TWU Wins Two to Punch Ticket to NAIA Baseball World Series

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - It wasn't easy, but Tennessee Wesleyan got the job done.

The top-seeded Bulldogs won two games on Thursday to win the NAIA Baseball Opening Round - Kingsport Bracket and advance to the NAIA World Series for the eighth time in program history. 

Tennessee Wesleyan opened play on Tuesday with an 8-1 win over No. 4 seed Indiana Tech but then fell 7-2 to No. 3 seed Columbia (Mo.) in the winners' bracket finale on Wednesday.

Later on Wednesday, Tennessee Wesleyan rebounded with a 14-12 win over No. 2 Cumberland (Tenn.) in an elimination game, advancing to the championship round.

To win the bracket, Tennessee Wesleyan needed to defeat Columbia twice on Thursday. The first game was a tight affair, with Columbia taking a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth. However, Kruise Newman belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to put Tennessee Wesleyan up for good, as it won 6-5 to force the 'if necessary' game.

In the final game, the Bulldogs made sure not to let the moment pass them by. Tennessee Wesleyan built a 6-0 lead before Columbia scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth. The Bulldogs put the game out of reach with a 12-run seventh, sending 17 batters to the plate. 

The Tennessee Wesleyan pitching staff took care of the rest, keeping the Columbia bats at bay en route to the 18-1 win.

Josh Shelly went 3-for-4 with four RBI in the finale, while Kolton Reynolds and Newman each drove in three runs.

Tennessee Wesleyan is the No. 3 seed for the 2025 NAIA World Series and opens play against No. 8 seed Loyola (La.) on Friday, May 23, at 6 p.m. ET.

To view the entire 10-team, double-elimination bracket, click here.