UC Bearcats advance to Starkville Regional final after dominant win over Louisiana
The University of Cincinnati baseball team secured its second consecutive regional opener victory, setting up a Saturday night clash against top-seeded Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team advanced to the next stage of the NCAA Starkville Regional on May 29, defeating Louisiana 12-2 in the opening game of the tournament. The victory moves the No. 2 seed into a scheduled matchup against the top-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday night, broadcast at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN+.
Junior catcher Jack Natili delivered a pivotal performance, hitting three home runs and a double. This marked the third time in the 2026 season that Natili has hit three home runs in a single game. He was joined by freshman Enzo Infelise, redshirt sophomore Charlie Niehaus, and redshirt freshman Ryan Tyranski, as the Bearcats launched a total of six home runs during the contest.
Starting pitcher Nathan Taylor provided stability on the mound, allowing just two hits and one run over six innings while striking out three batters. Although Taylor walked four batters, the Bearcats’ defense executed a critical double play in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Derrick Pitts chased down a deep fly ball by Donovan LaSalle and threw out runner Drew Markle at second base, preserving the lead before UC’s offense added five more runs in the subsequent at-bat.
Louisiana starter Cody Brasch took the loss after allowing eight hits, including four home runs, and seven runs. The Bearcats’ relief pitchers Dominic Mauro, Adam Brouwer, and Joel Pineiro closed out the final three innings, securing the win despite a weather delay of over an hour at the start of the game.
This result marks the eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the UC program and the second consecutive year the Bearcats have won their regional opener. The team last played in Starkville in February 2015, where they were swept by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, now 41-17 after defeating Lipscomb 10-1 on Friday, will face UC in a double-elimination format that determines whether the Bearcats play on Sunday at 8 p.m. or 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
