Skip To Main Content

Cumberland University

MSC Championship
6
Cumberlands (KY) UC 45-10, 0 MSC
12
Winner Cumberland (TN) CU 37-16-1, 0 MSC
Cumberlands (KY) UC
45-10, 0 MSC
6
Final
12
Cumberland (TN) CU
37-16-1, 0 MSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cumberlands (KY) UC 0 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 6 12 0
Cumberland (TN) CU 2 0 2 1 1 0 2 4 X 12 14 0

W: Rost, Carter (9-0) L: J. Kmiecik (5-2)

Next Game:

vs. Columbia College (Mo.)

5/13/2025 | 9:00 AM

FM 98.3/WCOR AM 1490

Next Game

Full Schedule
May. 13 (Tue) / 9:00 AM
vs. Columbia College (Mo.)
History

Game Recap: Baseball |

Phoenix Explode Late to Claim MSC Tournament Title Over Patriots

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.--Cumberland scored four runs in the seventh and added four more in the eighth to blow open a back-and-forth game and defeat Cumberlands (KY) 12-6 on Sunday afternoon at Bowling Green Ballpark, capturing the 2025 Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship.

The Phoenix (37-16-1) knocked off the top-seeded Patriots (45-10) behind a 14-hit performance and a dominant effort from the bullpen. Cumberland scored in six of its eight innings at the plate and put the game out of reach with a four-run frame late.

The win marks Cumberland's first Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship since 2014. 

Carter Rost (9-0) earned the win in relief, tossing three shutout innings and striking out three. Rost picked up his second win of the tournament after throwing 8.1 innings on Friday. Justin Goldstein got the start throwing the first three innings on short rest.  Kyle Nyblod also contributed out of the bullpen, helping to limit a potent Patriots lineup to just three earned runs in three innings. Cumberland's trio of arms combined to allow just three earned runs across nine innings with 11 strikeouts.

Drew Dalton-Akiwumi led the charge at the top of the lineup, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and an RBI. Preston Welchel crushed two home runs and  finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Toshiki Kuriya had a huge day at the plate, driving in five runs on a 3-for-4 effort that included a double and the game-sealing triple in the eighth.

Cumberland jumped out quickly in the top of the first, as Dalton-Akiwumu and Hunter Moser opened the game with back-to-back singles. After both advanced on a wild pitch, Kuriya flipped a two-run double to right field to put the Phoenix up 2-0.

Cumberlands tied it in the bottom of the third. Caden Petrey led the inning with a double before scoring on a single from Charlie Muniz. The Patriots added one more as Max Harper hit a sacrifice fly. 

In the bottom half of the inning, Dalton-Akiwumi reached base again on a walk and Preston Welchel bopped a two-run home run, his first of the tournament to put the Phoenix back up 4-2 through three. 

The Patriots got one back in the fourth, but the Phoenix added another run in the fourth as CU had a two-out rally to add one more. Javy Beal ripped a double down the right field line and Dalton-Akiwumi drove it in with a single for a 5-2 lead. 

In the fifth, the Cumberlands continued to fight, scoring two runs, one on a Harper single and one  more on a doubleplay ball. The tie was again short-lived as Welchel ripped his second home run of the day into the left field bullpen for a 6-5 lead through five. 

Cumberlands tied it again in the seventh on a double from Alec Gonzalez  to push the score back to 6-6. In the bottom of the seventh, CU loaded the bases with two outs and Dylan LaRue ripped a clutch two-run double to give Cumberland the lead 8-6. 

Cumberland added a two out insurance in the eighth as Wilser Then was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Kuriya sealed the win with a triple in the corner to score three and give Cumberland a 12-6 lead.

Rost did the rest getting the final three outs to seal the win for the Phoenix.

With the win, Cumberland claims its first Mid-South Conference Tournament title in 11 seasons and earns the Mid-South Conference Automatic Bid to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.






 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Drew Dalton-Akiwumi

#2 Drew Dalton-Akiwumi

IF
5' 8"
Senior
S-R
Toshiki Kuriya

#5 Toshiki Kuriya

IF
6' 1"
Senior
R-R
Kyle Nyblod

#17 Kyle Nyblod

RHP
5' 11"
Graduate Student
R-R
Carter Rost

#20 Carter Rost

RHP
6' 4"
Senior
R-R
Preston Welchel

#22 Preston Welchel

OF
5' 11"
Senior
L-L
Justin Goldstein

#31 Justin Goldstein

RHP
6' 3"
Senior
R-R
Dylan LaRue

#23 Dylan LaRue

C
6' 0"
Junior
S-R
Hunter Moser

#28 Hunter Moser

UT
5' 9"
Junior
R-R
Wilser Then

#8 Wilser Then

C/IF
6' 2"
Junior
R-R

Players Mentioned

Drew Dalton-Akiwumi

#2 Drew Dalton-Akiwumi

5' 8"
Senior
S-R
IF
Toshiki Kuriya

#5 Toshiki Kuriya

6' 1"
Senior
R-R
IF
Kyle Nyblod

#17 Kyle Nyblod

5' 11"
Graduate Student
R-R
RHP
Carter Rost

#20 Carter Rost

6' 4"
Senior
R-R
RHP
Preston Welchel

#22 Preston Welchel

5' 11"
Senior
L-L
OF
Justin Goldstein

#31 Justin Goldstein

6' 3"
Senior
R-R
RHP
Dylan LaRue

#23 Dylan LaRue

6' 0"
Junior
S-R
C
Hunter Moser

#28 Hunter Moser

5' 9"
Junior
R-R
UT
Wilser Then

#8 Wilser Then

6' 2"
Junior
R-R
C/IF