UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program played their 59th and final game of the 2024 season Saturday afternoon when they hosted the University of Indianapolis for game two of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional. The Cardinals (41-18) lost 11-10 to the Greyhounds (41-19) to end their record setting season.
The Cardinals were led offensively by Colin Cornwell who went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Jeff Reseigh had a three-hit day as well with an RBI and run scored. Austin Schweiger and Reed Raymond both had two-hit performances as well.
Hayden Jatczak started the game for SVSU pitched 2.2 innings allowing seven runs on five hits and five walks with one strikeout. He was replaced by Nick Bastian who made his 21st appearance of the season and set the single season record. Bastian worked 2.1 innings allowing one run on three hits and a walk with one strikeout. Raymond (L, 0-3) pitched the final three innings allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while recording a strikeout as well.
UIndy jumped ahead 6-0 with two in the first and four in the second. The Cardinals answered with four in the third as Austin Cicerone walked with the bases loaded before Jaccar Watkins singled home two and Reseigh reached on a fielder's choice that scored Cicerone to make it 6-4. A run scoring ground out in the bottom of the inning pushed the lead back to three for UIndy.
In the top of the fourth, SVSU plated one more with a Raymond RBI single. Saginaw Valley tied it in the fifth as Reseigh scored on a fielder's choice and Schweiger singled home Connor McClennen to make it 7-7.
A run scoring single in the fifth and an RBI ground out in the seventh gave UIndy the 9-7 lead before SVSU tied it again. Watkins scored Schweiger on a sacrifice fly in the eighth before Reseigh singled home Raymond to make it 9-9. The Greyhounds found their power in the bottom of the eighth as they hit two solo home runs to take the two-run lead once more.
In the top of the ninth with the season on the line, Brandon Scheurer started with a lead off triple, his eighth of the season and 11th of his career, tying the single season and career record. Jatczak scored Scheurer on a sacrifice fly before Cornwell doubled and moved to third on another fly ball. With two outs and the tying run 90 feet away, a fly ball to left field was caught for the final out, punching the Greyhounds ticket to Cary, North Carolina for the NCAA Division II World Series next weekend.
Cardinal baseball ends the 2024 season with a program high 41 wins and 59 games played while the team set records in runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, triples, innings pitched, strikeouts, conference wins along with ten single season individual records. The season ends with the first NCAA appearance since 2008 and the first time that SVSU hosted a postseason tournament and made it to the Super Regional.