The last time they played each other Madison’s baseball team was left with the worst possible feeling, watching helplessly as its biggest rival celebrated and its own season came to a shocking end.
That was May 29, 2006, when Oakton stunned the Warhawks in the Northern Region tournament quarterfinals, 6-5, en route to a Group AAA state runner-up finish. Madison had lost just once all season before that game and had a legitimate chance at region and state championships.
“Trust me, our kids remember that game,” said Madison coach Mark Gjormand, who returns 14 players from that 22-2 team. “They’ve had all offseason to think about it.”
For the first time since that fateful afternoon at Robinson, the two Vienna-area squads renew their rivalry 3 p.m. Saturday at Oakton. Because they play in different districts it is the only game scheduled between the two teams unless they meet again in the postseason.
Last year’s scheduled regular-season meeting was canceled after Madison reached the championship game of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament in South Carolina over spring break. The Cougars have won three in a row in the series dating back to 2004. Oakton returns 10 players from a team that finished 19-8 after a 3-5 start. The season ended in controversy, however, after the game-tying run in the state final loss to Monacan was wiped out due to runner interference. The Cougars lost that contest, 9-8.
As always, expect a crowd of close to 2,000 fans for what is usually the most-anticipated high school baseball game in Northern Virginia. Oakton coach Scott Rowland likes to joke about the Madison/Oakton game a few years back that actually outdrew a major league game that night involving the Montreal Expos.
“No local game generates the interest that this one does,” Rowland said. “I’m sure the [district games] we both play the night before are more important standings-wise. But every time we see Madison, it feels like a playoff game.”
