LAKE WALES, Fla. – The 2021 Warner University Baseball Invitational took place this past Thursday-Saturday. It featured five teams and 12 total games.
Due the impact of the pandemic the Warner Baseball Invitational decreased in size from its normal 8-12 teams to just five. But that did not stop it from holding some exciting baseball games and some of the nation's best talent.
2021 Warner University Baseball Invitational Field
- (4) St. Thomas University (Fla.)
- Brewton Parker College
- (RV) Bellevue University
- Judson University
- Warner University
The Royals started their tournament slightly shaky falling to Bellevue 1-7. The lone run for the Royals came from
David Torres and a single to right field that scored
Tyler Brown.
In the second game Warner got back to winning habits taking down the Eagles of Judson 6-2.
John Pichman had a solo homerun.
Erich Jaquez and
Trevor Thomas both registered extra base hits and RBI's.
Day two was off to a hot start with the Royals taking down NAIA (4) St. Thomas (Fla.) for the fourth time this season. Warner blanked the Bobcats 3-0 for the shutout win. This was the first time since 2019 the Bobcats failed to score a run in a baseball game.
Pedro Reyes Ruiz for the Royals collected the win throwing 5 innings and striking out 4 only surrendering 4 hits.
Andrew Yarbrough finished the final 2 innings facing just 8 batters and giving up 2 hits.
The Royals then picked up a 4-2 win over the Barons and giving them the #1 seed going into championship Saturday.
John Pichman hit another homerun, this time it was a 2-run shot with
Tyler Brown on the base paths.
Championship Saturday had the Royals facing the Bobcats yet again already for the fifth time this year. It was a bitter matchup that saw the Royals prevail once again in extra innings with a 2 out walkoff homerun. It took 10 innings but the Royals overcame the Bobcats with a 2-1 win and taking the 2021 Warner University Baseball Invitational Championship.
John Pichman hit .462 (6-13), with 1 double and 2 HR's in the tournament. He also collected 13 total bases drawing 4 walks and had a sluggin percentage of .1000.
Anthony Capri and
Josh Strickland both finished the tournament with 4 hits.
Pedro Reyes Ruiz,
Luke Myers,
Freddy Gonzalez and
Ryley Rozar all registered wins on the mound with the Royals four victories during the tournament.
Pedro Reyes Ruiz had one of the most impactful starts of the Royals season to date with 5 innings pitched and 4 strikeouts against the (4) Bobcats and held them to a .222 batting average only surrendering 4 hits.
Warner will now receive a full week to recover before taking on the Ave Maria University Gyrenes in the series that will start the bulk of their Sun Conference schedule next weekend.