Gadsden State Community College’s baseball team is heading to the Alabama Community College Conference Division I Regional Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They will open tournament play at 1 p.m. Friday, May 9 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford and will face the winner of the Coastal Alabama-South vs. Chattahoochee Valley game.
The Cardinals are currently 38-13 and tied with Shelton State Community College for the best overall conference record in the regular season. This marks a dramatic turnaround from 2024 when the team finished its first season back with a 13-37 record after the program was reinstated following its 2011 disbandment.
Head Coach Blake Lewis said the turnaround reflects the growth, maturity and resilience of his players.
“To go from losing 37 games last year to winning 38 this year is a testament to how hard these guys have worked,” he said. “We have more players with college experience now and it shows. They’ve grown close together with one another and have been extremely coachable all year. Working together as a team is our key strength as we go into the tournament.”
The Cardinals’ strong performance this year has not gone unnoticed. Gadsden State is now receiving votes in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Top 25 national rankings. Lewis said this is a major accomplishment for a program still in the rebuilding stage.
“Team chemistry has been huge this season,” he said. “They play for each other and support each other like no other time this year. They are truly bonded together and are ready for the conference tournament.”
Two standout players have been key to the Cardinals’ offensive firepower. Sophomore outfielder Jayden Roberts of Tuscaloosa leads the team and is tied for the conference lead with 15 home runs, and sophomore infielder Aaron Wallace of Hueytown leads both the team and the ACCC with a .432 batting average.
“Jayden’s power at the plate has been a difference-maker in tight games, and Aaron’s consistency and leadership have anchored our lineup all year,” Lewis said. “Both of them embody the competitive spirit and work ethic we strive for in our baseball program.”
The winner of the ACCC Regional Tournament will advance to a best-of-three series against the winner of the NJCAA Louisiana Region XXIII Tournament, which will be held at Choccolocco Park May 16-18. The winner of that series will earn a spot in the NJCAA Division I World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
Admission to the ACCC Regional Tournament is $15 per day, or a tournament pass can be purchased for $50. Parking is $5 a day. All games will be web streamed live on the ACCC Sports Network at www.jockjive.com.
Pitcher Raeden Sumner delivers a pitch in Thursday's match up against Coastal.
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