New Home Leopards — 2026 UIL Class 2A Division I State Champions
def. Iola 7–2 · Dell Diamond, Round Rock · June 4, 2026
South of Lubbock in Lynn County, New Home finally got the one that got away. A year after falling to Centerville in the 2025 2A Division I final, the Leopards came back and finished the job — beating Iola 7–2 for the first baseball state championship in program history, in the school's sixth trip to the state tournament. Final record: 30–8.
They needed only one inning to seize it. New Home erupted for five runs in the first, MVP Bransen Beckham's two-run double the big blow — the third baseman went 3-for-3 with four RBI. From there the arms took over: Tucker Cotton held Iola to two runs on three hits over four innings, and Avin Madrid slammed the door with three innings of one-hit relief. The Leopards had punched their ticket to Round Rock by surviving No. 1 Tom Bean 18–6 in a Game 3 slugfest.
- Bransen Beckham — MVP — 3B; 3-for-3, 4 RBI; two-run double sparked the 5-run first
- Tucker Cotton — Starter — 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H
- Avin Madrid — 3 IP, 1 H in relief to close it out
A five-run first inning — capped by Beckham's two-run double — and the Leopards never trailed, finishing a redemption run a year after losing the 2025 final.