TicketsKNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team's 2025 season came to an end on Sunday in the NCAA Baseball Tournament with a 10-3 loss vs. No. 2 seed Wake Forest at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The loss caps what was a memorable and exciting season for the Bearcats, who end the year with a 33-26 record. Their 33 victories are the most since 2008 and fifth-most in a season in program history. UC has won 65 games combined over the last two seasons, the most since winning 68 games from 2008-09.
"Like I talked about two days ago, Wake Forest is a really good program that's really well coached. They flat-out beat us today," head coach Jordan Bischel said. "Their pitcher threw a great ballgame and we couldn't get a lot going offensively. If you're going to end the season this is the setting you want to end it in. I'm really proud of our guys."
This year's NCAA Tournament trip was the seventh in school history and the first since 2019. It was Cincinnati's first at-large selection since 1974.
The 2025 campaign left its mark in the Cincinnati record book. UC set single-season strikeout and stolen base records on Saturday, and those new marks now stand at 496K's and 134 stolen bases.
On Sunday, the Bearcats were just unable to get much going offensively against Wake Forest and starting pitcher Matt Dallas. The Deacs' starter struck out four in 7.2 innings of work. Meanwhile Wake Forest, one of the most potent offenses in the country, tagged UC for 10 runs and hit three home runs.
Junior Christian Mitchelle went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, and sophomore Jack Natili recorded the other Bearcat RBI. Four pitchers saw time on the mound, with sophomore Carson Marsh making the start and striking out five. Redshirt junior Joel Pineiro, senior Adam Mrakitsch, and senior Rodney Shultz all saw time in relief.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross reached base twice in his final game as a Bearcat and solidified himself among the single-season and career leaders in several categories in program history. His 2025 season will go down as one of the best ever as he hit .396 with 12 home runs, 50 RBI, 65 runs scored, 50 walks, a .647 slugging percentage, and a .526 on-base percentage. His .526 OBP is the second-highest ever in a season by a UC player, and his batting average is the eighth-highest. He now ranks third all-time in runs scored (221), fourth in hits (260), fourth in home runs (41), fourth in triples (11), fifth in RBI (170), third in total bases (444), third in walks (153), and fifth in stolen bases (62) His 219 career games played rank eighth all-time.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Both pitchers got off to nice starts, as the score was 0-0 after two innings. The Demon Deacons got to Carson Marsh in the top of the third, however, plating four runs to grab a 4-0 lead. Wake Forest added runs in the fourth and fifth as well to go up 6-0.
UC had a tough time figuring out Wake starting pitcher Matt Dallas. After Kerrington Cross led off the first with a bunt single, the Bearcats' next hit didn't come until the sixth inning.
The Demon Deacons kept piling it on, using a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to make it 8-0, and another two-run shot in the eighth to make it 10-0.
Cincinnati's scoreless drought ended with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jack Natili's RBI fielder's choice brought in the first run, then Christian Mitchelle drove in a couple on a two-out double that put the score at 10-3. That would hold as the final.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game times and TV designations will be updated as they become available and are always subject to change.
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – No. 3 Cincinnati 11, No. 2 Wake Forest 6
Game 2 – No. 1 Tennessee 9, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 2
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – No. 2 Wake Forest 14, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 13
Game 4 – No. 1 Tennessee 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 6
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – No. 2 Wake Forest 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 3
Game 6 – No. 2 Wake Forest vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Monday, June 2
Game 7 (if necessary) – No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Wake Forest, TBD (TBD)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The loss caps what was a memorable and exciting season for the Bearcats, who end the year with a 33-26 record. Their 33 victories are the most since 2008 and fifth-most in a season in program history. UC has won 65 games combined over the last two seasons, the most since winning 68 games from 2008-09.
"Like I talked about two days ago, Wake Forest is a really good program that's really well coached. They flat-out beat us today," head coach Jordan Bischel said. "Their pitcher threw a great ballgame and we couldn't get a lot going offensively. If you're going to end the season this is the setting you want to end it in. I'm really proud of our guys."
This year's NCAA Tournament trip was the seventh in school history and the first since 2019. It was Cincinnati's first at-large selection since 1974.
The 2025 campaign left its mark in the Cincinnati record book. UC set single-season strikeout and stolen base records on Saturday, and those new marks now stand at 496K's and 134 stolen bases.
On Sunday, the Bearcats were just unable to get much going offensively against Wake Forest and starting pitcher Matt Dallas. The Deacs' starter struck out four in 7.2 innings of work. Meanwhile Wake Forest, one of the most potent offenses in the country, tagged UC for 10 runs and hit three home runs.
Junior Christian Mitchelle went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, and sophomore Jack Natili recorded the other Bearcat RBI. Four pitchers saw time on the mound, with sophomore Carson Marsh making the start and striking out five. Redshirt junior Joel Pineiro, senior Adam Mrakitsch, and senior Rodney Shultz all saw time in relief.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross reached base twice in his final game as a Bearcat and solidified himself among the single-season and career leaders in several categories in program history. His 2025 season will go down as one of the best ever as he hit .396 with 12 home runs, 50 RBI, 65 runs scored, 50 walks, a .647 slugging percentage, and a .526 on-base percentage. His .526 OBP is the second-highest ever in a season by a UC player, and his batting average is the eighth-highest. He now ranks third all-time in runs scored (221), fourth in hits (260), fourth in home runs (41), fourth in triples (11), fifth in RBI (170), third in total bases (444), third in walks (153), and fifth in stolen bases (62) His 219 career games played rank eighth all-time.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Both pitchers got off to nice starts, as the score was 0-0 after two innings. The Demon Deacons got to Carson Marsh in the top of the third, however, plating four runs to grab a 4-0 lead. Wake Forest added runs in the fourth and fifth as well to go up 6-0.
UC had a tough time figuring out Wake starting pitcher Matt Dallas. After Kerrington Cross led off the first with a bunt single, the Bearcats' next hit didn't come until the sixth inning.
The Demon Deacons kept piling it on, using a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to make it 8-0, and another two-run shot in the eighth to make it 10-0.
Cincinnati's scoreless drought ended with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jack Natili's RBI fielder's choice brought in the first run, then Christian Mitchelle drove in a couple on a two-out double that put the score at 10-3. That would hold as the final.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game times and TV designations will be updated as they become available and are always subject to change.
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – No. 3 Cincinnati 11, No. 2 Wake Forest 6
Game 2 – No. 1 Tennessee 9, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 2
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – No. 2 Wake Forest 14, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 13
Game 4 – No. 1 Tennessee 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 6
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – No. 2 Wake Forest 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 3
Game 6 – No. 2 Wake Forest vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Monday, June 2
Game 7 (if necessary) – No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Wake Forest, TBD (TBD)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.