Eugene earns second place at 2025 MSHSAA Baseball Championships

OZARK, Mo. (KMIZ)

Eugene ended its 2025 season as the second-best team in the MSHSAA Class 2 State Tournament.

The Eagles (25-9) suffered a 7-1 defeat to No. 6 Miller (25-5) in the state title game, falling just short of the baseball program's first-ever state championship. Eugene's runner-up finish matches its best season in program history, and its first second place honors since the 1987 campaign.

Miller and Eugene traded punches to start the game. Jarod Lung stole home to score the first run of the afternoon, putting the Cardinals ahead 1-0 after one inning. The Eagles answered the challenge with an RBI single from Nolan Wilbers to tie the game on the team's next turn at the plate.

However, Miller grabbed control of the game in the home half of that frame. The Cardinals rallied to record a four-run second inning, beginning with a go-ahead RBI single from Nathaniel Hill. Miller tallied six unanswered runs, guided by a two-hit, one-RBI performance from Hayden Schnake.

Schnake also made a major difference on the mound, allowing just one unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts over a complete game effort. While Schnake was awarded the win, Eugene's Chase Richard was charged with the loss, giving up five earned runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings. However, the junior right-hander did strike out a game-high seven batters.

Eugene concludes the 2025 season with a 25-9 overall record, including its third district championship in five seasons and its fourth appearance in the final four in program history.