GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 25, 2025) – Eight days after winning its first outright SoCon Regular Season Championship since 1980, the ETSU baseball team added to its trophy case by capturing its first-ever SoCon Tournament Title with a 7-5 victory over Samford on Sunday afternoon from Fluor Field. With the victory, the Bucs improved to 41-15 and punched its ticket to its fifth-ever NCAA Tournament and the first since 2013.
Cody Miller led the charge with three hits in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with a pair of runs scored.
JD Yakubinis also had a good day in the batter's box going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI and
Axel Melendez recorded his third multi-hit game of the Tournament going 2-for-4.
On the mound, the Bucs used just two pitchers to win Sunday's matchup.
Landon Crumbley made the start and threw the first six innings. Crumbley allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits to go with four strikeouts. Crumbley, who got the win to improve to 4-1 on the season, was followed by
Brady Frederick. Frederick allowed just one hit over the final three innings to notch his fourth save of the campaign and close out ETSU's 41
st win of the season.
Like it did in yesterday's matchup between these two teams, Samford struck first. This time with four runs in the top of the first inning. The Bucs did get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Miller started things off with a leadoff single and then
Blake Jacklin walked. Miller and Jacklin then executed a double steal, which led to a sacrifice fly by
Tristan Curless to bring Miller in to score.
Samford would get that run back in the top of the fourth. The next score by either team came in the bottom of the fifth.
Henry Ferguson led the stanza off with a single and then Yakubinis hit a long home run over the left field wall to bring the Bucs back within two, 5-3.
ETSU's comeback quest continued moving to the sixth. A walk from
Grant Gallagher was followed by an RBI triple from
Jamie Palmese. Yakubinis lined a single through the right side to bring Palmese in to score to pull the Bucs back even, 5-5. The ETSU rally was not done, though. Miller tallied another single and then Yakubinis came in to score on a wild throw by the Samford third baseman. ETSU's leading run-producer Torres then came up and delivered an RBI double off the green monster in left field to put the Bucs on top, 7-5, after six innings.
With the Bucs now protecting a lead, they turned the ball over to the SoCon Pitcher of the Year
Brady Frederick. Like he has done so many times this season, Frederick shut the door. He allowed just one hit over the final three innings of work and struck out three Bulldog hitters to lock down the first ever SoCon tournament title for the Buccaneers.
Following the tournament, Torres was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament. He is the first Buc to ever earn this honor for a SoCon Tournament. Frederick, Yakubinis, Miller and Melendez all landed spots on the SoCon's All-Tournament Team. Curless took home the SoCon's Pinnacle Award, which goes to the student-athlete that has the highest grade-point average from the Championship winning team.
The Bucs will learn their NCAA regional destination on Monday with the NCAA Selection Show. The NCAA Selection Show will be at noon on ESPN2.
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