The Venice Indians’ 2026 baseball season was unlike any other, both on and off the field. While the team secured a record 32 wins, outstanding player stats, and a shot at the State Championship title, they also built a fellowship founded on shared goals and a sense of responsibility toward one another and the Venice community. Although they didn’t take home the Championship trophy, each player received support, encouragement, and experiences that hold value beyond the scope of the game.
Every season, Venice High School baseball coaches guide their team with a unique motivational expression. “Our motto is always not only for the baseball season, but it works throughout the year; whether it’s in the weightlifting program or in school or at home, we build on that motto,” said Venice Indians head coach of 27 years, Craig Faulkner. This year’s message was “Break the Barrier (BTB),” which urged players to seek solutions when faced with adversity. The team’s biggest barrier this season was progressing past regional finals—something it had not accomplished since 2019. “We’d gotten stuck at regional finals the last few years, even though we’ve had some pretty good teams,” said Faulkner. Still, the Venice Indians had a tough slate of games to contend with this season. “We try to find the most difficult schedule possible … you’re playing the top schools in the nation, so that’s always a challenge,” said Faulkner.
Despite the team’s rigorous schedule, its abundant talent broke barriers and records. In addition to the Venice Indians’ unprecedented 32-2 season finish, pitcher Carter Cox broke two 30-year-old records with 125 strike outs and 13 wins. Outfielder August Backman and shortstop Graham Houston also had outstanding performances. Backman had 44 runs scored, the highest number across Southwest Florida this season, along with an impressive .485 batting average; and Houston racked up 46 hits and a .438 batting average, making him one of the top players in the class of 2027. The multitude of skilled athletes presented a hurdle for coaching staff, who had the difficult task of balancing playing time. “We had 10 or 12 pitchers that were really special, and that’s tough as the coach because you want everybody to play as much as they can,” said Faulkner, “but you also have to develop your top four or five guys … [there were] so many good pitchers we couldn’t play them all.”
After the team’s immense talent won out and the barrier was finally broken with a 4-0 win in game one and a 6-0 win in game two against Winter Haven in the Regional Finals, it became necessary to change the season’s motto. “As soon as we broke that barrier, our motto changed for the last two games to ‘Bring Trophy Back,’” in keeping with the original BTB acronym, explained Faulkner. “That was something we planned all year, so it was kind of fun to introduce that to the team,” he said. The importance of positive messaging and mentorship echoed throughout the season. “I have a book that I’ve written of motivational pregame stories—different motivations for every game, every day,” explained Faulkner.
Coaching staff heavily invested in the personal growth of the team, seeking to instill a culture of self-discipline, accountability, and respect. “We spent a lot of time motivating our players with stories and with speakers and with character coaches,” Faulkner said. One such character coach was Allen Speer, CEO of Agape Flights—a charitable organization that transports vital resources and medical necessities to mission partners in the Caribbean. “I’m now the interim preaching paster at First Baptist Church right here in Venice, I’m the CEO of Agape Flights, which is a full-time job, and then I serve as a character coach for Venice High School baseball, and all of those things bring such great joy into my life,” said Speer in a May 2026 Instagram reel. Speer’s faith and humanitarianism closely align with the Venice Indians’ values, as the team regularly held independent Bible studies and went on a summer mission trip to the Dominican Republic to provide communities and orphanages with much needed supplies. “It was really a neat experience,” said Faulkner of the trip, “it kind of pulled this group together—so not only were they talented, but very humble and strong in their faith.”
The team also volunteered closer to home in Venice, bringing joy and hope to others. “This team was all in on everything,” said Faulkner of the group’s unwavering commitment to each other and their community. “We would go to nursing homes, and they would all get together and sing even though they weren’t very good singers,” Faulkner fondly remembered. “We did Challenger Baseball,” said Faulkner, “when you work with the special needs kids in a baseball program … we’ve done that for years … they’re just all in making a difference in those kids’ lives,” he said.
“Our coaching staff is really big into developing culture,” said Faulkner, “culture is developed by hard work, number one, so that you feel like you earned something.” The Venice Indians demonstrated an exceptionally strong work ethic this season, with an average GPA of 3.5 and an academically successful roster. Faulkner said that every senior who wanted to play college baseball is set to do so; and one senior, who is attending the University of Florida in the fall, hopes to go to medical school and ultimately become a doctor. Outfielder August Backman and the team’s number one pitcher, Carter Cox, have also committed to the University of Florida, and the list of impressive college prospects goes on: Shortstop Graham Houston plans to attend Louisiana State University; top pitcher Kasen Poplin, Liberty University; hitter and pitcher RJ Shields, Mississippi State; and catcher Jonathan Mauro, Columbia University. “We had a very talented group of guys; self-made hard workers,” said Faulkner.
Although the team didn’t bring the trophy back, ultimately falling 2-1 to Stoneman Douglas at the State Championship, they took away special moments that will shape them for years to come. “We don’t have any regrets,” said Faulkner. “We wish we would have won the last game … but that’s not what’s most important … 10 years from now when these guys are husbands, when they have children of their own, when they’re in the business world, we’re really going to see valuable life lessons that were taught from this year … taken into their lives,” he said. He noted that the team regularly holds leadership groups before school in which players are taught how to be leaders not only on the baseball field, but within their families, communities, and future businesses. He emphasized that baseball itself teaches important life lessons: how to deal with failure, manage success, and build character. “That’s a winner for us every year, whether we win a state championship or not,” said Faulkner, “we know when we leave here that we’ve done something valuable as coaches and hopefully made a difference in a lot of the players’ lives—and that’s what you can hang your hat on.”
“10 years from now when these guys are husbands, when they have children of their own, when they’re in the business world, we’re really going to see valuable life lessons that were taught from this year … taken into their lives”