SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - No. 5 Saint Mary's defeated No. 3 San Francisco 7-6 in the if-necessary game and won the 2026 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament Championship from Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

With the win, the Gaels captured the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. Saint Mary's became the second West Coast Conference team to repeat as tournament champions since Pepperdine in 2014 and 2015. As the No. 5 seed, the Gaels also became the lowest seed to win the conference tournament. 

Saint Mary's got on the board right away in the top of the first with an RBI groundout by Makoa Sniffen. The Dons answered in the bottom of the second, tying it thanks to a Saint Mary's wild pitch. The Gaels continued to play small ball with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third to go back up 2-1. 

After a pair of scoreless frames, the Gaels added another run in the top of the sixth thanks to Tanner Griffith's RBI double, making it 3-1. SMC took control of the game with two more runs in the top of the seventh. 

In the bottom of the eighth, USF put together its best rally of the game. Two RBI singles by Jayden Garrison and Isaiah Landry plated three Dons to make it a one-run game. USF tried to tie the game at five when Jared Lewis singled to right, but the throw home by Diego Castellanos was in time to get Garrison trying to score from second. 

The Gaels got those insurance runs back in the top of the ninth, taking advantage of a couple errors by the Dons. In the bottom of the ninth, Jackson Nystrom made things interesting with a two-run homer to left, cutting the lead back down to one, but that was all the Dons could get back before SMC clinched the tournament crown. 

Lukas Sarantos earned the win after going six full, only allowing one earned run with six strikeouts. At the plate, Griffith, Ian Armstrong and Nick Allred each collected three hits.

Saint Mary's will find out where its playing in the NCAA Tournament when the NCAA Selection Show airs on Monday at 9 a.m. PT.