The Basics
Score: No. 10 Oral Roberts 12 – South Dakota State 4
Records: No. 10 ORU (46-11), South Dakota State (24-28)
Location: Fargo, N.D. (Newman Outdoor Field)
Win: Brooks Fowler (9-1) | Loss: Ryan Bourassa (3-3)
 
FARGO, N.D. – The No. 10 ranked and top-seeded Oral Roberts baseball team claimed its 21st Summit League Championship title with a 12-4 victory over three-seed South Dakota State Saturday afternoon from Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota. With the victory, the Golden Eagles punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the 30th time in program history.

ORU has now won 18 consecutive games, the nation's longest active streak, and is 36-3 in its last 39 contests. The 18 straight wins mark the program's longest win streak in the NCAA Division I era since 1978 (21).

Brooks Fowler earned the win to improve to 9-1 on the year after striking out a career-high eight over five innings of work. In relief, Jacob Widener tossed 1.1 scoreless frames, while Cade Denton punched out seven Jackrabbits in 2.2 innings of work. The trio combined for 17 strikeouts, which tied the single-game Summit League Championship record. 

Justin Quinn, who was named the Summit League Championship MVP, led the Golden Eagles with a 4-for-5 performance to go along with two RBI and three runs scored. Center fielder Jonah Cox, who extended the nation's longest active hitting streak to 41 games, went 4-for-6 with two RBI. Jake McMurray (3-for-6), Jacob Godman (3-for-6), Holden Breeze (2-for-4) and Mac McCroskey (2-for-5) joined Cox and Quinn with multi-hit performances.

After the Jackrabbits jumped in front courtesy of a two-run homer in the second, ORU responded with a three-spot in the third to take the lead. Following a McMurray double, Quinn put the Golden Eagles on the board with an RBI single. The senior later came around to score along with Mac McCroskey, who reached on a walk, on a Breeze two-run single.

South Dakota State answered in the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer to even the score at 3-3. 

In the fourth, ORU broke the game open with a four-run frame to take a 7-3 advantage. Godman led off the inning with a solo shot to left-center, marking the senior's fourth long ball of the year. With runners on the corners, Cox laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Blaze Brothers, who reached on a walk. On the play, a throwing error by the Jackrabbits allowed Quinn to score from first and Cox to advance to third. 

In the next at-bat, Cox crossed the plate on a wild pitch for the fourth run of the inning. 

The Golden Eagles added to their lead, 8-3, in the fifth behind an RBI double from Quinn that brought home Godman, who reached on a single.

An RBI groundout from Drew Stahl in the sixth and an RBI bunt single from Cox in the seventh extended the ORU lead to 10-3. 

After the Jackrabbits trimmed the advantage to 10-4 in the eighth with an RBI single, Stahl tacked on two more insurance runs in the top half of the ninth with a single to left.

Denton slammed the door shut in the bottom half of the ninth, striking out the side to secure the 12-4 Golden Eagle victory.

Inside the Box Score
- ORU totaled 12 runs on 19 hits and drew seven walks. 
- Cox and Quinn led all players with four hits in the win.
- McMurray, Godman, Breeze and McCroskey each registered multi-hit performances.
- Stahl plated a game-best three RBI. 
- Breeze, Cox and Quinn each logged two RBI apiece in the victory.
- Breeze and Hogan drew two walks each.
- As a staff, ORU combined for 17 strikeouts.
- Fowler punched out a career-best eight batters in five innings.
- Denton struck out a season-best seven in 2.2 innings.

Notes
- The victory secured the Golden Eagles their 21st Summit League Championship title and 27th conference tournament title in program history. 
- Saturday's contest marked the 95th meeting all-time between the two clubs.
- With the win, ORU improved to 75-20 in the series and has won 13 of the last 14, including all five meetings in 2023. 
- This marks the 19th time that Oral Roberts has won the regular season and tournament titles in the same season and first since 2018.
- The Golden Eagles are now 72-7 all-time in the Summit League Championship.
- The Golden Eagles are 24-2 in Summit League Tournament title games. 
- ORU's 17 strikeouts tied the tournament single-game record set by the Golden Eagles against Southern Utah in 2009. 
- Cox extended his hitting streak, the nation's longest active, to 41 in the win and recorded his 100th hit of the season, becoming only the third ORU player to accomplish the feat in a single season.
- The 41-game hit streak is tied for the seventh longest in NCAA Division I history.
- The junior, who logged his 29th multi-hit performance of the season, has also recorded a hit in 56 of the 57 games this season. 
- Hogan pushed his on-base streak to 29 games in the win.
- Breeze has now reached base safely in 23 straight contests.
- McMurray made his 139th consecutive start and has reached safely in 22 straight games. 
- Stahl stretched his on-base streak to 16 games, while Quinn extended his to 14. 

All-Tournament Team
Justin Quinn, Oral Roberts (Championship MVP)
Jakob Hall, Oral Roberts
Harley Gollert, Oral Roberts
Mac McCroskey, Oral Roberts
Jacob Godman, Oral Roberts
Holden Breeze, Oral Roberts
Nic Nelson, South Dakota State
Jess Bellows, South Dakota State
Reece Anderson, South Dakota State
Ryan Baroussa, South Dakota State
Jake Goble, South Dakota State
Tristen Roehrich, North Dakota State
James Dunlap, North Dakota State
Eddie Satisky, Omaha

Up Next
The Golden Eagles find out which regional they will play in on Monday as the NCAA Selection Show is slated for 11 a.m. on ESPN 2.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

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