Former Cougars Ready for the NCAA Baseball Postseason

The NCAA baseball postseason is upon us, and several former members of the South Mountain Community College baseball team find themselves either on the road to, or already at, their respective World Series. For the NCAA Division I Tournament, all games are broadcast on the ESPN Family of Networks. The NCAA Division II World Series is broadcast on the NCAA Championships Pass. Catch up with where some former Cougars are headed this postseason. 

 

 

Luis Martin Romero, RHP, Saint Mary's University: Luis Martin Romero and the Gaels of Saint Mary's earned the West Coast Conference's automatic berth by winning the WCC Tournament. Martin Romero enters the Los Angeles Regional, hosted by No. 1 overall seed UCLA, with a 2-3 record in 17 appearances and one start in 2026. He has fanned 24 batters in 27.2 innings of work. He recorded wins over Rice and Pacific, and fanned a season-high four batters against Santa Clara. Cal Poly and Virginia Tech are the other two squads in the regional.

 

 

Wiley Waters, UTIL, USC Upstate: Wiley Waters and the Spartans will make their second-straight appearance in an NCAA Regional when they travel to the University of Alabama for the Tuscaloosa Regional. Waters earned Big South Tournament MVP honors after blasting three home runs and finishing with 10 RBIs and six hits in five games. Waters enters the weekend batting .320 with 35 runs, 62 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs, 18 walks, and two stolen bases in 55 games.

 

Sam Christiansen, INF/OF, University of Alabama: Sam Christiansen and the No. 7 overall seed University of Alabama Crimson Tide host the Tuscaloosa Regional, welcoming Oklahoma State and Alabama State in addition to USC Upstate. Unfortunately, Christiansen has not appeared in any games for Alabama this season. He spent 2025 at the University of Oklahoma, helping the Sooners reach the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

Marcus Romero, OF, Northern Illinois University: Marcus Romero and the NIU Huskies have qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 54 years. The Huskies won the Mid-American Conference Championship and will travel to No. 10 overall seed Florida State University to compete in the Tallahassee Regional along with St. John's and Coastal Carolina. Romero enters the weekend batting .338 with 41 runs, 45 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 20 RBIs, 18 walks, and 23 stolen bases in 43 games.

 

 

Luke Jones, C, South Dakota State: Luke Jones and the Jackrabbits won the Summit League Baseball Championship to earn the league's automatic berth and qualify for an NCAA Regional for the second time in program history. They will travel to the No. 13 overall seed, the University of Nebraska, for the Lincoln Regional with Arizona State and Ole Miss. Jones has appeared in 20 games this season, totaling seven runs, 12 hits, one double, one home run, 11 RBIs, nine walks, and a stolen base.

 

 

Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, University of Kentucky: Jaxon Jelkin and the University of Kentucky Wildcats will travel to the No. 16 overall seed, the University of West Virginia, for the Morgantown Regional, along with Wake Forest and Binghampton. Jelkin enters the weekend with an 8-3 record with one save in 15 appearances and 14 starts. He has 98 strikeouts and a 3.77 ERA in 88.1 innings of work for the Wildcats.

 

Matt Elliot, RHP, Point Loma Nazarene: Matt Elliot and the Point Loma Nazarene University Sea Lions are headed to the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, N.C., as the No. 6 seed. PLNU won its third West Regional title in five years by defeating Northwest Nazarene twice. The Sea Lions open the Tournament on Saturday, May 30, against No. 3 Catawba. Elliott has appeared in 18 games out of the bullpen this spring, compiling a 2-0 record with one save, 16 strikeouts, and a 4.05 ERA in 26.2 innings of work. He has held opponents to a .198 batting average.