No. 7 Wichita State edged No. 5 Memphis 6-4 on Tuesday night in the 2026 American Baseball Championship, a contest that kept the Shockers alive in the elimination bracket and set up a showdown with No. 4 UAB in Clearwater, Florida.
Early Power Surge
Jayson Jones opened the scoring with his 15th home run of the season in the top of the first inning, and Ethan Gonzalez added his third homer of the year two batters later, giving Wichita State an early 2-0 lead.
Extending the Edge
Kaleb Duncan contributed a two‑run single in the third, and Jacob Gutierrez followed with an RBI single in the fifth, pushing the advantage to 4-0.
Memphis Fights Back
The Memphis offense rallied in the seventh, as Trae Cassidy drove in Brady McAbee with an RBI single and a wild pitch later allowed Michael Gupton to cross the plate. Marcus Smith capped the comeback effort with a solo homer in the ninth.
Pitching Precision
Caleb Reed worked 6.2 innings, surrendering three earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out eight. Reliever Dax Sharp closed the game with his first save of the season.
Looking Ahead
Wichita State will now travel to face UAB in the next elimination game, hoping to carry the momentum from a balanced attack and solid pitching performance.