The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team has once again risen to the top of the Continental Athletic Conference, capturing the 2024 tournament championship with a 13-0 victory over Fisher College (Massachusetts) on Monday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

GGC (47-6) swept all three games in this weekend's tournament by a combined 45-3 score against three different opponents. The program has now won eight league championships, including five straight titles.

The victory gives the team the CAC's automatic bid to next week's Opening Round of the NAIA national tournament. The Lawrenceville Bracket will be one of 10 Opening Round tournament sites.

The Grizzlies' top three hitters set the tone in the championship round contest, gathering nine hits, scoring eight runs and having seven runs batted in.

Senior Blaze O'Saben went 3-for-5 and scored four runs from the leadoff spot. Junior Braxton Meguiar, the CAC Baseball Championship Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, collected three hits and brought home three runs while batting second in the lineup. Senior Ajay Sczepkowski followed with a 3-for-5 performance that featured a run-scoring single, an RBI double and a solo home run.

"When you have Blaze hitting in front of you and Ajay batting behind you good things are going happen and you're going to get on base. It was a good tournament, but we're not satisfied yet. There are more games to play," said Meguiar.

Both teams had to endure a nearly two-hour lightning delay in the fourth inning. GGC senior starting pitcher Gage Williams scattered two hits and struck out three batters across the first 3.1 innings before the delay. He turned the ball over to four relievers and they completed the shutout. Junior Tyler Martin tossed 3.1 strong innings to improve his record to 4-0 on the mound this season.

Juniors Jeremiah Locklear and Wyatt Dodgens joined sophomore Austin Testerman in holding the Falcons to three hits for the rest of the championship contest.

The tournament hosts pulled away late, pushing across five runs in the eighth inning and adding three more runs in the top of the ninth inning.

Junior Jackson Cobb lined a run-scoring triple in the final frame to finish the game with three hits. Classmate Paul Winland Jr. also had an RBI triple, coming in the eighth inning.
  "Winning the conference tournament is one of our three annual program goals. I'm proud of the guys and how they play together. They competed through the (weather) elements and adversity today. They know how important winning championships are – not only for them, but the entire program," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The top three players in GGC's lineup combined for nine hits, scored eight runs and tallied seven RBI in setting the table for the team scoring 13 runs to win the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Championship. Seniors Blaze O'Saben, junior Braxton Meguiar and senior Ajay Sczepkowski each had three hits in Monday's triumph.
  Top of First
Ajay Sczepkowski lined an RBI double to left field that scored Blaze O'Saben
Jackson Cobb hit a run-scoring double to left field that gave the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead
 
Top of Third
Ajay Sczepkowski led off the frame with a homer
 
Top of Fourth
Braxton Meguiar collected a two-run single to right field, extending GGC's lead to 5-0
 
Top of Eighth
Braxton Meguiar hit an infield RBI single, coupled with a throwing error, to plate another run
Ajay Sczepkowski lined a single to left field that scored Braxton Meguair
Paul Winland Jr. legged out a triple to score the team's 10th run of the contest
 
Top of Ninth
Blaze O'Saben hit a run-scoring double down the left field line
Brett Dingess added an RBI single that scored Blaze O'Saben
Jackson Cobb brought home the final run with a triple down the right field line
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Fisher by a 15-5 margin
• GGC's top three hitters in the lineup went a combined 9-for-15, scored eight runs and had seven RBI on Monday
• Five pitchers combined to shutout Fisher for a third straight meeting this spring
• The team successfully stole six bases to increase its season total to 296 steals

• GGC improves to 47-6 on the season; Fisher falls to 26-28 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team was the top seed in the CAC Baseball Championship Tournament; Fisher stood as the No. 3 seed
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won five straight conference tournament titles

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host the 2024 NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket on May 13-16 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. Participating teams and tournament pairings will be announced by the NAIA later this week.