Pensacola, Fla. — Delta State University’s baseball season ended Saturday after an 11-5 loss to West Florida in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament at Jim Spooner Field. The Statesmen finished the year with a 32-23 record.
Delta State battled through the elimination bracket to reach the final day of the tournament. They collected 10 hits in the game, led by Tucker Jones, who went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base. Austin Batts went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Levi Lang added a run-scoring hit.
The Statesmen trailed 1-0 early but tied the game in the third inning when Jones drove in Henley Parker with a single. West Florida responded with a four-run bottom half of the inning and added six more runs across the fifth and sixth innings to take an 11-2 lead.
Delta State made a late push, scoring three runs in the seventh inning. Parker doubled down the left field line before RBIs from Austin Estes, Jones, and Lang trimmed the deficit.
On the mound, Colby Lafayette provided strong relief, striking out four batters over three innings. This marked the third consecutive NCAA Division II South Region appearance for the team under head coach Rodney Batts.
