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2026 MIAA Baseball Tournament Champions
1
Emporia St. ESU 37-16
11
Winner Pittsburg St. PSU 43-9
Emporia St. ESU
37-16
1
Final
11
Pittsburg St. PSU
43-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Emporia St. ESU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0
Pittsburg St. PSU 1 3 1 1 0 3 2 11 16 0

W: Blecha, Ty (4-2) L: Jake Khasaempanth (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Gorillas Walk Off With 2026 MIAA Championship Crown

EDMOND, Okla. - The Pittsburg State University baseball team captured the 2026 MIAA Baseball Championship with an 11-1 run-rule victory over Emporia State University, Saturday (May 9) at Wendell Simmons Field.

The top-seeded Gorillas posted three straight run-rule victories in the 10-team tournament, outscoring their opponents, 45-14, over three days after downing Central Oklahoma, 13-2, in the quarterfinals and Northwest Missouri, 21-11, in the semifinals.

Pitt State (43-9) set a new school record for victories by defeating the Hornets; and the Gorillas captured the program's second all-time MIAA Tournament crown – the first since 1999 to end a 27-year drought.

Pitt State scored in each of the first four innings, including a three-run second frame, to quickly establish itself as the rabbit in the race.

Isaac Webb doubled home Dagen Brewer with the game's first run in the opening inning and Brewer added a two-run single in the second. Webb, who added a solo homer to lead off a three-run Pitt State sixth inning, and Seth Dandridge each collected three hits in the contest. Cooper Wesslund, who was voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, ended the game with a two-run single in the seventh. Wesslund had seven hits over the tournament, including three doubles and two home runs, and he drove in 14 runs.

Ty Blecha (4-2) earned the victory on the mound. He allowed only one infield hit over 4.0 innings of work. He walked two batters and registered three strikeouts. Bradley Neill pitched the fifth inning and allowed a solo home run to ESU's Logan Myers. Cason Long closed out the win with 2.0 hitless innings of work.

In addition to Wesslund, Brewer, Webb, Eric Bacon, Bradyn McClure, Jadyn McNealy and Grant Nottlemann were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Gorillas, having secured the MIAA's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division II National Tournament, will now await the NCAA Selection Show Sunday evening to formalize Pitt State's berth into the national field and likely selection as a four-team Central Regional pod host next week.
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