Indiana Tech Repeats as Baseball Tournament Champion
LIMA, Ohio - (Box Score) For the second-straight year as the #3 seed in the tournament, Indiana Tech baseball has claimed the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament title. The Warriors rebounded after a second round loss to Concordia to win four-straight elimination games to secure the tournament title and a trip to the NAIA National Championships. This marks the eighth WHAC tournament title all-time for Indiana Tech baseball.
Monday's game was played at Racer Field in Lima after all previous contests in the tournament took place in Grand Rapids. The Warriors were the home team in the contest. Both sides came out of the gates swinging the bats with UNOH jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Indiana Tech chipped away with a run in the home half, then took the lead with a two-spot in the third. THey then scored one or more runs in three of the next five innings to create some breathing room and eventually earn the 8-4 win.
Austin Byford got the start for the Warriors and went three innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts and four walks. He earned a no-decision as the win would ultimately go to Adam Besser. Besser tossed four innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Danny May finished things out, going two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit.
Brayden Lybarger took the loss for UNOH, allowing three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.
Ben Morrison and Luke Huerta led the Indiana Tech offense each with two hits and two RBI. Morrison had a double and a home run and scored twice. Brycen Hannah and Logan Rybarczyk also doubled.
UNOH had six different players tally a hit with just one extra base hit. That was a double off the bat of Noah Matheson.
Both Indiana Tech and UNOH have punched tickets to the NAIA National Championships. They will learn their opening round opponent and location during the baseball selection show on Thursday at 5 p.m.
All-Time Tournament Champions
1993 No Tournament Held
1994 No Tournament Held
1995 Spring Arbor
1996 Aquinas
1997 Aquinas
1998 Tri-State
1999 Madonna
2000 (3) Madonna
2001 (1) Indiana Tech
2002 None
2003 None
2004 None
2005 (3) Aquinas
2006 (1) Madonna
2007 Indiana Tech
2008 (1) Madonna
2009 (2) Indiana Tech
2010 (2) Indiana Tech
2011 (3) Indiana Tech
2012 (5) Siena Heights
2013 (3) Indiana Tech
2014 (1) Davenport
2015 (2) Davenport
2016 (1) Madonna
2017 (1) UNOH
2018 (3) Madonna
2019 (1) Indiana Tech
2020 No Tournament Held
2021 (3) UNOH
2022 (1) UNOH
2023 (2) Madonna
2024 (3) Indiana Tech
2025 (3) Indiana Tech