LUBBOCK, Texas - The Rogers State baseball team made history on Saturday as it earned its first Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in program history with a 12-7 victory over second-seeded Oklahoma Baptist on the campus of Lubbock Christian University.
The No. 19-ranked Hillcats used 18 hits to post runs in all but one inning and claimed the title over No.5-ranked OBU.
The Diamond Cats jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning. Senior Brandt Barnes ignited the scoring with a leadoff home run belted over the right field fence. Cade McKewon and Colton West hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Junior Randy Ramirez followed with a RBI single to plate McKewon. With two outs, junior Lance Rymel hit an RBI single to right field. With runners on the corners Balak hit an infield single to plate Randy Ramirez. Taylor Estes scored on the play as well due to a bobble by the third baseman.
West added to the Hillcats lead in the second with a solo shot blasted over the centerfield fence.
A pair of impressive defensive plays kept the Bison off the scoreboard in the top of the third. McKewon made a diving catch at third base to get the first out and keep Mitchell Prophet from earning extra bases. Jonathan Gelpi followed with a double to left field. Chris Lemus hit the ball to shallow right field however; Jairo Valdez made the leaping catch and threw out Gelpi at second for the double play.
RSU posted one run in the bottom of the third. With runners on first and third, Barnes got in a rundown at first and Balak scored from third base to give the Cats a 7-0 lead.
Sophomore Cody Campbell tied the RSU single-season home run record in the third with a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence. It was the St. Cloud, Fla. native's 13th homer of the season. The shot gave RSU a 9-0 lead.
Barnes and West executed a double steal to put runners on second and third. Ramirez grounded out and Barnes scored to push the Cats lead to 10-0.
OBU began its comeback in the six with a pair of runs on two hits. RSU earned one run back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out by Balak to send Colton Campbell home after doubling earlier in the inning.
The Bison made things interesting in the top of the seventh as Anthony Lopez blasted a grand slam over the right-centerfield fence to cut the OBU deficit to 11-6.
RSU tacked on one run in the seventh with an RBI single by Cody Campbell. Chris Lemus hit an RBI single in the eighth but that was as close as the Bison would get as they were unable to come up with a run in the ninth.
Junior Eric Faust (2-1) registered the win on the mound for the Hillcats. The left-handed hurler tossed 6.1 innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on eight hits with one strikeout. Freshman Tyler Brown closed out the contest as he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits while fanning three hitters.
Cody Campbell registered three hits and three RBI. Seven Hillcat hitters had two hits in the game.
Barnes and Grand Cosby were named first team All-Sooner Athletic Conference. Barnes, a senior from Bentonville, Ark, registered 12 hits over the four-game tournament. Cosby tossed a complete-game victory over USAO to open the tournament on Wednesday.
Randy Ramirez and Lance Rymel were named second team All-Sooner Athletic Conference.
Rogers State (45-13) will advance to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in program history. Opening round pairings will be announced by the NAIA on Sunday evening.
