PEARL, Miss. – The LaGrange College baseball team saw their 2026 season come to an end on Saturday at the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) championship tournament at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi with a 6-2 loss to the third-seeded Scots of Maryville in their quarterfinals game before concluding their season with a heart-breaking 5-4 walk-off loss to the second-seeded Blazers of Belhaven in the semifinals elimination bracket.
CCS QUARTERFINALS – #5 LAGANGE 2, #3 MARYVILLE 6
- The first four innings were a pitcher's duel between LaGrange senior pitcher Trystin Merson (Dallas, Ga.) and Maryville senior pitcher Kyle Timko (Tampa, Fla.). The Scots finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth when senior first baseman Brayden Evans (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit an RBI single then later scored off an error to put Maryville ahead 2-0.
- The Panthers answered in the top of the sixth when freshman outfielder Ben Edge (Newnan, Ga.) stepped to the plate and hit an RBI groundout to plate junior designated hitter Nicholas Ford (Canton, Ga.), cutting the deficit to one at 2-1.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Maryville freshman catcher Lucas Mendoza (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) hit an RBI single through the right side to get that insurance run back, 3-1.
- LaGrange cut it back to one in the top of the seventh when freshman centerfielder Tanner Morneau (Marietta, Ga.) stepped to the plate and hit an RBI single to drive in senior second baseman Evan Graham (Roswell, Ga.), 3-2.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Maryville senior right fielder Colin Dunworth (Nolensville, Tenn.) led off with a triple, then later scored off an error. Three batters later, a sacrifice fly by senior centerfielder Jay Pichardo (Thiells, N.Y.) drove in another run. Two batters later, a wild pitch saw senior third baseman Irvin Hernandez (Dalton, Ga.) score from third as the Scots took a 6-2 lead.
- Down to their final three outs in the top of the ninth, senior shortstop Jackson McElvy (Kennesaw, Ga.) drew a lead-off walk. Morneau then stepped to the plate an singled, giving the Panthers first and second. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners with one out, but the Scots would close out on a strikeout and a groundout to take the win.
- McElvy and Morneau both finished with three hits for the Panthers.
CCS SEMIFINALS – ELIMINATION BRACKET – #5 LAGANGE 4, #2 BELHAVEN 5
- The Panthers and the Blazers squared off for the second time in four days, this time with both teams' seasons on the line. LaGrange struck first in the top of the third inning when McElvy, the team's unquestioned most valuable player this season and playing in perhaps the final game of his collegiate career, hit an RBI single down the right field line, driving in senior third baseman Colin Jones (Duluth, Ga.).
- Tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Ford hit into an RBI groundout as Morneau crossed home plate to put LaGrange back up, 2-1.
- In the bottom of the sixth, the Blazers would take their first lead of the game when senior centerfielder Hayden Roberts (Belden, Miss.) hit a two RBI single to go ahead 3-2. Later that same inning, Roberts would take home on a double-steal play to give the Blazers a 4-2 lead.
- The Panthers would once again answer in the top of the seventh as Graham hit an RBI single up the middle to score Jones. Two batters later, Morneau hit an RBI fielder's choice to plate senior catcher Carson Burgamy (Woodstock, Ga.), tying the game up at 4-4.
- Still tied in the bottom of the ninth, the Blazers were down to their final out of the inning with the bases loaded. Roberts stepped to the plate a hit a single up the middle for a walk-off victory to end the Panthers' season.
The 2026 season saw the team rebound from a rough start to their conference schedule to battle their way back into playoff contention with a three-game sweep of nationally ranked Piedmont. Five Panthers earned All-CCS honors, and though the program will be saying goodbye to their beloved senior class, this year's rookie class showed that the future of the program is bright.
Congratulations to the whole team on the conclusion of their season.
For continuing coverage of LaGrange College Athletics, visit lagrangepanthers.com and follow the Panthers on Instagram ( @lagrange_panthers ), Twitter ( @lcpanthers ) and Facebook ( LaGrange Panthers ).
