Dallas Baptist baseball made a sizable impact in its first season of Conference USA competition.
DBU had consistently strong performances against its new foes this season, entering the conference tournament on a hot streak. While that streak led to a spot in the C-USA title game, DBU’s offense couldn’t find a rhythm Sunday in Houston. UNC Charlotte came away with a 5-2 victory over DBU to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
By the third inning of Sunday’s matchup, DBU found itself ahead by two runs after Ethan Mann reached home plate on a fielder’s choice play. Charlotte jumped ahead in the top of the fourth when Brandon Stahlman jump-started the offense with a solo homer to right field.
Austin Knight and Spencer Nolan also scored to give Charlotte a 3-2 advantage. Charlotte tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth, then its relief pitchers held DBU off the board for the rest of the contest.
DBU accepted an invitation to join C-USA as an affiliate member in April 2022, making it the third conference the university has joined since becoming a Division I program. In 2004-12, the Patriots competed as an independent. In 2013, DBU spent one season in the Western Athletic Conference before joining the Missouri Valley.
DBU was one of the nation’s most successful teams during the regular season, setting a program record for Division I victories (42). The program also won the C-USA regular season title.
The Patriots will now shift their focus to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament’s selection show will be aired at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPN2, where teams from across the country will find out their placement for regionals.
Before the C-USA title game, D1Baseball projected DBU as a No. 2 seed in the Fayetteville Regional. Baseball America projected DBU as a No. 2 seed in the Stillwater Regional.
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