UAB baseball eliminated from American Conference tournament, season likely over
Blazers lose late-inning lead, fall 14-12 to Wichita State
Olivia Bennett 
The UAB baseball season appears to have reached its conclusion following a heartbreaking 14-12 defeat against Wichita State at the American Conference tournament in Clearwater, Florida, on Saturday.
A Lead Slips Away
The fourth-seeded Blazers (32-26) looked in command early, utilizing a powerful offensive display to build a 10-6 advantage through six innings. However, the momentum shifted as the Shockers surged, capitalizing on the Blazers' bullpen to score eight runs across their final three at-bats, including a pivotal six-run seventh inning.
Although UAB briefly clawed back to tie the game at 12-12 in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a solo home run from John Paul Head and an RBI single by Brady Waugh, they could not maintain the pressure. Wichita State broke the deadlock in the eighth with an RBI single from Owen Washburn and a sacrifice fly by Nolan Ganter. UAB managed just one hit during the final two frames as the source reported.
Record-Breaking Effort
Despite the result, the 2026 Blazers squad left a mark on the history books by setting a new program record with 82 home runs. John Paul Head led the charge, accounting for 22 of those long balls—the second-most in a single season in school history, trailing only Shane Carnes’ 23-homer performance in 1998. Head finished the afternoon with three hits and two homers, while teammates Alex Dupuy and Andrew Hunt also added to the home run tally.
Looking Toward the Future
UAB entered the tournament as an NCAA Regional bubble team, but the loss saw them drop to No. 65 in the RPI. Fans can follow the NCAA Regional Selection Show this Monday at 11 a.m. Central on ESPN2 to see if the team’s postseason hopes remain alive.
Head coach Casey Dunn remains optimistic about the trajectory of the program. With only five seniors on the roster, the Blazers feature one of the youngest lineups in the American Athletic Conference, boasting five underclassmen who earned All-Conference honors this season. While Saturday was a setback, 205focus.com notes the clear promise inherent in this young roster.
