UIndy Athletics

ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Hounds are headed to Cary, N.C. again. 

For the third time in four seasons, the UIndy baseball team is headed to the College World Series after completing the sweep of top-seeded Grand Valley in the NCAA DII Midwest Super Regional with a 15-10 win in game two today.

After a one year absence in the NCAA DII College World Series, head coach Al Ready has gotten UIndy right back where it belongs, as the Hounds have made winning a regular under Ready, winning 22 of 25 Midwest Regional contests since 2023, including six in a row after today's win over the Lakers.

INS & OUTS
The Lakers came out full steam ahead, tacking on four early runs in the first two innings on a pair of singles, a double and a ground out, but after a scoreless third inning, the Hounds did exactly what they needed to do to take full control of the game. 

UIndy piled on 10 runs, its second most in a single inning this season, only behind the 16 run fourth inning it had against Lincoln on April 11. The Hounds went through 14 batters in the half inning, starting with a Brayton Bowen walk and Garrett Rusch single that led to an RBI double from Chase Mason. Bret Perry's two RBI single gave the Hounds the lead, and a pair of walks on Bowen and Mason extended the lead to four, 7-3, with only one out in the inning. 

With the bases juiced, a Luke Smock up to bat, Smock smashed a no doubter bomb to left field off the scoreboard to cap the inning for UIndy, and give the Hounds a commanding 11-4 lead. Smock's grand slam today is only the third of the season for him, and is the first grand slam of his collegiate career. His previous high in RBIs on a home run came against Davenport last season in the NCAA Midwest Regional when Smock hit a three-run RBI to cement UIndy's 25-13 win over the Panthers.
 

BYE BYE BALL ????

WHAT. AN. INNING. ??. RUNS. pic.twitter.com/d7QxTQBHwB

— UIndy Baseball (@UIndyBaseball) May 22, 2026

Joey Humphrey added on two more runs in the sixth on single into shallow center field, putting UIndy in front 13-7 after six. Humphrey continued his hot hitting in the NCAA Tournament with his third multi-hit game of the postseason, with the other two coming against Illinois Springfield in the NCAA Midwest Regional final.

Following Ryan O'Born's 5 2/3 innings of work, once again the relief duo of Griffin Hallahan and Drake Downing came in to close things out for UIndy. The two had some room to spare, as the two gave up three runs combined over 3 1/3 innings pitched, but Downing worked through an eighth inning bases loaded jam, followed by a trio of ground outs in the ninth, including the one to seal UIndy's spot in Cary, N.C. for the third time in four seasons.
 

The Hounds are Cary Bound ????

UIndy ?? will compete in the NCAA DII College World Series for the 3??rd time in 4?? seasons starting May 29th in Cary, NC pic.twitter.com/txzZZMqCcq

— UIndy Athletics (@UIndyAthletics) May 22, 2026

UP NEXT
UIndy will await its first match up in the NCAA DiI College World Series on Friday May 29, and will look to earn its first win in the NCAA DII Championships since 2000 when the Hounds beat Slippery Rock 9-4.