The 39th Annual SAE World Series began and concluded amidst persistent rain and muddy conditions. On Friday, May 31, despite the light but steady rain, the 2024 SAE World Series opening ceremony commenced at 6 PM. Participants gathered beneath an American flag to sing the Star Spangled Banner together. This year’s tournament paid tribute to the late James W. “Red” Hailey, Jr., a dedicated local SAE Alumnus from Louisiana State University (Louisiana State ‘49), who had recently passed away. Red Hailey’s legacy extended through his son and grandsons, all members of the Louisiana Epsilon chapter. In a touching tribute, Red’s son, Jimmy Hailey (Louisiana State ’88), threw the ceremonial first pitch in honor of his father, with the entire Hailey family in attendance to commemorate his memory.
The games pressed on despite the wet and muddy conditions at the City Park softball complex’s four fields. The local Alumni teams started in a familiar fashion, with the Rejects losing 6-3 to LSU and the Rejects 2 falling 11-4 to Millsaps. Union University, defending champions and top-seeded, asserted their dominance with a convincing 13-3 victory over LSU. On an adjacent field, Nicholls State welcomed first-time participant Oglethorpe from Atlanta with an 18-3 victory. Meanwhile, the Louisiana Epsilon Alumni Association had an easy time, defeating Tulane 17-0. The second-seeded LSU Alumni team also secured a decisive win, triumphing 16-0 over Millsaps from Jackson, Mississippi.
The tournament’s double-elimination format ensured every team would play at least twice, giving early losers a chance to bounce back and stay in. Although the rain had ceased by this point, the saturated fields continued to affect the pace of the games.
In the consolation rounds, the home team, Rejects, was eliminated by Millsaps with a score of 7-2, while Rejects 2 suffered a 12-2 defeat at the hands of LSU, earning them the humorous “Last Place Award.” Meanwhile, in the winner’s bracket, the action heated up as Nicholls State pulled off a surprising upset against the defending champions, Union University, with Michael Badeaux’s three-run homer in the fifth inning contributing to a 25-18 victory. On an adjacent field, the Louisiana Epsilon Alumni Association triumphed over their fellow LSU Alums with an 11-6 upset in a brotherly clash. Following their earlier upset, Union captain Bryce Cagle refocused his team to secure a commanding 16-1 win over Millsaps.
Saturday morning saw the tournament narrow down to four remaining teams, including a critical elimination game between the top-seeded Union and the LSU Alums. In the opening moments of the game, LSU Alums’ leadoff batter Ronnie North set the tone by smashing the first pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run. Union struggled to find their rhythm, leading to their elimination with a decisive 8-1 victory for the LSU Alums. Meanwhile, in the winner’s bracket, the undefeated teams Nicholls State and the Louisiana Epsilon Alumni Association battled for a coveted spot in the championship game.
Julian Bourgeois powered Nicholls State to a narrow 7-6 victory with a home run and 5 RBIs in a tightly contested game. In the subsequent match, the LSU alumni redeemed themselves from the previous day’s defeat by eliminating their fellow LSU alums with an 11-8 win, securing their place in the finals. Facing Nicholls State in the championship game, the LSU Alums aimed to maintain their momentum but needed to win twice due to the double-elimination format.
Nicholls State started strong with a 3-0 lead after the first inning, but the LSU Alums responded with 4 runs in the top of the third to take a 4-3 lead. Nicholls State tied the game 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the third. Both teams continued to score in the ensuing innings, with the LSU Alums holding an 8-7 lead after five innings.
In the top of the sixth inning with two outs, Stewart Hooper of the LSU Alums hit a crucial two-run homer, extending their lead to 10-7. In a standout moment at the bottom of the sixth, Charlie Hunt of Nicholls State hit a deep ball into the outfield gap, resulting in an inside-the-park home run and bringing the score to 10-8. In the seventh and final inning, Jut Untereiner added another run for the LSU Alums to make it 11-8. Nicholls State couldn’t mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in their first defeat with a final score of 11-8.
During halftime between the two championship games, rain clouds gathered overhead. With each team having one loss, the outcome of the next game would determine the champion. Nicholls State surged ahead in the top of the first inning, taking a commanding 5-0 lead. The LSU Alums responded with two runs in the second, narrowing the score to 5-2. As the rain clouds darkened, Spencer Landry of the LSU Alums smashed a three-run homer in the bottom of the third, leveling the game at 5-5. Heavy rains and lightning struck shortly after Spencer’s pivotal hit, forcing an immediate game delay. Both teams sought refuge in the concessions building and waited for conditions to improve. However, the persistent rain and lightning made the fields unsuitable for play. With safety in mind, it was decided that both teams would share the honors as Co-Champions of the 2024 SAE World Series.
On Saturday night, all players and their guests gathered in the historic Marigny area next to the French Quarter for an awards banquet. The evening featured a delicious home-cooked Cajun meal prepared by John Gutierrez (?). We invite your team to join us at next year’s 40th Annual SAE World Series in New Orleans. Reach out to your SAE active or alumni brothers to form a team together or even two separate teams for the event. For full details, visit www.saeworldseries.net and follow us on social media (Facebook: SAE World Series, Twitter: @saeworldseries, Instagram: @sae_world_series).
