Wednesday, May 20
Mesa, Ariz.
5 p.m. (CT)
Abilene Christian
vs
Sacramento State
Photo by: Kaylee Kahn
ACU Begins WAC Tournament Versus Sacramento State Wednesday
5/19/2026 6:50:00 PM | Baseball
MESA, Ariz. - Abilene Christian baseball begins its run at the University Credit Union Western Athletic Conference Tournament with a first-round matchup versus Sacramento State at 5 p.m. (CT) Wednesday. The fifth-seeded Wildcats meet the No. 4 Hornets at Hohokam Stadium looking to punch their ticket to the program's first NCAA Tournament.
A Wildcat win in the first round would advance ACU to meet top-seeded Tarleton State in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. (CT) Thursday. If the Wildcats drop their first game, they'll face the loser between No. 3 Utah Tech and No. 6 UT Arlington later in the evening at 9 p.m. (CT).
Each game of the WAC Tournament can be streamed on ESPN+ with Michael Potter, Ben Wilson and Kendra Sheehan on the call.
LHP Brett Lanman looks to set the tone on the mound for ACU at the Spring Training home of the Athletics. He delivered one of his best outings of the season when the Wildcats met the Hornets on May 2, allowing just two hits in seven innings and striking out 10 batters.
ACU took the series between the two teams when they met in Sacramento, Calif. on May 1-3. The Wildcats banged out seven home runs, including a pair each by Maddox Miesse and Diego Cardenas. Miesse slashed .545/.615/1.091 in three games, while Nick Arias and Ryan Jones batted 5 for 12 and 4 for 11, respectively.
LOOKBACK ON LAST WEEK – ACU wrapped up the regular season by being swept at the hands of Utah Tech in St. George, Utah. JT Thompson, the team's leader in batting average at .337, stayed hot by hitting .462 (6 for 13) over three games. He collected a hit in each game and was perfect on two stolen base attempts. Diego Cardenas and Maddox Miesse each hit a pair of home runs, while Nick Arias and Brady Ladusau totaled six RBIs. Arias hit .364 (4 for 11) and Ladusau batted .357 (5 for 14). Braden Regala made two starts, his first since April 7 after dealing with an injury.
COMING ALIVE IN MESA – Making their fifth and final trip to the University Credit Union WAC Baseball Tournament, the Wildcats have played some of their best baseball at Hohokam Stadium. ACU has advanced to the championship game in two of four appearances, doing so in its debut year in 2022 and in 2025. Both runs have come after dropping the first game of the tournament. ACU took down No. 1 Sacramento State last year and beat top-seeded Grand Canyon twice in 2022 to advance to each title game.
THE WAC'S FINEST – Diego Cardenas and Zandt Payne were recognized among the top ballplayers in the Western Athletic Conference with three All-WAC honors, the conference released May 19. Cardenas received All-WAC First Team accolades, while Payne was named to the Second Team and All-Defensive Team. It's the fourth consecutive season that the Wildcats have garnered at least three All-WAC awards. Payne was recognized for the second year in a row after being named to the 2025 All-WAC First Team. An ACU ballplayer has landed on the WAC All-Defensive Team in each of its five seasons in the conference.
ON-BASE MACHINE – Zandt Payne has displayed remarkable consistency this season, starting each of the Wildcats' 54 games with a .311 batting average and a .459 on-base percentage. He has reached base safely in all but two contests this season, including a streak of 35 games in which he made his way aboard. Payne leads the team with 43 walks and has been hit by a pitch 14 times, ranking second on ACU's roster. He has been recognized among the nation's top shortstops as a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award.
WILDCATS DIG THE LONG BALL – The Wildcats have developed into one of the most powerful teams in the nation at the plate this season, tying for 21st with 91 home runs. Diego Cardenas leads the WAC and is tied for eighth nationally with 24 long balls, while Grant Watkins is drawn for 17th with 20 homers. ACU is one of four teams with two hitters ranked within the top 20. Over the past two seasons alone, Cardenas and Watkins are second and third in program history for home runs with 43 and 36, respectively. Cardenas also leads the conference with 66 RBIs and a .735 slugging percentage. He is pursuing Grayson Tatrow's program records of 25 home runs and 68 RBIs, established in 2023.
BIG FISH – Brady Ladusau blasted two home runs versus Indiana on April 18 to establish the Wildcats' Division I true freshman home run record with four. He now has five long balls, the most home runs by a Wildcat in their first collegiate season in ACU's Division I era. Ladusau also scored five runs in the game against the Hoosiers, the most by a Wildcat since 2021. Ladusau's 34 RBIs are the third-most by an ACU true freshman, trailing Bash Randle's 39 RBIs in 2021 and Brandon Grudzielanek's 35 in 2014. The Wildcats have also received key contributions from first-year players in LHP Baron Mannis (40.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 47 K), LHP Carson Wallace (33.1 IP, 36 K) and redshirt OF Ryan Jones (.259/.439/.452, 4 HR, 19 RBI).
FAMILY AFFAIR – Brady Ladusau is continuing his family legacy with ACU baseball by following in his older brother, Miller Ladusau's, footsteps. Miller is one of the top players in program history as the team leader in games played (225), at-bats (834) and hits (264) from 2020-24. Miller tops the leaderboard in doubles (60) and is second in runs (173), RBIs (160) and walks (101).
ABILENE TO OMAHA – ACU has adopted the mantra of "ATO," or "Abilene to Omaha," under coach Rick McCarty, referencing the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The motto recognizes the Wildcats' intent to establish themselves on the national stage as a mid-major program.
LAST RUN IN THE WAC – The Wildcats enter the final season of the Western Athletic Conference before it is rebranded into the United Athletic Conference, beginning with the 2026-27 athletic year. ACU will join the UAC alongside WAC partners UT Arlington and Tarleton State. The Texas trio will join Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Little Rock, North Alabama and West Georgia.
A Wildcat win in the first round would advance ACU to meet top-seeded Tarleton State in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. (CT) Thursday. If the Wildcats drop their first game, they'll face the loser between No. 3 Utah Tech and No. 6 UT Arlington later in the evening at 9 p.m. (CT).
Each game of the WAC Tournament can be streamed on ESPN+ with Michael Potter, Ben Wilson and Kendra Sheehan on the call.
LHP Brett Lanman looks to set the tone on the mound for ACU at the Spring Training home of the Athletics. He delivered one of his best outings of the season when the Wildcats met the Hornets on May 2, allowing just two hits in seven innings and striking out 10 batters.
ACU took the series between the two teams when they met in Sacramento, Calif. on May 1-3. The Wildcats banged out seven home runs, including a pair each by Maddox Miesse and Diego Cardenas. Miesse slashed .545/.615/1.091 in three games, while Nick Arias and Ryan Jones batted 5 for 12 and 4 for 11, respectively.
LOOKBACK ON LAST WEEK – ACU wrapped up the regular season by being swept at the hands of Utah Tech in St. George, Utah. JT Thompson, the team's leader in batting average at .337, stayed hot by hitting .462 (6 for 13) over three games. He collected a hit in each game and was perfect on two stolen base attempts. Diego Cardenas and Maddox Miesse each hit a pair of home runs, while Nick Arias and Brady Ladusau totaled six RBIs. Arias hit .364 (4 for 11) and Ladusau batted .357 (5 for 14). Braden Regala made two starts, his first since April 7 after dealing with an injury.
COMING ALIVE IN MESA – Making their fifth and final trip to the University Credit Union WAC Baseball Tournament, the Wildcats have played some of their best baseball at Hohokam Stadium. ACU has advanced to the championship game in two of four appearances, doing so in its debut year in 2022 and in 2025. Both runs have come after dropping the first game of the tournament. ACU took down No. 1 Sacramento State last year and beat top-seeded Grand Canyon twice in 2022 to advance to each title game.
THE WAC'S FINEST – Diego Cardenas and Zandt Payne were recognized among the top ballplayers in the Western Athletic Conference with three All-WAC honors, the conference released May 19. Cardenas received All-WAC First Team accolades, while Payne was named to the Second Team and All-Defensive Team. It's the fourth consecutive season that the Wildcats have garnered at least three All-WAC awards. Payne was recognized for the second year in a row after being named to the 2025 All-WAC First Team. An ACU ballplayer has landed on the WAC All-Defensive Team in each of its five seasons in the conference.
ON-BASE MACHINE – Zandt Payne has displayed remarkable consistency this season, starting each of the Wildcats' 54 games with a .311 batting average and a .459 on-base percentage. He has reached base safely in all but two contests this season, including a streak of 35 games in which he made his way aboard. Payne leads the team with 43 walks and has been hit by a pitch 14 times, ranking second on ACU's roster. He has been recognized among the nation's top shortstops as a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award.
WILDCATS DIG THE LONG BALL – The Wildcats have developed into one of the most powerful teams in the nation at the plate this season, tying for 21st with 91 home runs. Diego Cardenas leads the WAC and is tied for eighth nationally with 24 long balls, while Grant Watkins is drawn for 17th with 20 homers. ACU is one of four teams with two hitters ranked within the top 20. Over the past two seasons alone, Cardenas and Watkins are second and third in program history for home runs with 43 and 36, respectively. Cardenas also leads the conference with 66 RBIs and a .735 slugging percentage. He is pursuing Grayson Tatrow's program records of 25 home runs and 68 RBIs, established in 2023.
BIG FISH – Brady Ladusau blasted two home runs versus Indiana on April 18 to establish the Wildcats' Division I true freshman home run record with four. He now has five long balls, the most home runs by a Wildcat in their first collegiate season in ACU's Division I era. Ladusau also scored five runs in the game against the Hoosiers, the most by a Wildcat since 2021. Ladusau's 34 RBIs are the third-most by an ACU true freshman, trailing Bash Randle's 39 RBIs in 2021 and Brandon Grudzielanek's 35 in 2014. The Wildcats have also received key contributions from first-year players in LHP Baron Mannis (40.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 47 K), LHP Carson Wallace (33.1 IP, 36 K) and redshirt OF Ryan Jones (.259/.439/.452, 4 HR, 19 RBI).
FAMILY AFFAIR – Brady Ladusau is continuing his family legacy with ACU baseball by following in his older brother, Miller Ladusau's, footsteps. Miller is one of the top players in program history as the team leader in games played (225), at-bats (834) and hits (264) from 2020-24. Miller tops the leaderboard in doubles (60) and is second in runs (173), RBIs (160) and walks (101).
ABILENE TO OMAHA – ACU has adopted the mantra of "ATO," or "Abilene to Omaha," under coach Rick McCarty, referencing the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The motto recognizes the Wildcats' intent to establish themselves on the national stage as a mid-major program.
LAST RUN IN THE WAC – The Wildcats enter the final season of the Western Athletic Conference before it is rebranded into the United Athletic Conference, beginning with the 2026-27 athletic year. ACU will join the UAC alongside WAC partners UT Arlington and Tarleton State. The Texas trio will join Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Little Rock, North Alabama and West Georgia.
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