GRAND JUNCTION, Co. – LSU Eunice Baseball lands the five-seed in the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series that starts this Saturday at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Bengals (46-11) will play the final first round game of the tournament against six-seed Miami Dade College on Sunday, May 24 at 10:00AM MST (11:00AM CST).
The NJCAA announced the seeding for the ten-team double elimination tournament on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bengals make their maiden voyage to Grand Junction after moving up to the Division I level one year ago. This will be LSUE's 12th overall trip to the NJCAA National Tournament, making 11 appearances in a 21-year span that included eight National Championships as a Division II member.
LSUE's half of the bracket includes Miami Dade as well as two-seed Blinn College, three-seed Midland College, eight-seed Wabash Valley CC, and nine-seed Salt Lake CC. The winner of the LSUE/Miami-Dade contest will play the 2-0 team from that grouping on Tuesday, May 26. Johnson County is the overall number one seed after a 62-3 season, with four-seed Walters State CC, seven-seed Seminole State College, and ten-seed Harford rounding out the field.
The Bengals punched their ticket to the World Series after defeating Shelton State in the final two games of the South District Series that was held last weekend in Eunice. LSUE's offense is homegrown with its four top hitters coming from the Bayou State, headlined by Notre Dame High's
Aidan Mouton (Rayne, LA, Notre Dame HS). The Region 23 Most Valuable Player leads the team with a .440 batting average, 89 runs scored, and 37 stolen bases.
LSUE, the sixth ranked team in the nation heading into the postseason, will bring one of its most powerful lineups in its storied history to Grand Junction. The Bengals have a program single-season record 97 home runs on the season, led by
Mason Bordelon's (Marksville, LA, Avoyelles Charter HS) 17 long balls.
Andrew Clapinski (Baton Rouge, LA, Catholic-Baton Rouge HS) is Top 20 nationally with 84 RBIs, and also leads the squad in hits (81) and doubles (21).
Catholic-New Iberia HS product
Lane Fenske (New Iberia, LA, Catholic-New Iberia HS) is the top starting pitcher for the Bengals, leading the nation with 15 wins on the season. The freshman's 3.10 earned run average and 94 strikeouts are also tops on the team.
McCray Jacobs (Johnson City, TX, Johnson City HS) is a do-it-all southpaw, making a team-high 23 appearances including two starts that resulted in clinching wins in both the Region 23 Tournament and South District Series.
Miami Dade College (37-18-1) qualified for the JUCO World Series after capturing the Region 8 Championship and South Atlantic District that makes up all of Florida. The Sharks are making their fourth appearance in Grand Junction and first since the 2021 season. Miami Dade was ranked 24th in the final NJCAA polls of the season. The Sharks are one of the hottest teams in the nation, rallying from a 15-13-1 record at the midway point of the season and having won 22 of their last 27 games.
The Sharks are led by a strong pitching staff, ranked fourth nationally in team ERA (4.34) and seventh in the county in batting average against (.246). Their top arms are redshirt sophomore Xavier Pelzer (3.95 ERA, 7-1 record, 66 strikeouts) and freshman Samuel Alonso (3.22 ERA, 7-2 record, 55 strikeouts). Their 480 strikeouts are ranked 22nd nationally.
Offensively, Willy Mendez is the go-to bat in the Miami Dade lineup. The sophomore from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic leads the team in average (.354), hits (70), doubles (12), home runs (8), and runs batted in (55).
All games of the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series will be broadcasted on ESPN+. For up-to-date information on LSU Eunice Baseball, visit www.lsuebengals.net or on social media at @LSUEBengalsBSB (X and Facebook) or @LSUEBengals (Instagram).
2026 NJCAA Division I World Series
Sam Suplizio Field – Grand Junction, Colorado
Double Elimination Tournament | May 23-30
Saturday, May 23
| Game 1 – 4. Walters State CC (52-11) vs. 7. Seminole State College (48-12) |
9:00AM MST |
| Game 2 – 1. Johnson County CC (62-3) vs. 10. Harford (54-6) |
12:00PM MST |
| Game 3 – 2. Blinn College (45-12) vs. 9. Salt Lake CC (38-15) |
3:00PM MST |
| Game 4 – 3. Midland College (50-10) vs. 8. Wabash Valley College (43-20) |
7:30PM MST |
Sunday, May 24
| Game 5 – 5. LSU Eunice (46-11) vs. 6. Miami Dade College (37-18-1) |
10:00AM MST |
| Game 6 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser |
2:00PM MST |
| Game 7 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser |
7:00PM MST |
Monday, May 25
| Game 8 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner |
9:00AM MST |
| Game 9 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner |
1:00PM MST |
| Game 10 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner |
6:00PM MST |
Tuesday, May 26
| Game 11 – Game 5 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser |
10:00AM MST |
| Game 12 – Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser |
2:00PM MST |
| Game 13 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner |
7:00PM MST |
Wednesday, May 27
| Game 14 – Game 11 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser |
2:00PM MST |
| Game 15 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner |
7:00PM MST |
Thursday, May 28
| Game 16 – Game 14 Winner vs. Game 15 Loser |
2:00PM MST |
| Game 17 – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner |
7:00PM MST |
Note: If three teams remain at Game 18, the team with the most games played shall receive a bye to Game 19. If there is a toe for most games played, the team that won the head-to-head matchup in the tournament shall receive a bye to Game 19. If the tie is still not able to be broken, the higher seed shall advance to Game 19.
Friday, May 29
| Game 18 – TBA vs. TBA |
7:00PM MST |
Saturday, May 30
| Game 19 – TBA vs. TBA |
7:00PM MST |
