The Woodland softball team stepped off UConn’s Burrill Family Field as their dreams of a three-peat class “M” state championship became a reality. The Hawks secured the win over Sheehan 7-1, along with Woodland’s title of most consecutive state championships.
Later that same day, the baseball team capped off their season with a clean sweep victory (8-0) over Joel Barlow to give them the first state championship win in Woodland baseball history. As both teams returned home that day, the Region 16 community became known as “Titletown.”
As a reward for their outstanding performances, both teams were given rings at a ceremony at halftime of the girl’s basketball game against Amstead. Each player was called individually to walk onto the court and collect their ring. Then, to conclude the ceremony, both teams took a picture together with their state banners.
The baseball team had worked hard to earn a spot in the finals. In the semifinal game, the Hawks faced the Lawmen of Jonathan Law. The game was a tense nail-biter, but the Hawks managed to clutch up a 3-2 win to advance to the finals at Palmer Field.
“It was definitely a heartfelt moment to receive my ring,” said lead-off hitter Jason Beaudry. “All of our hard work had paid off; I felt like we deserved the appreciation for this once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.”
“When [Woodland baseball alumni] Billy Untiet had the base-clearing double, I just knew we were going to win,” said third baseman Erik Pulkkinen. “When all was said and done and we got our rings, it felt surreal because we were the first baseball team in program history to do that.”
All-state pitcher Ella VanAlstyne also experienced a memorable moment that evening.
“It was so rewarding to receive my ring,” said VanAlstyne. “No one thought we would be able to win again without [Woodland softball alumni] Sam Sosnovich, but we proved them wrong.”
The softball team had put the hurt on the Sheehan Titans with a sharp 7-1 win. The victory was nothing new for the Hawks as they had appeared in the same situation twice before, in ’22 and ’23.
The rings that the softball team received were mesmerizing and finely detailed. The center plate of the ring was studded with black and gold gems, and the hawk crest was included in the middle as the ring’s focal point. The sides of the ring featured the player’s last names and numbers and “3x” to pay homage to the team’s 3-peat.
The rings that the baseball team received were large and captivating. The center plate of the ring was studded with silver gems and included a golden “W” in the middle as the ring’s focal point. The sides of the ring featured the player’s last names and numbers, as well as the words “team of the year.”


The future Woodland softball and baseball teams aim to keep up the winning mentality. The softball team hopes to continue its legacy and hot streak as the title holders of the class “M” state championship, and the baseball team has faith in returning to the state final once again this June. Both teams will be top competitors in the NVL and class “M” as they head into their upcoming seasons.