Tennessee Wesleyan Scores Baseball Tournament Crown

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - From multi-run deficits to extra-inning games and prolonged weather delays, the 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament was anything but ordinary for Tennessee Wesleyan.

But while the route to get there was different, the Bulldogs once again found themselves at the desired destination. 

Wesleyan scored three runs in both the second and third innings and never looked back, coasting to a third-consecutive conference tournament title with an 11-4 win over Bryan in the AAC championship game Monday.

After surviving a 10-inning, 4-3 scare against Milligan on Sunday to reach the title game, the Bulldogs avoided such dramatics Monday, taking control early with the help of sluggish Bryan defense.

Fresh off of winning a pair emotionally draining, one-run thrillers over Reinhardt Sunday, the Lions looked noticeably sloppy on defense. The Bulldogs opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning, all of which came directly off of two Bryan errors.

Jermayne Ward, who delivered the game-winning walkoff single against Milligan Sunday, drove in two more runs with a single in the third inning, then came around to score following two more Lion errors, one on a stolen base attempt and another on a play at first base.

The teams traded runs over the ensuing innings before the Bulldogs locked things away with a four-run sixth inning, capped by a two-out, two-run home run by Chad Picton. The blast by Picton — who finished the day with four hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, was the seventh homer Wesleyan hit in four tournament games.

Livan Reinoso, who hit three of those home runs, was named both AAC Player of the Year and AAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after the game. After a week of dominance at the plate (.600 batting average, eight RBIs, nine runs score), Reinoso closed things out on the mound, working a 1-2-3 inning of relief in the ninth to secure his team another conference championship.

The win continued the Bulldogs' decade-and-a-half of dominance in the AAC, earning them a 13th championship in the last 15 conference tournaments. It also gave them a second straight title game victory over the Lions, who they topped 17-4 for the crown in 2021.

Both teams qualified for the NAIA National Tournament. A tournament bracket will be revealed later this week.

Most Valuable Player

• Livan Reinoso, Tennessee Wesleyan

All-Tournament Team

• Carson Ford, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Evan Magill, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Kobe Foster, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Dan Sayre, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Anthony Tejeda, Bryan
• Darwin Gregg, Bryan
• Daniel Dryden, Bryan
• Bradley Prince, Bryan
• Dawson Johns, Reinhardt
• Tucker Zdunich, Reinhardt
• Brock Browning, Milligan
• Braden Spano, Milligan
• Bryce Medlock, Bluefield

Here are the complete tournament results:

Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, May 3
Game 1 - No. 7 Bluefield (29-16) def. No. 10 Columbia International (21-32), 14-3 (7 innings) (BOX) - Columbia International eliminated
Game 2 - No. 9 Montreat (32-24) def. No. 8 Truett McConnell (25-22), 5-1 (BOX) - Truett McConnell eliminated

Wednesday, May 4
Game 3 - No. 5 Milligan (35-19) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 11-2 (BOX)
Game 4 - No. 6 Bryan (24-24) def. No. 3 Point (25-21), 12- 7 (BOX)
Game 5 - No. 2 Reinhardt (34-19) def. No. 7 Bluefield (29-17), 7-6 (BOX)
Game 6 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (48-5) def. No. 9 Montreat (32-25), 20-10 (BOX)

Thursday, May 5
Game 7 - No. 7 Bluefield (30-17) def. No. 3 Point (25-22), 12-7 (BOX) - Point eliminated
Game 8 - No. 9 Montreat (33-25) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 16-12 (BOX) - St. Andrews eliminated
Game 9 - No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) def. No. 6 Bryan (24-25), 9-4 (BOX)
Game 10 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (49-5) def. No. 5 Milligan (35-20), 16-1 (BOX)

Saturday, May 7
Game 11 - No. 5 Milligan (36-20) def. No. 9 Montreat (33-26), 14-2 (BOX) - Montreat eliminated
Game 12 - No. 6 Bryan (25-25) def. No. 7 Bluefield (30-18), 4-3 (BOX) - Bluefield eliminated

Sunday, May 8
Game 13 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (50-5) def. No. 5 Milligan (36-21), 5-4 (10 innings) (BOX) - Milligan eliminated
Game 14 - No. 6 Bryan (26-25) def. No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) 7-6 (BOX)
Game 15 - No. 6 Bryan (27-25) def. No. 2 Reinhardt (35-21), 4-3 (10 innings) (BOX) - Reinhardt eliminated

Monday, May 9
Game 16 - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (51-5) def. No. 6 Bryan (27-26), 11-4 (BOX)