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Wofford Concludes Historic 2024 Season in Chapel Hill Regional
Terriers strike early but fall 13-6 to LSU
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Wofford baseball team jumped on the defending national champion LSU early with five runs in the first inning, but the Tigers would fight back and ultimately take a 13-6 win in the Chapel Hill Regional Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The third-seeded Terriers end a historic campaign at 42-20 and the No. 2 seed Tigers improve to 42-22.
"We played hard, really hard until the end," said head coach J.J. Edwards. "We ask a lot out of our guys, and we're happy we got a chance to be in a regional. Don't love the way we went out of course, but that's because we're competitive. Tip our hat to LSU; they played really good baseball for nine innings. We got out to an early lead and couldn't hold on to it, but I'm really proud of our guys."
The Terriers conclude their campaign with 42 wins to tie the program's record for a season (2022). Wofford set numerous program records throughout the season and entered the NCAA Tournament top five in the country in multiple offensive categories, including runs per game, batting average and on-base percentage. Among the plethora of records the 2024 squad topped were runs scored (617), hits (716), triples (33), RBI (559), walks drawn (317), sacrifice flies (41) and hit by pitch (108). By claiming the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament championship, Wofford secured its second-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament, and the Terriers downed Long Island 5-2 yesterday to notch the program's first-ever regional win.
Freshman Camden Wicker started for Wofford and turned in an excellent outing, tossing 4.0 innings with three runs allowed on seven hits. He issued no walks and tallied six strikeouts, just one shy of his career high. Kenny Michaels tossed 2.0 innings with Mike Eggert, Champ Davis and Mason Compton each pitching one inning. The loss was assessed to Michaels (3-2). Davis hurled a scoreless frame with a strikeout, and Compton added a punchout of his own.
"I just wanted to give everything I got for these guys (the seniors) and for J.J. and put everything out on the field and leave nothing and have no regrets for whatever happens," said Wicker of getting the start against LSU in a do-or-die contest.
Griffin Herring (6-1) picked up the win for LSU after pitching 6.1 innings in relief with one run allowed on five hits.
The Tigers posted 21 hits compared to the eight of Wofford. Marshall Toole, Brice Martinez and Andrew Mannelly each posted two hits with Mannelly adding an RBI. Daniel Jackson extended his on-base streak to 51 games with a hit and an RBI. Jack Renwick added a double for Wofford's final hit, the lone extra-base knock of the game for the Terriers. The senior concluded his career with two RBI. Dixon Black and David Wiley each added an RBI. Toole reached three total times with a walk added in, and Lucas Manning worked the other Terrier free pass.
With his RBI, Black reached 76 on the season to set a new single-season program record for RBI. He tops the previous high of 75 set in 2010 by Mac Doyle.
"Being here on this stage and being able to compete the way we did makes it easier to go out," said Renwick of his final collegiate game coming in a regional. "We came here and showed who we were for these games and this regional and competed the whole way, and we just have a great group of guys that love each other and came together and showed everybody what we were about."
"It makes it a lot easier, obviously, going out in a regional," added Black, also a senior. "Hopefully we set a good standard for the teams that follow, and I just hope that this class and this team specifically has set a foundation for the future."
Wofford came out of the gates hot. Camden Wicker opened the top of the first with a 1-2-3 frame, putting down two Tigers swinging. His offense rewarded him in the bottom of the inning with a five-run outburst, batting around with 10 men coming to the plate. Marshall Toole singled, and Brice Martinez added one of his own with a bunt to the open space in a shifted infield. With two on, Daniel Jackson singled up the middle to plate the game's first run. In true Terrier fashion, David Wiley placed another bunt down, and the throw home was too late as a second run scored. Later in the inning, a bases-loaded catcher's interference put Andrew Mannelly on first and scored Jackson. Jack Renwick then ripped a double to left that scored two more, and Wofford held a quick 5-0 lead.
LSU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. A sacrifice fly opened the scoring for the Tigers, and two singles would push across another run. But Wicker limited the damage by notching the third out at first with a smooth pick-off, holding the margin to 5-2.
The Tigers got one more run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single, but Wofford got that run right back in the bottom of the inning. Mannelly singled and would later score when Dixon Black lifted a sacrifice fly. The Wofford lead was 6-3 after four frames.
In the top of the fifth, LSU plated three runs to pull level. A pair scored on a two-run home run, and then an RBI single evened the game at 6-6.
LSU added two more runs in the top of the seventh to claim the lead. A sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run, and another run came home on an infield single. The Tigers were ahead 8-6.
They did not look back from there, adding three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Despite its best efforts, Wofford was unable to mount its own comeback and ultimately fell 13-6.
"I'm proud of them of course for the wins because people remember the wins, but I'm more proud of them for setting the standard," said Edwards of the historic 2024 squad. "That is the biggest thing. I'm a first-year head coach, and of course I've known these guys for a long time, but if you show up in September to November when nobody's really watching Wofford baseball, and we're not in the media attention yet, you will see the same team diving for every ball, playing really hard… and it is not seen because it's not on television, but that's just the standard these guys set every single day. I'm just fortunate that they did that and that I got to coach them as their head coach."
After a historic season, the Terriers will return to the field in the fall to begin preseason preparations for the 2025 campaign, in which Wofford will look to defend its 2024 SoCon Championship.
"We played hard, really hard until the end," said head coach J.J. Edwards. "We ask a lot out of our guys, and we're happy we got a chance to be in a regional. Don't love the way we went out of course, but that's because we're competitive. Tip our hat to LSU; they played really good baseball for nine innings. We got out to an early lead and couldn't hold on to it, but I'm really proud of our guys."
The Terriers conclude their campaign with 42 wins to tie the program's record for a season (2022). Wofford set numerous program records throughout the season and entered the NCAA Tournament top five in the country in multiple offensive categories, including runs per game, batting average and on-base percentage. Among the plethora of records the 2024 squad topped were runs scored (617), hits (716), triples (33), RBI (559), walks drawn (317), sacrifice flies (41) and hit by pitch (108). By claiming the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament championship, Wofford secured its second-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament, and the Terriers downed Long Island 5-2 yesterday to notch the program's first-ever regional win.
Freshman Camden Wicker started for Wofford and turned in an excellent outing, tossing 4.0 innings with three runs allowed on seven hits. He issued no walks and tallied six strikeouts, just one shy of his career high. Kenny Michaels tossed 2.0 innings with Mike Eggert, Champ Davis and Mason Compton each pitching one inning. The loss was assessed to Michaels (3-2). Davis hurled a scoreless frame with a strikeout, and Compton added a punchout of his own.
"I just wanted to give everything I got for these guys (the seniors) and for J.J. and put everything out on the field and leave nothing and have no regrets for whatever happens," said Wicker of getting the start against LSU in a do-or-die contest.
Griffin Herring (6-1) picked up the win for LSU after pitching 6.1 innings in relief with one run allowed on five hits.
The Tigers posted 21 hits compared to the eight of Wofford. Marshall Toole, Brice Martinez and Andrew Mannelly each posted two hits with Mannelly adding an RBI. Daniel Jackson extended his on-base streak to 51 games with a hit and an RBI. Jack Renwick added a double for Wofford's final hit, the lone extra-base knock of the game for the Terriers. The senior concluded his career with two RBI. Dixon Black and David Wiley each added an RBI. Toole reached three total times with a walk added in, and Lucas Manning worked the other Terrier free pass.
With his RBI, Black reached 76 on the season to set a new single-season program record for RBI. He tops the previous high of 75 set in 2010 by Mac Doyle.
"Being here on this stage and being able to compete the way we did makes it easier to go out," said Renwick of his final collegiate game coming in a regional. "We came here and showed who we were for these games and this regional and competed the whole way, and we just have a great group of guys that love each other and came together and showed everybody what we were about."
"It makes it a lot easier, obviously, going out in a regional," added Black, also a senior. "Hopefully we set a good standard for the teams that follow, and I just hope that this class and this team specifically has set a foundation for the future."
Wofford came out of the gates hot. Camden Wicker opened the top of the first with a 1-2-3 frame, putting down two Tigers swinging. His offense rewarded him in the bottom of the inning with a five-run outburst, batting around with 10 men coming to the plate. Marshall Toole singled, and Brice Martinez added one of his own with a bunt to the open space in a shifted infield. With two on, Daniel Jackson singled up the middle to plate the game's first run. In true Terrier fashion, David Wiley placed another bunt down, and the throw home was too late as a second run scored. Later in the inning, a bases-loaded catcher's interference put Andrew Mannelly on first and scored Jackson. Jack Renwick then ripped a double to left that scored two more, and Wofford held a quick 5-0 lead.
LSU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. A sacrifice fly opened the scoring for the Tigers, and two singles would push across another run. But Wicker limited the damage by notching the third out at first with a smooth pick-off, holding the margin to 5-2.
The Tigers got one more run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single, but Wofford got that run right back in the bottom of the inning. Mannelly singled and would later score when Dixon Black lifted a sacrifice fly. The Wofford lead was 6-3 after four frames.
In the top of the fifth, LSU plated three runs to pull level. A pair scored on a two-run home run, and then an RBI single evened the game at 6-6.
LSU added two more runs in the top of the seventh to claim the lead. A sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run, and another run came home on an infield single. The Tigers were ahead 8-6.
They did not look back from there, adding three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Despite its best efforts, Wofford was unable to mount its own comeback and ultimately fell 13-6.
"I'm proud of them of course for the wins because people remember the wins, but I'm more proud of them for setting the standard," said Edwards of the historic 2024 squad. "That is the biggest thing. I'm a first-year head coach, and of course I've known these guys for a long time, but if you show up in September to November when nobody's really watching Wofford baseball, and we're not in the media attention yet, you will see the same team diving for every ball, playing really hard… and it is not seen because it's not on television, but that's just the standard these guys set every single day. I'm just fortunate that they did that and that I got to coach them as their head coach."
After a historic season, the Terriers will return to the field in the fall to begin preseason preparations for the 2025 campaign, in which Wofford will look to defend its 2024 SoCon Championship.