Western Kentucky Wins 2025 Conference USA Baseball Championship in Lynchburg Thriller

Tap an icon to share this post

Lynchburg, VA — The 2025 Conference USA (CUSA) Baseball Championship concluded in dramatic fashion on Sunday, May 25, at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, as the No. 2 seed Western Kentucky Hilltoppers edged out the No. 4 seed Jacksonville State Gamecocks 6-5 in an 11-inning championship classic4.

This victory marks a significant milestone for seed Western Kentucky, who clinched the conference title and secured the league’s automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament4.

Championship Game Recap: May 25

The CUSA title game lived up to its billing, with both teams trading blows and momentum throughout the afternoon. Seed Jacksonville State, fresh off a stunning upset of top-seeded Dallas Baptist (DBU) in the semifinals, pushed the Hilltoppers to the brink in extra innings5.

Western Kentucky struck first, but Jacksonville State responded with timely hitting to keep the game close. The Gamecocks tied the contest late, sending the championship to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Western Kentucky managed to plate the go-ahead run, then held Jacksonville State scoreless in the bottom half to seal the 6-5 victory and the conference crown4.

Road to the Title

Seed Western Kentucky entered the tournament as one of the favorites, riding a 42-12 regular season record and an 18-9 mark in CUSA play6. Their path to the championship included a dominant 10-2 semifinal win over seed Kennesaw State on Saturday, May 243.

Seed Jacksonville State, meanwhile, authored one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, defeating seed DBU twice—including a 5-3 victory late Saturday—to reach their first-ever CUSA title game5.

Tournament Overview

Location: Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia4 6
Dates: May 21–25, 20254 6
Format: Two double-elimination brackets, with bracket winners meeting in a single-elimination championship game6
Championship Game: Seed Western Kentucky 6, seed Jacksonville State 5 (11 innings)4

NCAA Tournament Implications

By winning the CUSA tournament, seed Western Kentucky earns the conference’s automatic berth in the 2025 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, guaranteeing their place in the national postseason field4.

Notable Performances

Western Kentucky’s pitching staff delivered under pressure, especially in extra innings.
Jacksonville State showed resilience, knocking off the tournament’s top seed and pushing the final to 11 innings5.

Looking Ahead

With the CUSA championship secured, seed Western Kentucky will now turn its attention to the NCAA tournament, where they look to build on their conference success and make a deep postseason run.

This post was generated with AI Assistance.