New Braunfels, Texas — The East Texas Baptist Tigers baseball team has won its third NCAA Regional Championship in four years and will head to Virginia for the Super Regional Tournament this Friday and Saturday. After claiming the 2025-26 ASC Championship, the Tigers earned the right to host the regional round in Marshall, welcoming Belhaven University, Rhodes College, and Concordia University Texas.
The Tigers went undefeated in regional play, defeating Concordia Texas 9-6, Rhodes 11-6, and Concordia Texas 13-9 in the final game. Led by head coach Jared Hood, ETBU will now travel to Virginia to face No. 2 Lynchburg Hornets in a best-of-three Super Regional series.
Regional Recap
Game 1 | East Texas Baptist 9, Concordia Texas 6 | Box Score
East Texas Baptist opened NCAA Regional play with a 9-6 victory over Concordia Texas on Friday morning in Marshall. The Tigers collected 10 hits and used a four-run fifth inning to pull away after Concordia briefly took a 5-4 lead. Isaac Thornton tossed a complete game for ETBU, striking out eight over nine innings, while Connor Massimini drove in four runs with a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning. Carson Riley led Concordia with three hits and three RBI, including two home runs.
Scoring Summary
1st | Concordia Texas jumped ahead 2-0 on a two-run ground-rule double from Jett Warner. ETBU answered in the bottom half as Jobee Boone tied the game with a two-run single.
2nd | The Tigers took a 4-2 lead after a wild pitch brought home Justin Flannery and Carter Nannini added an RBI single.
3rd | Kahne Nolen extended the ETBU lead to 5-2 with a solo home run to center field.
4th | Concordia Texas tied the game at 5-5 on a two-run home run from Carson Riley.
5th | Louis Alonzo gave Concordia a 6-5 lead with a solo homer before ETBU responded in the bottom half with Connor Massimini’s grand slam to reclaim a 9-6 advantage.
9th | Carson Riley added a solo home run for Concordia Texas, but Thornton closed out the complete-game victory for the Tigers.
Game 2 | East Texas Baptist 11, Rhodes College 6 | Box Score
The Tigers advanced through the winner’s bracket with an 11-6 victory over Rhodes on Saturday afternoon in Marshall. The Tigers totaled 12 hits and used a five-run seventh inning to pull away late after Rhodes cut the deficit to one run. Justin Flannery powered the ETBU offense with three hits, two home runs, and eight RBI, while Cody Myers earned the win after tossing seven innings with four runs allowed and three strikeouts.
Scoring Summary
2nd | Rhodes opened the scoring on an RBI fielder’s choice from Cooper Kuriger before ETBU answered in the bottom half with a two-run single from Justin Flannery to take a 2-1 lead.
4th | Myles Kruger tied the game for Rhodes with a solo home run, but the Tigers responded as Flannery delivered a two-run homer to give ETBU a 4-2 advantage.
5th | Connor Massimini extended the ETBU lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly that scored Carson Livesay.
7th | Rhodes trimmed the deficit to 5-4 on a two-run home run from Corbin Martens before ETBU erupted in the bottom half. Carson Livesay opened the inning with a solo homer and Flannery capped the frame with a grand slam to stretch the lead to 10-4.
8th | Carter Nannini added an RBI single to extend the Tigers’ lead to 11-4.
9th | Brad Larson hit a two-run home run for Rhodes, but ETBU closed out the victory to remain undefeated in regional play.
Game 3 | East Texas Baptist 13, Concordia Texas 9 | Box Score
East Texas Baptist captured the NCAA Regional Championship with a 13-9 victory over Concordia Texas on Sunday in Marshall. The Tigers erupted for six runs in the opening inning and never surrendered the lead, finishing the regional round undefeated. ETBU totaled 13 hits and drew 13 walks in the win, while Justin Flannery, Jobee Boone, and Brody Tewers combined for 11 RBI. Tyler Bogusz earned the win on the mound and Conner Smeltzer recorded the final two outs to secure the regional title.
Scoring Summary
1st | Concordia Texas struck first on a solo home run from Samuel Ortiz before ETBU answered with six runs in the bottom half. Jobee Boone delivered an RBI single, Brody Tewers added a two-run single, Justin Flannery launched a two-run homer, and Kahne Nolen capped the inning with a solo home run to give the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
2nd | Brody Tewers extended the ETBU advantage with a two-run ground-rule double, scoring Joaquin Costa and Carter Nannini to make it 8-1.
6th | Concordia Texas rallied with five runs, highlighted by a three-run home run from Carson Riley and a two-run homer by Ty Klaus-Kisamore to cut the deficit to 8-6. ETBU answered immediately as Justin Flannery hit his second home run of the game to push the lead back to three runs.
7th | Jobee Boone broke the game open with a three-run home run, scoring Joaquin Costa and Carter Nannini to extend the Tigers’ lead to 12-6.
8th | Carter Nannini added a solo home run to make it 13-6.
9th | Concordia Texas scored three runs in the final inning, including a two-run homer from Louis Alonzo, but Smeltzer closed out the victory to send ETBU to the NCAA Super Regional round.
Super Regional Schedule
Friday, May 22
- 11:00 a.m. (CT) – Game 1: East Texas Baptist v. Lynchburg
Saturday, May 16
- 10:00 a.m. (CT) – Game 2: East Texas Baptist v. Lynchburg
- TBD – Game 3: East Texas Baptist v. Lynchburg