Two straight NCAA Tournament appearances have earned University of Cincinnati Bearcats baseball an invite to a prestigious non-conference event next season.
The Bearcats, coached by Jordan Bischel, will take part in the 2027 Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic next season in Jacksonville, Florida. The tournament is named after New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig and supports ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research and awareness.
UC will be joined by power conference foes Georgia Tech of the ACC, Illinois of the Big Ten and Tennessee of the SEC. The event will take place Feb. 26-28 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, the home ballpark of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Tennessee all made the NCAA Tournament this past season. Georgia Tech was the No. 2 overall seed and lost in its regional final to the eventual national champion Oklahoma Sooners.
Cincinnati has faced all three teams before, including a 2025 NCAA Tournament game against the Volunteers in Knoxville. The last meeting vs. Illinois came in head coach Jordan Bischel’s first season in 2024 at a neutral site. UC and Georgia Tech last met in 2020 in the Atlanta Challenge to open the season.
Fans can sign up now for pre-sale ticket access at the Jax Classic page at www.peak.events. Travel packages and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
Cincinnati’s full 2027 baseball schedule will be released in the fall.
Cincinnati Bearcats slugger Quinton Coats adds another All-American honor
UC Bearcats sophomore infielder Quinton Coats has earned a spot on his fifth All-America team, receiving honorable mention accolades from the College Baseball Foundation.
Coats has previously earned All-America honors from ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, NCBWA and Perfect Game. Earlier in June, Coats was among the Bearcats electing to return for 2027. Joining Coats in coming back are outfielders Derrick Pitts, Ryan Tyranski and Conlan Daniel, catcher Enzo Infelise and pitchers Adam Buczkowski, Connor Blue and Chad Brown.
In addition to his All-America accolades, Coats was also named the NCBWA District 5 Player of the Year and earned All-Region honors from ABCA/Rawlings as well. The Olathe, Kansas, native turned in one of the best offensive seasons ever by a Bearcat, setting single-season school records in home runs (28) and total bases (183) while tying the single-season RBI record (79). Coats hit .339 and slugged .738 and ended his season ranking among the Top 10 nationally in home runs, total bases and RBI.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats to play top 2027 event; returning slugger honored again
Reporting by Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
