JOURNAL SPORTS
It’s do or die day for the defending national champion LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team in its bid to return to the NAIA World Series.
LSUS must win twice today, at 11 a.m. against Oklahoma Wesleyan and at 2:30 against Mid-America Christian, to reach a possible Thursday championship game in the NAIA Opening Round Shreveport Bracket.
It’ll take three straight wins over the next two days for the Pilots (42-13) to get back to the World Series. Mid-America Christian (41-13) needs only one more victory to advance to Lewiston, Idaho later this month.
Mid-America Christian, ranked 18th nationally and seeded second in the regional, knocked off 12th-ranked and top-seeded LSUS by 8-2 Tuesday afternoon at Pilot Field.
The Evangels are in the championship round, which will begin with the 2:30 game today and continue, if necessary, Thursday morning at 11 with a final contest if Mid-America Christian falls today.
In Tuesday afternoon’s loss, the Pilots rapped 16 hits but couldn’t convert on the scoreboard, leaving 12 runners on base. It came on the heels of scoring the winning run on a strikeout in Monday night’s 5-4 walk-off over Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Those teams meet again today at 11. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan (38-18) eliminated 2025 World Series participant Loyola 8-2 in Tuesday night’s game.
The Pilots trailed the Evangels 3-0 before getting on the board in the bottom of the third. Quaterrion Walton, who scampered in from third base for the game-winner Monday night, scored again on a double by Carlos Sanchez to draw LSUS within two runs.
Mid-America Christian put up three runs in the sixth on four hits, and again, LSUS responded but with only one run. Spencer Sullivan singled and scored on a Walton double.
Nick Hill cracked his second home run of the game for Mid-America Christian an inning later to lift the Evangels ahead by six.
The Pilots are aiming for their fourth World Series appearance this decade and are trying to avoid falling short on their home field for the third time in the last four seasons.
Tuesday’s scores
Loyola 9, Huston-Tillotson 0 (elimination game)
Mid-America Christian 8, LSUS 2
Oklahoma Wesleyan 8, Loyola 2 (elimination game)
Today’s games
No. 1 LSUS (42-13) vs. No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan (38-18), 11 a.m. (elimination game)
Winner of first game vs. No. 2 Mid-America Christian (41-13), 2:30
Thursday (if necessary, if Mid-America loses today)
LSUS or Oklahoma Wesleyan vs. Mid-America Christian (championship game)