In a déjà vu moment fit for an action-packed Hollywood script, the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team completed a rally for the second straight year to capture the Opening Round's Lawrenceville Bracket and propel the program to the Avista NAIA World Series for the seventh straight season.

Facing two must-win situations in Thursday's championship round at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, the top-seeded Grizzlies scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to turn a 10-5 deficit into an 11-10 victory against Keiser University (Florida) in the first game of the day.

Then, the tournament hosts came back from trailing 7-6 by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat the Seahawks 13-8 to lead the way to Lewiston, Idaho, as one of the 10 remaining teams in this year's NAIA national tournament.

Now for the déjà vu moment: GGC used the same identical script to defeat Faulkner University (Alabama), rallying from a 6-2 deficit with two outs to score five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to capture the Lawrenceville Opening Round.

That victory came on May 16, 2024 – nearly one year to the day (May 15, 2025) of that postseason triumph.

"This was Lawrenceville magic. It starts with the belief in our dugout. Our guys believed that as long as we had an out, we had a chance to flip the game and put ourselves in a position to win," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

And, last year's heroes, Jackson Cobb and Paul Winland Jr., once again led the way to Thursday's victory.

Keiser (37-17) seemed to be in command with a 10-5 lead in Thursday's opening game following a two-run seventh inning and adding four more runs during the top half of the eighth inning.

But the Grizzlies' Cardiac Kids wouldn't go down without a fight. Cobb started the rally by collecting an RBI single down the right field line before Winland Jr. lined a two-run double off the wall in center field. The back-to-back hits put GGC withing striking distance at 10-9.

Then, senior Kyle Norton delivered a game-tying run-scoring single and a throwing error by the Seahawks on an infield single by senior Braxton Meguiar gave GGC a decisive 11-10 lead. Keiser made two defensive errors in the pivotal frame.

"We had to dig deep and find out how tough we were, especially after allowing six runs in the first game. We just knew it was a matter of time before our time would come," said Winland Jr.

Sophomore reliever Shane Anderson got Matthew Nichols to ground into a double play and then got a fly out to center field to force a decisive second game of the day.

That game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams scoring four runs in the first inning as GGC senior leadoff hitter Jon Ponder opened the bottom of the frame with a home run over the right field fence. Winland Jr. connected on a game-tying three-run home run to left field later in the frame.

GGC scored a run in five of its first six offensive innings, but the No. 2-seeded Seahawks took a 7-6 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

The bottom of the frame was the deciding point in the highly competitive game. Winland Jr. led things off with a home run to straight away center field, tying the contest at 7-7. Then, with the bases loaded, senior Braxton Meguiar lined a single to right field. A subsequent fielding error by the outfielder on the play allowed three runs to score. That gave GGC its first lead of the championship game.

Junior Alex Harrell followed with a run-scoring single to plate Meguiar and Cobb executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt play to give the Grizzlies a 12-7 lead.

Meanwhile, the team's bullpen limited Keiser to just two runs over the final seven innings after scoring six runs in the first two frames.  

Junior relief pitcher Andrew Johnson threw a career-high four innings, striking out six batters and allowing just three runs.

"I've been waiting for this moment all year," said Johnson. "This performance was all heart. Our relievers held the rope – having one guy do his job until the next guy gets the ball and takes over."

Senior reliever Wyatt Dodgens scattered six hits and tossed 3.2 quality innings in the middle of the contest. The right hander struck out Edbarry Guzman with a high fastball to strand two runners and end the top of the eighth inning with a five-run GGC advantage.

"We knew that the offense was going to show up. They always do. My job was to throw strikes and hold the rope for our pitching staff in the game," said Dodgens, who improved to 9-0 on the season. "It took a lot of heart and determination to get through the eighth inning. They were getting hits but getting that last strikeout really paid off."

Senior pitcher Ben Harris managed to get the final three outs in the first relief appearance of his career.


 
Coach's Corner
"This comeback was written by our championship DNA, which has followed all those players that have worn the G-Claw and won big games. This group encapsulates that same DNA. We just needed to show up and represent the proud heritage of Grizzly Baseball. I love this group and its ability to punch another ticket to the World Series," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies rallied from multiple deficits throughout the day to post two victories against the No. 2-seeded Seahawks. A two-run double from senior Paul Winland Jr. brought the hosts within a run, at 10-9, in the eighth inning of the opener. A throwing error on an infield single led to the go-ahead run to score. Then, in the championship game, Winland Jr. led off the fifth inning with his second homer of the game to tie the game at 7-7. GGC scored six times in that pivotal inning.
 
Key Plays
First Game
Bottom of First
Alex Harrell hit an RBI double to left-center field to open the scoring
Scott Seeker connected on a two-run home run
 
Bottom of Fourth
Scott Seeker collected a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield, tying the game 4-4
 
Bottom of Fifth
Alex Harrell was hit by a pitch to force in a run for the Grizzlies' 5-4 advantage
 
Bottom of Eighth
Scott Seeker lined an RBI double down the left field line, plating Braxton Meguiar
Jackson Cobb followed with a run-scoring double to trim the deficit to 10-7
Paul Winland Jr. hit a two-run double off the wall in center field
Kyle Norton added a game-tying RBI single through the right side of the infield
A throwing error on an infield single by Braxton Meguiar gave the hosts an 11-10 lead
 
Second Game
Bottom of First
Jon Ponder led off the game with a home run to right field
Paul Winland Jr. tied the contest, at 4-4, with a three-run homer to left field
 
Bottom of Fifth
Paul Winland Jr. led off the frame with a homer to center field, squaring the game at 7-7
Braxton Meguiar hit a single to score two and a fielding error in the outfield allowed Jon Ponder to score from first base, giving GGC its first lead at 10-7
Alex Harrell lined an RBI single
Jackson Cobb executed a safety squeeze bunt to score Alex Harrell to cap a six-run inning
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies tallied 29 hits across Thursday's two games, highlighted by 15 hits in the championship game
• Senior Paul Winland Jr. went 5-for-10 and drove in six runs on Thursday
• Junior reliever Andrew Johnson struck out six batters during a career-high four innings in the second contest
• Senior Braxton Meguiar registered five hits across the two wins

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 53-5 in 2025; Keiser concluded the 2025 season with a 37-17 record
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll; Keiser received votes in the same poll
• GGC won three elimination games to win the Lawrenceville Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round
• Georgia Gwinnett College secured its eighth appearance in the Avista NAIA World Series, including the program's seventh straight trip

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play in the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series as the No. 2 seed of 10 teams competing in Lewiston, Idaho. The team will play No. 9 seed University of British Columbia (Canada) on Friday, May 23, at 10 p.m. The tournament will continue through May 31.