MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 2025 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University continued Wednesday, May 21, with four games completing the first day of the double-elimination portion of the tournament in Montgomery, Ala. This followed two single-elimination games played on Tuesday, May 20.
Here is a summary of tournament action so far.
Tuesday, May 20 (Single Elimination)
- Game 1: No. 7 seed Texas State defeated No. 10 seed App State, 3-0. This loss eliminated App State from the tournament.
- Game 2: No. 9 seed Georgia Southern defeated No. 8 seed Arkansas State, 13-8. Arkansas State was eliminated following this loss.
Wednesday, May 21 (Double Elimination)
- Game 3: No. 6 seed Old Dominion def. No. 3 seed Troy, 4-2. Junior left-handed pitcher Dylan Brown delivered a “gutty performance,” earning the win by throwing 6.2 innings, striking out nine, and allowing just four hits. Junior left-handed pitcher Ben Moore earned the save, retiring the final 2.1 innings without allowing a runner. Old Dominion scored early with first-inning doubles from senior shortstop Kyle Edwards and junior first baseman Zach Leite. Troy briefly took the lead in the bottom of the third with a two-RBI single. Old Dominion tied it in the fourth on a two-out bunt single by senior outfielder Scotty Young. The winning runs came in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-RBI single by senior outfielder Luke Waters with the bases loaded.
- Game 4: No. 2 seed Southern Miss def. No. 7 seed Texas State, 9-1. Southern Miss extended its program-record winning streak to 16 games. They scored two runs in the first inning using small ball. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Jake Cook hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, his second of the season, extending the lead to 5-0. Senior shortstop Ozzie Pratt, batting ninth, drove in two runs with a single in the fifth and another RBI single in the sixth. Texas State scored their only run in the sixth via a bases-loaded single. Junior right-handed pitcher JB Middleton earned the win, striking out 10 over 7.0 innings and allowing only one run on five hits, improving his record to 10-1. Junior left-handed pitcher Kros Sivley retired Texas State in order over the final two innings.
- Game 5: No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 9 seed Georgia Southern, 8-1. Coastal Carolina extended its winning streak to 15 games. Georgia Southern scored first with a solo home run in the third inning by redshirt senior shortstop Cade Parker. Coastal Carolina responded with four runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-RBI triple from sophomore third baseman Walker Mitchell. Other runs in the inning came from an RBI double by junior second baseman Blake Barthol and an RBI single by redshirt senior designated hitter Chad Born. Coastal Carolina added runs in the fourth and fifth, and Barthol doubled home a run in the sixth. Senior outfielder Wells Sykes drove in the final run in the seventh. Senior right-handed pitcher Riley Eikhoff earned the win, allowing just one run and striking out six over 7.2 innings.
- Game 6: No. 4 seed Marshall def. No. 5 seed Louisiana, 9-5. Marshall’s offense was powered by multi-RBI efforts from senior outfielder Jackson Halter, sophomore first baseman AJ Havrilla, and senior catcher Nolan Wilson. Halter hit a leadoff home run in the first and an RBI double in the third. Louisiana scored two runs in the sixth. Havrilla responded with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead back to five runs. Wilson hit a two-run homer in the seventh, extending Marshall’s lead to 9-2. Louisiana scored three runs in the eighth but couldn’t overcome the deficit. Junior left-handed pitcher Bryce Blevins earned the win, allowing only two earned runs over 5.1 innings. Senior right-handed pitcher Nicholas Weyrich earned a six-pitch save in the ninth.
Eliminated Teams
Based on the results of the single-elimination games on Tuesday, May 20, the following teams have been eliminated from the championship:
- No. 10 seed App State
- No. 8 seed Arkansas State
Remaining Teams
The teams still competing in the tournament are:
- No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina
- No. 2 seed Southern Miss
- No. 3 seed Troy
- No. 4 seed Marshall
- No. 5 seed Louisiana
- No. 6 seed Old Dominion
- No. 7 seed Texas State
- No. 9 seed Georgia Southern
Thursday, May 22, will feature two elimination games and two winner’s bracket games. The schedule is as follows:
- Game 7: No. 7 seed Texas State vs. No. 3 seed Troy, 9:00 a.m. CT (Elimination Game)
- Game 8: No. 9 seed Georgia Southern vs. No. 5 seed Louisiana, 12:30 p.m. CT (Elimination Game)
- Game 9: No. 6 seed Old Dominion vs. No. 2 seed Southern Miss, 4:00 p.m. CT
- Game 10: No. 4 seed Marshall vs. No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. CT
This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence, using information collected from various reputable sources. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and relevance, AI-generated content may not always reflect the most current standards or nuanced human expertise. Readers are encouraged to independently verify important details and consult qualified professionals if needed241.
