SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Southern Arkansas overcame an early deficit and completed the comeback with a bottom-of-the-ninth inning rally to capture the 2023 Great American Conference Baseball Championship title, 7-6, against upset-minded Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday from Arvest Ballpark.
The Muleriders (39-16) had narrowed a one-time four-run Bison (32-23) lead to 6-5 as they entered the home ninth inning thanks to a Brett McGee home run in the seventh inning.
With Riley Orr on second, McGee tied the game with a single to left field. He advanced on a Brandon Nicoll single and both moved up 90 feet following a passed ball. A walk to Conner Allen loaded the bases and on a 3-2 offering, Chris Lyles, a Texas High graduate, saw the Jordan Brewer pitch miss the zone to force home McGee and secure a seventh GAC Championship title for SAU.
The Bison used the long ball to stake themselves to a 4-0 lead. In the first, Dan Pruitt hit his 21st of the season, but when rounding the bases, he began to limp in between first and second base. He completed his tour around the bases, but he left the game in the bottom of the first.
Oklahoma Baptist hit back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning -- Alex Schroeder's 23rd followed by Troy Shields' 13th -- for a 3-0 lead. A Schroeder sacrifice fly pushed the margin to four.
SAU scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings, aided by Bison errors, to tie the contest. The score remained deadlocked until Oklahoma Baptist's Jayden Shafer hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh. One batter later, Jake Uber entered the game for the Muleriders. He pitched a scoreless 2.1 innings to earn the win and improve to 3-0.
McGee, the Tournament MVP, compiled a .333 average across the two weekends with a pair of home runs and six RBI. He reached base a .514 clip during the six contests and a staggering .643 in the three games played at Arvest Ballpark.
Nicoll, who hit .400 for the GAC Championships placed on the All-Tournament Team, as did Allen, who homered twice and drove in six. A pair of SAU starting pitchers - First-Team All-GAC selection Jeremy Adorno and Newcomer of the Year Mikel Howell -- garnered All-Tournament spots. They each picked up victories in Springdale. Collectively, they gave up just two earned runs in 15.0 innings of work.
Brek Galbreath, Trey Furrey, Isaiah Lissade and Shafer represented the Bison on the All-Tournament Team. Galbreath won his two starts; Furrey hit .321 with two stolen bases; Lissade scored nine runs and stole four bases and Shafer reached base 12 times in 20 plate appearances. Henderson State's Greyson Stevens and Logan Cowart plus Ouachita Baptist's Cooper Timmons rounded out the 12-member team.
The Muleriders assured themselves a spot in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships, Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech, Arkansas-Monticello and Henderson State all appeared in the top 10 of Wednesday's final rankings and eye at-large bids. The selection show streams on NCAA.com at 10 p.m. Sunday.
SAU celebrates after winning the GAC baseball championship on Saturday, May 13, 2023 in Springdale, Arkansas. (Photo by Kevin Sutton/TXKSports.com)
SAU's Chris Sutton, a Texas High graduate, celebrates with his team after hitting a home run on Friday, May 12, 2023 in Springdale, Arkansas. (Photo by Kevin Sutton/TXKSports.com)