my junior year team. This is for all of those guys.”
After he retired Bishop Moore (30-3) in order in the top of the first with the first two of his dozen punchouts, the top of the Jesuit (28-6) lineup went to work quickly. Senior Ben Burke drew a leadoff walk, before the second pitch to Andersen drifted in and hit him on the bone at the top of the elbow, Cannon Murtagh bunted for a single to load the bases, and as he also did in the state semifinal, junior Griffin Boesen more than obliged his opponent’s offering by sending a ground ball single into left to plate the only run Jesuit would need.
Tigers junior Griffin Boesen had four RBI in the championship game, after driving in three in Tuesday’s semifinal win.
But though the only run necessary, Boesen was far from finished – adding a two-run single in the second and an RBI ground ball to second base in the sixth inning – those four RBI giving the Tigers junior seven for the state series (after his two-double, three-RBI game in Tuesday’s state semifinal win against Clay).
“Today was about just going out and having fun, trusting in my abilities and trusting in my teammates,” Boesen said. “It is so easy to go out and hit when you know if you put up a zero, the guy behind you is gonna pick you up. It makes it so fun to go out there with this team every day.”
Tigers junior 3B Bryce Besece
In the first inning, the “guy behind” Boesen, junior Bryce Besece, was waiting to keep the early attack going, sending a sac fly to left field deep enough to score Tyler Trombley (running for the pitcher Andersen).
Though Andersen was in clear pain after being hit by the pitch, he didn’t show it on the mound the next inning. When his turn in the order came around again with one out and two aboard, Tigers head coach Miguel Menendez called for Andersen to give himself up with a bunt to plate a run, but the senior amended the thought busting down the line and beating it out for his first RBI single.
Wilson Andersen drops down an RBI bunt single in the second inning.
When Boesen’s two-run hit gave the Tigers a five-run advantage, Andersen was unflappable on the mound, shaking off a two-out Nolan Borgia double (his only hit allowed) in the third, an error behind him and a walk in the fourth, a hit batter in the fifth, and a walk in the sixth. He struck out the final batter of five of those innings, and fielded a comebacker to end the other.
Jesuit senior Shane Rupp drove in the Tigers final run with a pinch-hit RBI sac fly.
After Jesuit scored three more in the sixth – started by Ben Burke’s second single and featuring a pinch-hit sac fly by Shane Rupp – Andersen returned to the mound for the seventh, quickly recording an out with a pop fly.
“He’s an animal,” Boesen said. “Put him on the mound – he’s going to compete. He was out there pitching with one arm today, giving them stare-downs, sitting them down. It was just electric.”
Jesuit’s trio of two-time state champion seniors (left to right) – Cannon Murtagh, Kaden Waecther and Wilson Andersen.
At just 100 pitches (of the state limit 105 allowed to start a new batter), Menendez made the decision to make sure his senior knew how much he meant to the program and giving the Jesuit fans and parents a chance to show it. The Tigers head coach slowly strolled to the mound as the home crowd got to their feet and the Jesuit defense encircled the mound.
Menendez took the ball and pulled his senior in for a hug.
“Coach Miguel making that moment happen – that was really special,” Andersen said. “(In our hug on the mound) he told me he loved me and how proud he was. That meant the world to me and I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”
Tigers head coach Miguel Menendez wraps his four-year standout Wilson Andersen in a hug just before sending him off for a well-deserved ovation from the home crowd.
“To be able to reward him with that moment, to give him that chance, it just felt like it was really deserved,” Menendez said. “Honestly, I just told him I loved him, that I’m proud of you, and go enjoy your farewell exit to Jesuit Baseball.”
The moment also offered an opportunity for Burke to make his team-leading 14th appearance on the mound. The Hornets picked up a single and a batter reached on an error, but Burke picked up a strikeout then fielded a weak-contact roller in front of the plate and fired to first to end the game.
Burke watched the catch, then threw up his arms in celebration, was hugged by Jesuit catcher Brady Marshall, who held on as the rest of Tigers stormed the field and tackled the duo in a celebratory dog-pile.
“I don’t know if I can even tell you,” Burke said of the feeling at the bottom of the celebratory dog-pile. “Honestly, the best pain I’ve ever felt.”
Burke, who is signed as a pitcher with Appalachian State next year, made the most of his final game as an offensive player, going 3-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and four RBI.
“This ends my hitting career,” he joked, “so, I’m glad I went out with a bang.”
Jesuit senior Ben Burke hit three singles, walked, stole two bases and scored four runs.
“Ben Burke is a do-it-all player,” Menendez said. “He kind of gets overlooked sometimes, because with our guys (draft prospect senior pitchers Kaden Waechter and Andersen), but he’s so good out there. And what he’s done offensively all year, he sets the table for us.”
The championship – Jesuit’s eighth all-time baseball title, and fourth during Menendez’s head coaching tenure – moves the Tigers into a four-way tie for third-most all-time (along with Avon Park, Jacksonville Bolles and Sarasota).
“I joke that I’ve been the head coach at two programs – Key West, which is tied for first with 11; and here where we now have eight,” Menendez said, “I say ‘joke,’ but I absolutely mean it, that we want to pass Key West, well we want to pass Tampa Catholic (who is second with nine all-time baseball titles), then we want to pass Key West.”
⚾ Class 4A State Championship ⚾
Jesuit 9
Orlando Bishop Moore 0
B 000|000|0 – |0|2|2
J 230|103|x – |9|10|2
W – Andersen (11-2); L – Castro (7-1)
2B – Borgia (B). Records – B (30-3); J (28-6).
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Jesuit SP Wilson Andersen
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Andersen reacts after being hit on the elbow in the home-first.
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Senior Cannon Murtagh drops down a bunt single to load the bases in the first inning.
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And feels pretty okay about it!
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Jesuit junior Tyler Trombley worked as a speed-up runner in Fort Myers scoring three runs – including two in the final, where he also stole two bases.
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Tigers sophomore Mason Greco steals a base and would come around to score in the second inning.
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The first of Ben Burke’s three singles came in the second.
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Ben Burke steals third prior to scoring on a Griffin Boesen hit.
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Griffin Boesen celebrates at first base after driving in two of his four runs in the win.
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Tigers junior C Brady Marshall throws down to first after one of Andersen’s 12 strikeouts.
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Showing no ill-effects from his hit-by-pitch, Wilson Andersen went after an elevated pitch for an RBI single to center in the fourth.
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And takes a peak into the Bishop Moore dugout after some good-natured ribbing from the Hornets during his at-bat.
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Cannon Murtagh watches ball four go by in the fourth. Murtagh, who was part of the Tigers 2024 state championship as well, was 1-for-2 with a run scored and walked twice.
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Tigers SS Kaden Waechter makes a leaping throw to second for an out to start the sixth.
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Jesuit junior pinch-hitter Jackson Menendez was hit by a pitch in the seventh and scored a run.
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Shane Rupp jogs off the field after his RBI sac fly scored the Tigers final run.
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Jesuit senior Brian Schultz hit a pinch-hit single to right.
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Drewski putting in the work all day: Jesuit bat boy Drew Lamb hustles back to the dugout with a bat in the seventh inning.
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Tigers RF Mason Greco catches a fly ball for the first out of the seventh inning.
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Wilson Andersen hands the ball to Tigers skipper Miguel Menendez.
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Tigers 3B Bryce Besece among the hugs for Andersen prior to his walk-off from the field.
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Jesuit senior reliever Ben Burke
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The Tigers dugout starts to make the leap over the rail as senior Ben Burke fires a strike to first for the game’s final out.
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The story of the 2026 Jesuit season would not be complete without mention of the efforts of junior Samir Mohammed. Though a late oblique injury ended his season, Mohammed put up 27 hits and 18 RBI for the Tigers, and was 5-0 with a 0.42 ERA on the mound. Mohammed was on the spot as team videographer in the postgame celebration.
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Flag. Planted.
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Tigers head coach Miguel Menendez and his son, Jackson, share a celebratory hug.
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Menendez hugs senior Ben Burke.
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Jesuit pitching coach Daniel Gibson hugs Bryce Besece.
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Tigers senior Christian Sheffield is all smiles after getting his gold medal.
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Coach Menendez presents his seniors with the state championship trophy.
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The Jesuit Tigers state championship senior class
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And the leadership team (l to r): assistant coach Mike Swenson, pitching coach Daniel Gibson, head coach Miguel Menendez, assistant coach Ryan Stanley, third-base coach Tim Nalls & first-base coach Louis Martinez.
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The posed coach’s photo provided the right distraction for the Tigers to shower Miguel Menendez with the Gatorade jug.
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