JACKSON, Tenn. – The Loyola University New Orleans baseball team punched its ticket to the SSAC Championship title game with a 12-5 victory over No. 19 William Carey Friday night. The Wolf Pack completed a 3-0 sweep through pool play, and they'll play top-seeded and No. 17-nationally-ranked Abraham Baldwin at 12 p.m. on Saturday for the conference championship. 
 

It's the program's second straight trip to the SSAC Championship title game after winning it all in 2025. 
 

For the second night in a row, the Wolf Pack spotted their counterparts a few runs in the early going. Carey scored two runs in the first and another in the second to take a 3-0 lead. But also like Thursday night, the Wolf Pack responded by putting crooked numbers on the board. Loyola scored 11 straight runs (one in the second, two in the third, four in the fourth, and four in the fifth) before William Carey pushed another run across. 
 

Courtesy runner Jed Cambre scored Loyola's first run in the bottom of the second via a single from Jovan Swasey, 3-1. The Pack then tied the game in the third, 3-3, thanks to back-to-back singles by Ayden Authement and Hunter Ponson. 
 

Loyola pulled ahead with a four-run fourth inning. After Ben Harris and JJ Garcia started the frame with a hit by pitch and a walk, Jaxon Buratt came through with his first RBI of the game with a single through the left side, 4-3. An error by the Carey first baseman off the bat of Authement allowed three more runs to score, 7-3. The Wolf Pack opened the game up even more with another four-run inning in the fifth. Garcia walked in a run, 8-3, followed by a bases-clearing double by Buratt, 11-3. 
 

The Crusaders finally got back on the board with a lone run in the top of the sixth, but Loyola answered with a run in the bottom half to keep it an eight-run lead, 12-4. Garcia picked up that RBI with a single up the middle. Carey scored one more time in the eighth to bring the game to its final, 12-5. 
 

Frank Fernandez came in to pitch with no outs in the top of the first. With the bases loaded and William Carey already leading 2-0, Fernandez induced a lineout that ended in a double play and a flyout to right to end the threat. The junior ended up pitching seven strong innings while giving up two runs - one earned - on six hits with a couple of strikeouts. 
 

James Guidry closed the door in the final two innings. He struck out two and allowed one earned run one one hit and a couple of walks. 
 

Pack Facts

• Frank Fernandez pitched a gem, throwing seven complete innings with only one earned run allowed. In his 21st appearance out of the bullpen this season, Fernandez picked up his fifth win and now has a 5-1 record this year with an ERA of just 0.94. 

• Jaxon Buratt filled up the stat sheet with two hits, two runs, a stolen base, and four runs batted in.

• Buratt moved up to fourth in the Wolf Pack record book in career runs with no 155 runs scored in his career. He also entered the top 10 in career hits with 193. 

• JJ Garcia drove in a pair of runs while reaching base four different times, going 1-for-2 at the plate with three walks. 

• Nathan McDonald, Reed Duthu, and Ben Harris also scored two runs each. 
   

SSAC Championship Schedule

Pool A: 
#1 Abraham Baldwin (3-0)
#4 Mobile (1-2)
#5 Faulkner (2-1)
#8 Brewton-Parker Christian (0-3)
 

Pool B: 
#2 William Carey (2-1)
#3 Thomas (0-2)
#6 Loyola (3-0)
#7 UT Southern (0-2)
 

Wednesday, April 29
Game 1 | #5 Faulkner def. #4 Mobile, 8-4
Game 2 | #1 Abraham Baldwin def. #8 Brewton-Parker, 15-4 (7)
Game 3 | vs. #2 William Carey def. #7 UT Southern, 15-1 (7)
Game 4 | #6 Loyola def. #3 Thomas, 5-4
 

Thursday, April 30
Game 5 | #5 Faulkner def. #8 Brewton-Parker, 5-1
Game 6 | #1 Abraham Baldwin def. #4 Mobile, 8-7
Game 7 | #2 William Carey def. #3 Thomas, 9-8
Game 8 | #6 Loyola def. #7 UT Southern, 16-10
 

Friday, May 1
Game 9 | #4 Mobile def. #8 Brewton-Parker, 10-5
Game 10 | #1 Abraham Baldwin def. #5 Faulkner, 8-7
Game 11 | 4:00 PM | #6 Loyola def. #2 William Carey, 12-5 
Game 12 | 7:00 PM | #7 UT Southern vs. #3 Thomas
 

Saturday, May 2
Championship Game | 1:00 PM | #1 Abraham Baldwin v. #6 Loyola
 

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