Raiders’ Offense Erupts For 22 Runs on Tuesday, Knocking Off No. 1 Ranked Johnson County

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Northwest Florida State baseball put together a statement win on Tuesday in Grand Junction, taking down the No. 1 ranked team in the nation Johnson County, 22-2 (five-innings), pushing them ahead to the semifinal round Thursday night.

The Raiders offense was electric all game. The team produced 22 runs on 19 hits, including four home runs and eight extra-base hits. Every single bat that stepped up to the plate today recorded a hit for the Raiders, including Mason Janz, who smashed his first career home run with a pinch-hit two-run blast to left in the fifth inning.

Tyler Lejeune, Qrey Lott, and Bryce Hubbard all collected three hits in the game, while each drove in multiple RBIs. Lejeune and Cade Sadler led the team in RBIs with five each, while Lott came up big with four RBIs. Every other Raider, besides Chase Williams and Kendrey Maduro, recorded an RBI in the game, contributing to the lop-sided figure on the scoreboard.

Aside from the dominant display at the plate, Raiders' starting pitcher Brock Tapper had himself another exceptional outing. Tapper allowed seven hits and two unearned runs over four and one-third innings, striking out five and walking none, earning his eighth win of the year. Josiah Golden took the loss for Johnson County CC, pitching two innings and giving up four runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and no walks.

Northwest Florida opened the scoring early in the first inning with a lead-off single by Williams, followed by a two-run homer to right field by Cayden Gaskin, putting the Raiders up 2-0. The Raiders extended their lead in the top of the second inning with a single by Cade Sadler and a home run to right field by Lejeune, extending their lead to four runs.

In the third inning, Northwest Florida added seven more runs on four hits. Colby Jones doubled, driving in one run, Bryce Hubbard drew a walk to score another, Sadler singled to drive in two, and Qrey Lott hit a three-run homer to right field, pushing the Raiders lead to 11-0.

Three more runs came across for the Raiders in the top of the fourth, putting the score at 14-1. Sadler drove in one with a sac fly to right-center, followed by Lejeune bringing home two more with a two-out triple to left center.

The offensive onslaught continued in the fifth inning with eight more runs on six hits. Jaquae Stewart singled to drive in one, Hubbard singled for another, Sadler hit a sacrifice fly for one more, Lott singled in another run, Lejeune doubled to bring in two more, and Mason Janz capped it off with a two-run homer to left field, giving Northwest Florida a commanding 22-2 lead.

The Raiders set a new program record for most runs scored in a single game. This also marks just the third time since 2014 the Raiders have produced 20 or more runs in a game. One of those games came earlier this year in the season opener (Jan. 26) against Florida Southwestern, where the Raiders put up 20 runs on 14 hits.

In four games this tournament, the Raiders have scored 52 runs, 54 hits, 17 extra-base hits, nine home runs, and 21 walks. On the flip side, the Raiders' pitching staff has only surrendered 18 runs (11 earned) this tournament, with nearly half of them coming in their opening loss to Iowa Western (7).

The team now advances to Thursday's semifinal round at 8:00 p.m. (CDT) where they await the winner of a couple key games being played later today and tomorrow night. As it stands, the Raiders are the highest remaining seed in the tournament, and they hope that this momentum can carry them to their first national championship since 2015.