Saturday, May 23
Scottsdale, Ariz.
1:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
33-25, 15-12
8
vs
9
San Francisco
28-29, 28-29
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Saint Mary's CA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
Photo by: ASU FOOTBALL
BSB | Gaels Do It Again; Back-to-Back WCC Champions
5/23/2026 11:29:00 PM | Baseball
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - In a drama-filled and oddly familiar situation, the Saint Mary's Gaels won the if-necessary game on Saturday to claim its second consecutive and third West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament Championship at Scottsdale Stadium. The Gaels went down to the wire in game one, falling 9-8 as San Francisco won yet another elimination game to force a winner-take-all second game in the afternoon. Saint Mary's got the job done with fundamentals, amazing defense and heroic pitching performances to win 7-6 in the winner-take-all nightcap and become just the second team in tournament history to go back-to-back.
Head coach Eric Valenzuela and his squad have officially punched their ticket to the program's third ever NCAA Regional and second in back-to-back seasons, reaching yet another milestone for the rising west coast baseball program.
Sophomore catcher Ian Armstrong was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, finishing his five-game week with eleven hits, three doubles, a pair of home runs and seven RBI. Fellow sophomore Lukas Sarantos put together a herculean effort on the mound in just his sixth start of the season, completing six innings allowing just one run off six hits to set the Gaels up for the final three innings. The likes of Diego Emerling, Sam Kretsch and David Roberts helped piece together the final three frames with Roberts limiting the damage and completing the ninth, earning his third save of the season. Tanner Griffith, Ian Armstrong and Nick Allred each had three hits for the Gaels with Griffith and Allred combining to score four of the team's seven runs in the ballgame.
It may have taken 18 innings of baseball on Championship Saturday, but your Saint Mary's Gaels are 2026 WCC Tournament Champions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: San Francisco 9, Saint Mary's 8
Saint Mary's jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one of Championship Saturday but the Dons responded with a three spot in the third to tie the game. Graduate transfer Jake Hilton got the start for the Gaels and struck out five of the first six batters he faced to get off to a great start but allowed the three runs off three hits in the third to even the game at three. Classic Saint Mary's fashion, the Gaels responded with a two-run shot from Ian Armstrong for his conference leading 15th homer of the season, retaking a 5-3 lead.
The inning that decided the game was a six-run fourth inning for USF, taking a 9-5 lead with six hits in the frame. The Gaels were held scoreless over the next four innings but junior transfer Cam Staton did the same, coming in as the third pitcher of the game for the Gaels and pitching 5.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball to keep the Gaels in it. Saint Mary's made its push in the bottom of the eighth with three runs off three hits. The Gaels got RBI knocks from Ian Josephson, Nick Allred and Diego Castellanos to cut the deficit to one. Josephson doubled home Jared Mettam who doubled with one out to start the rally. Allred singled up the middle for the second run of the frame and then Castellanos grounded out to second to plate Allred.
The Gaels went down in order in the bottom of the ninth though as San Francisco did it again, winning with their backs against the wall for the third time in the tournament to force a winner take all game later in the afternoon.
Game 2: Saint Mary's 7, San Francisco 6
Saint Mary's led wire-to-wire in the winner take all game but did so in dramatic fashion with fundamentals, terrific defense, clutch plays and team baseball to win 7-6 and clinch its second consecutive WCC Tournament title. The Gaels got out to a 2-1 lead, scoring in the first and the third. Tanner Griffith led the game off with a double to right center and then found his way home with a bunt and ground out. Another leadoff double in the form of Diego Castellanos would find his way home off a sacrifice fly from Armstrong to put the Gaels up 2-1.
Sophomore right hander Lukas Sarantos got the start in game two for his second appearance of the tournament and put together a herculean outing, completing six innings for the Gaels allowing just one run off six hits. After the one run in the second, Sarantos kept the Dons scoreless over the next five innings. Griffith recorded his team leading 21st double of the season in the sixth, scoring Nick Allred to give the Gaels a 3-1 lead. Jared Mettam added to the lead with a safety squeeze in the seventh and then an RBI ground out by Cody Kashimoto to push their lead to 5-1.
San Francisco was bound to make a move and they did so in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs off four hits to make it a one-run ballgame. Sam Kretsch made a second appearance to replace Diego Emerling who got through a clean seventh inning before running into trouble in the eighth. Kretsch gave up three consecutive singles but Diego Castellanos made arguably the biggest play of the season for the Gaels, throwing out a Dons runner at the plate to prevent the game-tying run and maintain a 5-4 lead. Kretsch then struck out the next batter to end the inning and preserve the 5-4 lead.
Saint Mary's added two runs in the top of the ninth only for San Francisco to hit a two-run homer in the bottom half to cut the deficit back to one. David Roberts also made his second consecutive appearance in the tournament to start the ninth, but bounced back after the two-run homer to retire the next three batters and seal the conference tournament title. Roberts got credit for his third save of the season and Sarantos with his fourth win of the year to clinch the third tournament title in program history.
Ian Armstrong finished the tournament with a team high eleven hits and a pair of homers to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 2026 NCAA DI baseball selection show will air at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 25 on ESPN2. The Gaels will find out where they are going for their third NCAA Regional appearance in program history. Additional information on a watch party will be made available at smcgales.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Head coach Eric Valenzuela and his squad have officially punched their ticket to the program's third ever NCAA Regional and second in back-to-back seasons, reaching yet another milestone for the rising west coast baseball program.
Sophomore catcher Ian Armstrong was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, finishing his five-game week with eleven hits, three doubles, a pair of home runs and seven RBI. Fellow sophomore Lukas Sarantos put together a herculean effort on the mound in just his sixth start of the season, completing six innings allowing just one run off six hits to set the Gaels up for the final three innings. The likes of Diego Emerling, Sam Kretsch and David Roberts helped piece together the final three frames with Roberts limiting the damage and completing the ninth, earning his third save of the season. Tanner Griffith, Ian Armstrong and Nick Allred each had three hits for the Gaels with Griffith and Allred combining to score four of the team's seven runs in the ballgame.
It may have taken 18 innings of baseball on Championship Saturday, but your Saint Mary's Gaels are 2026 WCC Tournament Champions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: San Francisco 9, Saint Mary's 8
Saint Mary's jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one of Championship Saturday but the Dons responded with a three spot in the third to tie the game. Graduate transfer Jake Hilton got the start for the Gaels and struck out five of the first six batters he faced to get off to a great start but allowed the three runs off three hits in the third to even the game at three. Classic Saint Mary's fashion, the Gaels responded with a two-run shot from Ian Armstrong for his conference leading 15th homer of the season, retaking a 5-3 lead.
The inning that decided the game was a six-run fourth inning for USF, taking a 9-5 lead with six hits in the frame. The Gaels were held scoreless over the next four innings but junior transfer Cam Staton did the same, coming in as the third pitcher of the game for the Gaels and pitching 5.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball to keep the Gaels in it. Saint Mary's made its push in the bottom of the eighth with three runs off three hits. The Gaels got RBI knocks from Ian Josephson, Nick Allred and Diego Castellanos to cut the deficit to one. Josephson doubled home Jared Mettam who doubled with one out to start the rally. Allred singled up the middle for the second run of the frame and then Castellanos grounded out to second to plate Allred.
The Gaels went down in order in the bottom of the ninth though as San Francisco did it again, winning with their backs against the wall for the third time in the tournament to force a winner take all game later in the afternoon.
Game 2: Saint Mary's 7, San Francisco 6
Saint Mary's led wire-to-wire in the winner take all game but did so in dramatic fashion with fundamentals, terrific defense, clutch plays and team baseball to win 7-6 and clinch its second consecutive WCC Tournament title. The Gaels got out to a 2-1 lead, scoring in the first and the third. Tanner Griffith led the game off with a double to right center and then found his way home with a bunt and ground out. Another leadoff double in the form of Diego Castellanos would find his way home off a sacrifice fly from Armstrong to put the Gaels up 2-1.
Sophomore right hander Lukas Sarantos got the start in game two for his second appearance of the tournament and put together a herculean outing, completing six innings for the Gaels allowing just one run off six hits. After the one run in the second, Sarantos kept the Dons scoreless over the next five innings. Griffith recorded his team leading 21st double of the season in the sixth, scoring Nick Allred to give the Gaels a 3-1 lead. Jared Mettam added to the lead with a safety squeeze in the seventh and then an RBI ground out by Cody Kashimoto to push their lead to 5-1.
San Francisco was bound to make a move and they did so in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs off four hits to make it a one-run ballgame. Sam Kretsch made a second appearance to replace Diego Emerling who got through a clean seventh inning before running into trouble in the eighth. Kretsch gave up three consecutive singles but Diego Castellanos made arguably the biggest play of the season for the Gaels, throwing out a Dons runner at the plate to prevent the game-tying run and maintain a 5-4 lead. Kretsch then struck out the next batter to end the inning and preserve the 5-4 lead.
Saint Mary's added two runs in the top of the ninth only for San Francisco to hit a two-run homer in the bottom half to cut the deficit back to one. David Roberts also made his second consecutive appearance in the tournament to start the ninth, but bounced back after the two-run homer to retire the next three batters and seal the conference tournament title. Roberts got credit for his third save of the season and Sarantos with his fourth win of the year to clinch the third tournament title in program history.
Ian Armstrong finished the tournament with a team high eleven hits and a pair of homers to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
LOOKING AHEAD
The 2026 NCAA DI baseball selection show will air at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 25 on ESPN2. The Gaels will find out where they are going for their third NCAA Regional appearance in program history. Additional information on a watch party will be made available at smcgales.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lockhart, Gauge (4-3)
L: Martin Romero, Luis (2-3)
S: Bacura, Nick (9)
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Jared 1 ; Rogers, TJ 1 ; Garrison, Jayden 1
3B: Ramppen, Zack 1
HR: Nystrom, Jackson 1
RBI: Harmon, Trevor 1 ; Harries, Tyler 1 ; Nystrom, Jackson 4 ; Rogers, TJ 3
SF: Harries, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harmon, Trevor 1 ; Ramppen, Zack 1 ; Nystrom, Jackson 1 ; Lewis, Jared 2 ; Landry, Isaiah 2 ; Rogers, TJ 1 ; Garrison, Jayden 1
SB: Ramppen, Zack 1
HBP: Harmon, Trevor 1
Batting:
2B: Griffith, Tanner 1 ; Mettam, Jared 1 ; Armstrong, Ian 1 ; Josephson, Ian 2
HR: Armstrong, Ian 1
RBI: Mettam, Jared 1 ; Castellanos, Diego 1 ; Armstrong, Ian 4 ; Allred, Nick 1 ; Josephson, Ian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Griffith, Tanner 1 ; Mettam, Jared 1 ; Castellanos, Diego 2 ; Armstrong, Ian 2 ; Allred, Nick 1 ; Josephson, Ian 1
HBP: Griffith, Tanner 1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballRHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballLHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballRHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballLHP
/ BaseballRHP
/ BaseballLHP
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