FLORENCE, Ala. (May 16, 2026) — The University of North Alabama baseball team swept Austin Peay for the second time this season with an 8-4 win Saturday afternoon at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
With this win, and the series win for Lipscomb, North Alabama earned a share of the Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division Championship. This is the first time since 2005 that UNA has earned a regular season or division conference title designation.
The Lions (28-26, 19-11 ASUN) finish the regular season with the most wins at the Division I level with 28, as well as the most since 2018. The team elevated their conference play with 19 wins this season, another new single season high for the Division I era. UNA matched their total series wins from a season ago but swept five opponents this season — another Division I era high.
With today's win, the Lions locked in their first winning record in a Division I regular season.
North Alabama is expected to compete as the No. 4 seed in the ASUN Tournament next week, as they are rewarded with a first-round bye as one of the top two teams in the division. The team's first game will be played on Wednesday with seeding and bracket determinations to be promoted following final RPI rankings on Sunday.
North Alabama did much of what they had done the past two nights — exceptional defensive play, timely hitting and an unwavering confidence to lead to a third win.
On the final game of the regular season, UNA acknowledged 17 seniors for Senior Day with one of the most notable, shortstop Leighton Jenkins. Jenkins, a three-year starter since arriving in Florence, went down with a season-ending injury against Eastern Kentucky.
The crowd gave their shortstop a standing ovation as he took one final ground ball at shortstop from Petey Craska. The graduate then turned, waved his cap, and hugged his teammates one last time on the diamond.
Austin Peay (24-30, 14-16 ASUN) is swept for the second time this season at the hands of North Alabama. UNA is the first team during Roland Fanning's head coaching career at Austin Peay to sweep the Govs twice in the same season — going 6-0. Earlier this season in Clarksville, North Alabama was the first team to sweep the Govs at home since FGCU in 2023.
The Govs got the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but pitcher John Allen Stogner forced a ground ball to second baseman Tyler LePage to turn the game-ending double play.
In all three games this series, the Lions scored first, giving them a 19-10 record this season when accomplishing the feat. The defense held Austin Peay to four or less runs each game which gave them 21-3 record when holding opponents to that amount of runs.
This is the second consecutive season that UNA ended the regular season with a conference sweep of an opponent. Last season, the Lions swept Central Arkansas for the first set of wins in Conway in program history.
UNA had just nine hits to score the eight runs. It was the pitching staff and defense that worked out of several jams to close out the game; Reese Young led the way with his four strikeouts.
The Lion defense held the Govs to .174 with runners on and allowed two hits with runners in scoring position.
Young threw 3.2 innings with Justin Battle the next man up with his 1.1 of work. The senior worked out of the leading run in scoring position to get out of the inning.
Tyler Rice earned his first win of the season with an effective 1.2 innings as UNA retook the lead behind his arm. Hunter Bell and Stogner closed the final 2.1 innings to finish the sweep for North Alabama.
Jackson Westmoreland set the table as the lead-off man yet again after his two hit, two runs, one double day. Tyler LePage came through in key moments to record an RBI through his two hits.
Petey Craska launched his 12th home run of the season — a 423 foot moon shot over the right field wall.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tyler Rice (1-0)
L – Jett Hope (3-3)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama awaits official seeding from the ASUN as RPI rankings are finalized Sunday morning. The Lions earned a first-round bye and will play a single elimination game on Wednesday. For more information, click here.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
