THE RUNDOWN
No 24 DBU Baseball slugged their way to a 17-10 win over Louisiana Tech to claim the Conference USA Baseball Championship on Sunday at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, Louisiana. The Patriots used a season-high 21 hits and six home runs to secure their first-ever CUSA Baseball Championship.
A nine-run first inning propelled DBU to a commanding early lead.
Miguel Santos started the party with an RBI single to right center field before
Ethan Mann smashed grand slam over the wall in left to make it 5-0. On the very next pitch,
Grant Jay smashed a home run over the left field for the sixth run of the inning.
Still, in the first, the Patriots used an RBI single from
Michael Dattalo and a two-run double from
Chayton Krauss to extend the lead to nine before taking the field.
Louisiana Tech would answer with two runs in their half of the first before a
Luke Heefner RBI single in the second made it 10-2. After the Bulldogs responded with three runs, DBU saw three solo home runs come off the bats of
Tom Poole,
Ethan Mann, and
Grant Jay in the third inning.
Chayton Krauss then delivered the Patriots' sixth home run of the day with a two-run blast in the fourth to extend the lead to 15-5.
DBU grabbed two insurance runs in the sixth and eighth, and the Patriots' pen, led by
Nick Wilson,
Zach Todd,
River Ridings,
Connor Benge, and
Conner Mackay, held off the Bulldogs in the late innings to capture their first CUSA title.
DBU's
Alex Pendergast was named the Most Valuable Player of this year's CUSA Tournament. Pendergast hit .562 (9-16) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, and four stolen bases.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU has won a regular season and conference tournament title in their second year in Conference USA.
- The Patriots have won five conference tournament titles in the last 11 years (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, & 2024)
- DBU has won 12 of their last 13 games.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6 - DBU tied a CUSA Tournament single-game record with six home runs.
10 –
Chayton Krauss and
Ethan Mann combined to drive in 10 of DBU's 17 runs.
.467 - DBU hit .467 (21-45) as a team in the win over Louisiana Tech.
PATRIOTS NAMED TO CUSA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP -
Alex Pendergast
INF -
Michael Dattalo
INF -
Miguel Santos
OF -
Ethan Mann
SP -
Jerrod Jenkins
ON DECK
DBU will await their selection for the NCAA Regionals, which will be announced on ESPN 2 at 11 a.m.
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