LuHi baseball's Matt Muzikant throws three-hitter to lead squad to NYSAIS championship

PURCHASE — Matt Muzikant fanned the final batter, turned toward his dugout and signaled his teammates to come on out and celebrate with him. Coach Shaun Manning soon handed out the plaques. And then these Crusaders from Long Island Lutheran pulled on black T-shirts.

The words “2026 NYSAIS CHAMPS” were emblazoned in white inside an outline of the state borders on the back.

Manning had the commemorative shirts made in advance. Way in advance. Try soon after his baseball team fell against Fieldston last May in the state final at Purchase College.

“He knew,” Muzikant said. “We all knew. There was one goal. If we didn’t [reach it], it would’ve been a failure of a season.”

Muzikant fired a three-hitter, Vincent Bourne delivered a go-ahead, three-run, inside-the-park homer and Jayden Hauser drove in three. And the top-seeded Crusaders claimed the program’s first state championship with an 11-2 win over No. 2 Horace Mann Wednesday at Purchase.

“I think the experience really paid off,” Manning said, “the familiarity of being here before, how to warmup, no nervousness. The best teacher in life is experience.”

Having a future D-I pitcher helped, too. Muzikant (5-2) stood in the high-80s heat and struck out eight, walked none and hit one. The Monmouth-bound senior righty had thrown two perfect innings in relief to also earn the win in Monday’s semifinal vs. Fieldston.

“When your ace is going, you just feel better,” Manning said. “It’s a brighter day. Everyone smiles a little more. … He got stronger as the game went on. He smelled the finish line.”

LuHi (18-7) was tied with Horace Mann (18-3) at 2 in the last of the fifth.

Mathew Garib singled to right off Lions starter Zach Schwartz (5-1) with two outs, then moved up on a wild pitch. Hauser followed with a walk.

“Zach actually formed a huge blister on his middle finger that inning and lost a little velocity and control,” Horace Mann coach Doug McDonald said.

Bourne stepped in. Manning said the sophomore shortstop “has always been clutch.”

It was 1-and-2 when the runners pulled off a double steal.

Now the count was even. Bourne was looking fastball and he got it, lining it toward right-center.

He kept on going until he slid headfirst across the plate — 5-2 LuHi.

“Worked on [my swing] a lot, especially driving the ball the other way,” Bourne said. “I got the pitch I wanted and executed.”

The Crusaders added six in the sixth against three relievers.

Kayden Bates’ third hit, a two-run double, and Hauser’s RBI double were the highlights.

“We were a lot younger last year,” Hauser said. “We’re all brothers. We’re all family. As soon as we lost last year, we were looking forward to this year.”