LIVINGSTON, Ala. – For the first time in eight years, the University of West Alabama baseball team is heading back to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Tournament. The Tigers earned their spot after capturing the 2025 Gulf South Conference Championship, winning the title for the first time since 2015 and for the fourth time in program history.
West Alabama was selected as the No. 7 seed in the South Region and will compete in Pod Two, hosted by Florida Southern, who is the two-seed and is also UWA's opponent in the first round, playing on Thursday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m. CST/6:00 p.m. EST.
The Tigers return to the national stage comes on the heels of a thrilling postseason run through the GSC Tournament, where UWA claimed the conference crown behind strong pitching, timely hitting, and standout performances that earned five Tigers all-tournament honors. Joe Watkins, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, was joined by Bryant Quimby, Blake Vineyard, Jake Goolsby, and Nick Wilson on the All-Tournament Team.
The NCAA berth marks West Alabama's first since 2017, when the Tigers made a deep postseason run and reached the South Region Championship game before falling to Delta State, 6-4. Coincidentally, UWA's last matchup with Florida Southern also came during the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a 7-6 victory for the Tigers.
Now back in the big dance, UWA looks to make another memorable run, fueled by the momentum of a championship and a hunger to add to its growing legacy.
