CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team is set to face Jacksonville in the opening round of the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship at 1 p.m. (CT), Tuesday, at Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida.
LEADING OFF
Austin Peay (24-30, 14-16 ASUN) is coming off its series loss to North Alabama on the road last weekend. The Governors finished in fourth place in the ASUN Gold Division Standings, following behind Central Arkansas, which finished two games ahead of Austin Peay. The Governors were five games out of first place, behind Lipscomb and North Alabama, who both finished the conference schedule with a 19-11 record in ASUN games. Lipscomb clinched the higher seed in the tournament due to its head-to-head record against Central Arkansas.
The Governors enter the ASUN Championship as the #7 seed. It is the first time since joining the ASUN that Austin Peay is the #7 seed in its conference tournament, and just the second time in program history, with the last time being in 2017 at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Oxford, Alabama. The Governors finished fifth in the tournament, going 2-2 with wins over UT Martin and Jacksonville State and losses to Morehead State and Belmont.
Jacksonville (29-24, 16-14 ASUN) is the first opponent that Austin Peay faces in this year's tournament. It is the second time that the Governors have faced the Dolphins in the ASUN Tournament, with the first being last season on May 22. The Governors won 9-1 as alumni Gavin Braunecker picked up the win.
With a win on Tuesday, the Governors would advance to Game 3 against North Alabama, which has won every matchup this season. A win against the Lions would advance the Governors to the double-elimination part of the bracket, as they would face the Graphite Division regular-season champs, North Florida, in Game 5 on Thursday. The Governors would need to win Friday's game against the winner of Game 6 between Lipscomb and the winner of Game 4. The Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT), with an if-necessary game to follow immediately after.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Junior right-hander Cody Airington is the projected starter against Jacksonville. He has pitched to a 4-2 record and a 4.63 ERA with 46 strikeouts across 58.1 innings of work. Airington has started every weekend for the Governors this season, excluding last weekend at North Alabama, in preparation for the Championship.
Junior DJ Merriweather, who transitioned into a starter role on March 21 this season, is the projected starter for the second game of the tournament. The left-hander leads the team with 66 strikeouts across 58.1 innings of work this season. He has pitched to a 4-2 record as well, and a 5.40 ERA.
Senior right-hander Ryker Walton is the projected starter for the third game of the tournament. He has been the Saturday arm for the Governors since transitioning into a starter role on March 15. He has pitched to a 2-4 record and a 5.36 ERA, with 39 strikeouts across 43.2 innings of work.
MILESTONES WATCH LIST
Head coach Roland Fanning has a 130-94 record at Austin Peay, which is the fifth-most by a head coach in program history. He is now just four wins away from becoming the fourth-most winningest coach in Austin Peay program history. Leon Sandifer, who collected 133 wins across 18 seasons, is currently ahead of Fanning, with a 133-146 career record as a Governor.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Fans unable to attend can listen to the tournament on ESPN Clarksville 104.1 FM in the Clarksville area or through the TuneIn app on their mobile device. Van Stokes, who is in his 25th season as the Govs play-by-play voice, will have the call.
The tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.
FOLLOW ALONG
Keep up to date with all Governors baseball on the official website of Austin Peay Athletics - www.LetsGoPeay.com. Follow @GovsBSB on X and Instagram for all Governors Baseball updates and ticket information as they happen.
