Story and photo provided by the USC Upstate Athletics Department
The goal before every season for the USC Upstate baseball program is to play in an NCAA regional. This season, the path to said goal did not come without adversity, trials, or tribulations. But in the end, the Spartans accomplished their goal by punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament as Big South Champions for the second straight season.
The road to this season’s league title took a slight detour as the 2026 Big South Baseball Championship, due to Mother Nature, was moved from HomeTrust Park in Asheville, N.C., to John Henry Moss Stadium in Boiling Springs, N.C. Championship Sunday also featured a slight speed bump, ending in a winner-take-all, second game on the event’s final day. After dropping the day’s first contest, the Spartans responded, dispatching No. 6 seed Longwood 8-1 to claim the title.
Pitching proved the difference maker in the winner-take-all finale as Upstate limited the Lancers to two hits, tied for the fewest allowed by the club to an opponent all season. Junior left-handed pitcher Chris Torres, returning on short rest to start the final game, surrendered one run on no hits and struck out four over 3.0 innings. Behind him, relievers, redshirt freshman right-hander Jacob Kirby and freshman righty Andrew Kummer combined to toss 6.0 scoreless innings.
The catalysts at the plate, senior first baseman Wylie Waters and senior pinch-hitter Brady Small, each homered for the Spartans. Waters’ long ball, his third of the tournament, answered Longwood’s lone tally, putting momentum heavily in Upstate’s favor. Small added insurance for the Spartans as his opposite-field blast moved the momentum squarely in Upstate’s column.
Game Information (Game One)
Score: Longwood 4; USC Upstate 1
Records: USC Upstate (32-28; 13-11 Big South); Longwood (34-26; 11-13 Big South)
Location: John Henry Moss Stadium | Boiling Springs, N.C.
Game Information (Game Two)
Score: USC Upstate 8; Longwood 1
Records: USC Upstate (33-28; 13-11 Big South); Longwood (34-27; 11-13 Big South)
Location: John Henry Moss Stadium | Boiling Springs, N.C.
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