May 11, 2026 | Bellevue, Neb. — Nelson University Baseball added another historic moment to its remarkable season Monday night, knocking off No. 1-seed Bellevue University 9-6 in the NAIA Opening Round at Renner Dennis Field. 

With the victory, the Lions improved to 37-18 on the season and continued their surge through the Bellevue Bracket with wins over both Saint Ambrose and the host Bruins on opening day. 

Bellevue jumped out to an early 5-1 lead through four innings behind a four-RBI performance from Carter Claerhout, but the Lions refused to fold. 

Nelson began chipping away in the fifth inning when Ethan Starks lifted a sacrifice fly before Zeke Velazquez lined an RBI single down the right field line to cut the deficit to 5-3. 

The breakthrough came in the sixth.

Drew Ortiz ripped an RBI single to right center before Velazquez delivered the biggest swing of the night, driving in two more runs with a clutch single to give Nelson its first lead of the game at 6-5. 

The Lions never looked back.

Diego Arcay crushed a solo home run during Nelson's late offensive push, while the Lions added two insurance runs in the eighth inning to create separation. 

Velazquez led the offensive attack with a massive five-RBI performance while going 3-for-5 at the plate. Ortiz scored three runs and collected two hits, while Arcay added two hits and a home run. Nelson finished the night with 13 hits against one of the nation's top programs. 

On the mound, Cash Eckermann delivered a huge relief performance for the Lions. After entering in the middle innings, Eckermann tossed four innings and struck out six while allowing just one unearned run to earn the win. Dylan Zajicek also provided a key 1.1 scoreless innings in relief to help settle the game after Bellevue's early surge. 

Next Up
The Lions continue Opening Round play Tuesday against No. 2 IU Southeast (Ind.) in Game 5 at 2:30 p.m. in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.