ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — It was Henderson State's night on Monday, as the Reddies put together their best all-around performance of the season and crushed No. 3 seed Oklahoma Baptist 16-1 in the GAC Tournament semifinals.
With the win, the Reddies (25-17) advance to the 2021 GAC Tournament Championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m. against No. 1 seed Arkansas Tech. The title game will be played on HSU's home turf at Clyde Berry Field. Henderson is in search of its first conference championship in baseball since 1982.
HSU will be making its fourth appearance in the GAC Tournament final and first since 2017. The No. 7 seed Reddies are the lowest seeded team to ever make the GAC Tournament Championship game and have matched the lowest seeded team to ever make a GAC Tournament final in any men's sport.
The 16-1 margin of victory over Oklahoma Baptist, who took a series from Henderson just over a week ago in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was the largest in GAC Tournament history.Â
Nearly every player in the lineup played a role for HSU in the decisive victory. The Reddies were 17-of-40 (.425) at the plate as a team and 8-for-19 (.421) with runners in scoring position. Henderson racked up 17 hits — 13 of which were singles.
Danny Mitchell Jr. led the way offensively with three hits and five RBIs, while Greyson Stevens finished with three hits and three RBIs. The two combined to go 6-for-10 at the top of the order for HSU.
The bottom of the order was equally impressive, as seven through nine hitters Bryson Haskins, Josh Aguilar and Nick Butler each had two hits and drove in eight runs. Butler had four RBIs and a walk in the nine hole.
As dominant as the hitting display was for Henderson, the pitching matched it throughout the evening. Starter Matthew Baker and reliever Cade Tucker combined to hold the Bison, who entered the game No. 4 in the country with 84 home runs this season, to just one run on six hits.Â
Baker was brilliant and earned his fifth win of the year by pitching five innings and surrendering one run on three hits. The senior, in likely his final game at Clyde Berry Field, struck out six OKBU batters and retired the final 11 Bison he faced in order. Tucker picked up a four-inning save to protect the HSU bullpen and held the Bison scoreless while striking out four.Â
The Reddies jumped in front 3-0 in the second inning, which was highlighted by a two-run, two-out single from Butler. OKBU got a run back in the bottom half, but HSU broke the game wide open in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames. Henderson unleashed an avalanche and scored 10 unanswered runs in the middle innings — the result was never in question from that moment on.
HSU has scored 25 runs on 33 hits in its first two GAC Tournament games. The Reddies have knocked out the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the conference tournament and will have the opportunity to eliminate the No. 1 seed on Tuesday.Â