Oxford coach Wes Brooks thought for just a minute when asked to reflect on his 2023 baseball team.

“This might be the best team in Oxford history,” he said.

The top-ranked Yellow Jackets played like it Wednesday morning.

Oxford pounded out 14 hits, built an 11-0 lead after four innings and cruised to a 12-3 win over No. 6 Spanish Fort at Jacksonville State’s Rudy Abbott Field, finishing a two-game sweep of the Class 6A state finals and capturing the school’s first title since 2012.

“In order to get here, you have to have good pitching, and we have seven or eight guys going to the next level,” Brooks said. “But we also made a commitment on hitting. To win it, you have to be able to hit, and we are in a really great place right now. I wish we could play a few more weeks.”

Oxford (39-6) scored three runs in the first Wednesday, then added five in the third and three more in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets struck out just one time in six innings against Spanish Fort starter Chris Sullivan and reliever Mytch Deacy.

Carter Johnson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Nick Richardson, Sam Robertson, Trace Adams and Hudson Gilman each had two hits. Adams and Gilman each drove in three runs. Richardson and Robertson drove in two each.

“We’ve been thinking about this for a long, long time,” senior Hayes Harrison said. “The three of us (Peyton Watts and Robertson) have been together forever, and this is what we’ve dreamed of. It’s really big to have this opportunity and be where we are at today.”

Harrison was named the series MVP. He hit .600 for the two games with three runs scored, three RBIs and three walks. He also won Game 1 on the mound.

On Wednesday, Watts started and cruised through the first four innings with only 43 pitches. He gave up three unearned runs in the fifth, but by that time the Yellow Jackets already had built the substantial lead.

“We never really got a good footing in this game,” Spanish Fort coach JD Pruitt said. “They were able to jump out and build a substantial lead. I thought our offensive approach was pretty good. We barreled some balls, but they happened to be right at people. We just couldn’t get any traffic on the bases to give ourselves a legitimate shot.”

The Toros finished 29-19. They lost Game 1 in four of their five playoff rounds before rallying to win at home against McAdory and Saraland and on the road in the semifinals at Stanhope Elmore.

“People say we got hot at the right time,” senior Pierce Dutton said. “But I think we’ve been pretty consistent all season. Our run in the playoffs is indicative of how we’ve competed in every series. Every guy just keeps competing.”

Oxford won the opening game 6-5 on Tuesday night at Choccolocco Park, scoring a run in the top of the seventh.

Key stats: Oxford – Watts got the win, allowing six hits and three unearned runs. He walked one batter. RJ Brooks pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out two. Spanish Fort – Sullivan gave up eight earned runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings to take the loss. Dutton (2-for-3) was the only Toro with more than one hit. He also had an RBI. Blake Smith had an RBI.

By the numbers: 12 – all 12 of Oxford’s runs on Wednesday were earned.

Did you know? Spanish Fort coach JD Pruitt tore his Achilles in last week’s series against Stanhope Elmore and will have surgery Monday.

They said it:

“The bad thing about winning it all in high school baseball is that the kids are gone next week. In football and basketball, you get to walk around the hallways for a few months. In baseball, the next 3-4 hours will really be our last times together.” – Wes Brooks.

“We work fast because that is who we are. We have things we do at Oxford that no one else does, and that is what sets us apart. Working fast and trying to keep the hitters uncomfortable in the box is part of that.” – Watts on Oxford’s pitching approach.

“When things start rolling your way, a baseball team begins to have some confidence. This was a special run. These seniors have changed the trajectory of Spanish Fort baseball. We lost 17 seniors last year I knew we would be very inexperienced, very young. The legacy of these seniors and what they did will continue to grow by the things they’ve done. I can’t thank the enough for what they’ve done and how special they are to me.”

“This (the playoff run) means the world to me. A lot of people counted us out, didn’t see us doing much. I think it speaks volume for this team. We are not the most the most talented team, but we have a bunch of dawgs.” – Spanish Fort senior DJ Eurgil.