MANKATO, Minn. – The opening games of the 2025 UMAC Baseball Tournament took place on Thursday at ISG Field in Mankato, Minnesota. The No. 2 Crown College Polars battled the No. 3 University of Northwestern Eagles while the No. 1 Bethany Lutheran College Vikings took on the No. 4 University of Minnesota Morris Cougars.
 
 
GAME 1: Northwestern 8, Crown 7
 
Northwestern scored the first run of the tournament in the top of the second inning as Alex Klein drove in Beau Rabey with an RBI double. The Eagles added another run in the same inning with another RBI double, this time by Aaron Severson.
 
The Polars answered with four runs in the bottom half of the second. Tyler Bloom and Ashton Long led off the inning with back-to-back home runs to tie the game and Kyler Thruston drove in two more with an RBI double to put Crown up 4-2.
 
Crown added another run in the third and Northwestern answered with another in the fifth, but it was the seventh inning where the momentum shifted to UNW.
 
The Eagles retook the lead in the top of the seventh with a three-run inning. Christian Raya tied the game up at 5-5 with a two-RBI double. Northwestern added another run with a sac fly by Rabey to take a 6-5 lead.
 
Crown would tie the game at 6-6 in the eighth, but the Eagles added two more runs in the ninth to go up 8-6. The Polars got one run back in the ninth, but UNW would close the door to take the 8-7 victory.
 
Nick Drinken earned the win for UNW after going just one-batter shy of a complete game with 8.2 innings pitched, striking out four.
 
 
GAME 2: Bethany Lutheran 12, Minnesota Morris 2
 
Bethany Lutheran jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Cougars would answer with a two-run inning in the third.
 
Trailing 2-1, the Vikings responded with an emphatic seven-run inning to go up 8-2. Xander Meissner ignited the seven-run inning with an RBI double that drove in two. The Vikings added these runs through three RBI singles, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, a sac fly, and an error .
 
Bethany Lutheran added two more in the fourth as Seth Jones drove in a pair with an RBI single, giving the Vikings a 10-2 lead.
 
BLC would add two more runs in the game, the final being a walk-off sac fly to meet the run rule past the sixth inning.
 
Trent Ash led the Vikings on the mound, pitching seven innings while striking out 13 to earn the win, improving to 11-0 on the season.
 

SCHEDULE
• Thursday, May 8
  - G1 | 1:00 PM | #2 Crown vs. #3 Northwestern
    - FINAL: Eagles 8, Polars 7
        - Box Score | Archived Broadcast
  - G2 | 6:30 PM | #1 Bethany Lutheran vs. #4 Minnesota Morris
    - FINAL: Vikings 12, Cougars 2
        - Box Score | Archived Broadcast
• Friday, May 9
  - G3 | 12:00 PM | #2 Crown vs. #4 Minnesota Morris
        - Live Video | Live Stats
  - G4 | 3:00 PM | #1 Bethany Lutheran vs. #3 Northwestern
        - Live Video | Live Stats
  - G5 | 6:00 PM | Winner of G3 vs. Loser of G4
        - Live Video | Live Stats
• Saturday, May 10
  - G6 | 1:00 PM | Winner of G4 vs. Winner of G5
        - Live Video | Live Stats
  - G7 | 4:00 PM | If Necessary Game
        - Live Video | Live Stats


LOCATION
- All games played at ISG Field (Mankato, Minn.)
    - 601 Reed Street, Mankato, MN 56001.
- No sunflower seeds allowed near field.

PARKING INFORMATION & FACILITY ENTRANCE
- Spectators should have ample parking opportunities in the parking lot around the fields and streets. Please follow all parking signs around the park.
- Only one entrance for spectators will be utilized. That entrance will be the West entrance. Entrance is facing Reed Street.

CONCESSIONS
- There will be concessions offered on site.
- No outside food/beverage is allowed (only for teams).

NO ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO
- Alcohol and tobacco are STRICTLY PROHIBITED in the complex.
- Fans are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from bringing coolers into the complex.
 
| Tournament Championship Page | 
 

---

 
The UMAC is an NCAA Division III member comprised of eight full-time member schools from Minnesota and Wisconsin: Bethany Lutheran College, Crown College, Martin Luther College, North Central University, Northland College, University of Minnesota Morris, University of Northwestern, and University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Watch UMAC games on the UMAC Sports Network: available on the web, as a mobile app for iOS and Android, and as a TV app for Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku.