DECATUR, Ill. — Surrounded by teammates, coaches, and classmates, the had to wait until the end of Monday’s NCAA Division III Baseball Selection Show watch party to see that their postseason journey would continue on familiar turf.
The Big Blue (35-8) were selected as a regional host for the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, with games set for May 15-17 at Workman Family Baseball Field in Decatur. Millikin, 35-8, will open regional play against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (32-12) on Friday, May 15, at 2:30 p.m. The Decatur regional also includes Baldwin Wallace (30-9) and Wartburg (26-15).
For Head Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Brandon Townsend, who has led the program since 2013, hosting brings a competitive advantage. With the tournament arriving during finals week, staying at home means familiar routines, packed stands, and a ballpark where the Big Blue have thrived.
“There has gotta be some type of home field advantage,” Townsend said. “We’re sleeping in our own beds, and I think the crowd makes a big difference. You saw that over the CCIW tournament, the crowd was unbelievable. We were packed, and our guys fed off of it.”
Millikin earned the CCIW’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament championship on Saturday, May 9, with a 6-5 walk-off victory over North Park University. The Big Blue also captured the CCIW regular season title, continuing a season that has already rewritten the program record book.
Senior outfielder Sam Bushur said the team winning a program-best 35 wins during his final season has already delivered nearly everything he hoped it would.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season,” Bushur said. “Breaking the team record for most wins, winning the regular season for conference, winning the conference tournament, and now hosting a regional. I literally could not dream it up any better, and it’s just been so much fun.”
Bushur, a Finance major from Teutopolis, Ill., has been one of the leaders of rise. A right fielder and one of the most accomplished players in program history, Bushur set single-season hits record with 68 in 2025, when he hit .402 with 12 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 43 RBI.
Townsend said Bushur’s experience and leadership will be critical as the Big Blue enter NCAA Tournament play.
“Sam is going to end up graduating as one of the most decorated baseball players in Millikin history,” Townsend said. “He’s gonna be the guy that just heads us in the right direction. He’s the one who leads the charge. He’s definitely the vocal leader, he’s the physical leader, and he’s right in the middle of our order.”
For Bushur, the NCAA Tournament represents both a team opportunity and a personal one. With graduation approaching and a job as a technology analyst with State Farm in Chicago waiting after the season, every additional game is meaningful.
“It means the world to the team and me just to keep playing,” Bushur said. “This is my last time playing baseball, so obviously, try to keep winning so I can continue to play.”
The Big Blue enter the NCAA regional playing some of their best baseball of the season. Townsend said the program’s record-setting win total has reinforced the team’s belief that it can keep extending the season.
“When you’ve won every way you can — walk-off, come from behind, beat teams by 10 — that gives those guys a Rolodex of information,” Townsend said. “We have a ton of confidence that we’ve been in these moments, and it keeps coming up, so why not believe you can keep winning?”
Sophomore pitcher Caleb Akins, a Biology major from Troy, Ohio, said the team’s success is rooted in balance. pitching staff has been one of the Big Blue’s defining strengths, but Akins said the group’s confidence comes from the way each part of the roster has complemented the others.
“Our whole staff together, the big thing with us this year, it’s been consistency,” Akins said. “That’s, in my opinion, the one thing that’s shown up in almost every single game this year.”
Townsend said Akins’ development has been central to pitching success.
“Caleb learned last year to turn into our No. 1 (pitcher),” Townsend said. “We were expecting huge things from him as a sophomore, and if we’re gonna be a good team, it’s because of him.”
For Akins, the chance to pitch at Workman Family Baseball Field in the NCAA Tournament is special because of the atmosphere the home crowd creates.
“Just pitching at home, it’s something different,” Akins said. “Knowing that the fans in the stands, the majority of them are there for you guys. That just creates a better environment. There’s just nothing like pitching at home, honestly.”
postseason moment was set up by Saturday’s dramatic CCIW Tournament championship win. The Big Blue defeated North Park 6-5 in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning, with Pete Britton scoring the winning run on a wild pitch. Britton and Carder Reich each had three hits for Millikin, and Gavin Houchins earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.
Bushur said he tried to take in the scene during the championship game, knowing how rare those moments can be for a senior.
“I told myself to just look around, look at the packed stands, look at all my teammates,” Bushur said. “As a senior, I don’t have very many of these opportunities left, and so just to take that all in, it was just unbelievable.”
Akins said the championship dogpile was one of the defining memories of the year.
“Winning the conference championship and the tournament, that stands out for sure,” Akins said. “Being able to dog pile twice on our field in one year, that was a surreal feeling for sure.”
Now, the Big Blue are focused on taking the next step in their third NCAA tournament visit. Townsend said first NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2024 were about breaking through to the national stage. This team, he said, is no longer satisfied with simply being selected.
“I think, especially based on their reaction, this team feels they can win a regional,” Townsend said. “We know we’re as good as anybody in the country. The ‘happy to be here’ part of this program is done, and these guys want to win a regional.”
Bushur echoed that feeling.
“We all believe in that locker room that we can win this regional, and we can make a deep run,” he said.
The Decatur regional begins Friday, May 15, with Baldwin Wallace facing Wartburg at 11 a.m., followed by Millikin against Wisconsin-La Crosse at 2:30 p.m. Three games are scheduled for Saturday, May 16, and the regional championship game is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 11 a.m., with an if-necessary game to follow.
