NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas-Monticello’s Chaz Poppy hit two home runs and drove in five as top-seeded Arkansas-Monticello won the GAC Baseball Championship title for the third time in program history, 8-5, against second-seeded Arkansas Tech on Saturday from Dickey-Stephens Park.
Poppy, the Tournament MVP, hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and a two-run home run in the third. For the tournament, he hit .433 with three home runs and a tournament-leading 11 RBI.
Poppy’s second home run gave the Weevils (32-22) the lead for good. Following his first-inning home run, the Wonder Boys (38-18) answered with three runs of their own. The Weevils added to their lead with a single tally in the fifth and two in the eighth. GAC Freshman of the Year Camden Tanner finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Kirk Woolf doubled, tripled and scored two runs.
Ruben Macias pitched the first four innings for the Weevils. Dylan Vail followed with 4.0 scoreless frames. In the ninth, the Wonder Boys scored twice and put the tying man on base, Nelson Mercado entered and locked down his second save of the weekend, eighth of the season, with two fly outs.
Tech won the opening game Saturday, 9-3, behind a six-run fourth inning. Mason Willis threw a complete-game eight hitter with two strikeouts. Cole Dawson and Nick Jones each drove in three runs.
Tanner, Chase Cripps and Mercado joined Poppy on the All-Tournament Team. Nick Jones, Grant Jones, Mason Willis and Will Horton represented the Wonder Boys. Harding’s Davis Welch, Maddox Long and Coulton Doyle plus Southern Arkansas’ Jaden Woolbright filled out the 12-member team.
The Weevils secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Central Regional, their first berth since 2019. The Wonder Boys and Bisons entered the week in line for at-large selections. The selection show streams on NCAA.com at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.