TIFTON, Ga. – Tennessee Southern closed out the 2026 regular season on Friday, falling to No. 22 Abraham Baldwin in the series finale at Stallion Field.
The Stallions struck early, pushing across a run in the opening inning before Tennessee Southern answered in the third. Baron Cribbs reached and moved into scoring position, setting the table for Evan Nelson, who delivered an RBI single to even the score at 1–1.
Abraham Baldwin regained the lead in the middle innings, but the Firehawks continued to apply pressure. In the fifth, Jake Tegler singled and later came around to score as Nelson delivered again with an RBI knock to give Tennessee Southern a brief 2–1 advantage.
The Stallions answered with a key rally to swing momentum back in their favor and added insurance late to secure the win.
Nelson led the Firehawks offensively with a strong day at the plate, recording multiple hits and RBIs. Anthony Pastrana added a hit and an RBI, while Zac Wilson contributed a hit and reached base multiple times. Gage Beckner added a hit and was active on the basepaths, and Tegler finished with a hit and a run scored.
Baron Cribbs added a hit and helped spark scoring opportunities, while Devin Thrain worked quality at-bats to reach base.
On the mound, Tennessee Southern utilized multiple arms, with the pitching staff working to keep the Firehawks within striking distance throughout the contest.
With the regular season now complete, Tennessee Southern turns its attention to postseason play.
SSAC Championship
The seeds are set for the 2026 SSAC Baseball Championship. The four-day championship runs April 29 – May 2 at Rockabillys Stadium in Jackson, Tenn.
Rockabillys Stadium: 4 Fun Place, Jackson, TN 38305
All games will be streamed for FREE on the Urban Edge Network and tickets are being sold online only. The championship field is divided into two pools of four teams, with the two pool winners advancing to the title game. The two pool champions earn the league's automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The schedule will be altered if necessary to matchup 1-0 and 0-1 teams on day two of pool play action.
2026 SSAC Baseball Championship Seeds
- Abraham Baldwin 20-7 (#22 NAIA)
- William Carey 17-10 (#15 NAIA)
- Thomas 16-11
- Mobile 16-11
- Faulkner 15-12
- Loyola 15-12 (#14 NAIA)
- UT Southern 13-14
- Brewton-Parker Christian 8-19
Tiebreakers
Thomas won the tiebreaker v. Mobile due to winning the head-to-head series this season. Faulkner won the tiebreaker v. Loyola due to winning the head-to-head. Brewton-Parker Christian won the tiebreaker v. Blue Mountain Christian due to winning the head-to-head series during the regular season.
Pool A: #1 Abraham Baldwin, #4 Mobile, #5 Faulkner, #8 Brewton-Parker Christian
Pool B: #2 William Carey (#15 NAIA), #3 Thomas, #6 Loyola (#14 NAIA), #7 UT Southern
Wednesday, April 29
Game 1 – #5 Faulkner vs. #4 Mobile – 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 – #8 Brewton-Parker vs. #1 Abraham Baldwin – 1:00 p.m.
Game 3 – #7 UT Southern vs. #2 William Carey – 4:00 p.m.
Game 4 – #6 Loyola vs. #3 Thomas – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 30
Game 5 – #8 Brewton-Parker vs. #4 Mobile – 10:00 a.m.
Game 6 – #1 Abraham Baldwin vs. #5 Faulkner – 1:00 p.m.
Game 7 – #2 William Carey vs. #6 Loyola – 4:00 p.m.
Game 8 – #7 UT Southern vs. #3 Thomas – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 1
Game 9 – #5 Faulkner vs. #8 Brewton-Parker – 10:00 a.m.
Game 10 – #4 Mobile vs. #1 Abraham Baldwin – 1:00 p.m.
Game 11 – #3 Thomas vs. #2 William Carey – 4:00 p.m.
Game 12 – #6 Loyola vs. #7 UT Southern – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Championship Game – Pool A Champ vs. Pool B Champ – 1:00 p.m.
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