CLEBURNE, Texas -- For just the fourth time since 1995, a team coming out of the loser's bracket battled back to earn the conference crown as Centenary completed this weekend's comeback with a 9-5 victory over Texas Lutheran on Monday in the championship game of the 2024 SCAC Baseball Tournament at La Moderna Field. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview w/ Assistant Head Coach Cody Crowder and Carson Livesay
In total, Centenary is the fifth team to win the SCAC championship out of the loser's bracket, following Millsaps in 1992 and Trinity in 1995, 2015 and 2019. The baseball championship is the third for Centenary since joining the SCAC prior to the 2013 season as the Gents also hoisted the hardware at the conclusion of the 2017 and 2022 events.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- All-tournament honoree Cody Myers almost became the first pitcher in SCAC history to earn three wins in a single tournament as the Centenary left-hander exited the game with a 3-2 lead but only worked the first four innings - one inning shy of earning a decision.
- Texas Lutheran put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the second, as Chase Bourgeois singled home Carson Draehn.
- Centenary answered in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own with an RBI single from Carson Livesay and a two-run single from Walker Wicklund.
- After TLU had closed the margin to 3-2, Centenary answered with a run in the fifth and exploded for four more in the sixth to blow the game open. A solo shot from Livesay in the seventh gave the Gents a 9-2 lead.
- The Bulldogs would not go down without a fight as Bourgeois doubled home his second RBI of the contest in the eighth and Xavier Arias hit a two-run home run in the ninth to cut the margin to 9-5.
- The Gents' Aidan Reichek, who had entered the game in relief of Myers, finally closed the door, forcing a groundout by Bourgeios with the game's tying run on deck.
CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Carson Livesay: 3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 SB
- Walker Wicklund: 2-3, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SB
- Collin Pitts: 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB
- Jake Gonce: 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Cody Myers: 4.0 IP, 8 hits, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB
- Aidan Reicheck (WP): 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 K, 0 BB
TEXAS LUTHERAN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Xavier Arias: 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 HR
- Aric Vasquez: 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 2B
- Hayden Kesselring: 2-5, 1 run, 1 2B
- Tyler Post: 2-4
- Chase Bourgeois: 1-5, 1 run, 2 RBI
NOTABLES
- Centenary's Carson Livesay and Texas Lutheran's Tyler Post and Aric Vasquez are all repeat all-tournament honorees from a year ago. Centenary's Austyn Benoit and Tyler Herrera each earned their second all-tournament recognition, having also made the squad in 2022.
- Centenary improves to 18-19 all-time in SCAC tournament play after this year's 4-1 mark. Texas Lutheran drops to 15-17 after going 2-2 at this year's championship.
- TLU's Post had six walks during the tournament, tied for the most in a single tournament with six other players.
- Centenary's Cody Myers' two wins at this year's event ties him with seven other players to win two games at one tournament, with the last person to do it Jeff Lonnecker of Trinity at the 2019 championships.
- Today's Monday championship final marked just the second time in conference history the baseball tournament has ended on a Monday. In 1997, weather forced the event to move to a single elimination format. After the two earned opening round wins on Friday, Southwestern defeated Trinity, 12-2, three days later on Monday, April 27 at the 1997 SCAC Spring Sports Festival, hosted by Southwestern.
- The 2024 championship marked the sixth time the conference tournament has been held at La Moderna Field (formerly known as The Depot at Cleburne Station), making it the facility that has hosted the most SCAC Baseball Tournaments. USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee has hosted the event four times.
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Catcher - Nicholas Lazzara, Trinity
- First Baseman - *Tyler Post, Texas Lutheran
- First Baseman - Alex Miller, Centenary
- Second Baseman - *Aric Vasquez, Texas Lutheran
- Second Baseman - Colt Harris, Trinity
- Shortstop - Ben Feuer, Southwestern
- Third Baseman - Gage Morris, Centenary
- Outfielder - Carson Draehn, Texas Lutheran
- Outfielder - Austyn Benoit, Centenary
- Outfielder - *Carson Livesay, Centenary
- Outfielder - Hayden Kesselring, Texas Lutheran
- Designated Hitter - Walker Wicklund, Centenary
- Designated Hitter - Adam Peavy, Texas Lutheran
- Pitcher - Cody Myers, Centenary
- Pitcher - JT Taylor, Texas Lutheran
- Pitcher - Tyler Herrera, Centenary
*repeat honoree from 2023
UP NEXT
With the win, Centenary (23-18) earned its second tournament title in three years and clinched the league's automatic berth into the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship. Texas Lutheran (25-17) and Trinity (31-12), the league's regular season champion and the only school ranked in the NCAA Regional rankings (second), will await word of a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when those announcements go out on Monday, May 13.
This year's Division III championship will be played May 31-June 2 at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.
