ARKADELPHIA, AR – In their very first appearance in an NCAA regional, the Henderson State Reddies knocked off the top three seeds in the tournament on their way to a Central Region Championship. What better way to cap things off, than by taking down the No. 1 team in the country in the bottom of the 10th in walk-off fashion
With that game-winner from the catcher and former Bryant Hornet Hayden Lessenberry, the Reddies upset top-ranked St. Cloud State for a second time in the tournament, clinching themselves their very first Regional Championship.
“Pretty amazing feeling, that’s something you dream about as a kid getting a walk-off hit,” said Lessenberry. “And to send your team to a world series it was really special.”
“It’s unbelievable,” said Conner Brackhahn, HSU senior outfielder. “I was pretty nervous in the dugout, standing there and you kind of see your whole season flashing before you and you think you’re about to get a win and it comes through and it’s the best feeling in the world.”
With that hit, the Reddies etched themselves into multiple history books.
“Not just Henderson State history, but Great American Conference history. I mean we’re the first school in the history of the conference to make it this far and obviously the history we’re making for Henderson state is a huge deal,” said head coach Chad Hooten.
“Always humbling, it’s just an amazing feeling to be able to say you’re apart of something this big, something more than yourself it’s—great,” said junior Hunter Mayall.
