ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State begins NCAA Regional play on Thursday when the No. 3 seed Reddies take on the No. 6 seed Northeastern State at 2 p.m. in Magnolia, Ark. Regardless of result, HSU will play again on Friday at either 2 p.m. with a loss or 6 p.m. with a victory.

REDDIES REPORT
– The Reddies (38-15) put together a strong showing in the 2022 GAC Tournament last week in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and finished as the league’s runner-up. With three wins in Hot Springs, HSU jumped up to the No. 3 seed in the Central Region, earning a spot in Southern Arkansas’s regional just 75 miles from campus in Arkadelphia. The tournament format is double-elimination, so each team is guaranteed at least two postseason contests.

– Henderson is the highest-seeded at-large team in the region and will be playing an NCAA Tournament contest as the higher seed for the first time in program history on Thursday. In each of their last two trips to the Central Regional Tournament in 2015 and 2021, the Reddies were the No. 6 seed and the final team to make the bracket. HSU set program records this spring with 38 wins, 23 conference victories and a 14-0 winning-streak to open the season.

– HSU was the top pitching team in the GAC this year and boasts a team ERA of 4.28 — a mark which ranks 28th nationally. Henderson had two 2022 First Team All-GAC pitchers in starter Spencer Taack and reliever Brayden Bebee, while starter Ryan Galvan is 6-0 on the year with a 3.28 ERA. Reliever Andrew Howard, who was a 2022 GAC All-Tournament honoree, has a 6-3 record, 2.81 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit a conference-low .239 against HSU pitching this season.

– As a team, the Reddies are hitting .288 and slugging .464. Henderson finished second in the GAC with 111 doubles and outscored its opponents 391-262 on the season. HSU has five everyday position players hitting .290 or better and counts nine players who have 20 or more RBIs this spring.

– First baseman Greyson Stevens and second baseman Kaden Argenbright are the only two Reddies who have started all 53 games this spring for the red and gray. Stevens bats .356 with a team-high 72 hits, 19 doubles and 47 RBIs. Argenbright is hitting .304 with 65 hits, 17 doubles and 35 RBIs as the lead-off man. Left fielder David Vilches, who has set a new school record with 17 home runs this year, has played in all 53 contests, while centerfielder Bryson Haskins has played and started in 52 of the 53.

– Stevens has written his name across the Reddie record books and has a chance to do so further at the NCAA Tournament. The 2022 All-GAC selection is HSU’s all-time leader in RBIs (130), ranks second in program history in hits (183) and third in home runs (24). He needs 12 more hits and four more home runs to become Henderson’s program leader in both categories. The Pottsville, Arkansas native is currently one of just five players in school history to record 70 or more hits in a single season.

– Third baseman Dillon Thomas vaulted his way into the Reddies’ lineup in March and has been a staple ever since. Thomas leads the team with a .406 batting average and has recorded at least one hit in 28 of Henderson’s last 31 games. He earned 2022 All-GAC Tournament honors in Hot Springs after going 9-for-18 in four games at the plate.

– Henderson was impressive this season against good teams and enters the Central Regional 23-10 on the year against teams with records over .500. HSU was 2-3 against regional host-Southern Arkansas and 5-1 against No. 8 seed and regional qualifier Ouachita Baptist.

– HSU is 7-4 all-time at the NCAA DII Tournament and 5-2 all-time in the Central Regional. Six of those victories came in 2015, when Henderson won the region title and captured two wins at the College World Series in Cary, North Carolina. The Reddies lost to eventual national runners-up Central Missouri and Minnesota State last season, but eliminated Augustana in Warrensburg, Missouri.

– The Reddies are 30-3 this year when leading after six innings and are 53-4 overall in the last two seasons when holding a lead after six complete. Henderson is 21-1 this spring when it commits no errors and is 23-7 when it scores first.

SCOUTING THE MAGNOLIA REGIONAL FIELD
– No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas enters its 14th NCAA Tournament riding high after capturing the 2022 GAC regular season and tournament titles this spring. The Muleriders (41-11) won 27 games in the GAC and were 16-3 at home inside Walker Stadium and Goodheart Field. SAU hits .314 as a club and is led by a barrage of offensive weapons. Brandon Nicoll and Brett McGee have each driven in 64 runs this season, while Tucker Burton has blasted 16 home runs. Southern Arkansas also boasts 2022 GAC Pitcher of the Year, Jeremy Adorno, who has a 14-0 record in 14 starts, a 2.16 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 95.2 innings pitched. The Muleriders are hosting the regional tournament for the third time in program history.

– No. 6 seed Northeastern State is making its first-ever appearance at the NCAA Tournament after finishing a terrific campaign with a record of 37-16 overall. The RiverHawks are one of the best offensive teams in the country with a batting average of .330 and a national-high 117 home runs this season. NSU is one of just 12 teams in the country with 600 or more hits as a club and is No. 3 nationally in team slugging percentage (.609). Northeastern has one of the top outfield duos in all of NCAA DII in Blake Freeman and Brock Reller. Freeman is No. 3 in the country with 89 hits this year, while Reller ranks No. 3 nationally in home runs (27) and RBIs (82). The RiverHawks’ ace is Jonathan Smithey, who has a 7-2 record in 13 starts, a 3.18 ERA and 65 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks.

– No. 7 seed Washburn is also making its inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance at the Magnolia Regional. The Ichabods finished 33-20 overall and won four games at the MIAA Tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma to seize the No. 7 seed in the final rankings. Washburn is batting .301 as a team and has a staff ERA of 5.78. The Ichabods’ top hitters are Brett Ingram, who has a .365 average, 80 hits, 20 doubles, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs this spring, and slugger Parker Dunn, who has racked up 17 home runs and 59 RBIs while slugging .626. Washburn has a deep pitching staff with 14 players who have made 10 or more appearances on the mound this season. Reliever Dalton Huggins has pitched in a whopping 28 contests and carries a 3.82 ERA with five saves in 68.1 innings pitched.

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pitched the eighth, stayed on to pitch the ninth and allowed a couple of runs, but locked the rest of the 

game down to advance CBC to tomorrow. 

The Mustangs will play the Spartans of Missouri Baptist tomorrow in another elimination game at 

CarShield Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and the winner would have to play again immediately 

following the conclusion of that game. 

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ST. LOUIS – Marcelo Terrazas and Joe Weatherford were named to the American Midwest Conference Gold Glove Team, which was released by the conference office on Wednesday. Terrazas made the team as a pitcher, while Weatherford earned the recognition at left field. This is the first career honor for both Terrazas and Weatherford.

Terrazas and Weatherford are the 10^th and 11^th players to be named to the AMC Gold Glove team in program history and the first since Tyler Tognarine and Tanner Seibel won the award following the 2018 season.

This season, Terrazas had 14 total chances from the mound as he finished with 12 assists and one putout. Terrazas did not commit an error in his 14 chances. He played a role in one double play this season. Terrazas had four assists on May 5 against Harris-Stowe at the AMC Tournament.

Weatherford played in 20 games in left field this season for the Scots and finished with 22 putouts and two assists as he did not commit an error in his 24 chances. Weatherford had four putouts on Apr. 22 at Harris-Stowe.

Garrison Keen (P) and Nick Allred (1B) made the team for Williams Baptist. Kenny Piper (C) and Kole Ficken (3B) made the list for Columbia College. Steven Stewart and Kelvin Volquez, who made up the middle infield for Central Baptist College, were selected to the Gold Glove Team, while Todd Wilcoxon (CF) from Hannibal-LaGrange and Isaiah Gibbs (RF) from William Woods also received the honor.

All of the honorees from the AMC Gold Glove Team will be automatically nominated for the NAIA Gold Glove Team.

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No one said it would be easy. But that certainly did not phase fifth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew‘s squad on Championship Monday from Crane Stadium at Tompkins Field. (5) Southern Arkansas entered the final day of the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament needing two wins over top-seeded and host Central Missouri, a consensus top five team nationally, in order to punch its ticket to the DII Baseball World Series. Through the first five innings of play, the Muleriders battled blow-for-blow with the Mules, before a late offensive surge by UCM served as the difference in the regional final as Central Missouri advanced with a 12-5 win.

Playing their fifth game of the tournament and third of the past 24 hours, the Muleriders (30-16) put forth a noble effort on Monday afternoon as the club used a solid start on two-days rest from sophomore Jacob Womack, while recording eight hits, including three by senior Kobe Morris and two from junior Jacob Martinez.

Southern Arkansas answered a single UCM run in the top of the third with two runs in the bottom of that frame to take a 2-1 lead. Senior Mason Peterson walked to lead off the inning and with one out, Baker doubled to left centerfield that pushed the former to third base. Morris then guided a full-count pitch through the right side to plate Peterson and push Baker to second. Martinez followed with a single to left field that scored Baker and put SAU out front 2-1, but the Muleriders would strand runners at second and third to end the third.

Central Missouri, one of the top offensive teams in the country, pushed across four runs in the next half inning to take a 5-2 through four. That response from UCM ended Womack’s day at 3.1 innings, but the right hander was solid through three as he stranded a pair in the first, worked a perfect second and was a wild pitch away from leaving the third inning unscathed.

Again, Southern Arkansas responded with a two-run fifth inning as SAU put together an offensive charge with two outs as Morris singled to centerfield and scored four pitches later on a double to centerfield by Martinez. McGee then drove in Martinez as he placed a 2-0 pitch into right field to pull Southern Arkansas to within a single run of the UCM lead at 5-4.

However, the Muleriders ran into trouble in the top of the sixth as a three-run home run off the bat of UCM’s Dusty Stroup served as the turning point as the blast staked the Mules to an 8-4 lead which blossomed to a 10-4 advantage after a two-run seventh.

Senior Matt Kortendick was the first reliever out of the bullpen for SAU on Monday as he took over for Womack with one out in the third. He retired the first four batters he faced, before working around a two-out double to end the threat in the fifth inning. With one out in the sixth, UCM found its way offensively against Kortendick with the aforementioned home run opening up the box score for the Mules.

Sophomore Remy Bilodeau took to the mound for the third time in the tournament and managed to work out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in that two-run seventh for UCM by recording a pop out to Baker at second and a 5-3 double play which was engineered by Morris. Central Missouri added two more runs in the eighth inning and SAU’s final run came across in the bottom half as a sacrifice fly from freshman Chris Lyles chased home Martinez.

Martinez recorded two RBI with Morris, McGee and Lyles accounting for one each. Baker joined Martinez and Morris in the hit column as did McGee and Muldoon. Martinez led SAU with two runs scored, while Baker, Morris and Peterson all scored once.

Monday’s matchup marked the fourth time in SAU’s NCAA Era that the Muleriders advanced to the final day of a regional postseason tournament. SAU first reached the final day in 2004 at the South Region Tournament, again at the 2010 South Regional, and at the 2018 Central Regional; hosted by Southern Arkansas.

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – There’s gutsy and then there’s “Parker Abrego firing a complete game two-hitter in his first appearance in over a month and in his first start since March 20″ gutsy. And “gutsy” might not do the performance justice as he notched career-highs in innings worked and pitches thrown. With the Muleriders’ season on the line, fifth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew tossed the ball to the right-hander and he delivered. The sophomore’s effort coupled with timely hitting in the sixth and seventh innings propelled (5) Southern Arkansas past (3) Minnesota State for the second time in as many days as the former heads to Championship Monday of the Central Regional needing two wins over top-seeded and consensus top five Central Missouri (42-6) to claim the program’s first regional championship.

Monday’s matchup marks the fourth time in SAU’s NCAA Era that the Muleriders have advanced to the final day of the regional tournament after first doing so in 2004 at the South Region Tournament, again in 2010 and in 2018 when SAU hosted the Central Region Tournament. Southern Arkansas forced the “if necessary” game in 2010 and 2018 and will need to tomorrow to have a shot at the DII Baseball World Series in Cary, North Carolina, next weekend.

Abrego allowed just two hits, five walks and two hit-by-pitch, while the only blemish in the run column came in the top of the sixth inning as Maverick All-American Joey Werner nailed an opposite-field home run to give MSU an early, but short-lived lead. Abrego induced a dozen fly outs and seven groundouts, while stranding seven base runners to improve to 4-2 on the season.

The 1-0 lead for Minnesota State after five and a half innings did not last as Southern Arkansas pushed across three runs in the home half of the sixth. Sophomore Riley Orr singled off of MSU starter Cam Kline’s glove, senior Austin Baker singled into centerfield and a fielder’s choice from the bat of senior Kobe Morris put runners at the corners with one out. A hard hit ground ball to shortstop in junior Jacob Martinez’s bat resulted in an RBI-single that plated Orr and tied the game at 1.

With two outs and runners and first and second, senior Zach Muldoonchopped a pitch to third which forced an error and loaded the bases for junior Tucker Burton. Burton, on the first pitch he saw, doubled into right field allowing Morris and Martinez to score and give Abrego more than enough run support.

In the two games prior, Southern Arkansas had managed just seven hits and in the first five innings of Sunday’s nightcap the Muleriders had recorded only a pair. But the three runs in the sixth came on four hits and after the stretch from Crane Stadium at Tompkins Field, SAU added two more runs on three additional hits to all but put the game away with the powerful jaunt the club was receiving from Abrego.

The insurance runs came courtesy of a two-run single down the right field line by Morris that scored Orr, who reached on a well-hit double, and Baker, who singled and stole second to move into scoring position.

Burton, Orr and senior Mason Peterson all doubled in the win. Orr, Baker and Morris all collected a pair of hits with the latter two each stealing a bag. Orr scored twice, while Morris and Burton accounted for two RBI each. SAU pushed across three earned runs and five total on one of the country’s top pitching staffs which used three arms on Sunday night including Kline who suffered the loss after going 6.1 innings allowing seven hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts. MSU entered the Central Region Tournament with Division II Baseball’s best team ERA at 3.03, strikeout-to-walk ratio at 5.01, and WHIP at 1.12. That was evident as the Maverick staff did not issue a free pass on Sunday with only an intentional walk allowed on Saturday in 17.1 innings against SAU in two games.

In Sunday’s opener, freshman transfer Santos Sosa put together the longest outing of his Mulerider career as he moved into a starter’s role for the winner’s bracket final. The right hander more than held his own against one of the country’s top offensive lineups as he tossed eight innings scattering a dozen hits and two walks, while stranding nine Mules on the base paths and fanning two as he faced 37 UCM hitters.

Sosa worked around Central Missouri runners in scoring position in five of his eight innings and relied on quality defense behind him as a dozen fly outs and eight groundouts kept the Mulerider defense busy.

The Muleriders struck for two runs in the top of the fifth inning as timely hitting off the bat of Morris resulted in a two-run double into left centerfield that plated sophomore Ty Manning and Peterson with two outs in the frame. Manning led off the fifth with a bunt single to third base and stole second to put himself in scoring position. Peterson followed with a walk and with one out, Manning moved to third on a fly out to centerfield by Baker.

Morris placed a full count pitch to the signage as Southern Arkansas responded following a two-run fourth by the Mules that staked UCM starter Conor Dryer to a 3-0 lead through four. The Mules added one more run in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. In the ninth inning, sophomore Brett McGee drew his 40^th free pass of the season, and second of the day, to lead off the frame and moved to second on a balk, but would be left stranded as UCM advanced to Monday’s Central Region Championship.

Baker and Morris both doubled, while Muldoon and Manning each delivered a single in the loss.

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. — A magical 2021 season came to a close for Henderson State on Sunday afternoon as the Reddies fell to No. 3 seed Minnesota State 7-4 in the semifinal round of the NCAA Central Regional.

The loss ends the year for GAC Champion HSU, who finishes with a 27-19 record and as one of the last four teams standing in a stacked Central Region. The Reddies faced the top three seeds at the regional tournament, all of whom were ranked inside the Top-15 nationally, and battled three starting pitchers who were a combined 26-1 on the year.

Henderson, the No. 6 seed, led for the majority of the game against the No. 13 team in the country, Minnesota State. The Reddies took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double from Kaden Argenbright, then extended their advantage to 3-0 in the second inning on a two-run single from Alec Lewis.

The Mavericks got two runs back in the bottom half of the third to cut their deficit to 3-2, but at that point, both pitchers settled in. MSU’s Brendan Knoll, who gave up five straight hits in the third, proceeded to sit the next 14 Reddie batters down in order, while HSU freshman Ethan Perry, who entered in the fourth, kept Minnesota State off the board for the next four innings.

The contest turned for HSU in the eighth. Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Henderson got back-to-back hits from Argenbright and Lewis to put runners on the corners with no one out. The Mavericks escaped, however, as their All-American reliever Hunter Even left two stranded to keep the score intact.

Minnesota State capitalized on the momentum in the bottom half and used four hits, including a three-run home run, to plate five runs and seize a 7-3 lead.

Down to their final three outs, Henderson refused to go away quietly in the top of the ninth. HSU got a solo home run from Danny Mitchell Jr. to make it 7-4, then got back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs. With a chance to pull off another furious comeback, the Reddies saw a full-count strike call go against them, which ended the game for MSU.

Argenbright had three hits and two doubles to lead HSU at the plate, while Lewis finished with two hits and two RBIs. Joe Myers recorded two hits in his final game for the Reddies, which was the 195th of his career.

Perry took the loss despite a terrific performance where he threw four innings, struck out four, and allowed just two runs on four hits. Brayden Bebee entered briefly for Henderson in the eighth, which marked his third appearance in three games at the Central Regional.

Originally picked seventh in the 2021 GAC Preseason Poll, the Reddies won the program’s first conference title in 39 years this spring and earned the school’s second-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament.

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Senior Zach Muldoon sent a 2-2 pitch sharply on the ground to third base and the throw home to cut down the winning run in senior Austin Baker was not in time as (5) Southern Arkansas walked off (3) Minnesota State 2-1 in Saturday’s nightcap from Crane Stadium at Tompkins Field. The win, which was highlighted by an outstanding effort from SAU starting pitcher Zach Smith, sends the Muleriders to the winner’s bracket final of the NCAA DII Central Regional where host and top-seeded Central Missouri, a consensus top five team nationally, awaits on Sunday morning in Warrensburg.

The Muleriders (29-14) managed just three hits against the Mavericks’ Nick Altermatt in the win as Baker collected two including a lead-off double in the bottom of the first and a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth; both of which led to him scoring with the first giving Smith an early 1-0 lead and the second sending Southern Arkansas into Sunday unbeaten.

Baker advanced to third on a groundout by classmate Kobe Morrisfollowing the former’s leadoff double and was pushed home on an RBI-groundout from the bat of junior Jacob Martinez. Smith worked around trouble in the top of the second inning as he pitched out of a bases loaded jam with one out after surrendering a solo home run which tied the contest at 1. He also threw around a base runner at third in the top half of the first inning.

Smith stranding the bases loaded in that second frame served as the first of several situations that the right hander pitched out of on Saturday as he delivered a tenacious effort on the hill which saw him scatter nine hits and three walks, while fanning two and allowing only a single run in 8.0 innings of action.

After the damage done by SAU in the first inning, Altermatt faced the minimum in the third, fourth and fifth innings, before the Muleriders managed to get to the Maverick right hander with runners at first and second with no outs in the sixth only to come away empty in the run column as the game remained tied at one entering the seventh. Senior Mason Peterson singled to start the inning; the lone hit allowed to a Mulerider between Baker’s knocks in the first and ninth innings.

For Smith, he worked a quick third inning highlighted by a 6-4-3 double play, faced the minimum in the fourth as sophomore Brett McGeehosed a two-out base runner at second base to end the frame, left two men on in the fifth inning and forced the abandonment of MSU baserunners at the corners in the sixth. A Maverick reached base in both the seventh and eighth innings, but would not make it past first as Smith induced a dozen ground ball outs and eight fly outs in his outing.

Southern Arkansas went back to the well for the ninth inning as sophomore Remy Bilodeau, who was very solid in relief of starter Jacob Womack on Friday, entered in the ninth inning to hold Minnesota State at a single run. Back-to-back two-out singles were left on the base paths as Bilodeau fanned MSU’s Ty Denzer to end the top half of the inning and set the stage for the SAU offense.

Baker’s single started the frame and he moved to third on a fielding error by the Maverick second baseman in Morris’ at bat. Martinez grounded out which moved Morris to second as Baker held at third and an intentional walk to McGee, the lone free pass of the night allowed by Altermatt, loaded the bases for Muldoon who delivered.

The victory over the Mavericks was the first for Southern Arkansas. The Muleriders dropped a 6-3 decision to MSU at the 2014 NCAA DII Central Regional in Russellville, Arkansas, and suffered a 7-2 loss at the 2015 NCAA DII Central Regional in St. Cloud, Minnesota. SAU has won four of its past five against UCM dating back to the 2013 season. The Muleriders topped the Mules 11-6 in the 2018 NCAA DII Central Regional played in Magnolia

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the 11th inning, Henderson State scored three runs without putting the ball in play to walk off No. 2 seed Augustana 8-7 and stay alive at the 2021 NCAA DII Central Regional.

With the win, the Reddies (27-18) advance to face the loser of the Minnesota State and Southern Arkansas contest tomorrow at 11 a.m. The victory is the first for HSU at the NCAA Tournament since 2015.

Henderson led for almost the entire game on Saturday and held a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning, but Augustana plated three runs on four hits to swing momentum and tie it 4-4. HSU rallied and got a bases-loaded walk from Greyson Stevens in the bottom half of the inning to retake a 5-4 advantage.

Down to their final strike in the ninth, the Vikings answered on a bases-loaded walk of their own which knotted the score once again. However, Cade Tucker, who entered with runners on the corners and no outs, avoided the big inning for the Reddies, who went down in order in the bottom half to send the game into extras.

Both teams had opportunities to score in the 10th. Augustana loaded the bases with two outs against Henderson reliever Blake Patterson in the top half, but Patterson got an infield pop-up to escape with no damage done. The Reddies put two runners on with one out in their turn to hit, but could not score after a fielder’s choice and a flyout ended the threat.

The Vikings finally broke through and took their first lead of the game in the 11th frame. Augustana used three hits, including a two-run single, to seize a 7-5 advantage and push HSU to the brink of elimination.

The Reddies caught some luck in the bottom of the 11th when the Vikings removed ace reliever Caleb Kranz, who had struck out six in four innings of relief to that point. HSU immediately took advantage, as the first three batters reached base on back-to-back walks and a hit by pitch.

With the bases loaded and no one out, Augustana made its second pitching change of the inning. Logan Cowart, who entered as a defensive replacement for Henderson in the seventh, came to the plate and worked an eight-pitch walk — the third of the 11th for the Vikings — to bring a runner home and cut the lead to 7-6.

Down by a single run, HSU caught another break on the next at-bat when the Augustana hurler sent a pitch flying over the head of his catcher and into the backstop. First Team All-GAC pitcher Spencer Taack, who had been inserted to pinch run, took advantage and slid home to tie the game at 7-7.

Suddenly in a tie game with still no outs accounted for, the Vikings intentionally walked Bryson Haskins and went to their third pitcher of the inning, who entered cold out of the bullpen to face Henderson freshman Corbin Tsistinas.

On the first pitch of the at-bat with the bases loaded, Tsistinas was plunked squarely on the shoulder to set off the celebration for HSU and win the game for the Reddies on a walk-off hit by pitch. In the final half-inning, Henderson had six-straight batters reach safely without recording a hit. Augustana’s last three pitchers each failed to record a single out.

Patterson, a sixth-year senior, got the win for the Reddies in relief. He pitched the final two innings and gave up two runs on five hits. Henderson starter Matthew Baker was phenomenal and surrendered one run on four hits in five-plus innings while striking out five. Both Tucker and Brayden Bebee pitched on back-to-back days out of the bullpen for HSU and did not allow a hit in two combined frames.

Haskins led Henderson at the plate and finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two walks. Josh Aguilar also recorded three hits for the Reddies, while Danny Mitchell Jr. had two hits and scored two runs.

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The 2021 season came to a close for the Arkansas Tech baseball team on Saturday afternoon as the Wonder Boys fell to top-seeded Central Missouri by a score of 7-4.

The season ends with the Wonder Boys winning 26 games and claiming a share of the GAC Regular Season Championship after going 23-10 in conference play. It was the second regular season GAC title for the Wonder Boys under head coach Dave Dawson. The Wonder Boys then advanced to their first-ever GAC Tournament Championship Game, but ultimately lost to Henderson State.

The Wonder Boys’ season body of work was still more than good enough for them to earn the No. 4-seed and an at-large berth into this year’s Central Region Tournament. It was the second time that the Wonder Boys have made a regional as well.

In the final game of their 2021 season, the Wonder Boys fell behind in the third inning to the No. 2-ranked Mules (41-6) as UCM scored five runs that frame. The Mules went on to score single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 7-0 lead.

The Wonder Boys broke into the run column in the sixth inning on a solo home run out to left field off the bat of Garrett Crews. Two innings later, the Wonder Boys struck for three runs and pulled within that margin thanks to a solo homer by Gabriel Garcia and a two-RBI double in the left-centerfield cap off the bat of Josh Detweiler.

On the mound, the Wonder Boys used three arms with Riyan Rodriguez getting the start. He worked 2.2 innings and then gave way to Mason Griffin (Rogers, Ark.). Griffin pitched the next 4.1 innings and struck out three. Hayes Cox handled the final two innings and did not allow a hit while striking out one.

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. –  On Thursday, the Great American Conference’s Council of Presidents approved changes to the league’s conference baseball schedule.

In lieu of the weather across Arkansas and Oklahoma, all six of this weekend’s slated conference baseball series – Arkansas-Monticello at Southwestern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Henderson State at Oklahoma Baptist, Southeastern Oklahoma State at Arkansas Tech, East Central at Harding and Ouachita at Harding – will be moved to Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. The original locations remain the same.

As a result of this scheduling change, the GAC also moved its championship dates to Friday, May 14 through Sunday, May 16.

“I appreciate the flexibility shown by our leadership councils to help our baseball student-athletes,” GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said. “The shifting of this weekend’s games to May should allow for more optimal playing conditions. Changing the tournament date allows our postseason qualifiers a better chance to compete as it removes a long layoff created by the recent Division II baseball format change that delayed selections until May 23.”

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