CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - For any four-year seniors on the IU Southeast baseball roster, Sundays at VA Memorial Stadium had been the stuff of nightmares. The Grenadiers had seen their tournament run end on Sunday in each of the past three seasons, including championship losses in both 2023 and 2024.
In 2026, though, the first Sunday in May was a dream for the Grenadiers, who claimed their third RSC Tournament title of the decade, but first since 2022, with a 5-4 victory over the Bears of Shawnee State University. The Grenadiers won the title in the bottom of the tenth inning, when Bryson Arnette launched his eleventh home run of the season over the left-center field wall.
The Grenadiers had to play from behind on Sunday, as Shawnee State struck first with a run in the top of the second. With one out in the frame, Mason Reid struck with a triple to left centerfield. The Bears wasted little time in cashing in, as Nolan Austin singled through the left side just two pitches later, giving Shawnee State an early 1-0 lead.
IU Southeast responded in the bottom of the third inning, taking their first lead at 2-1. Kasen Parks led off the inning, and quickly moved to second base with a steal. Parks scored on an RBI single from Matt Santana, evening the score at one. After pinch runner Kannon Stull was caught stealing to clear the bases, Coulter Hamilton gave the Grenadiers the lead with a solo home run to left field on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The pendulum swung back towards the Bears in the top of the fourth, with Shawnee State evening the score. Jace Parnin was hit by a pitch to start the inning, but remained on first after back-to-back pop-outs. With two outs, Austin drove in his second run of the game with an RBI double down the left field, tying the score at two.
After a scoreless fifth inning, IU Southeast provided what looked to be a dagger in the bottom of the sixth. Arnette reached with a one-out single, and remained there with two outs for pinch-hitter Caden Lockwood. Lockwood launched IUS' second home run of the day over the left-centerfield wall, giving the Grenadiers a lead that would carry into the ninth inning.
Shawnee State would not go away easily. The Bears pulled within one on an RBI single from Larry Drake in the top of the eighth, then tied the game in the top of the ninth on an RBI single with two outs from Owen Elsey. Shawnee State then got a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extras.
The Bears threatened in the top of the tenth, putting runners on second and third on an Austin single and an error. Winning pitcher Jake Gothrup struck out Zach Gaspar to end the frame, setting up Arnette's heroics on the third pitch of the bottom of the tenth inning.
IU Southeast went 4-0 in Chillicothe, earning one victory on each day of the tournament. The Grenadiers started the tournament with a win over IU Kokomo, then eliminated Midway on Friday. The final two wins both came over Shawnee State, an 11-1 win on Saturday and the 5-4 win in the final on Sunday.
IU Southeast and tournament runner-up Shawnee State will be the automatic qualifiers from the River States Conference to the NAIA Tournament, although Oakland City is very much in consideration for an at-large berth. Any RSC qualifiers will learn their destination and opening opponent on Wednesday, when the NAIA announces the field. The Opening Round, located in ten host sites around the nation, is scheduled for May 11-14, with the Avista NAIA World Series scheduled for May 22-30 at its usual location in Lewiston, Idaho.