June 8, 2025
ERAU Club Baseball Heads to Nationals for the First Time After Historic Season Daytona Beach, Fla. — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Club Baseball team is making program history this spring, advancing to the National Club Baseball Association(NCBA) World Series for the first time. After a dominant season marked by dedication and outstanding performance, the team now ranks 5th in the nation and will represent ERAU in pursuit of a national championship in Illinois.
Since February, the team has played nearly every weekend, traveling from Daytona across the state of Florida and beyond. Finishing the regular season with a 14-2 record and second place in their division, ERAU advanced to the playoffs in Augusta, Georgia, where they went undefeated across three games to secure their place in the national tournament.
In the playoffs, ERAU Club Baseball defeated Georgia Southern (16-6), the University of Tampa(8-4), and Tampa again in a rematch (8-5). Remarkably, the team outscored all opponents collectively across the tournament, showcasing both offensive and defensive strength.
A standout feature of the team’s success has been its elite pitching staff, which boasts a combined 1.9 earned run average (ERA)— the best in their division in and among the best in the country. Starting pitchers Joseph Raleigh, Drew Sullivan, and the team’s president Jack Cronan led the charge, supported by closers JD Sobeck and Colin McLagan.
Offensively, center fielder Alijah Haynes has been a key player, finishing the season with a .52 batting average and a hit in every game. His home run during the playoffs was a turning point insecuring momentum for the team. Catcher Channing Clark caught nearly every game and played a pivotal role in guiding the pitching staff through such a successful season.
The team's leadership includes Jack Cronan (President), Nicholas Hilbert (Vice President),William Carrier (Secretary), and Russell Roberts (Treasurer). The club is advised and coached by Sean Zellers.
“This season has been the best season in our club’s history,” Cronan said. “As a club we have never made playoffs before, but we worked hard this year and built a roster starting in September2024 that would be able to get to this stage. After our hard work this season practicing three times a week and games every weekend, we are now ranked 5th in the country and are competing for the national championship.”
“We look forward to representing the university and hopefully taking home a national title.”
The team’s travel to Illinois is being supported by the ERAU Student Government Association(SGA). The support reflects a growing collaboration between student-led organizations and campus media to elevate ERAU’s athletic presence.
“I’m proud of the performance of Club Baseball to make it this far and be a leader in the country,” said Ander Turueno Garcia, President of the Student Government Association. “On behalf of the SGA, we are proud to be supporting them on this journey. And wish they bring the victory to the Daytona Beach campus.”
Ongoing updates can be found via the team’s official Instagram page @erauclubbaseball and for more information on the tournament, visit https://clubbaseball.org.
