Wolf Pack earns first-ever trip to NAIA World Series

WALESKA, Ga. – In a winner-take-all contest at the NAIA National Championship Opening round on Thursday, the Loyola Wolf Pack took down Ave Maria (Fla.), 8-4, to earn the program's first trip to Lewiston, Idaho, and the NAIA World Series. No. 13 Loyola opened the tournament with wins over No. 25 Oakland City and No. 5 Reinhardt before Ave Maria gave the Wolf Pack their first loss on Wednesday to force the if-necessary game on Thursday. 
 

Loyola's first game at the NAIA World Series will be Friday, May 23, and the tournament could last as long as Saturday, May 31. The seeds and the schedule will be released once all of the teams are finalized. 
 

The Wolf Pack had a pair of three-run frames to jump out to a 6-0 lead after three innings. During that time, Cole Bordes held the Gyrenes to just one base runner, but he faced the minimum through the first 11 batters thanks to a double play turned by the Loyola infield. 
 

After threatening in the first, Loyola got its first scoring rally started in the second with a lead off hit by pitch for Marcus Steen and Drew Lee reaching on an error. Anthony Fernandez scored the first run on a sacrifice fly, then the order flipped back to the top, and Brandon Mooney and Myles Liggans each recorded RBI base hits, 3-0. 
 

Steen and Lee, again, got the offense going in the third inning, as Steen notched a two-out double and Lee reached on an infield single and an error that led to a Wolf Pack run, 4-0. Another Ave Maria error with Fernandez at the plate made it a 5-0 lead, and Jaxon Buratt singled to push the advantage to six. 
 

Ave Maria chipped into the lead with a run in the fifth and three more in the seventh, 6-4. Bordes got the win after going the first 6.2 innings, striking out two while scattering six hits. 
 

The Wolf Pack added to their lead in the bottom of the eighth. Steen singled with one out, then moved to third on two wild pitches. Fernandez stepped up and blasted a two-run homer to right-center to put the Pack up by four, 8-4. 
 

Caden Durand tossed the final two innings to receive the save, and he didn't give the Gyrenes much of a chance. Ave Maria had a batter reach in the eighth on an error with one out, but Durand struck out the next batter he faced and got a fly out to end the inning. Ave Maria, again, got a baserunner on with one out, but Durand got another batter to fly out, then the final out was recorded when Landon Manson picked up an easy ground ball to first. 
 

Loyola earned its program-first berth to the NAIA World Series in Jeremy Kennedy's sixth season. The Wolf Pack skipper has now brought three programs to Lewiston, Idaho, in his 17-year head-coaching career. 
 

Pack Facts

• Brandon Mooney is now tied for second in career hits at Loyola with 240 after hitting a double early in Thursday's game.

• Myles Liggans, Garrett Felix, Marcus Steen, and Jaxson Buratt all had multiple hits in Thursday's win. Steen also led the team with three runs scored, and he hit a double. 

• Felix, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, now has 80 hits this season. That trails only Mooney's 2023 and 2025 seasons for most hits in a season in program history. 

• Starting his first game since 2023, Anthony Fernandez drove in a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly before belting a two-run homer in the eighth. It was his fourth home run of the season and his 11th at Loyola. 

• Running for Drew Lee, who had one single in the game, Landon Trosclair stole two total bases and scored a pair of runs as well. He's up to 27 stolen bases this year, which is the seventh-most in a season in program history. 

• Cole Bordes turned in solid work on the mound in his second-longest outing of the year, 6.2 innings, to earn his fourth win of the year. He's the fourth Wolf Pack pitcher this year to reach four wins. 

• Two days after Frank Fernandez notched his sixth save of the season, Caden Durand shut down the Gyrenes over the final two innings to pick up his sixth save this year. Both are now tied with two others for third in single-season saves in the Wolf Pack record book. 
   

Opening Round Schedule

Monday, May 12
Game 1 | #2 Loyola def. #3 Oakland City, 7-4
Game 2 | #1 Reinhardt def. #4 Ave Maria, 12-5
 

Tuesday, May 13
Game 3 | #4 Ave Maria def. #3 Oakland City, 11-9 (14)
Game 4 | #2 Loyola def. #1 Reinhardt, 7-6
 

Wednesday, May 14
Game 5 | #4 Ave Maria def. #1 Reinhardt, 11-4
Game 6 | #4 Ave Maria def. #2 Loyola, 9-8
 

Thursday, May 15
Game 7 | #2 Loyola def. #4 Ave Maria, 8-4 
Loyola advances to the NAIA World Series