AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's baseball held a ceremony for its Class of 2024 before the game, and its seniors provided their own fireworks, getting contributions from graduating players up and down the lineup to defeat defending national champion Angelo State 7-5. 
 
St. Edward's got a stellar start on the mound for the fourth consecutive game in this series. MARK SELLERS made his second start at the Hilltop and set the tone, retiring the first seven hitters he faced, striking out three of the first six. 
 
The game was a fitting sendoff for its senior class at Lucian-Hamilton Field. DAVIS DREWEK drove in KYLER KERLIN for the first run in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single back at the mound that Angelo State starting pitcher Mason Bryan tried to knock down with his barehand. 
 
Sellers hit Blake Willhoite in the third to give Angelo State its first baserunner with one out. Hunter Holt followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and Justin Harris laid down a sacrifice bunt to tie the game. Jacob Guerrero followed with an RBI single to give the Rams their only lead. 
 
Angelo State's middle infielders committed an error each to start the bottom of the inning, tying the game on senior RYAN FEDDERSEN's RBI fielder's choice. TY MURRAY followed by grounding into a double play but drove in DILLON FLORES for the lead. 
 
Sellers retired the side in order again in the fourth, and St. Edward's added another unearned run at the bottom of the inning. Drewek reached on an error with two outs, and LANCE LITTLE drove him in with a stand-up triple to right-center for the 4-2 lead. 
 
Bryant hit DILLON FLORES to start the fifth inning and Angelo State turned to its bullpen, calling on Seth Foster. After RYAN FEDDERSEN flied out to left, Foster walked Murray and advanced both on a wild pitch to set up Kerlin's two-RBI single to left field, ending Foster's afternoon in favor of Austin Teel, who struck out two of the next three to get out of the inning. 
 
Harris drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and Guerrero followed with a two-run blast to left field to bring Angelo State to within 6-4. Sellers remained in and retired the next three of the following four Rams, striking out Tripp Clark and getting Conagher Sands and Kamden Kelton to fly out. 
 
Angelo State narrowed the deficit by another run when Sellers surrendered back-to-back singles to Tayten Tredaway and Ryder McDaniel to put runners on the corners. Hunter Holt laid down a squeeze bunt, and Sellers flipped the ball over DIEGO SOLIS's head at the plate, trying to get the lead runner and cutting St. Edward's lead to a single run.
 
Hilltopper head coach Ryan Femath immediately turned to its bullpen, calling on senior closer AUSTIN ESSEX. Sellers gave St. Edward's six solid innings, striking out six with three walks and five runs on five hits. Most importantly, he got the Hilltoppers to Essex's closing range with a lead. 
 
Essex quickly recaptured the momentum for St. Edward's, picking off McDaniel at second, then striking out Harris and Guerrero back-to-back to preserve the lead. 
 
Seniors Murray and Kerlin combined to give St. Edward's an insurance run in the seventh. Murray hit a leadoff double down the left-field line, and Kerlin followed with the same placement for the RBI single. 
 
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth, with Essex retiring the side in order, striking out Valasek and Kamden Kelton to end the inning.
 
Angelo State tested Essex for the first time in the ninth with a leadoff single from Tredaway. Essex recovered to strike out McDaniel and get Holt to fly out to left field. Harris drew a walk, but Drewek tracked down Guerroro's pop fly to centerfield, making the senior class's final memory at Lucian-Hamilton a great one. 
 
Murray continued his string of solid Sunday performances in his breakout senior season with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, hitting a triple and double with a walk and two runs scored out of the seventh spot. Kerlin batted right behind him, also hitting 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. 
 
Drewek finished with a hit, a walk, an RBI, a run scored, and the final out in center field. Feddersen drove in a run, and Essex was phenomenal on the mound, striking out five of his 11 batters faced, allowing only one hit and two walks in three scoreless innings for his third save.
 
With the win, St. Edward's split its four-game series against the defending national champions. The Hilltoppers are now 21-25 with a 21-23 conference record, keeping their postseason hopes alive with one final regular-season series next weekend at Texas A&M-International.