BRACKET | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Each of the higher-seeded teams, No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina and No. 8 seed Old Dominion prevailed in first round single-elimination action at the 2024 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Ala.
 
By virtue of their victories in Tuesday’s single-elimination games, the No. 7-seeded Chanticleers and No. 8-seeded Monarchs advance to the double-elimination portion of the bracket. 
 
Four games will be on tap on Wednesday—No. 6-seeded App State vs. No. 3-seeded Troy at 9:00 a.m. CT, No. 7-seeded Coastal Carolina vs. No. 2-seeded Southern Miss at 12:30 p.m. CT, No. 8-seeded Old Dominion vs. No. 1-seeded Louisiana at 4:00 p.m. CT and No. 5-seeded Georgia Southern vs. No. 4-seeded James Madison in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. CT. 
 
GAME 1 – No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 10 seed Georgia State, 5-1
Both starters were dealing when Coastal Carolina and Georgia State squared off in the opening game of the Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University. 
 
Over the first six innings, Chanticleer redshirt junior righty Riley Eikhoff struck out eight and scattered three hits, while Panther redshirt senior lefty Aidan McEvoy struck out nine and also scattered three hits. 
 
The bats came alive in the seventh, beginning with a solo shot to left field from Georgia State junior outfielder JoJo Jackson. Coastal Carolina answered in the bottom half of the frame, when a two-on and two-out single by junior third baseman Sam Antonacci plated a pair off the Panther bullpen. 
 
Back-to-back jacks from sophomore outfielder Dean Mihos—down the left field line—and graduate student Zack Beach—off the scoreboard in left center—in the bottom half of the eighth extended the Coastal Carolina lead to 5-1, which would prove to be the final margin. 
 
Eikhoff and Coastal Carolina senior lefty Bryce Shaffer threw a combined four-hitter, with Shaffer picking up the win in relief after entering with one out in the top of the seventh. 

The Chanticleers will take on No. 2 seed Southern Miss at 12:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 22. Coastal Carolina swept the regular-season series in Hattiesburg. 
 
GAME 2 – No. 8 seed Old Dominion def. No. 9 seed South Alabama, 3-2
The first batter of the ballgame—South Alabama junior outfielder Will Turner—worked a count full before reaching on a hit by pitch to open the nightcap at the Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University. Turner eventually came around to score on a single up the middle by senior first baseman Micah Morgan—the first of two small ball runs for the Jaguars. 

The second came across in the top of the fifth, when Jaguars senior third baseman Tyler Borges found his way home following a leadoff double to left center to make it 2-0 in favor of South Alabama. A no-doubt two-run home run that sailed over the left field wall and out of Riverwalk Stadium off the bat of junior second baseman Maverick Stallings in the bottom half of the frame punctuated the Old Dominion response and erased the early South Alabama advantage.
 
The Monarchs manufactured a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning, with senior first baseman Jake Ticer singling home senior third baseman Kenny Levari for the go-ahead run. Levari had reached on a leadoff single through the right side and advanced to second on a passed ball. 
 
Senior left-handed pitcher Jacob Gomez used 73 pitches to throw 4.2 innings of scoreless baseball in relief, earning the victory for Old Dominion. Gomez conceded just three hits, while striking out six, in the appearance. 
 
The Monarchs will take on Sun Belt regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Louisiana at 4:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 22. The Ragin’ Cajuns swept the regular-season series in Lafayette.  
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 21
Game 1 – No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 10 seed Georgia State, 5-1 
Game 2 – No. 8 seed Old Dominion def. No. 9 seed South Alabama, 3-2
 
Wednesday, May 22
Game 3 – No. 6 seed App State vs. No. 3 seed Troy, 9:00 a.m. CT
Game 4 – No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina vs. No. 2 seed Southern Miss, 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 5 – No. 8 seed Old Dominion vs. No. 1 seed Louisiana, 4:00 p.m. CT
Game 6 – No. 5 seed Georgia Southern vs. No. 4 seed James Madison, 7:30 p.m. CT 
 
Thursday, May 23
Game 7 – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 9:00 a.m. CT
Game 8 – Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 9 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4:00 p.m. CT
Game 10 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 7:30 p.m. CT
 
Friday, May 24
Game 11 – Loser Game 9 vs. Winner Game 7, 3:00 p.m. CT 
Game 12 – Loser Game 10 vs. Winner Game 8, 6:30 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, May 25 
Game 13 – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 9:00 a.m. CT
Game 14 – Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 12, 12:30 p.m. CT
If Necessary – 4:00 p.m. CT
If Necessary – 7:30 p.m. CT
 
Sunday, May 26
Championship Game – 1:00 p.m. CT