Posted: Mar 16, 2026
Baseball overwhelms Philander Smith; move into tie for first in West
Wiley University baseball was no match for Philander Smith University, as it scored in 16 of 18 innings in a three-game sweep in a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) series Saturday and Sunday at Coker Field.
The Wildcats (12-11, 6-3 HBCUAC) improved to 9-4 at home and move into a tie for first in the HBCUAC West Division.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
WILEY 11, PHILANDER SMITH 6
GAME 1
WILEY 11, PHILANDER SMITH 6
Wiley broke the game open with six runs in the third inning. With two outs, Ivan Del Villar tied the game with his first home run of the season. The Panthers walked six straight batters, which brought home two runs. Eddie Garza hit a two-RBI single to increase the lead to 7-2.
After Philander Smith scored in the fourth, Devin Gladney brought home two runs with a single. Del Villar hit a second home run in the sixth. He scored three runs. Trey Clark recorded a hit and scored twice. Kaleb Gilner hit a triple and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk.
Ethan Jones picked up his third win. He struck out four batters and held the Panthers scoreless in three innings. John Barajas recorded the final outs.
GAME 2
WILEY 14, PHILANDER SMITH 2
WILEY 14, PHILANDER SMITH 2
The Wildcats scored eight runs in the first two innings. With two outs in the first, Trey Clark reached on an error by the third baseman and stole second. He scored on a single by Del Villar. Barajas brought home Del Villar with his third home run of the season. Three walks and two errors led to five runs in the second inning. Barajas picked up his third RBI with a single.
Philander Smith (3-15, 1-5 HBCUAC) scored two runs on three hits in the third. The Wildcats answered with a two-RBI double by Amir Mason, pushing the margin to eight. They scored on bases-loaded walks in the fourth and fifth innings. Del Villar went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. He also started at pitcher and earned the win. He held the Panthers to two runs on four hits and struck out two in three innings. Barajas went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Mason went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Juan Pena, Jerrius Vickers and Bernandro Cortez only allowed one hit and two hit batters in the last four innings.
SUNDAY
GAME 3
WILEY 27, PHILANDER SMITH 5, 7 INNINGS
GAME 3
WILEY 27, PHILANDER SMITH 5, 7 INNINGS
For the second consecutive game, Wiley's offense could not be stopped. After a three-run first inning, they followed with 11 runs in the second. Del Villar and Barajas opened the scoring with an RBI single and a two-RBI triple. Philander Smith answered in the second with two runs, but Wiley came back with a stronger response.
Deekota Johnson hit a two-RBI double, Del Villar hit a bases-clearing triple and Orenthal Lewis hit a two-RBI double. The Wildcats added a run in the third and fourth innings. Head coach Kendrick Biggs pulled his starters in the top of the fifth.
The reserves continued the onslaught. Gladney, Jose Villalobos and Ajari Camp homered in the sixth inning. Johnson hit a two-RBI triple to finish the day with six RBI - tying the modern program record. He went 3-for-4, also hitting two doubles and scoring three runs. Del Villar went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. Clark went 2-for-2 with three runs and an RBI. Lewis scored two runs and drove in three.
Baca picked up his third victory. He struck out three batters in four innings. Nick Rodriguez, Dallas Saunders and Jose Munoz Jr. each pitched an inning.
The Wildcats will travel to Nelson University on Tuesday and host Dillard University on Saturday and Sunday.
For more coverage on the Wildcats, visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/bsb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 13 varsity sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball and softball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
Wiley University sponsors 13 varsity sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball and softball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
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