COLUMBUS, Ga. – Gulf Coast State College was crowned champion of the 2025 NFCA NJCAA Leadoff Classic hosted at the South Commons Complex. The Commodores went 5-0 and earned the title via a run-differential tiebreaker (+38) over Indian River State College (+32) who was named runner-up. Jones College also notched a perfect 5-0 showing in Columbus.
The 11th-ranked (DI) Commodores capped off their undefeated weekend with a 9-2 win over No. 4 (DI) Walters State Community College.
They opened the tournament with a 7-0 blanking of Monroe University followed by a 11-2 thumping of Roane State Community College. Gulf Coast State’s bats continued to shine on Saturday in 16-5 (5 inn.) and 9-0 (5 inn.) wins against Pellissippi State and No. 7 (DII) Johnson County Community College.
The run-differential tiebreaker is capped at eight runs for any result that exceeds that margin.
IRSC, the top-ranked team in NJCAA DI, collected three run-rule victories over No. 13 (DII) Danville Area, Monroe University and No. 5 (DI) Walters State. The Pioneers also topped No. 11 (DII) Pearl River Community College, 5-0, and Johnson County, 5-2. Over the course of five games, IRSC outscored its opponents 47-3 and recorded three shutouts.
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No. 4 (DII) Jones opened the tournament with a four-run rally to walk off No. 9 (DII) Des Moines Area CC, 9-8, and, after a 6-1 triumph over Illinois Central, the Bobcats picked up another one-run win, 10-9, against Johnson County. On Saturday, JC run-ruled Danville Area, 12-2 in five innings, and defeated Roane State, 10-3.
Pellissippi State Community College, in its first year of competition under head coach Meredith Smith, earned their first-ever program victory, defeating the defending NJCAA DIII national champions Patrick & Henry Community College, 5-3. They jumped out on top 2-0 in the fourth. After P&HCC’s Morgan McCrary hit the first of her two home runs to cut the lead to 2-1, the Panthers scored two more to extend their lead to 4-1. McCrary hit a two-run shot in the sixth to get the Patriots within one, but Jenna Hagee’s RBI double provided an insurance run for PSCC. Jordyn Mays recorded a 1-2-3 seventh to finish off her complete-game performance and pick up the win.
Also picking up wins on the final day of the tournament were Chipola, Danville Area, DMACC, Tallahassee State College and Walters State Community College. Chipola raced out to a 9-1 lead after three, only to see Johnson County chip away and get within 9-6. The Indians pushed three across in the sixth to give them a 12-6 cushion and held off a Cavalier rally for a 12-8 victory.
DACC scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to edge Southeastern Illinois, 3-1. The ninth-ranked Bears thumped Seminole State 9-1 in five innings, while THC pulled out a 5-4 win over Roane State. Prior to their contest with Gulf Coast State, Walters State earned a 5-4 walk-off win over No. 2 (DIII) North Dakota State College of Science.
All-Tournament Team (Johnson County will be added when submitted)
Anyela Ruiz Gómez, Chipola College
Mia Herbert, Danville Area CC
Kierra Jungers, DMACC
Kali Austerman, Gulf Coast State College
Cassidee Bauer, Illinois Central College
Presley Smith, Indian River State College
Haley Bryant, Johnson County
Emily Mizelle, Jones College
Lizbeth Zambrano, Monroe University
Katie Edmonds, North Dakota SCS
Laila Rodriguez, Patrick & Henry CC
Natalee Eaves, Pearl River CC
Anna Burleson, Pellissippi State CC
Alexis Morrison, Roane State CC
Makayla Nieves, Seminole State (FL)
Hope Newell, Southeastern Illinois College
Mallory Collier, Tallahassee State
Kendal Mason, Walters State
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