Dillard to battle Rust for GCAC Tournament baseball title

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JACKSON, Miss. — The field has dried and the wind calmed after a cold, rainy Semifinals Saturday. Smith-Wills Stadium is ready to welcome the tournament’s top seeds – No. 1 Rust Bearcats and No. 2 Dillard Bleu Devils for Sunday’s title game of the 2023 Hope Credit Union GCAC Baseball Championship.

“We’ve seen an incredibly high-energy tournament, filled with great play, and superb athleticism,” said GCAC Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes. “It takes a lot to play at this level every day, and I am so proud of our student-athletes and coaches for showing the world what makes the GCAC continually rise to the occasion. Baseball is back in the GCAC and bringing more excitement for our fans and the cities that host our championships.”

These two teams are quite familiar with each other. They met Saturday afternoon in the first game of the semifinals just before the rain came and delayed play. The Bearcats’ offensive front included 15 hits, nine RBIs, and five stolen bases to put the Bleu Devils into the losers’ bracket Saturday afternoon.

Not to be left out of the excitement, the Bleu Devils exploded in their second game of the day against Philander Smith, scoring 20 runs on 15 hits, including 18 RBIs and 12 walks.

A win by Rust makes gives them the title, but a Rust loss forces a third game in two days between the two teams in this double elimination tournament.

Sunday’s title game comes down to this — solid fielding and which team’s bats get hot and never cool off. The Bearcats and Bleu Devils style of play bring energy, and the ability to quickly change the momentum to their favor.

Fans are invited to Smith-Wills Stadium for Sunday’s game. Tickets are available at the box office or online. Groups of 15 or more may purchase tickets for $5 per person at the gate. For fans who cannot make the trip to Jackson, they may watch the entire 2023 Hope Credit Union GCAC Tournament live on the free HBCU League Pass+ app, available in both the Google and iOS app stores. Game-by-game updates will be available on the conference’s social media accounts.