UWSP wins Regional, advances to Super Regional

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - With an 11-5 win over Webster University Sunday, the UW-Stevens Point baseball team has clinched a Regional title and has advanced to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

The Pointers entered Sunday only needing to win one game. Their opponent on Championship Sunday needed two victories, that being Webster.

The Gorloks came out firing to start Sunday, knowing they’d need two wins. Webster got three runs in the first inning to set the tone for game one, building an early lead. They’d used some well-timed homers to control much of the game and take the first game of the day 10-4, forcing a winner-take-all game two.

With their backs now against the wall, it was the Pointers’ turn to come out hot. Payton Nelson hit a solo home run in the first inning to give UWSP an early lead. From there, the Pointers’ offense returned to its potent ways. UWSP scored runs in all but two innings, slugging five home runs to roar back to an 11-5 win, taking the Regional Championship, resulting in a dog pile on the mound.

“That’s really why you put in all the long hours, why you do all the work, for that moment right there,” said head coach Nat Richter. “It only lasts a few seconds, but it’s totally worth it.”

The Pointers had five home runs in game two, including two from Nelson and two from Trent Van Ess. Nelson said even after dropping game one, he was confident in the group around him.

“We always kind of like to do it the harder way, but that’s just who we are,” said Nelson. “I mean, we got a lot of depth. A lot of guys stepped up. Pitching, hitting...it was just a great win. You know, this is where we should be. We feel great going into supers and hopefully, we can just keep it going.”

The Pointers know their opponent for next weekend as they’ll face WIAC foe, UW-La Crosse. The dates and times of the Super Regional series are still to be determined.

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