The craziness that can come with the NCAA Tournament has arrived as both the Stetson Hatters and Utah Valley Wolverines defeated power conference opponents.
Stetson Crushes N.C. State 11-2 Behind Great Pitching – The Stetson Hatters got their NCAA Tournament run started on the right foot with a dominant 11-2 win over the N.C. State Wolfpack.
Great pitching was the story for Stetson as they held N.C. State to only two runs, both of which came in the eighth inning.
Jonathan Gonzalez got the start for the Hatters and delivered a fabulous six innings of work. Despite giving up five hits and three walks, he allowed no runs after facing 26 total batters.
After Gonzalez exited, Jake Gorelick entered the game and closed it out in three innings.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Stetson had a team ERA of 4.22 that ranked 18th in the country. A top 20 pitching staff was on display against the Wolfpack on Friday.
Utah Valley Hangs on to Defeat the Oregon Ducks 6-5 – The Utah Valley Wolverines took down Oregon to open their NCAA Tournament run at P.K. Park in Eugene. Despite being out-hit by the Ducks, Utah Valley was able to get the win while only getting five hits.
Jimmy De Anda led the way in hitting for the Wolverines with two hits. This included a two-run base hit that extended Utah Valley’s lead to 6-3 in the seventh inning. This was crucial in giving his team breathing room as Oregon scored two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to make it a close game.
Carston Herman earned the win for Utah Valley as he pitched 4 and 2/3 innings and struck out six Oregon batters.
Up Next – On Saturday, May 31, Stetson will face off against Auburn in Plainsman Park for the Auburn regional.
Utah Valley will play the Arizona Wildcats at P.K. Park.
Both games are scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT.
Photo: Stetson’s Jonathan Gonzalez (45) pitches during an NCAA regional baseball game against North Carolina State on Friday, May 30, 2025 in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
