Baseball
Bears fall to Stetson Hatters in ASUN Tournament opener; play Wednesday
UCA started strong but fell to Stetson in ASUN opener, setting up a crucial elimination game to keep tournament alive
DELAND, Fla. — Central Arkansas opened the 2025 ASUN Baseball Championship with high hopes, jumping out to an early lead against the top-seeded Stetson Hatters.
That didn’t last very long.
The Bears were ultimately overpowered by the defending champions, falling 10-2 in the tournament opener at Stetson’s Melching Field.
Facing Stetson’s ace Jonathan Gonzalez, the ASUN Pitcher of the Year, the Bears wasted no time making their mark.
Senior Tanner Leonard singled with one out in the top of the first inning and promptly stole second.
After sophomore Zeb Allen was hit by a pitch, freshman shortstop Nate Negre—fresh off his ASUN All-Freshman team selection—delivered a clutch two-run double to the right-center gap, giving UCA a 2-0 lead.
Negre’s performance continued his breakout season, finishing the game 2-for-4 with both of the Bears’ RBIs.
Allen, a third-team All-ASUN honoree for the second consecutive year, contributed two hits and a run scored, highlighting the young talent on UCA’s roster.
The Bears’ early momentum was short-lived.
In the third inning, Stetson capitalized on a series of UCA defensive errors—four in total throughout the game—combined with five Hatters hits to surge ahead 6-2.
The Bears’ defense struggled to contain the Hatters’ aggressive offense, and the home team never looked back.
“We got off to a great start and put some pressure on their ace, but you can’t give a team like Stetson extra chances. The errors hurt us, and they made us pay.”
Despite the mounting deficit, the Bears flashed defensive resilience.
In the fourth inning, senior right fielder Preston Curtis threw a perfect one-hop strike to the plate, where freshman catcher Carter Alexander tagged out Stetson’s Salvadore Alvarez to end the inning.
The following frame, freshman third baseman Noah Goodshield made a key play to cut down a runner at home, and senior reliever Perry Titlow struck out two to escape further damage.
Stetson, now 20-8 at home, continued to apply pressure. Right fielder Jordan Taylor launched a solo home run in the seventh, and two more runs scored on wild pitches, sealing the 10-2 victory.
The Hatters out-hit the Bears 12-8 and played error-free baseball, a testament to their status as defending champions and tournament favorites.
UCA starter Charlie Christensen, who entered the game with a team-leading 72 strikeouts, took the loss despite allowing just six hits and two earned runs.
The Bears’ inability to limit mistakes proved costly against a Stetson lineup that has had UCA’s number in recent years—the Hatters are now 7-0 all-time against the Bears.
With the loss, the Bears (19-34) move into an elimination matchup against the Lipscomb Bisons at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams this season, with both sides eager to extend their tournament run. Lipscomb dropped a close 7-6 contest to Florida Gulf Coast in their opener, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch.
Coach Nick Harlan remained optimistic about his team’s chances.
“We’ve battled adversity all year, and this group knows how to respond. We’ll regroup and be ready for Lipscomb,” Bears coach Nick Harlan said.”
The ASUN tournament’s double-elimination format means the Bears must win to keep their season alive. Last year, UCA advanced to the semifinals in their first ASUN tournament appearance, showing the program’s potential to compete at a high level.
Key players:
• Nate Negre (freshman shortstop): 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, ASUN All-Freshman team
• Zeb Allen (sophomore left fielder): 2-for-3, run scored, third-team All-ASUN
• Charlie Christensen (junior right-hander): 6 hits, 2 earned runs allowed
Stetson advances to face Florida Gulf Coast in the winner’s bracket, while UCA faces a must-win scenario against Lipscomb.
