The first of two NAIA top-five midweek showdowns went in favor of the No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team with an 8-6 victory against No. 5 Tennessee Wesleyan University on Tuesday evening at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (14-1) bounced back from their first setback to win their first midweek game of the 2026 campaign.

GGC scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning behind back-to-back home runs by juniors Jay O'Neill and Ashton Fuselier. O'Neill's two-run blast to right-center field gave the hosts a 4-0 lead. Fuselier then deposited his first homer deep to left field.

The team opened the productive inning with consecutive doubles from juniors Payton Fort and Peyton Watts. An RBI ground out from senior Wilbert Espinal gave GGC a 2-0 lead.

The early run production was enough for senior left hander Gavin LeBlanc, who struck out five batters and allowed one run across five strong innings to earn the victory.

Tennessee Wesleyan (13-4) plated two runs in the sixth inning to get within three runs. Then, GGC responded with Fuselier hitting his second home run of the contest – this time plating two runs – to give the team an 8-3 cushion.

The Bulldogs made things interesting in the top of the ninth inning. Back-to-back walks with the bases loaded put the potential game-tying run on base, with the Grizzlies clinging to an 8-5 advantage.

Junior Lance Bratlien came in relief and got an RBI ground out as the visitors trimmed the deficit to two runs, at 8-6, and the tying run advancing into scoring position at second base. The right hander tallied his first save of the season by getting a strikeout and ground out to end the game.

Junior Trey Smith tallied three of GGC's 11 hits in the contest. Fuselier went 2-for-4 and had three RBI. Watts also registered two hits and scored twice in the contest.


 
Coach's Corner
"Our guys needed to be challenged and I applaud them for stepping up to that challenge. It was a great attack as an offense. Gavin gave us what we needed to start the game," said Head Coach Tommy Goodale.
 
Turning Point
Junior Ashton Fuselier hit a towering two-run home run to left field that gave the hosts an 8-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Those runs would prove to be a deciding factor after Tennessee Wesleyan plated three runs and had the potential game-tying run in scoring position with one out in the ninth inning. Junior reliever Lance Bratlien got a strikeout and a ground out to secure the midweek triumph.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of First
Peyton Watts lined an RBI double to left field that brought home Payton Fort
Wilbert Espinal hit an RBI ground out to second base
Jay O'Neill connected on a two-run home run to right-center field
Ashton Fuselier followed with a home run to left field, giving the Grizzlies a 5-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fourth
Peyton Watts successfully stole home to extend the team's lead to 5-1
 
Bottom of Seventh
Ashton Fuselier connected on his second homer of the game, driving in two runs that gave the hosts an 8-3 lead
 
Top of Ninth
Back-to-back walks with the bases loaded trimmed GGC's lead to 8-5
Reliever Lance Bratlien got an RBI ground out to first base while the potential game-tying run moved into scoring position
A ground out to shortstop Peyton Watts ended the contest
 
Inside The Numbers 

• GGC outhit Tennessee Wesleyan by an 11-8 margin
• The Grizzlies recorded five extra-base hits, including three home runs
• Six GGC pitchers combined to strike out 10 batters
• The teams successfully stole six bases in the victory

News & Notes 

• GGC improves to 14-1 in 2026; Tennessee Wesleyan drops to 13-4 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Tennessee Wesleyan stood No. 5 in the same poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won the last six meetings between the teams and leads the all-time series by a 16-13 margin
• The team played its first midweek game of the season

Up Next 
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Lindsey Wilson University to begin a three-game weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, February 28, in Columbia, Kentucky, starting at 2 p.m.