CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team clinched a berth in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship with its 15-2 win against Eastern Kentucky, Sunday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.
How it Happened
Austin Peay found its way out in front of Eastern Kentucky in the home half of the first, scoring three runs on four hits. The Governors found their first two batters of the game on base safely following a leadoff walk and a four-pitch walk. Then, with two outs in the inning, redshirt junior Cole Johnson ripped a double off the center field wall to score a pair of runs. Two batters later, graduate Trevor Conley came up and extended the lead to three runs when he hit an opposite-field single to score the runner from third.
The Governors continued to pile on the runs in the bottom of the third inning, as they worked the bases loaded with one out to begin the five-run inning. An RBI groundout off the bat of Conley started the rally. Redshirt junior Paris Pridgen followed up with a two-run single to center field before stealing second base. A batter later was the starting pitcher, junior DJ Merriweather, who was hitting for himself. He blasted his third home run of the year over the center field fence to put the Govs up 8-0 through three innings.
The Colonels and Governors each traded runs in the fifth inning, before Austin Peay rallied again with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to put up a six-spot. The home half of the sixth began with a solo home run off the bat of junior Ty Wisdom. A pair of groundouts followed the at-bat before Eastern Kentucky made its first pitching change of the inning. The new arm for the Colonels, Addison Stockham, walked three-straight batters to load the bases. Eastern Kentucky made another pitching change before walking three more consecutive batters, which brought in three runs for Austin Peay. Redshirt sophomore Derrick Mitchell was the next batter, as he pinch-hit for Wisdom for his first plate appearance since exiting the game against Bellarmine (March 15) in week one of conference play due to an injury. He came up and delivered a two-run single to left center to put the Govs up 15-1.
Eastern Kentucky got one of its runs back when Gunnar Bingham had a pinch-hit double, scoring Silas Shaffer from second. But junior Elijah Underhill retired the final batter on a groundout to first, securing the 15-2 win.
Merriweather tossed six innings with four strikeouts and allowed just one run on four hits to pick up his fourth win of the season, as he improved to 4-2 on the year.
All but one Governor in the starting lineup recorded a hit, as well as brought in one or more runs to score.
With the win, the Governors clinched a berth in the 2026 ASUN Baseball Championship. It will be the fourth consecutive season that Austin Peay has gone to the ASUN Championship. It will also be the sixth consecutive season that Austin Peay has made an appearance in a conference tournament.
Up Next
Austin Peay hits the road and will face North Alabama in its final ASUN conference series of the regular season, starting at 7 p.m., Thursday, at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium in Florence, Alabama.
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