EDMOND, Okla. — The Pittsburg State University baseball team utilized a 10-run fifth inning to break open a 3-1 game and coast to a 13-2 victory over the University of Central Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the 2026 MIAA Baseball Championship Thursday (May 7).
The top-seeded Gorillas (41-9) will now face No. 4 seed Northwest Missouri State University in a semifinal match-up Friday (May 8) at 10 a.m. (CDT) at Wendell Simmons Field. Due to the threat of afternoon showers tomorrow, the Gorillas game against NWMSU was moved up from the originally scheduled 1:00 p.m. start time. The Bearcats (36-15) outlasted No. 5 seed University of Central Missouri, 8-7, in 11 innings Thursday. The Bronchos end their season with a 27-25 record.
Eric Bacon and
Isaac Webb smacked home runs for Pitt State, ranked No. 4 in the NCBWA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll and No. 5 in the ABCA D2 Top 30 poll.
Dagen Brewer also delivered a three-run double in the Gorillas' big fifth frame. Brewer set the Pitt State single season record for total bases (163) and his 95 RBI bring him within two RBI of tying UCM's Rick Ladjevich for the MIAA single season RBI mark (97).
Jadyn McNealy, Webb and
Cooper Wesslund all had two hits in the contest. Wesslund knocked in three runs, while Bacon and Webb had two RBI each. Bacon scored twice in the game to set the school single season record with 78 runs scored.
Bradyn McClure (5-0) remained unbeaten on the season. He worked out of early trouble, surrendering a leadoff homerun to UCO's Colton Ayres. McClure allowed two hits over 5.0 innings of work. He issued three walks and registered two strikeouts.
Ty Blecha and
Ethan Froud each tossed an inning of relief work behind McClure.
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