OXFORD, Ala. – When the dust settles on the 2026 season for Trevecca Nazarene University baseball, big innings will stand as a defining storyline from the Gulf South Conference Championship, along with missed opportunities and leads that slipped away.
Trevecca (32-21) scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning Monday morning to take a 5-1 lead against Delta State University (30-20). DSU responded with four runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game, then gradually pulled away for a 9-6 win.
The loss places the Trojans on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Trevecca will await the selection of the 56-team field, set to be announced Sunday, to determine if its season continues.
SERIES HISTORY/NOTES
Trevecca is now 2-6 all-time against Delta State, including a 1-3 mark this season. Both Trojan wins in the series have come over the last two seasons since joining the GSC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Delta State opened the scoring against Trevecca starter Justin Lee, taking advantage of two errors to plate an unearned run in the top of the second inning.
Trevecca answered in the third. Isaac Whitaker drew a leadoff walk, and Rylan Moses hit his fourth home run of the tournament to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead.
The freshman homered in three of Trevecca's four games in the GSC Championship and added a triple and a double during the week.
One out later, Noah Boughton singled and Drew Bradley walked, ending the outing for Delta State starter Aiden McCrady. Reliever Ryan Herbison entered and surrendered a three-run home run to Caleb Webster, his third of the tournament and 10th of the season, extending the lead to 5-1.
Delta State answered in the fourth with four runs, highlighted by a three-run inside-the-park home run that tied the game at 5-5. The Statesmen added a run in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead and scored twice in the sixth to extend the margin to 8-5.
Jaxson Christ tripled with one out in the bottom of the sixth and scored on an RBI single from Landon Rogers to cut the deficit to 8-6. Moses later drew a two-out walk to bring Cade Martin to the plate as the potential tying run, but Martin flied out to center to end the inning.
Delta State added a run in the seventh to push the lead to 9-6.
Trevecca's final opportunity came in the eighth. Christ singled and pinch hitter Luke Dymond was hit by a pitch to bring Moses to the plate as the tying run.
Moses lined the first pitch he saw directly to the first baseman for an inning-ending out.
The ninth inning went scoreless as Delta State secured the 9-6 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Rylan Moses: 1-for-4, HR(7), BB, R, 2 RBI
- Cade Martin: 1-for-5
- Noah Boughton: 2-for-5, R
- Drew Bradley: 0-for-4, BB, R
- Caleb Webster: 1-for-4, HR(10), R, 3 RBI
- Cade Moore: 1-for-3
- Jaxson Christ: 2-for-3, 3B, BB, R
- Landon Rogers: 2-for-4, RBI
- Isaac Whitaker: 0-for-1, BB, R
WP: Ryan Herbison (5-2) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 SO
LP: Justin Lee (3-6) – 4.1 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 SO
SV: Dawson Muenzenmay (6) – 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 SO
NEXT ON THE DIAMOND
Trevecca strengthened its case for an NCAA Tournament bid with two wins in the championship and a fourth-place finish in the bracket.
Mississippi College's early exit from the tournament also impacts the regional picture. Trevecca's postseason fate now rests with the selection committee.
The NCAA Division II Baseball Championship field will be announced Sunday, May 10 at 9 p.m. Central on NCAA.com.
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