POPLARVILLE - Northwest picked up 10 base hits, but were unable to successfully cross the plate as the Rangers dropped a 6-0 loss to Meridian in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament Play-In Game on Monday afternoon.
With the loss, the Rangers' season came to an end at 32-19 overall, marking the program's 10th 30-win season since the start of
Mark Carson's head coaching tenure in 2006. Northwest has also finished with back-to-back 30-win campaigns.
Meridian took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Brennon Wright's single up the middle, and Wright would push the lead to 2-0 after scoring on a wild pitch in the third. The Eagles continued to add to their advantage in the fifth inning, as Nate Trochessett doubled to left field, scoring Chris Fox, and a wild pitch pushed the score to 4-0.
A pair of base hits in the top of the eighth added insult to injury, as two more runs crossed the plate for Meridian. The Rangers did get two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Peyton Fowler delivered a pair of strikeouts to help the Eagles clinch the victory.
Northwest stranded 14 runners in the loss and the decision was handed to
McClain Ray (4-1), who issued three strikeouts and allowed four walks and four earned runs in 4.1 innings.
Tyler Sullivan,
Brady Stinnett and
Gavin McCoy all pieced together relief innings for the Rangers, with Stinnett and Sullivan accounting for one strikeout each.
Trochessett went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBIÂ to lead Meridian, while Fox and Harlin Hovater each finished the game with a double. Conner Gehr (8-2) was handed the win on the mound, as he issued five strikeouts against a walk in 5.2 innings.
Despite the season's end, a handful of Northwest players will once again leave in the Rangers' record books. Sophomore
Walker Maranto broke the team's doubles record in last week's season finale at Southwest Tennesee, earning 18 for the season. The Amory native also finishes with 23 career doubles for Northwest, ranking eighth all-time.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher
Connor McCaslin rebounded from missing nearly all of last season to finish with a career opponent batting average of .199, which ranks eighth-lowest in a single season. The Arlington, Tenn. native also holds the seventh-lowest opponent batting average at .193, which he accomplished during his true freshman campaign in 2023.
Additionally, McCaslin leaves Northwest with a career opponent batting average of .190, which is the third-lowest next to Parker Stinnett (.176; 2019-20) and Tarus Hervey (.183; 2010-11).
Sophomore
Levi Lang has also etched his name in the Rangers' career record categories for hit-by-pitches, tying Drew Klepzig (2010-11) for fifth (18). The Judsonia, Ark. native also ranks sixth in career walks drawn (58), games played (96), most double plays turned (37) and ninth for most putouts (392).
Sophomore pitcher
Gavin McCoy also made 31 appearances on the mound during his two-year Northwest career, which is tied for fifth-most along with Craig Yancey (1982-83), Koby Busby (2015-16), Jarod Wright (2016-17) and Zach Beasley (2022-23).
A couple freshmen also wrapped up their 2025 season in the single-season record books.
Mason Gillentine's five triples tied him for second-most in a season, joining Ben Evans (1977), Chris Mitchell (1995) and Dex Herrington (2011).
Meyer Maddox also finished tied for seventh in stolen bases (29), joining Mark Rowan (1982) and Chad Wardlaw (2010), along with a tie for fourth-most walks drawn (36), joining Bentley Browning (1983) and Jamell Newson (2016).
As for team records, the Rangers' .965 fielding percentage is the third-best in program history, trailing only a .967 fielding percentage in 2000 and 2024. Northwest also finished 128-of-154 in stolen bases and attempts, ranking second in both categories.
As a pitching staff, the Rangers collectively held opponents to a .254 batting average, which is the fourth-lowest allowed by any Northwest pitching unit. The team's 12 saves are also tied for the fourth-most and the unit's six shutouts are tied for fifth.
Additionally, the Rangers pitched 382.0 total innings, good for sixth-most. The team's 365 strikeouts issued are good for the fourth-highest in a single season.
At the plate, Northwest finished with 101 doubles, the fifth-most of any other Ranger team. The team's 13 triples are also tied for seventh-most with the 1980, 1996, 2011 and 2024 squads, and 240 walks drawn are the third-highest.
