WSU baseball falls short in AAC Tournament

Redshirt+freshmen+Jordan+Rogers+and+Will+Carpenter+walk+off+the+field+together+before+the+game+against+the+Creighton+Bluejays+on+March+27+in+Eck+Stadium.

Mia Hennen

Redshirt freshmen Jordan Rogers and Will Carpenter walk off the field together before the game against the Creighton Bluejays on March 27 in Eck Stadium.

WSU’s baseball team traveled to Clearwater, Florida to compete in the American Athletic Conference Championship. There, they played in BayCare Ballpark both Tuesday and Wednesday, but fell short to the University of Houston and the University of Central Florida, ending their 2022 season.

In game one against Houston, the Shockers fell 7-10.

The Cougars took an early lead in the first off of Santiago Garcia’s RBI double, but their lead was short-lived as the Shockers put up three runs in the top of the third.

Sophomore Brock Rodden put the Shockers on the board with a two-run homer—Rodden’s 17th home run of the season, WSU’s highest in a single campaign since Drew Moffitt in 2004. Following his lead, junior Sawyre Thornhill smashed a solo bomb of his own.

The Cougars regained the lead, 5-3, through a third-inning rally where they put up four consecutive runs.

In the fifth, the Shockers found themselves trailing 7-3, and their offense put up a fight in both the sixth and seventh. Sophomore Chuck Ingram grabbed three runs off of an infield RBI single, and Rodden was sent home on a bases-loaded walk, tying the game 7-7.

For the remainder of the game, Houston kept the Shockers from scoring while picking up three runs, ending the game 10-7.

In game two against the UCF Knights, the Shockers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first off of an RBI single from redshirt freshman Jordan Rogers; however, the Knights came to life, picking up one run in the first inning and five in the second. The Knights maintained a lead on the Shockers for the rest of the game.

Rodden led the Shockers hitting-wise with a pair of hosts and runs scored. While Rogers, Thornhill and senior Garrett Kocis notched RBIs.

UCF will advance in the bracket and will play on Friday against the loser of the Memphis-Houston game.

The Shockers ended their season with a 21-36 record.