Mission accomplished for Owen baseball
Jackson Shaw gets his team back where they belong
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 5, 2026
The Owen Warhorses will compete in the first round of the playoffs, May 5, on the road against Polk. The game marks Owen’s first postseason appearance since 2017. Photo by Fred McCormick
Owen head baseball coach Jackson Shaw knew there would be a lot to learn in his first year at the helm of the program he once played for. He was, however, sure about one thing: it had been too long since the Warhorses qualified for postseason play.
Shaw was also confident that his roster, which features seven seniors, possessed the talent to accomplish that goal, and while a 5-16 regular season record with a 4-8 mark in the Western Highlands Conference leaves plenty of room for growth, the 2026 Owen Warhorses will mark the completion of a significant objective when they step on the field in Polk County at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, marking the program’s first playoff appearance since 2017.
“It’s exciting,” said Shaw, who was a member of the last Owen baseball team to enter the postseason tournament. “I know the boys, and even myself, have caught ourselves looking at the RPI, to see where we were at. We lost a heartbreaker in 10 innings last Friday, so things were up in the air, but seeing ‘Owen’ on that schedule is exactly what we were hoping for.”
The Warhorses enter the NCHSAA 3A Baseball Playoffs as a No. 23 seed, facing the conference champion and No. 10 seed Wolverines. The opening round matchup features a familiar set of opponents, with Polk sweeping the two-game regular season series.
Owen, which battled to a 4-3 loss in extra innings on the road against Polk last March, is motivated by that recent history, according to Shaw.
“The boys are hungry for this one,” the coach said. “We know we can compete with them, so we feel like that puts us in a good position going into the playoffs.”
Owen is led by outfielder and pitcher Jackson Warnock, who tops the roster with a .542 batting average, 24 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. The senior posted a 3-2 record with 50 strikeouts and a 3.39 earned run average in 43.1 innings on the mound.
“His skill set is phenomenal,” Shaw said. “He’s arguably the best player in Western N.C. He can do it all, and everyone can see what he does at the plate, in center field and on the mound. He’s a quiet leader, but he’s a huge part of getting us back in the postseason.”
First-year Owen head baseball coach Jackson Shaw will coach the Warhorses in the postseason, May 5, marking the team’s first playoff appearance in nine years. Photo by Fred McCormick
Other seniors like Gabe Mahar, batting .431 with 17 RBI, 5 doubles and a home run this season, have persevered on and off the field.
“Gabe broke his collarbone in a snowboarding accident before the season, and just the work he did to get back out there for the first game was unbelievable,” Shaw said. “As soon as the doctor would give him permission to start working on something, you would see him doing it. Then, he comes in, hits in the cleanup spot for us all year, and has given us valuable and consistent production there.”
Defensively, shortstop Hayden Burpeau has been a “game-changer” for the Warhorses throughout the season, while his offensive production is on the rise heading into the playoffs.
“Hayden works as hard, if not harder, than anybody, and he pushes himself and everyone around him,” the coach said. “He’s one of those guys who wants to take over the game, which is exactly what you want from a shortstop, and his bat has been heating up over the last few games.”
The ability of senior Houston Mashburn to battle through injuries while wielding a powerful bat at the plate underscores the determination of the Warhorses, Shaw added.
“You couldn’t ask for anything more from these guys,” he said. “They came into this season committed to getting this team back where it belongs—the playoffs.”
The Warhorse coaching staff, including pitching coach Thomas Brown, assistant coach Allen Burpeau and Shaw’s father, John Shaw, has worked to establish a winning culture, on and off the field.
“Our staff is a lot more like friends than anything, but we’re all really good at holding each other accountable,” the head coach said. “Thomas coached me on junior varsity in my freshman year, and Allen and my dad played together. They really understand the heritage of Owen baseball, and this staff has done a fantastic job this season.”
A close-knit roster, known for its grit and hustle on the field, keeps the atmosphere light in the dugout and during practice.
Owen senior shortstop Hayden Burpeau is among the class of seven seniors who led the Warhorses to its first postseason appearance in nine years. Photo by Fred McCormick
“One thing I wanted to make sure we did this season was have fun playing the game of baseball,” Shaw said. “We have 15 players with 15 different personalities on this team and they keep it interesting. The spend all week practicing together, then they hang out with each other on the weekends. That chemistry has been a big part of keeping everyone engaged in what we’re trying to do with this program.”
Eliminating mistakes and taking the game half an inning at a time will allow the Warhorses to slow the game down against Polk, which enters the contest with a 15-9 record.
“We won six games this year, but when you look at the box scores, we were in a lot of those games until giving up a big inning,” Shaw said. “Going into the playoffs, we really want to avoid errors and letting any single inning get out of hand. We need to stick to the style of baseball that we know works for us.”
While the Warhorses are seeking the program’s first playoff victory in 12 years, the current roster has already set a solid foundation upon which to build in the future, according to the coach.
“This program has a proud winning heritage, but we’ve had some down years recently,” he said. “These guys, whether they realize it or not, are etching their name into the stepping stone that will get us back on track.”