CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Texas State stayed unbeaten, while Coastal Carolina and South Alabama staved off elimination in Thursday play at the 2026 Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Ala. 
 
No. 4-seeded Troy and No. 1-seeded Southern Miss will kick off Friday action in a rescheduled non-elimination game at 11:00 a.m. CT, ahead of a pair of elimination games. No. 7-seeded Louisiana and No. 2-seeded Coastal Carolina will play for the second time in Montgomery and the fifth time over the past nine days at 3:00 p.m. CT and No. 5-seeded South Alabama will take on the loser of No.4-seeded Troy and No. 1-seeded Southern Miss at 6:30 p.m. CT. 
 
With back-to-back victories to open the championship, No. 6-seeded Texas State advanced directly to Saturday play and now sits one win away from the championship game. 

GAME 6 – No. 4 seed Troy def. No. 5 seed South Alabama, 11-3 
Three big frames propelled Troy to an 11-3 victory over in-state rival South Alabama in its Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University opener. 
 
The Jaguars and Trojans traded small-ball runs to get the scoring started in the second. In the bottom of the third, senior second baseman Sean Darnell delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single to right center to plate a pair before executing a double steal that allowed senior outfielder Drew Nelson to swipe home to make it 4-1 Trojans. 
 
South Alabama senior outfielder Mike Young legged out a two-out infield single to score redshirt junior third baseman Stewart Puckett in the top of the third. Troy then added two tallies on one hit, one error and a pair of sacrifices in the bottom half to extend its advantage to 6-2. 

Puckett singled home junior second baseman Brennon Wright—who had walked and advanced from first to third on a failed pickoff attempt in the top half of the seventh. Senior first baseman Blake Cavill got that run back for the Trojans with a first-pitch-swinging towering home run just over the wall in right . 
 
Senior shortstop Aaron Piasecki—with a 371-foot, two-RBI blast to right­—and Cavill—with a 414-foot solo shot to right center—added homers to headline a four-run bottom of the eighth to provide some Troy insurance, 11-3.  
 
Senior left-hander Zach Crotchfelt worked the Trojans out of a high-leverage situation in the top of the fourth. With no outs and the bases loaded, He struck out South Alabama junior outfielder Ethan Melton on four pitches and then induced an inning-ending double-play ball to extinguish arguably the Jaguars biggest threat of the game. Crotchfelt ran his record to 4-2 on the season after working 4.0 innings in relief. 
 
No. 4 seed Troy will take on No. 1 seed Southern Miss in a matchup of tournament unbeatens at 11:00 a.m. CT on Friday, May 22. The Golden Eagles took 2-of-3 in the regular-season series in Hattiesburg, Miss. 
 
GAME 7 – No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 3 seed App State, 8-2 
Coastal Carolina outpaced App State, 8-2, to stave off elimination in Thursday’s first win-or-go-home contest at the Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Ala. 
 
The Chanticleers plated two small-ball runs in the bottom of the third, before a 402-foot solo shot from sophomore Domenico Tozzi ran the lead to 3-0. 
 
App State got one back in the top of the fifth—then freshman outfielder Nico Soul gunned down a Coastal Carolina runner at the plate to prevent the Chanticleers from extending their lead. 
 
In the sixth, Mountaineers sophomore third baseman Ethan Puig registered a leadoff triple to left and came around to score to narrow the margin to 3-2. Back-to-back RBI doubles from junior first baseman Colby Thorndyke and senior shortstop Ty Barrango helped the Chanticleers reclaim some breathing room in the bottom half of the frame, 5-2. 
 
An RBI double off the bat of sophomore outfielder Rex Watson cued a three-run bottom of the seventh that produced the final 8-2 Coastal Carolina margin. 
 
The 1-2 punch of junior right-hander Cameron Flukey and redshirt senior right-hander Darin Horn combined for a four-hitter for the Chanticleers. Flukey conceded two hits and one run, while striking out six, over 4.0 innings; Horn followed by allowing two hits and one run, while striking out eight, over the final 5.0 frames. Horn earned the win to run his record to 8-1 on the season. 
 
No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina will take on No. 7 seed Louisiana in an elimination game at 3:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 22. It will be the fifth meeting between the Chanticleers and Ragin’ Cajuns over the past nine days, with Louisiana having won three of the previous four matchups this season—including a 12-11 win in the first tournament meeting on Wednesday.
 
GAME 8 – No. 5 seed South Alabama def. No. 9 seed Georgia State, 74  
After falling to in-state rival Troy in the Thursday opener, South Alabama showcased its resolve with a 7-4 victory over Georgia State to stay alive in the Sun Belt Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Ala. 
 
The Jaguars strung together three walks and single to break the ice in the bottom of the second and later extended their lead to 3-0 with a bases-loaded two-RBI single into shallow center off the bat of junior outfielder Rett Johnson. 
 
With two-on in the bottom of the sixth, redshirt junior third baseman Stewart Puckett delivered an RBI single to right center to make it 4-0 Jaguars. 
 
A first-pitch-swinging leadoff home run to left by Georgia State redshirt sophomore shortstop Carter Bailey sparked the Panther offense in the top of the eighth. Freshman outfielder Wesley Bass singled home sophomore first baseman Hunter Carlson—who had reached on a hit by pitch and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. After senior outfielder Adam Haber reached on a single to right center, senior designated hitter Cole Griffith hit a triple to the wall to clear the bases and knot the game at 4-4. 
 
With two-on and two-out in the bottom half of the frame, senior first baseman Blake Guerin turned on the 1-0 pitch and sent a three-run blast over the wall directly down the left field line to put the Jaguars back up for good, 7-4. 
 
South Alabama starter senior right-hander Mitchell Heer hurled 7.0 innings, conceding just one run on six hits and striking out eight. Junior right-handed pitcher Zach Stevens earned the win after throwing 2.0 innings in relief to improve to 7-1 on the year.
 
No. 5 seed South Alabama will face off against the loser of No. 4 seed Troy vs. No. 1 seed Southern Miss in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, May 22. 
 
GAME 9 – No. 6 seed Texas State def. No. 7 seed Louisiana, 4-3 
Down to its final out, Texas State found a way to stay unbeaten at the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University in Montgomery, Ala., walking off Louisiana, 4-3. 
 
Ragin’ Cajuns junior left-hander Ty Roman carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before a bloop single to right from Bobcat freshman catcher Clayton Namken broke the seal for Texas State. 
 
Louisiana had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a walk, stolen base, fielding error and sacrifice bunt. Senior first baseman Lee Amedee blasted a leadoff solo shot to left in the top of the eighth and the Ragin’ Cajuns added another small-ball run in the top of the ninth to carry a 3-0 lead into the final Bobcat at-bat. 
 
With two outs and the bases loaded, freshman outfielder Jackson Cotton rocked a hard-hit grounder to second base for an infield single to plate the first Texas State run of the nightcap. Freshman outfielder Blake Beheler drew a seven-pitch walk to score another Bobcat, before senior outfielder Rashawn Galloway added the walk-off winner with a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield. 
 
Redshirt junior left-hander Jesus Tovar earned the win for the Bobcats, after striking out the lone batter he faced on three pitches in the top of the ninth.
 
By virtue of its victory, Texas State will advance directly to Saturday action, while Louisiana will take on No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina in an elimination game at 3:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 22. It will be the fifth meeting between the Ragin’ Cajuns and Chanticleers over the past nine days, with Louisiana having won three of the previous four matchups this season—including a 12-11 win in the first tournament meeting on Wednesday. 

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 19
Game 1 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 10 seed Marshall, 11-1 (7 Innings)
Game 2 – No. 9 seed Georgia State def. No. 8 seed Old Dominion, 17-1 (7 Innings)
 
Wednesday, May 20
Game 3 – No. 6 seed Texas State def. No. 3 seed App State, 6-5 
Game 4 – No. 7 seed Louisiana def. No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina, 12-11 
Game 5 – No. 1 seed Southern Miss def. No. 9 seed Georgia State, 7-6

Thursday, May 21
Game 6 – No. 4 seed Troy def. No. 5 seed South Alabama, 11-3
Game 7 – No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina def. No. 3 seed App State, 8-2 
Game 8 – No. 5 seed South Alabama def. No. 9 seed Georgia State, 7-4 
Game 9 – No. 6 seed Texas State def. No. 7 seed Louisiana, 4-3
 
Friday, May 22
Game 10 – No. 4 seed Troy vs. No. 1 seed Southern Miss, 11:00 a.m. CT
Game 11 – No. 7 seed Louisiana vs. No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina, 3:00 p.m. CT 
Game 12 – Loser Game 10 vs. No. 5 seed South Alabama, 6:30 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, May 23
Game 13 – No. 6 seed Texas State 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 24
Championship Game – 1:00 p.m. CT