HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The No. 8 East Central University baseball team kept its historic postseason run rolling Saturday, powering past rival Southeastern Oklahoma State University 17-11 in the Bracket 1 Championship at Majestic Park. With the win, the Tigers punch their ticket to the Great American Conference Championship Series for the first time in program history.
The win marks a milestone moment for the program, as ECU becomes the first No. 8 seed to advance to the GAC Championship Series and the first team since 2021 to win all three of its initial bracket games. The Tigers complete a perfect weekend in bracket play, continuing to build momentum at the right time.
With No. 2 Arkansas Tech claiming Bracket 2, the Tigers will travel to Russellville for the GAC Championship Series, as the higher seed earns hosting rights. The best-of-three series is slated to begin Thursday, May 7, as the Tigers aim to finish their historic postseason run strong.
ECU jumped out early in the first inning, as
Ryan Strickland drove in the game's first run with a single to left center before
Pryce Jackson followed with an RBI knock to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. However, Southeastern answered with a big eight-run frame to take early control.
Facing their largest deficit of the tournament, the Tigers stayed composed and immediately began chipping away, cutting the lead to 8-3 in the second inning after
Donovan Noble delivered an RBI single to begin the comeback.
The turning point came in the third, when ECU erupted for a massive inning at the plate. The Tigers plated eight runs behind a flurry of timely hits and disciplined at-bats. A bases-loaded walk to
Mason Shimkus brought in a run, followed by an RBI single from
Cooper McCage.
Tyler Akers was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate another, before Strickland came through again with a two-run single to tie the game. Moments later,
Max Tremblay ripped a two-run double down the left field line to give ECU the lead, and Jackson added another RBI to cap an eight-run inning that flipped the game completely.
ECU continued to apply pressure in the fourth, scoring on a passed ball, and added to its lead in the fifth when Shimkus launched a solo home run to left. Later in the inning, Strickland delivered yet again with a two-RBI single up the middle, extending the Tigers' advantage to 15-8.
ECU tacked on insurance runs late, as Tremblay drove in another run with a single in the eighth, and Shimkus added a sacrifice fly to push the total to 17 runs. Despite a late push from Southeastern, ECU's relentless offense and timely responses proved too much to overcome as the Tigers sealed the 17-11 victory.
Ryan Strickland delivered a career-type performance, going 5-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored to lead the Tigers' explosive offense.
Max Tremblay added a big day at the plate, finishing 3-for-7 with three RBIs, while
Cooper McCage scored a team-high four runs and went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Tyler Akers contributed across the board, going 2-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI, and
Mason Shimkus drove in three runs, including a key home run.
Pryce Jackson added two RBIs, and
Donovan Noble chipped in an RBI as ECU totaled 17 runs in the statement win.
After a tough start on the mound, the Tigers settled in behind a strong bullpen effort to secure the win.
Cameron Ebert was key in the turnaround, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits to earn the win and stabilize the game.
Andrew Black followed with 1.2 innings, striking out three and allowing just one run, before
Blake Seefeldt closed things out to earn the save, going 3.1 innings with three strikeouts. In total, ECU's bullpen combined to limit the damage and shut down Southeastern's offense after the opening inning, giving the Tigers the chance to complete the comeback.
