JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The opening round of the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Baseball Championship saw Jacksonville and Central Arkansas earn wins to advance to Wednesday's slate. 

Game 1: #5 Jacksonville 7, #7 Austin Peay 1
The Jacksonville Dolphins defeated Austin Peay in Game 1 of this year's championship. Starting pitcher Alex Walsh earned his eighth win of the season, holding the Governors to just one run over five innings of work. Offensively, the Dolphins outhit Austin Peay 12 to 5, powered by Logan Baratta's solo home run in the fifth inning and a pair of RBIs from Derek Bermudez and Conner Spelman. The Jacksonville bullpen sealed the win, keeping Austin Peay scoreless over the final four frames. With the victory, Jacksonville advances to Wednesday second-round game. The Dolphins will face the fourth-seeded North Alabama Lions on Wednesday at 2:00 PM ET. 

Game 2: #6 Central Arkansas 6, #8 Stetson 4
The Central Arkansas Bears secured a hard-fought 6–4 postseason victory against the Stetson Hatters on Tuesday night at Melching Field at Conrad Park. Central Arkansas established an early lead in the opening frame, producing a pair of runs on groundouts by Keaton Laidley and Mark Ross. The Bears extended their advantage to 4–0 in the fourth inning courtesy of a two-RBI single through the left side from Parker Gwyn. Stetson attempted to chip away at the deficit, but a solo home run by Laidley in the fifth and a sacrifice fly from Zeb Allen in the sixth kept the Hatters at bay. Starting pitcher Denver Hamilton earned the win after tossing six strong innings, while reliever Hunter Alexander closed out the final three frames to secure the historic 6–4 victory. With the elimination-round win in the books, Central Arkansas advances to Wednesday's single-elimination round to battle the third-seeded FGCU Eagles at 6:00 PM ET.

All games of the 2026 ASUN Baseball Championship are streamed on ESPN+