oklahoma wesleyan heads to naia national tourney; kelley named kcac coach of year
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Michael Mendoza pitches during an earlier season game. The Eagles head to the NAIA National Championship tournament on Monday. Mendoza is the only player on the roster from the Eagles’ 2021 world series team.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Oklahoma Wesleyan University head coach Kirk Kelley was named KCAC Coach of the Year. He heads the Eagles into NAIA National Championship in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Monday..
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
May 11, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
In the wacky world of NAIA national baseball competition, Oklahoma Wesleyan University will first have to travel east to Hattiesburg, Miss., before heading the opposite direction to the Big Show in Lewiston, Idaho.
Prior to going to Idaho the Eagles will first have to win the regional tournament, on May 12-15, in Hattiesburg.
This is a place of unfinished business for the Eagles. A season ago, their season of promise died at Hattiesburg with two one-run regional losses against William Carey (Miss.), 6-5, and Mid-America Christian University, 5-4.
“We finished last season with a sour taste in our mouth,” said veteran OKWU head coach Kirk Kelley, adding he thinks the opportunity to return to Hattiesburg this season “has been a driving force,” by his many returning players.
Rounding out this year’s regional field are William Carey (Miss.), British Columbia and IU (Ind.) Southeast.
“When I look at our bracket of four teams, I think everybody is very, very equal,” Kelley said. “I think it comes down to whoever plays the best.”
The Eagles (46-9) take on British Columbia in the opening round on Monday.
OKWU (46-9) will be attempting to qualify for the NAIA World Series for the fourth time in 12 seasons, the three previous times being 2014, 2017 and 2021.
The Eagles are coming off one of their most powerful regular seasons (43-7, 30-6 in conference).
Comparable regular seasons include 2021 (44-6, 29-4), 2019 (39-9, 28-5), 2018 (47-6, 25-5), 2015 (43-10, 19-5) and 2014 (49-6, 23-1).
British Columbia brings a 36-17 record into the tournament and a schedule heavy with games against Oregon and Idaho schools.
If the OKWU Eagles are able to put it all together they will make a fourth charge into the NAIA World Series.
The only player remaining from their 2021 WS team is pitcher Mike Mendoza.
During this past campaign, Mendoza has been a force on the mound — 16 starts, a 10-2 record, a 3.98 earned run average, three complete games and 95 strikeouts and 24 walks in 83.2 innings.
On the offensive side, OKWU’s top four hitters — Jorge Aldrete, Ravaughn Morgan, Luis Antigua and Victor Sanchez — each ended up on the All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference First or Second Teams.
Aldrete is hitting .422 with 15 homers and 63 RBI. Morgan owns a .415 mark enhanced by 22 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs scored and 69 RBI.
Antigua and Sanchez are hitting .382 and .374, respectively. Sanchez has swatted a team-high 18 homers and leads in RBI (71).
Voters chose Morgan as the KCAC Player of the Year, Evan Foor as the KCAC Pitcher of the Year and Kelley as the KCAC Coach of the Year.
Other OKWU First-Teamers included Mendoza and Conner Hickey (.371, 17 homers, 68 runs scored, 59 RBI.
Foor shocked opposing offenses with a 3.52 ERA and 89 strikeouts and 18 walks in 94.2 innings. He strong-armed his way to a 13-1 record.