Even if their welcome-home party in Athens had to be postponed several hours Saturday night, the shine could not leave the faces of the Tennessee Wesleyan baseball team and coaches — or their trophies.
The diamond Bulldogs pulled off the first NAIA national championship in the old school’s history Friday night in Lewiston, Idaho, rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat Rogers State 10-6 in the championship game of the NAIA World Series.
Led by a home run and five runs batted in from the nation’s season RBI king, third baseman Taylor Oldham, a record-breaking seventh homer in the series from right fielder Jordan Guida and strong relief pitching, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs wrapped up a 53-12 season with their 19th win in 20 games.
TWC had been to the 2010 and ’11 World Series but went 0-2 each time. It was 5-1 in this one.
Guida, a senior from Glendale, Ariz., who hit five homers all season leading into the World Series, was voted most valuable player after going 11-for-25 with 11 runs scored and a tournament-high 14 batted in. The whole TWC infield joined him on the all-tournament team — Oldham, shortstop Stephen Branca, second baseman Anthony Boix, first baseman Jake Stone and catcher Dale Ricketts — along with outfielders Brady Renner and Mike Moore and designated hitter Corey Davis from fourth-place Lee University.