The Brookhaven Bucks are Sunbelt Baseball League champions for the third time in program history, sweeping the Lake Oconee Wild Things in two games to claim the 2026 title.
The Bucks won Game 1 on Friday, July 31, at Oglethorpe University, then closed out the best-of-three series Saturday, Aug. 1, on the road at Lake Oconee. The Sunbelt Baseball League confirmed the championship on its official Instagram account on Sunday, Aug. 2.
Brookhaven didn't drop a playoff game.
The Bucks finished the regular season 22-9 and rolled through the postseason unbeaten, dispatching the Cartersville Cannons in the semifinal round — including a walk-off win in the series opener July 25 at Oglethorpe — before sweeping Lake Oconee (17-13) in the finals.
Starting second baseman Andrew Bernard was among the named contributors on the championship roster, which draws from 23 colleges across the Southeast. Dunwoody-area players John Kosobud and Will Forte were also on the squad entering the postseason.
The Wild Things, in just their second season in the league, had reached the championship series for the first time after beating the Choccolocco Monsters 11-7 in their semifinal.
College talent, neighborhood ballpark
The Sunbelt Baseball League is a summer collegiate wooden bat league with teams in Georgia and Alabama. For Brookhaven, the home venue at Oglethorpe University doubled as a community gathering spot throughout the playoff run. Admission ran $10 for adults, with kids 12 and under admitted free. Families could count on a water balloon home run derby, face painting, player autographs and a chance for kids to run the bases after the game.
Individual game scores from the championship series were not available as of Tuesday, Aug. 4. The 2026 SBL season is now complete, with the Bucks' third title cementing the program as one of the league's flagship franchises heading into next summer.
