WESTLAKE, Ohio – Playing in their second NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in four years, No. 11 East Texas Baptist University is in Ohio preparing for their first game on Friday. ETBU will face No. 1 Denison University in their four-team bracket along with No. 4 John Hopkins University and No. 5 Baldwin Wallace. ETBU enters the tournament at 38-11 and ranked in three different polls.
ETBU is 8-1 in the 2026 postseason sweeping through the American Southwest Conference Tournament and Marshall, Texas Regional before their 21-game win streak was snapped in game two of the Super Regional. ETBU took the Super Regional over No. 2 Lynchburg with an 8-2 win in game one and a 6-2 win in the "if" game to secure their spot in the Championship Tournament.
In the Championship Tournament, ETBU is 2-2 with both wins over storied program Salisbury. ETBU won the first game vs. No. 2 Salisbury, 7-3, and then shocked the NCAA Division III baseball world with a 21-7 win over them in the elimination game. Both losses in the bracket came to No. 3 Lynchburg, 8-3, and 7-1.
The ASC Tournament opened with a 12-4 win over Howard Payne followed with a walk-off 6-5 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor. In the championship game, ETBU held off Hardin-Simmons, 5-3, to won their third championship in four years and back-to-back championships.
Hosting the NCAA Marshall, Texas Regional Tournament for the fourth year in a row, ETBU swept through the bracket with two wins over Concordia Texas and a victory vs. Rhodes College. The tournament started with ETBU taking a 9-6 win over Concordia Texas and then coming back vs. Rhodes College in the winner's bracket, 11-6, to advance to the championship game. ETBU saw Concordia Texas for a second time and won 13-9 to advance to the Super Regional.
In their third Super Regional in four years, ETBU traveled to Virginian to face No. 2 Lynchburg at Liberty University's Worthington Field. Playing at a NCAA Division I facility, ETBU made the most of it with big hits and strong pitching.
Isaac Thornton had a complete game win in game one, 8-2, with seven strikeouts for his ninth win.
Carter Nannini broke open the game on a bases loaded double for the 3-1 lead.
Jobee Boone added a RBI while
Brody Tewers had two RBI and
Connor Massimini recorded a two-run home run.
After falling in game two, 3-1, ETBU bounced back in the "if" game. Lynchburg's pitching held ETBU scoreless for six innings before Tewers came home on a wild pitch to cut the lead to one, 2-1, in the seventh inning. The eighth inning brought excitement and enough momentum to give ETBU the Super Regional Championship. Massimini tied the game with a solo home run to start the inning at two. With two outs and two on,
Justin Flannery blasted a three-run homer to put ETBU up, 5-2. Khane Nolen followed with a solo shot for back-to-back home runs and the 6-2 lead.
Conner Smeltzer closed the game in the ninth as ETBU won their second Super Regional in four years.
ETBU's first game will be on Friday, May 29, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time at The Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake, Ohio.
NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament
Date: May 29 – June 4
Place: Eastlake, Ohio
Stadium: Classic Park
Watch: NCAA.com
Game 1: ETBU vs. No. 1 Denison University
Time: 1:15 PM EST
Series: First Meeting
Records
No. 1/1 Denison: 45-1 (44 game win streak); NCAC Tournament Champion, Granville, Ohio Regional & Super Regional Champion
No. 11/15 ETBU: 38-11 (had 21-game win streak); ASC Tournament Champion, Marshall, Texas Regional Champion, Lynchburg, VA Super Regional Champion
ETBU in the NCAA Championship Tournament
ETBU is making their second appearance in four years in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament and are 2-2 in bracket play. Both wins came in 2023 in Iowa over then No. 2 Salisbury. ETBU shocked the NCAA Division III baseball world in that tournament by knocking off the storied Salisbury program, twice, 7-3, and 21-7. The second game was an elimination game and the shocker for D3baseball fans that ETBU scored 21 runs on the storied program. ETBU fell in both games to then No. 3 Lynchburg, 8-3, and 7-1.
2023
#3 Lynchburg 7, ETBU 1 – National Championship Tournament
ETBU 21, #2 Salisbury 7 – National Championship Tournament
#3 Lynchburg 8, ETBU 3 – National Championship Tournament
ETBU 7, #2 Salisbury 3 – National Championship Tournament
Texas Tigers Take Virginia
Playing in their third Super Regional in four years, ETBU has now won two championships with the last in 2023. They hosted the Super Regional in 2023 defeating La Verne in three games but then fell to Pomona Pitzer in 2024 in two games. ETBU is now 4-4 in Super Regional play.
ETBU went to Virginia and shocked No. 2 Lynchburg taking the first game, 8-2. Down 1-0,
Carter Nannini had a bases loaded clearing double to take the lead, 3-1. UL cut the lead to one, but
Brody Tewers had a two RBI double in the seventh along with a
Jobee Boone RBI single making it 6-2.
Connor Massimini finished off the Hornets with a two-run homerun in the eighth, 8-2.
After a day off due to weather, the second game of the series started on Sunday at 10:00 am as Lynchburg won, 3-1. The "if" game came 45 minutes after the second game and the Hornets looked as if they were on their way to Eastlake. Up 2-0 through six innings, ETBU scored one in the seventh on a passed ball to come within one, 2-1. In the eighth inning, ETBU broke through the tough Lynchburg pitching scoring five runs on three homeruns. Massimini tied the game with a leadoff home run over the 371 foot sign in right field. Five batters later, with two outs and two on,
Justin Flannery delivered the dagger to the Hornets with a three-run home run to left field.
Kahne Nolen followed with a solo homerun for the 6-2 lead.
Conner Smeltzer closed out the game to secure the Super Regional Championship.
2026
ETBU 6, #2 Lynchburg 2
#2 Lynchburg 3, ETBU 1
ETBU 8, #2 Lynchburg 2
2024
#12 Pomona Pitzer 8, ETBU 7
#12 Pomona Pitzer 6, ETBU 4
2023
ETBU 14, La Verne 6
La Verne 9, ETBU 8
ETBU 9, La Verne 1
ETBU in the NCAA Tournament (18-9)
ETBU has made four straight NCAA Tournaments and hosted the Regional Tournament all four years. Overall, ETBU is 18-9 in the NCAA Tournament going 12-3 in the Regional, 4-4 in the Super Regional, and 2-2 in the National Championship Tournament. ETBU has played seven NCAA Tournament games outside of Texas coming in 2023 with four games in the NCAA National Championship Tournament in Iowa and three this year in Virginia in the Super Regional.
2026
ETBU 6, #2 Lynchburg 2 – Super Regional Championship
#2 Lynchburg 3, ETBU 1 – Super Regional
ETBU 8, #2 Lynchburg 2 – Super Regional
ETBU 13, Concordia Texas 9 – Regional Championship
ETBU 11, Rhodes College 6 – Regional
ETBU 9, Concordia Texas 6
2025
#6 Trinity 7, ETBU 4 – Regional Championship – if game
ETBU 4, #6 Trinity 0 – Regional Championship
ETBU 9, Huntingdon 8
#6 Trinity 12, ETBU 10
ETBU 11, Millsaps 4
2024
#12 Pomona Pitzer 8, ETBU 7 – Super Regional
#12 Pomona Pitzer 6, ETBU 4 – Super Regional
ETBU 6, #25 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 5 – Regional Championship
ETBU 7, Concordia Texas 3 - Regional
ETBU 5, Centenary 2 - Regional
2023
#3 Lynchburg 7, ETBU 1 – National Championship Tournament
ETBU 21, #2 Salisbury 7 – National Championship Tournament
#3 Lynchburg 8, ETBU 3 – National Championship Tournament
ETBU 7, #2 Salisbury 3 – National Championship Tournament
ETBU 14, La Verne 6 – Super Regional
La Verne 9, ETBU 8 – Super Regional
ETBU 9, La Verne 1 – Super Regional
ETBU 2, Trinity 1 – Regional Championship – if game
Trinity 8, ETBU 6 – Regional Championship
ETBU 9, Trinity 4 – Regional
ETBU 16, California Lutheran 6 – Regional
In the Rankings
ETBU is in three different Top 25 polls with the highest ranking of No. 11 by The Perfect Game. D3baseball.com's postseason rankings from last has ETBU No. 15 and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) put the Tigers at No. 20. ETBU is No. 18 in the NPI at the NCAA Selection Show.
POLLS
D3baseball.com:
Preseason - 25th (58 pts);
Week 5 - RV (16 pts);
Week 8 - RV (2 pts);
Week 9 - RV (31 pts);
Week 10 - 23rd (94 pts);
Week 11 - 18th (186 pts); Week 12 – 15
th (242 pts)
ABCA:
Preseason - 26th (143 pts);
Mar. 17 - 24th (144 pts);
Mar. 24 - 24th (160 pts);
Apr. 21 - 26th (104 pts);
Apr. 28 - 23rd (215 pts);
May 5 - 21st (243)
Perfect Game:
Apr. 22 - 23rd;
Apr. 29 - 16th;
May 6 - 14th
NPI:
Apr. 14 - 35th (57.469);
Apr. 21 - 21st (59.080);
Apr. 28 - 21st (58.820);
May 7 - 17th (58.881)
Hood in the Postseason
Head coach
Jared Hood is no stranger to post-season play in his 12 years as a head coach. Pre-Covid, ETBU was on the verge of making the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2017 going 31-14 and 30-15 playing for the ASC Championships in 2017 vs. UT Tyler. In 2019, ETBU was 30-14 and also missed the NCAA Tournament. After the 2020 season was cut short, he guided ETBU to five ASC Championship games in six years winning three. ETBU was runner-up in 2021 and 2022, again just missing the NCAA Tournament with 30+ wins, which set up 2023 run and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. ETBU has now made four straight NCAA Tournaments, won three Regionals and two Super Regionals, and made two NCAA National Championship Tournaments.
In the NCAA Tournament, Hood now has a 18-9 record headed into the championship tournament and is 12-3 in the Regional Tournament. Overall, combined with the ASC Tournament, Hood is 48-24 in the postseason. Since Covid, he is 20-7 in the ASC, 18-9 in the NCAAs, and 38-16 overall.
He has won 348 games in 12 seasons with 166 losses and a 164-72 in the ASC and 30-15 in the ASC Tournament.
Record Since Covid
| Year |
Overall |
ASC |
ASC Tournament |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2025 |
31-16 |
11-5 (1st) |
3-0 (#1 seed) ^ |
3-2 |
| 2024 |
39-9 |
23-1 (1st) |
2-2 (#1 seed) |
3-2 & |
| 2023 |
42-15 |
24-3 (1st) |
5-1 (#1 seed) ^ |
7-4 & % # |
| 2022 |
33-13 |
24-6 (1st) |
4-2 (#1 Seed) ! |
NA |
| 2021 |
29-16 |
19-8 (2nd) |
3-2 (#2 Seed) ! |
NA |
It's All in the "Mass"imini
Senior
Connor Massimini brings a strong bat to the plate each time he steps in the box. "Mass" is the amount of matter in an object and it determines how much an object resists a change in motion (inertia) and how much gravitational pull it exerts on other objects. Massimini has done that in his career with 30 home runs, 23 doubles, and 122 hits. He has posted 16 home runs this year with 60 RBI with three home runs and eight RBI in the post season. His three home runs have been major impacts with one vs. Concordia Texas and two vs. Lynchburg. His first home run was a grand slam in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament to put ETBU up, 8-5, in the fifth inning after trailing 5-4. In game one vs. Lynchburg in the Super Regional, he had an eighth inning two-run home run to make it 8-2. His biggest homerun came in the Super Regional Championship game setting off a five-run eighth inning. As the first batter in the top of the eighth inning, he went 375 feet on a first-pitch swing to tie the game. That opened the gates for ETBU's offense as two more home runs were hit that inning from
Justin Flannery and
Kahne Nolen.
Seven of his 30 home runs have come in the postseason for the ASC and NCAA Tournaments. He has hit three this year, two in 2025, and two in 2024. In his three years of NCAA postseason play, he has 16 hits, 14 RBI, and five home runs as seven of the hits are for extra bases (5 HRs, 2 2Bs). This year, he has eight RBI with a grand slam against Concordia Texas that sealed the win over Concordia Texas, 13-9, and two homeruns in the Super Regional Series.
2026: 6-of-26, 8 RBI, 3 HRs (1 grand slam)
2025: 4-of-18, 1 RBI
2024: 6-of-21, 5 RBI, 2 HRs
Total: 16-of-65 (.246); 14 RBI, 5 HRs
Need to Know Nannini
Carter Nannini is a freshman but plays like a veteran as he leads the team with a .408 batting average. The freshman from Katy, Texas, has 49 hits, seven doubles, four home runs and 33 RBI. He came through with a bases clearing double in game one of the Super Regional vs. Lynchburg to put ETBU on top, 3-1. He is now 8-of-22 with nine RBI. He has hit in five of the six NCAA games with one double and one home run.
California Sun
Justin Flannery is a graduate transfer to ETBU after playing at NAIA's Menlo College and has made an impact in the 2026 postseason in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, he had six home runs and 37 RBI. In the last six games, he has recorded five home runs and 14 RBI.
In the Marshall, Texas Regional, he went 6-of-10 with 11 RBI and four home runs. In the win over Concordia Texas to start the tournament, he had a double and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at two in the 9-5 win. In game two of the tournament, against Rhodes College, he went 3-of-4 with eight RBI and two home runs. He posted a two RBI single in the second inning for a 2-1 lead and then hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead. In the seventh inning with Rhodes within two, 6-4, he took a 1-0 count to deep left field for a grand slam and a 10-4 lead for his 8
th RBI of the game. On Sunday in the championship game vs. Concordia Texas, he went 2-of-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Both of his hits were home runs to give him four in the tournament. In the first inning, as ETBU was up 3-1, he sent a shot over the left CF wall for a two-run home run and 5-1 lead. In the sixth inning, when CTX was within two, he had a solo home run for a three-run advantage, 9-6.
In the Super Regional, he put the exclamation point on the win in the eighth inning with a three-run home run for a 5-2 lead.
On the year, he is batting .300 with 10 home runs, nine doubles and a .655 slugging percentage. His eight RBI vs. Rhodes was one short of the ETBU single game record of nine set by Phillip Windham in 2014.
Sizzlin' Smeltzer
Conner Smeltzer is making a name for himself in the postseason becoming the closer for ETBU. Starting in the ASC Tournament, he went five innings in relief recording eight strikeouts allowing no runs and only four hits to earn the win over Hardin-Simmons in the championship game, 5-3. He came in the top of the fifth inning with no outs as the game had just been tied at three. He followed with two flyouts and a strikeout to end the threat. In the ninth inning with one out and the tying run at the plate, he struck out the final two batters to earn the win and give ETBU the championship.
For the NCAA Tournament, he has pitched 7.1 innings earning a save and win with eight strikeouts and given up only two earned runs. He had two innings of work vs. Rhodes with a strikeout and earned the save vs. Concordia Texas in the championship game pitching 0.2 innings. He came in with one out, the bases loaded, and ETBU up, 13-9. He proceeded to strikeout the next two batters to win the Regional Championship. His third NCAA postseason appearance came in the Super Regional Championship game as he pitched the final 4.2 innings for the win. He came in the fifth inning with one out and didn't allow any runs, only two hits, and recorded five strikeouts. He is now 5-0 on the year.
Don't Touch this "Thorn"ton
Isaac Thornton continues to be the No. 1 pitcher for ETBU with strong postseason starts. He was named the ASC Newcomer of the Year and leads the conference in wins (9), strikeouts (98), innings pitched (89.2), and complete games (4). In his first start of the post season, against Mary Hardin-Baylor, he went eight innings with nine strikeouts giving up four earned runs for a no decision as ETBU won a walk-off in the ninth inning. The NCAA Tournament brought a first-game start against Concordia Texas where he went the complete game, 9 innings, for the win with eight strikeouts and one walk. He also retired the side in the sixth and eighth innings. The ball was handed to him again to start the Super Regional vs. No. 2 Lynchburg and he added his second straight complete game start for the win allowing just two earned runs with seven strikeouts in the 8-2 win. He held the Hornets to just two runs after they scored 38 in the three games prior in the Regional Tournament.
Geaux Tigers
The Tigers of ETBU feature five players from Louisiana and a Texas student-athlete that transferred from Centenary College (La.).
Jobee Boone,
Aiden Leonard,
Carson Livesay, and
Cody Myers have all started or have come in relief to help ETBU this year. All four have also earned All-ASC awards.
Jobee Boone (Gr.) Arnadville, La.
Aiden Leonard (Jr.) Kaplan, La.
Carson Livesay (Sr.) Lafayette, La.
Garrett Walker (So.) Bell City, La.
Gavin Walker (So.) Bell City, La.
Cody Myers (Jr.) Friendswood, Texas (Centenary)
New Team, New Year
Only four starters from last year returned in the lineup in
Connor Massimini,
Carson Livesay,
Nathan Harmon, and
Joaquin Costa along with relief pitchers
Tyler Bogusz,
Brayden Hodge,
Matthew Irwin, and
Nolan Bushko. ETBU brought in 40 new players for the 2026 season that have brought a major impact to the year.
The new players that earned All-ASC awards were
Isaac Thornton (Newcomer of the Year),
Carter Nannini (Freshman of the Year),
Conner Smeltzer (ASC Tournament MVP), and All-ASC selections
Aiden Leonard (1
st Team) and
Cody Myers (2
nd Team).
Returning Starters/Role Players
Connor Massimini (OF)
Carson Livesay (DH)
Tyler Bogusz (P)
Nolan Bushko (P)
Brayden Hodge (P)
Matthew Irwin (P)
Joaquin Costa (INF)
Nathan Harmon (INF)
ASC Awards
Receiving four major American Southwest Conference awards, East Texas Baptist University had 10 student-athletes be named All-ASC.
Carson Livesay is the ASC Player of the Year,
Isaac Thornton is the ASC Newcomer of the Year,
Carter Nannini is the ASC Freshman of the Year,
Conner Smeltzer is the ASC Tournament MVP, and the ETBU Coaching staff is the Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Tigers' coaching staff has earned Co-Coaching Staff of the Year honors and is the sixth time
Jared Hood's staff has received this award (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2016). ETBU went 12-0 in the ASC to win the regular season championship and took the ASC Tournament Championship for the third time in four years to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. ETBU is currently ranked in the top 25 in three polls and has a top 20 NPI.
Award Winners
Player of the Year:
Carson Livesay
Newcomer of the Year: Issac Thornton
Freshman of the Year:
Carter Nannini
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year: ETBU
ASC Tournament MVP:
Conner Smeltzer
All-ASC First Team
Nathan Harmon
Joaquin Costa
Connor Massimini
Carter Nannini
Carson Livesay
Issac Thornton
Aiden Leonard
All-ASC Second Team
Cody Myers
Tyler Bogusz
ASC All-Tournament
Conner Smeltzer – MVP
Tyler Bogusz
Isaac Thornton
Connor Massimini
All-Region Awards
ETBU has six players earn All-Region awards from D3baseball.com and the ABCA.
Connor Massimini,
Carson Livesay, and
Isaac Thornton earned both All-Region awards.
Aiden Leonard made the D3baseball.com Second Team while
Kahne Nolen and
Carter Nannini were on the ABCA Third Team.
D3baseball.com
Region 10
First Team
Connor Massimini – OF
Isaac Thornton – SP
Second Team
Carson Livesay – DH
Aiden Leonard – RP
ABCA All-Region 10
First Team
Connor Massimini – OF
Carson Livesay – DH
Isaac Thornton – SP
Third Team
Kahne Nolen – C
Carter Nannini - OF
