WALESKA, Ga. — The Ave Maria Baseball team made it farther than they have ever been in program history, but unfortunately lost in the Opening Round Championship to the Loyola Wolf Pack 8-4. The Wolf Pack scored six runs in the first three innings and hung on against the Gyrenes who surged late in the game.
The two teams swapped home and away designations from Wednesday's game, with Loyola acting as the home team. The Wolf Pack scored three runs in both the second and third innings off five hits and three errors from the Gyrenes.
Ave Maria got a run back in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Jimmy Coffey to bring home Michael Kelly.
The Gyrenes then scored three runs in the seventh to make it a two run ball game in the final three innings. The frame started with a solo shot from Kelly over the right field wall. It was his eighth homer of the season, tying him with his brother Tanner Kelly and Jordan Crawford for the second-most home runs on the team.
After the dinger, the Gyrenes loaded up the bases with two outs, putting the tying run at the plate. Kyle Van Liere loaded the bases by beating out a bunt single with two outs to bring up Jesus Gonzalez. The junior transfer then shot a ball up the right side of the field to bring home two and make it a 6-4 ballgame.
Ave Maria was on the brink of yet another comeback in the Opening Round, but the Wolf Pack regained control of the momentum with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
The Gyrenes got a runner on in the top of the ninth but couldn't bring anybody home as they fell 8-4.
Michael Kelly and Coffey led the team each with two hits. Gonzalez had the only multi-RBI game with two.
On the mound, Owen Johnson made his first start of the tournament and third appearance overall and tossed five innings with four strikeouts. Isaac Hines pitched two innings behind and was then followed by Davis Blair and Luke Zmolik.
The Gyrenes finish 2025 with a record of 30-27. They went 3-2 in the tournament, which is their best postseason mark in school history. In 2013, Ave Maria went 1-2 and in 2023 they went 2-2.
This season, Ave Maria scored the third-most runs in a single season, had the third-most hits, the second-most home runs and the second-most strikeouts in school history. They had four players make All-Conference teams, with two on the First Team and two on the Second Team.
Individually, Tanner Kelly set the program record in at-bats, runs scored, hits, RBI and hit by pitches. On the mound, Cam Horner extended his career record to 27 wins, while also having the second-most career strikeouts and third-most career innings pitched. Kevin Figueredo joined in the top 10s of those lists as well with the fourth-most strikeouts, sixth-most wins, and sixth-most innings pitched.
Single-season wise, the Gyrenes recorded the first two cycles in program history with Tanner Kelly and Crawford both achieving that feat. Gonzalez had an incredible season as well with the second-most home runs, the third-longest on-base streak and the sixth-best batting average.
Overall, 2025 was a fantastic season for the Gyrenes.
"You couldn't be more proud of these guys," said interim head coach Pete Horner following the game. "We have battled so much. There are a lot of really good things here. And these guys have had so much adversity here and they are a band of misfit toys and we found a way to string them together at the right time and be good enough to win and honestly it has just been a privilege to watch these guys go. I think they really emptied the tank [this week]."
The Gyrenes return back to Ave Maria obviously disappointed but excited for their next crack at the NAIA National Tournament. Each subsequent trip has had one more win than the last, and they want to continue that trend. The only hard part now is waiting until 2026 for their next chance to take the diamond.
