Nine Conference USA baseball teams have descended upon Mickey Dunn Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia this week for the 2026 CUSA Baseball Tournament. 12 games will be played over the course of the week, beginning Wednesday morning, with the Championship Final scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Jacksonville State enters the tournament field as the No. 1 overall seed while the Flames are the No. 2 seed. The top nine finishers of the conferences 12 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the CUSA Baseball Tournament from the 12 team league. The regular season champion will obtain the No. 1 seed followed by seeds 2-9. These nine teams will be split up into three pools consisting of three teams each. Teams will play two games in pool play, one against each team in its pool. Four teams will then advance to the semifinals with the two semifinal winners advancing to meet for the CUSA Championship and automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
POOL A – No. 1 Jax State, No. 6 Western Kentucky, No. 9 Middle Tennessee
POOL B – No. 2 Liberty, No. 5 Louisiana Tech, No. 8 Sam Houston
POOL C – No. 3 Missouri State, No. 4 Dallas Baptist, No. 7 Kennesaw State
Current Pool Standings
POOL A
- Jacksonville State 2-0
- Western Kentucky 1-1
- Middle Tennessee 0-2
POOL B
- Liberty 2-0
- Sam Houston 1-1
- Louisiana Tech 0-2
POOL C
- Missouri State 2-0
- Dallas Baptist 1-1
- Kennesaw State 0-2
All games will be streamed on ESPN+ with the exception of the championship game which will air on CBS Sports Network. We will be providing updates throughout the week on all the action so check back here for the updates throughout the week.
Wednesday, May 20, 2025 (ESPN+)
Game 1: #8 Sam Houston 14, #5 Louisiana Tech 13
It was a slugfest to open the CUSA Tournament where Sam Houston outlasted Louisiana Tech in a wild 14-13 game that lasted nearly 4 hours. The Bulldogs fell despite having 20 hits in the contest. The Bearkats trailed 11-5 after four innings but rallied back with three runs int he sixth and six runs in the eighth to take the lead and hold on for the victory. Sam Houston was 0-20 when trailing after the seventh inning this season but found the winning formula on Wednesday. Caleb Cotton homered and had four RBI. Hunter Alyord delivered a huge hit with a three-run double while Jeric Curtis had a pair of CUSA Tournament single-game records with 5 hits and 3 doubles. With Sam Houston’s win, their game Thursday morning against Liberty sets up a win and in situation with the winner clinching Pool B and advancing to Saturday’s semifinals.
Game 2: #6 Western Kentucky 8, #9 Middle Tennessee 2
Western Kentucky picked up a win to open Pool A on Wednesday afternoon. Reid Howard drove in a team high three RBI while Camden Ross launched the Hilltoppers lone home run to center field. Daniel Stewart went 2 for 4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored. Gavin Perry earned h is eighth win of the season going 8 innings with six strikeouts and allowed two runs.
Game 3: #4 Dallas Baptist 6, #7 Kennesaw State 0
Dallas Baptist left-hander Liam Watt was stellar on the mound, tossing 8 scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and striking out six to allow the Patriots to shutout host Kennesaw State in Wednesday’s nightcap. Athan Kroll slammed the door in the final inning to earn his 10th save of the season. Mac Rose and Ben Tryon paced the offense, both finishing with one home run and two RBI. In the bottom of the eighth, Brooks Sartain launched DBU’s final home run of the night to right center.
Thursday, May 21 (ESPN+)
Game 4: #2 Liberty 10, #8 Sam Houston 4 (Liberty advances to Semis)
CUSA Pitcher of the Year Ben Blair tossed 6 innings, allowing 1 run (o earned) on 3 hits in 6 innings to help Liberty lead throughout and pick up the win Thursday. Landon Scilley had a pair of RBI singles and Kyle Hvidsten smashed a three-run home run in the 6th inning as the Flames built a 6-1 lead. Sam Houston attempted to mount a comeback for a second straight day, scoring two in the 8th, but Liberty’s Cooper Harrington got out of a bases loaded jam. Nick Barone hit a three-run home run in the 9th to extend the lead to 9-3. With the win, Liberty has clinched a spot in Saturday’s semifinals by winning Pool B.
Game 5: #1 Jax State 9 vs #9 Middle Tennessee 3 (Jax State advances to Semis)
A five-run top of the ninth inning over Middle Tennessee secured a semifinal spot for the top seed Jacksonville State. Steven Cash earned his eighth win while Chase Horst earned his second save. The Gamecocks have guaranteed themselves a spot in the semifinals. Even with a loss Friday, they would be the highest seeded teams with a 1-1 record.
Game 6: #3 Missouri State 6, #7 Kennesaw State 4
Missouri State’s Brant Kragel was 2 for 4 with a home run, double, and four RBI. Carter Bergman and Curry Sutherland each blasted a solo home run in the seventh and eighth innings respectively. Max Knight earned his sixth win of the season after tossing 3.2 innings in relief for Missouri State.
Friday, May 22 (ESPN+)
Game 7: #2 Liberty 6, #5 Louisiana Tech 0
Four Liberty pitchers combined for a six-hit shutout against Louisiana Tech. Jaxon Lucas got the started and scattered two hits over three innings. Aidan Decker-Petter and Brandon Dahlman combined to allow four hits over 2.2 innings before Jake Potts struck out four and walked two in 3.1 innings of hitless relief. Three Flames hit home runs, highlighted by Josh Campos’ three-run shot.
Game 8: #1 Jax State 12, #6 Western Kentucky 11
The Gamecocks got a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 9th to defeat (and eliminate) the Hilltoppers. It was a back and forth affair, especially in the final innings where the teams combined to score 15 runs across the final three frames. WKU took an 8-4 lead with four runs in the top of the seventh before Jax State responded with five in the home half. The teams would continue to exchange the lead each half inning until the Gamecocks scored two in the bottom of the 9th.
With Jax State’s win, WKU is eliminated and Missouri State and Dallas Baptist clinch a spot in the semifinals. Liberty will play the 3-seed Missouri State.
Game 9: #3 Missouri State 9, #4 Dallas Baptist 8
Missouri State and Dallas Baptist combined for nine home runs, setting a new CUSA Tournament single game record. In addition, the Bears’ five bombs tied for the fourth most in a single game in tournament history. The Bears offense came alive in the eighth inning as Missouri State trailed 8-3. Taeg Gollert launched a solo home run while Max Knight smashed a two-run homer and Bowl Tabola scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. In the ninth with the bases loaded, Caden Bogenpohl saved the day with a walk-off two RBI single through the right side.
Saturday, May 23 (ESPN+)
Game 10: Semifinal 1, #1 Jax State 6, #4 Dallas Baptist 5
Jax State and DBU were tied at 4 entering the eighth inning. Luke Williams had an RBI single as the Gamecocks took the lead before the Patriots tied the game at 5 in the top of the 9th with an RBI double. In the bottom of the 9th, Cooper Blauser drew a bases loaded walk-off walk to send Jax State to the CUSA Championship game.
Game 11: Semifinal 2, #2 Liberty 7, #3 Missouri State 5
Liberty responded every time the Bears scored. Doing so in the first, second, fourth, and seventh innings to maintain the lead and play in front before winning 7-5. The game was hampered by weather, not starting until almost 7 p.m. and having a rain delay in the middle of the 6th that forced the game to be restarted Sunday morning. The Flames led then, 6-4, and both teams scored a single run in the 7th before Cooper Harrington closed the door in the 9th to preserve the Liberty win. Eight of the nine Liberty batters had at least one hit with Jordan Jaffe and Josh Campos having two. Bradley Zayac got the win to improve to 9-0 on the season.
