CSI Golden Eagles Open SWAC Series With 9-2 Victory Over Colorado Northwestern at Skip Walker Field in Twin Falls, Idaho
Secrist’s Five-RBI Performance Powers CSI Offense
The College of Southern Idaho baseball team opened its Scenic West Athletic Conference weekend series in dominant fashion Thursday afternoon, defeating Colorado Northwestern 9-2 at Skip Walker Field in Twin Falls, Idaho. Sophomore infielder Crew Secrist was the offensive catalyst, delivering a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning that proved to be the winning margin against the Spartans.
The blast marked Secrist’s 49th hit of the season — the most among all CSI players — and added to a standout week that recently earned him SWAC Baseball Player of the Week honors. Secrist also drove in an RBI single in the first inning as Southern Idaho jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. He finished Thursday’s contest with four RBIs, a game-high performance that kept Colorado Northwestern’s pitching staff off balance throughout the afternoon.
Secrist currently ranks second on the CSI roster in RBIs this season. His consistent production at the plate has been a significant factor in the Golden Eagles’ push to retain their position atop the SWAC standings.
Trey Purser also contributed to the offensive effort, recording a two-out double in the first inning for CSI’s first RBI of the game. Purser, who leads the team in RBIs this season, added a sacrifice fly RBI in the sixth inning. Eight Southern Idaho batters recorded a hit Thursday, with five of those batters collecting multiple hits. As a team, CSI totaled 15 hits — the fourth-best single-game mark for the Golden Eagles this season.
Freshman Grayson Riding Dominates on the Mound
While the offense hummed at Skip Walker Field, freshman pitcher Grayson Riding delivered a strong performance on the mound. Riding worked 6.2 innings against the Spartans, yielding just two earned runs on six hits while striking out eight batters. The eight strikeouts represent his second-best total in a single game this season.
Riding held Colorado Northwestern hitless through six innings before the Spartans recorded three hits and a pair of wild pitches in the top of the seventh inning — the only blemishes on an otherwise exceptional outing. Jackson Gardner entered in relief and delivered 2.1 flawless innings, striking out three Spartans without surrendering a hit or a walk to close out the contest. The CSI pitching staff’s two-run performance is tied for the fewest runs allowed in one game over its last 14 contests.
Blustery and bitter conditions at Skip Walker Field did nothing to slow the Golden Eagles, who controlled the game from first pitch to final out. The quality of Thursday’s performance — both offensively and on the mound — underscored why CSI has positioned itself as a legitimate contender for its first SWAC regular-season title since 2018.
Series Context and What It Means for the SWAC Race
Colorado Northwestern enters the series occupying the bottom spot in the SWAC baseball standings, making wins against the Spartans an important opportunity for CSI to pad its lead atop the conference. When the Golden Eagles traveled to Colorado Northwestern in late March, they split the four-game series — winning the first game before dropping game two 7-0, then rebounding to win games three and four.
Thursday’s victory continues a pattern of resilience for Southern Idaho. Even against a team at the bottom of the standings, wins in conference play carry weight in the race for a first regular-season SWAC title in eight years. For a Twin Falls community that takes pride in its local athletic programs, the Golden Eagles’ performance at Skip Walker Field this season has given fans plenty of reasons to show up.
For more on community events and programs in Twin Falls, including the Rotary Club of Twin Falls recently reopening its community grants program and the reopening of the Twin Falls City Pool following its remodel, Twin Falls County News continues to cover the stories that matter to Magic Valley residents.
What Comes Next
The College of Southern Idaho and Colorado Northwestern are scheduled to play games two and three of the series on Friday at Skip Walker Field in Twin Falls. Game two’s first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. A CSI victory in either of Friday’s contests would further strengthen the Golden Eagles’ position at the top of the SWAC standings as the regular season moves toward its conclusion.