DELAND, Fla. (May 20, 2026) — The University of North Alabama baseball team shutout an opponent for the first time this season in the second round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship against No. 5 Jacksonville, 5-0.
This is the first shutout of the season in the 55th game of the season. With this win in the single elimination bracket, the Lions move to the double elimination portion of the bracket. UNA will play No. 1 seed North Florida on Thursday at 12 p.m. CT.
The Lions began today's game against Jacksonville at 1 p.m. CT and did not finish until 8:22 p.m. due to a weather delay in the top of the fifth inning.
North Alabama (29-26, 19-11 ASUN) avenged two losses to Jacksonville in the 2025 ASUN Tournament, where UNA exited at the hands of a walk-off hit from shortstop Sammy Mummau in an elimination game.
This year, the pitching duo of Justus Agosto and Gavin Oswald allowed three hits from batters — zero from Mummau. He lined out to former Dolphin teammate — and current Lion — Jackson Westmoreland to finalize the game.
Oswald recorded his eighth win for this season — all out of the bullpen.
Jacksonville (30-25, 16-14 ASUN) was held hitless until the fourth inning by Agosto and were only awarded two more hits the rest of the way against Oswald. The Dolphins advanced after a 7-1 win over Austin Peay with 12 hits on Tuesday.
Ahead of tonight's win, the Lions had only three wins when having five or less runs and only five wins when not recording a home run in a game. However, the Lions won their 20th game when scoring first, moving to 20-10 overall.
UNA's offense did all the work before the delay with five runs in the first four innings.
Petey Craska led the way with his 3-for-4 big showing in the lead game. Dylan Coleman and Nash Rippen had two hits apiece.
Westmoreland led the Lions in RBIs with two and a run plated. Tyler LePage opened UNA scoring with a backside double down the left-field line for Wes Walker to score.
The North Alabama bats opened postseason play with .343 batting and a massive .417 with runners in scoring position. Seven of the 12 hits came against left-handers, including JU starter Brendan Holland.
Rippen tied 2018 Kyle Hubbuch for the all-time walks record in a season at 48. Coleman is one hit away from tying 2022 Luke Harper for most hits in a season at 67.
The sun beat down over Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand.
Both teams worked a scoreless opening frame as Bryant Loving recorded all three outs from his spot in center field, only having to range out to right center for the final out. In the second inning, Agosto worked around a walk with a pop out and a ground out to close out the threat.
Walker got it rolling in the bottom of the inning with a shot back up the middle to put one aboard. Millard was put into a tough spot by the Dolphins starting pitcher with a full count. As the final pitch came through, he was hit which awarded a second base member.
After a pop-out bunt, the left-handed LePage piped one backside down the left-field line past the out stretched third baseman's glove. Walker scored which left Millard and LePage in scoring position.
The table-setter himself, Westmoreland, drove one up the middle to score two more to cap off the three-run inning.
Agosto settled in at the top of the third issuing back-to-back strikeouts. The senior had a full count that he worked back for the final strike then forced the lead-off Dolphin into a ground out to Santoyo. As the game moved into the fourth inning, Jacksonville started to become more patient in their at-bats, as the lead-off man walked.
Agosto worked the next one for a four-pitch strikeout. However, the Dolphins broke up the prospective no-hitter with their first single to center field. The next Dolphin flew out to Loving for his fifth putout of the day.
However, another walk allowed the bases to juice, promoting pitching coach Jacob James to settle down his starter with a mound visit. It did just that as Agosto returned with a one pitch ground out to Santoyo to neutralize the threat.
As JU made a pitching change to Kyle Powers, Loving singled to shallow right to open another scoring inning. Westmoreland walked right after before Craska took his second pitch through the right side to load the bases.
Coleman added a sacrifice fly that flirted with leaving the ball park to score Loving. Rippen hit a ball 108 miles per hour off his bat to put a dent in the right center wall for a stand-up double. His big swing added Westmoreland to the plate, creating the 5-0 lead.
Then lightning struck, literally.
The first Dolphin batter came through and walked on a 3-2 count before weather sirens started to blare. A weather delay, a small cell popped up which immediately sent the teams to their busses to await the word for play to resume.
Rain filled the ballpark, and with thoughts it may pass, the tarp stayed off. However, the small cell stayed present over the field drenching the dirt infield creating massive puddles of water.
The teams went back to their respective hotels to await word from conference representatives on when play may resume.
After a six-hour delay, Oswald threw a stinging pitch to strikeout the first batter who held a 1-2 count as the game reopened. Oswald then delivered two more fly outs to Loving in center to close out the inning.
The lefty returned in the sixth with a clean inning.
However, the Dolphins used a single into no man's in shallow right-center to add one and a walk to add a second. Oswald worked the fourth batter for a full count before catching him looking. The graduate pitcher returned with another Dolphin caught looking to strand the runners on the base path.
Oswald held the shutout with two strikeouts over the final two innings to close the game.
Pitchers of Record
W – Gavin Oswald (8-3)
L – Brendan Holland (4-5)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama takes the diamond tomorrow against No.1 North Florida at 1 p.m. at Melching Field at Conrad Park. This will begin the double elimination portion of the tournament.
To view the full bracket, click here.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
