Junior Alex Harrell went 4-for-5 and connected on a three-run homer and senior Ben Harris had a career-high 12 strikeouts across seven strong innings as the No. 2-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team opened the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series with a strong 11-1 victory in eight innings over No. 9 seed University of British Columbia (Canada) on Friday night in Lewiston, Idaho.

The Grizzlies (54-5) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, behind three straight run-scoring base hits with two outs in the frame. Senior Jackson Cobb lined an RBI double down the left-field line before classmate Paul Winland Jr. hit a run-scoring single up the middle. Senior Matthew Lee followed with an RBI single through the left side of the infield to give the team an early advantage.

Harris struck out the side in the top of the second inning and added nine other strikeouts in a 7.1-inning starting performance. The right hander improved his record to 12-0 this season and collected his 30th career victory.

"The game slowed down after the fifth inning, and I was able to hit the target and get the secondary pitches over for strikes. Winning the opener is huge so it is an honor to get the ball (as starting pitcher)," said Harris, whose strong mound performance, appropriately, came at Lewis-Clark College's Harris Field.

GGC maintained the four-run advantage until the sixth inning. Senior Jon Ponder lined a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield to plate the team's fifth run of the contest. A few batters later, Harrell connected on a three-run home run over the center field wall.

"It was an incredible experience, and I loved every second of it. It was huge to start fast tonight because it set up Ben (Harris) to go deep into the game and allowed for everybody to execute at the plate," said Harrell.

In the eighth inning, Cobb plated a pair of runs with a double down the left field line before scoring on an RBI single from Winland Jr. for GGC's 11th run of the contest.

Harrell legged out three doubles to go along with his round tripper to spark the team's 15-hit offensive attack. The right fielder scored three runs in Friday's series opener. Senior Braxton Meguiar also scored three times and went 2-for-2 at the plate. Winland Jr. registered three hits, while Cobb drove in three runs and tallied two hits in the victory.

Georgia Gwinnett College is now scheduled to face No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University in a winner's bracket game on Monday, May 26, starting at 3 p.m. pacific time.
 
Coach's Corner
"The whole point of today's game was to get comfortable and settled in at Lewiston. The early runs certainly allowed us to exhale. We have rode Alex's back all season. It was a matter of time for him to have a breakout game because you're not going to keep a player like him down for long. I loved that he showed up on this stage, his first time being here, and played to his standard However, it isn't about one player, but the sum of our parts," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Turning Point
With one swing of the bat, junior Alex Harrell put an exclamation point on GGC's World Series opener by connecting on a towering three-run home run over the center field wall. The blast gave the Grizzlies an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of First
Scott Seeker hit a sacrifice fly to center field to open the scoring
Jackson Cobb lined an RBI double
Paul Winland Jr. added a run-scoring single with two outs, extending GGC's lead to 3-0
Matthew Lee collected an RBI single through the left side of the infield
 
Bottom of Sixth
Jon Ponder lined an RBI single, scoring Tyler M. Martin
Alex Harrell connected on a three-run homer to center field to cap another four-run frame
 
Bottom of Eighth
Jackson Cobb drove in a pair of runs with a double down the left field line
Paul Winland Jr. hit a run-scoring single up the middle for the team's 11th run of the contest
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies outhit British Columbia by a 15-6 margin on Friday
• GGC recorded six extra base hits in the triumph
• Junior Alex Harrell went 4-for-5, scored three runs and hit a three-run home run
• Senior starting pitcher Ben Harris recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts across 7.1 innings

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 54-5 on the season; British Columbia drops to 39-17 in 2025
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll; British Columbia stood No. 24 in the same poll
• The team was the No. 2 seed in the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series bracket; British Columbia stood as the No. 9 seed
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won both meetings with British Columbia; both games came in NAIA postseason action

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University on Monday, May 26, at the Avista NAIA World Series, from Lewiston, Idaho, starting at 3 p.m. pacific time.