SSU Baseball, Lowe featured in NAIA Opening Round; Tom leading Blue Rocks

The baseball program at Shawnee State is certainly enjoying a special year under head coach Rob Ehlers.

However, the individuals presently inside the SSU baseball program aren’t the only ones making inroads in the game.

Along with the Shawnee State baseball program, two additional individuals who are Shawnee State alums have made significant inroads in the coaching realm.

Former Shawnee State position player and head coach Ted Tom won his first game as a minor league manager with the Washington Nationals’ High-A affiliate Wilmington Blue Rocks, while former Shawnee State pitcher and pitching coach/associate head coach Drew Lowe helped lead Southeastern (Fla.) capture a 39-15 overall record and The Sun Conference Tournament Championship as well as a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NAIA Opening Round.

Shawnee State Baseball — No. 5 seed, NAIA Opening Round (Taylor University, Upland, Ind.)

In a fitting twist, the Shawnee State baseball program, who earned a No. 5 seed in the NAIA Opening Round, will travel to Taylor University in Upland, Ind., who is one of the 10 host sites for the NAIA Opening Round, in beginning its final postseason journey as an NAIA member.

There, they’ll play head coach Rob Ehlers’ alma mater, Mount Mercy (Iowa), in beginning its NAIA Opening Round journey.

Ehlers, who is a 2000 graduate of Mount Mercy, is in his third season coaching the Shawnee State baseball program. He has already quadrupled the Bears’ win total from the 2023 season to 2026 with at least two, and possibly more, NAIA Tournament games to play.

Shawnee State (32-18) has been led by Eli Jones (.406, 25 RBI, 28 BB to 12 K, 10 SB), Jace Parnin (.379, 10 HR, 48 RBI), Diego Mendoza (.374, 13 HR, 66 RBI), Jack Amis (.345, 11 HR, 47 RBI) and Nolan Austin (.329, 7 HR, 29 RBI) in 2026. Byson Arthur (.309) and Larry Drake (.298) have also hit seven homers apiece while Owen Elsey is batting .397 with 11 RBI in key pinch-hitting appearances.

Pitching-wise, Elsey (5-3, 3.53 ERA, 37 K to 15 BB) and Ricardo Medrano (8-0, 3.99 ERA, 47 K to 18 BB) head up the pitching staff. Six additional players hold ERAs underneath 4.00 as relief pitchers, including Evan Hood, who leads the bullpen with a 1.76 ERA. Parnin also sports a 3.43 ERA out of the pen in addition to his hitting exploits while Rock Hill graduate Jayson McFann has a 3.18 ERA.

North Adams’ Seth Meade has a 3.60 ERA out of the pen while South Webster’s Robert Martin, Russell (Ky.)’s Kyle Mokas and Trent Tice, Greenup County (Ky.)’s Carson Wireman and Piketon’s Malik Diack have all seen significant innings in relief with Wireman and Mokas getting starts as well.

Shawnee State plays Mount Mercy Monday, May 11 at 11 a.m. in the NAIA Opening Round at Taylor University in Upland. The winner of that contest faces No. 1-seeded Taylor, the hosts, on Monday evening at 6 p.m., while the loser will play Tuesday, May 12 at 11 a.m. in an effort to stave off elimination.