NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Of all the Class 5 high school baseball teams in Virginia, Maury is one of just four still standing.
An 8-6 win over Frank Cox in Tuesday's state quarterfinals moved the Commodores to within two victories of their first state crown since 1954. The Falcons played in the state title game in 2025 and looked to be set to make a run at a championship this year before running into Maury.
"Who doesn't like an underdog story?," smiled senior infielder Landen Hall. "You go out there with a chip on your shoulder When we get in between those white lines, we're just playing the other nine guys."
"It's not about how you start," head coach Robbie Butler added. "You don't want to be hot, rolling in March and April. It's about what you're doing in late May and we've been playing really good baseball. I felt really good going into that match-up."
The triumph was the latest chapter in a campaign that hasn't exactly been normal. The Commodores went the year without a home field as construction continues on a new high school. They practiced at Azalea Little League and did not have any true home games. Despite the miles, coaches and players took everything in stride.
"The biggest thing was creating a routine for these guys," Butler noted. "Coming out here and being able to drive 20 minutes and then focus on what we have to do."
"I don't think any other team is playing at a rec league right now," laughed Hall. "They've got their home field, they get to come out of school, go straight to the field. We've got to drive 20 minutes here, but it's still baseball."
The squad is also preparing for life without Butler. The head coach informed his team that he would be stepping away at the end of the season. Butler said it's not a retirement, just a break to take care of some family things and he plans to see where things are after a year before deciding on his long term future. With that in mind, the Commodores want to send their leader off into the sunset with a title.
"They know this means a lot to me," the head coach said. "Personally it means a lot but for them as well. We've got our six seniors who are leaving so we're playing for them, we're playing for Coach Butler, we're playing for each other."
"It gives us extra motivation," Hall pointed out. "We want to go out on a bang, he wants to go out on a bang, all of our seniors want to go out on a bang. We're having fun."
Maury hopes that fun can continue through the weekend. The Commodores take on Glen Allen in the Class 5 state semifinal Friday afternoon and will look to add a storybook ending to the season.
"I can't even come up with words right now," Butler said of a potential state crown. "If we find a way to get through Glen Allen and then the match-up on Saturday, I wouldn't even have words right now."
"It would mean everything to this program" added Hall. "Sending Butler off with a really big high and ending my high school career with a state championship, heck yeah. That sounds fun."
The Commodores and Jaguars hit the field at 1 p.m Friday at John Champe High School.
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