Eight Conference USA baseball teams have descended upon Lynchburg, Virginia and Liberty Baseball Stadium this week for the 2025 CUSA Baseball Tournament. As many as 15 games will be played over the course of the week with the Championship Final scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Dallas Baptist enters the tournament field as the No. 1 overall seed while the Flames are the No. 8 seed. The eight teams that advanced to the CUSA Championship are now separated into two different four-team brackets that will play a double elimination tournament with the two winners of those brackets advancing to the winner take all championship game Sunday.
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 in Lynchburg so check back here for the updates every day this week.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (ESPN+)
Game 1: (#6) FIU 9, (#3) Kennesaw State 3
The very first pitch of the 2025 CUSA Baseball Championship was launched by FIU first baseman Brylan West into the left field bullpen for a leadoff home run. It was the start of what was to come the rest of the game as the Panthers moved into the winner’s bracket. West paced the offense going 3 for 5 with a home run, double, two RBI and two runs scored. Jaydon Bishop earned his second win of the season going 3 innings with two strikeouts and allowing two runs. Juan Villarreal collected his fourth save after hurling 3 no-hit frames to close out the contest.
Game 2: (#2) Western Kentucky 7, (#7) New Mexico State 6 (10 innings)
WKU right fielder Ethan Lizama stole the e show going 3 for 5 with a home run, two doubles, and a career-high five RBI. He had a three-run, bases-clearing double in the sixth and launched a game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. In his following at-bat, Lizama split the gap to score Kyle Hayes as WKU walked it off in 10 innings, mounting a six-run, come-from-behind victory. Gavin Perry silenced the NMSU bats in the middle innings with 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball. The Aggies jumped out to that early 6-0 lead behind a four-runn fourth inning. Aggie southpaw Connor Wylde hurled four no-hit innings before surrendering a two-run Hilltopper fifth inning.
Game 3: (#1) Dallas Baptist 5, (#8) Liberty 3
Playing in a rematch from this past weekend’s regular season finale series that DBU took two of three games, the Patriots took the early lead thanks to back-to-back hits in the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Chayton Krauss. They manufactured another run in the fifth, scoring on a passed ball to take a 3-0 lead.
DBU’s starting pitcher Ryan Borberg held Liberty scoreless through the first six innings while scattering three hits. The Flames would finally get to him with two outs in the seventh. Consecutive singles saw DBU head coach Dan Heefner head to the mound to pull Heefner. Finally getting into the bullpen, the Flames had three straight RBI hits from Michael Robertson, Easton Swofford, and Tanner Marsh, to tie the contest at three. The Patriots would escape the inning with the bases loaded.
The regular season CUSA champ came right back in the home half of the seventh. Back-to-back doubles scored the go ahead run and they would not relinquish the lead. Two more doubles in the eighth added some cushion and the final score at 5-3.
Game 4: (#4) Jax State 9, (#5) Louisiana Tech 7
The top three hitters for the Gamecocks (Drew Collins, Carson Hornung, Cooper Blauser) combined for an 8-14 night at the plate as Blauser collected a four-hit performance. With two outs in the sixth, Grayson Ashe came up clutch with a two-run single to give the Gamecocks the lead for good and at what would be the final margin of 9-7. Jackson Sleeper earned his third win of the season after tossing the final 3.2 innings for Jax State. He fanned four and allowed just one hit and one walk in his outing.
Thursday, May 22 (ESPN+)
Game 5: (#3) Kennesaw State 10, (#7) New Mexico State 5 (NMSU eliminated)
Kennesaw State’s offense came to life with a five run seventh inning. Cam Suto was 2 for 4 with a home runs and four RBI. Donovan Crash broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh with a two-run blast over the right center field wall. Cooper Williams tallied a team high three hits with a triple and two runs. Harry Cain hurled 3.2 innings of work out of the bullpen. He fanned five Aggie hitters and allowed one earned run on two hits to help eliminate New Mexico State.
Game 6: (#2) Western Kentucky 7, (#6) FIU 6
CUSA Pitcher of the Year Drew Whalen settled in nicely after allowing five runs over the first two innings. The sophomore right-hander finished the afternoon with nine punch outs and tied his career high with 7 innings and 112 pitches. Carlos Vasquez was the hero as he came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and sent the Hilltoppers home happy wi the an opposite field walk-off home run. Vazquez finished the day 3 for 6 with two RBI and a run scored. Down 5-4 in the seventh, Camden Ross recorded a pinch-hit, two-run triple to give WKU the lead. Ryan Wideman ended the contest with a 3 for 4 performance with a run scored. The walk-off home run is the first for the program since April 9, 2021 as the Hilltoppers move onto the semifinals with a perfect 2-0 record for the first time in program history. FIU belted t here long balls in the loss, including a clutch game-tying long ball off the bat of Alex Ulloa in the top of the ninth.
Game 7: (#5) Louisiana Tech 5, (#8) Liberty 2 (Liberty eliminated)
Liberty’s season came to an end on Thursday evening with a 5-2 loss to 5-seed Louisiana Tech. The Flames loaded the bases in the top of the first with one out following three walks. However, Louisiana Tech starting pitcher Logan Forsythe would get Jaxon Sorenson and Landon Scilley to strike out swinging to end the threat. In the home half of the first, Sebastian Mexico led off with a home run to right center field off Liberty starter and ace Ben Blair. The Bulldogs would add two more runs in the frame with a double, walk, throwing error, and a single as they took a 3-0 lead.
Those runs would prove to be enough for Louisiana Tech, who eliminates Liberty and ends the Flames season for a second straight year. Forsythe pitched 4.2 innings while allowing two runs on three hits, walking six, and striking out five. Luke Cooley was sensational in relief, allowing just one hit in 3.1 innings to earn the win, his seventh of the season. Blake Hooks would shut down the Flames in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the year.
Game 8: (#1) Dallas Baptist 2, (#4) Jax State 1
Game eight of the CUSA Championship saw stellar performances on the mound as the first 24 batters of the game were retired in order. DBU’s Micah Bucknam made his first appearance in almost a month and went three perfect innings with two strikeouts. James Ellwanger took over for Bucknam and pitched the rest of the way, finishing with his fourth win and a career high 12 strikeouts in six innings of work. Patriots third baseman Michael Dattalo evened the score with an RBI double in the fifth after Jax State broke the scoreless tie in the top half of the inning. Jax State’s Jackson Phipps was masterful on the hill, punching out a career high 12 Patriots batters and allowing just one run on three hits. The contest saw 26 total strikeouts, setting a new CUSA Championship record. In the bottom of the ninth, Ben Tryon delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to seal the win, putting DBU into the semifinals on Saturday.
Friday, May 23 (ESPN+)
Game 9: (#3) Kennesaw State 8, (#6) FIU 0 (FIIU eliminated)
Smith Pinson was electric on the mound for the Owls, tossing the first complete game in a CUSA Championship since 2023. He blanked the Panthers while scatter six hits and striking out six with no walks. The Owls used a five-run first inning and never looked back. Cooper Williams had an RBI single and Jackson Chirello cleared the bases with a hit to right field. Wesley Alig collected a team high three hits with a double, one RBI and a run scored.
Game 10: (#4) Jax State 7, (#5) Louisiana Tech 6 (Louisiana Tech eliminated)
The Gamecocks used clutch two-out extra base hits from Drew Collins and Carson Hornung in the seventh inning to take the back and forth battle with Louisiana Tech. Collins scored an RBI triple to center field to tie the ballgame. Hornung followed that with a go ahead RBI double down the left field line to give Jax State the lead for good. The Gamecocks used seven arms in the victory. Maddox McDougall earned the win, tossing the final three innings. He did not allow a run and only one hit and one walk.
Saturday, May 24 (ESPN+)
Game 11: (#2) Western Kentucky 10, (#3) Kennesaw State 2 (Kennesaw State eliminated)
CUSA Player of the Year Ryan Wideman broke the game wide open in the sixth inning with a three-run shot to the opposite field. Kyle Hvidsten belted two of the four home runs for the Hilltoppers and the second player this week with a multi-homer performance. Austin H aller finished 3 for 4 with a double and a run. WKU’s Jack Bennett tossed 5 solid innings, earning his seventh win of the year. He struck out two and allowed two earned runs. Patrick Morris hurled the final 3.2 runs, allowing no runs on two hits while grabbing his first save.
Game 12: (#4) Jax State 11, (#1) Dallas Baptist 7
Jax State had a tournament best 17 hits en route to an upset win over DBU in the first Semifinal contest. Cooper Blauser was 4 for 6 with a double, RBI an drun scored. Drew Collins, Carson Hornung and Grayson Ashe each tallied two RBI. Collins and Ashe both homered in the win. Karson Bonaparte gave the Gamecocks a strong start, going 6.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits. Jackson Sleeper earned the six-out save, racking up four punch outs along the way.
Game 14: (#4) Jax State 5, (#1) Dallas Baptist 3
Matthew Cash drove in three of the five Jax State runs after going 1 for 4 with a go ahead two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning. Brady Thomas finished the night 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs. Grayson Ashe got the scoring started in the fourth as he grounded a single into right center field. Jax State starter James Wilson gave his squad a solid 4 innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
