Lower Columbia Wins Twice on Championship Monday to Claim 16th NWAC Baseball Title

LONGVIEW, Wash. - The Lower Columbia Red Devils won their 16th NWAC Baseball Championship on Monday as they defeated Lane 12-2 in the final of the 2026 tournament at David Story Field.

The Red Devils are NWAC Champions for the first time since 2023. Earlier in the day, they defeated Linn-Benton 5-1 to advance to the championship game, ending the Roadrunners run of two-straight titles.

Lower Columbia scored runs in five straight innings from the second to the sixth, capped by a six-run inning in the third and three more runs in the sixth.

After dropping their first game of the tournament on Thursday, the Red Devils went on an incredible run to win five-straight games, defeating five different opponents in the process. LCC also beat all three of the other No. 1 seeds on their way to the tournament title.

Catcher Jaylen Kennedy was named the tournament MVP after he went 11-for-25 with eight RBI in the tourney while catching all but the final inning of the tournament. Kennedy went 4-for-6 with two RBI in the championship game.

Head coach Kurt Lupinski wins his second title as head coach of the Red Devils, last winning in 2023. LCC has now won five of the past eight tournaments going back to 2017. There were not tournaments in 2020 and 2021. 

More information to be added about the game.

2026 All-Tournament Team