ATLANTA, Ga. (May 27, 2026) – The 2026 Collegiate Conference of the South Baseball Championship unfolded over six days at Trustmark Park, with weather delays, elimination-game drama, and a championship run from the tournament’s top seed.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Piedmont entered the bracket as the No. 1 seed and eventual automatic qualifier, but the Lions’ path to the title was tested from the start. LaGrange opened the tournament with the first major result of the week, knocking off No. 2 Belhaven, 10-7, on Wednesday to send the Blazers into the elimination side of the bracket early.
Tournament play continued Thursday with Piedmont opening its championship run against No. 6 Asbury. The Lions advanced with a 3-2 victory, holding off the Eagles in a tight opening-round matchup. No. 3 Maryville followed with another one-run result, defeating No. 4 Huntingdon, 3-2, to move forward in the winners’ bracket. Later that day, Belhaven responded from its opening loss with a 17-1 run-rule victory over Asbury, keeping the Blazers alive and ending Asbury’s tournament run.
After weather adjusted the championship schedule, Saturday brought a full slate of pivotal games. Piedmont continued through the winners’ bracket with a 9-4 victory over Huntingdon, while Maryville defeated LaGrange, 6-2, to set up a winners’ bracket matchup between the Lions and Scots. Belhaven, facing elimination for the second time, held off LaGrange, 5-4, to continue its push through the bracket and end the Panthers’ tournament run.
Sunday’s semifinal round brought the bracket into sharper focus. Piedmont met Maryville with a spot in the championship game on the line and remained unbeaten with a 9-5 victory. The result sent the Lions directly into the final and dropped Maryville into an elimination matchup against Belhaven. The Blazers then continued their climb from the elimination bracket, defeating the Scots, 10-2, to secure their place in the championship game.
That set up a final between the tournament’s top two seeds: No. 1 Piedmont and No. 2 Belhaven. Piedmont entered the championship game unbeaten in tournament play, while Belhaven had won three straight elimination games after its opening-round loss.
In Monday’s championship game, Piedmont took control early and never trailed. The Lions broke through with a five-run second inning, sparked by Jack Ryan’s leadoff double and an RBI single from Davin Miller. Piedmont continued to apply pressure throughout the middle innings, adding runs in the third and fourth while freshman Will Schmidt kept Belhaven scoreless through four frames.
Belhaven cut into the deficit with a three-run fifth inning, but Piedmont answered immediately with two runs in the bottom half to extend the lead to 9-3. The Lions added four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Ryan’s two-run home run to left field, building a commanding advantage.
The Blazers pushed across a run in the seventh to extend the game, but Piedmont ended it in the bottom half of the inning. Ben Connelly delivered the final swing, sending a ground-rule double to right-center that brought home the championship-clinching run and sealed a 14-4 run-rule victory.
With the win, Piedmont captured its second CCS tournament title and fifth conference tournament championship in program history. The Lions finished the conference tournament unbeaten and secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
Cole Ellis was named Tournament MVP, while Davin Miller, Jack Ryan and Ben Connelly joined him as Piedmont’s all-tournament selections. Belhaven was represented by Blake McCarthy, Trey Smith and Cole Burton, Maryville placed Logan Krause and Xavier Resto on the team, and LaGrange was represented by Jackson McElvy and Tanner Morneau.
CCS TEAMS MAKE NCAA DIII TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES
Three Collegiate Conference of the South programs represented the league in the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, highlighted by a regional title from Piedmont and at-large selections for both Belhaven and Maryville.
Piedmont — Danville Regional (Automatic Qualifier)
Piedmont entered the NCAA Tournament as the CCS automatic qualifier and No. 2 seed in the Danville Regional. The Lions opened postseason play with a 3-2 victory over host Centre before edging WashU, 5-4, in a closely contested winner’s bracket matchup. Piedmont completed an undefeated run through the regional with a 12-8 victory over WashU in the championship game, securing the Danville Regional title and advancing to the Super Regional round. The Lions’ season came to a close against top-ranked Denison, falling in consecutive games to finish the year with a 33-15 overall record.
Belhaven — Marshall Regional (At-Large Selection)
Belhaven earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament after reaching the CCS championship game and finishing the regular season ranked No. 23 in the final D3baseball.com poll prior to the NCAA Tournament field announcement. The appearance marked the program’s 12th NCAA Tournament berth and second consecutive regional selection. Competing in the Marshall Regional, the Blazers fell to Rhodes in their opening game before dropping an elimination contest to Concordia (Texas). Belhaven concluded its season with a 31-15 overall record.
Maryville — Lynchburg Regional (At-Large Selection)
Maryville received its second consecutive at-large bid and fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history following another strong campaign. The Scots opened the Lynchburg Regional with a thrilling contest, outlasting Christopher Newport 8-7 in 13 innings. Maryville then faced host Lynchburg before meeting Christopher Newport again in an elimination game. The Scots battled throughout the regional and finished the season 28-19 with another NCAA Tournament appearance on their résumé.
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.