O'FALLON, Mo. - The W baseball finished it 2025 season with a second-place finish in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) tournament after falling to top-seeded Webster University in the championship game on Saturday. The Owls (21-17) were topped by the Gorloks (36-7) – No. 14-ranked in the nation for NCAA Division III – 13-5 in the title game at CarShield Field.
MUW would have had to defeat WU twice to win the championship, coming through the elimination bracket. It was the 18th SLIAC baseball title for the Gorloks, while the Owls were making just their second Conference post-season appearance in as many years in the league.
Webster scored in five of the first six innings to build a 8-0 lead heading into the seventh. Much like its win over Spalding in Friday's elimination game, The W finally mounted a threat in its at-bats in the seventh inning. This time, the Owls pushed across four runs versus the Gorloks.
Swayze Rikard (1-3) slapped an RBI single that plated Tyler Estsabrook (2-5). Then, with the bases loaded,
Landon Clark (2-5) delivered a two-run single through the left side of the infield. After the bases were once again loaded, senior
Loren Cox (1-4) was hit by a pitch to drive home the fourth run of the inning, as MUW got itself back into contention, 8-4.
But The W's hope for another comeback were dashed in the home half of the seventh when Webster posted five runs. An RBI single by Cox in the ninth accounted for the Owls' final run of the 13-5 score.
Both teams supplied plenty of offense, as the Gorloks outhit MUW, 16-11. 10 of The W's hits were singles.
Zach Johnson (1-5) had MUW's only extra-base knock with a double. Conversely, Webster had 10 extra-base hits.
Baron Brack rounded out the trio of Owls with multiple hits in the game – joining Clark and Estabrook - by going 2-for-4.
Jackson Gantt (1-2), the first of four MUW pitchers, went 3.0 innings in absorbing the loss. Gantt gave up six hits and was charged with five earned runs. Only Cox, who threw the final 1.2 frames, did not give up a run to the potent Webster bats, allowing one hit and striking out one Gorlok, as well.
For their strong efforts throughout the SLIAC championships, both Clark and Brack were selected to the all-tournament team.
