Raiders knocked out of NCAA regional tournament

Pitcher Jeremy Randolph was outstanding in relief in the Raiders’ extra-inning loss to host Stanford in the NCAA regional tournament.

Wright State’s outstanding season came to an end after the Raiders’ dropped their first two games of the NCAA baseball tournament in the Stanford regional in California.

The Raiders finish the season 39–17. Wright State secured a bid to the tournament after winning the Horizon League championship for the third time in the last fours years. It was the baseball program’s seventh Horizon League title overall and sixth trip to the NCAA tournament in the last 12 years.

Wright State, the fourth seed in the region, lost to top seed Stanford 4–3 in an epic 13-inning game June 1, then fell to Baylor 11–5 on June 2.

Stanford 4, Raiders 3

Wright State opened regional play against host Stanford, taking the No. 2 team in the country to extra innings in an epic, four-plus-hour game that ended well after 2 a.m. eastern.

Both teams started quickly. Raider second baseman Matt Morrow put the second pitch of the game over the right-field wall. It was Morrow’s first home run of the year.

Stanford responded in the bottom half of the first, scoring two runs. The Cardinal extended the lead with another run in the bottom of the fifth.

Toughness and perseverance were calling cards for the Raiders. Down 3-1 entering the seventh, the Raiders scored a pair of runs as Bentley Jones and Zack Weatherford crossed the plate.

Both bullpens were outstanding the rest of the way. Mitch Gremling and Jeremy Randolph kept Stanford scoreless for six innings, allowing only four hits. Stanford relievers were equally effective, throwing 6.2 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball.

Stanford won in the bottom of the 13th when Christian Robinson drove in the winning run.

Randolph took the loss but was outstanding in 6.2 innings, giving up four hits, one run, striking out six and walking only one batter.

Gabe Snyder, the Horizon League Player of the Year, who went 2–3, scored two runs and had an RBI during the Raiders’ loss to Baylor.

Baylor 11, Raiders 5

The Raiders’ outstanding season ended with a loss in an elimination game against second-seeded Baylor.

After being down all game, the Raiders clawed back to tie the Bears 4–4 in the sixth inning.

But defensive blunders did the Raiders in late. The Bears batted around in the eighth, reeling off four runs on seven hits, helped by two Raider errors. The Raiders committed five total errors in the game.

The Bears tacked on two runs in the ninth, and the Raiders countered with a run to get to the final of 11-5.

Wright State was led by Horizon League Player of the Year Gabe Snyder, who went 2–3, scored two runs and had an RBI. JD Orr and Brandon Giltrow each had two hits and scored a run.