Stars go winless at NBC World Series

By Ramon Scott
Updated: July 28, 2026

San Diego's Carter Lockwood at the plate on Tuesday afternoon.

2026 STARS BASEBALL

STARS’ NBC WORLD SERIES RUN ENDS WITH 0-3 POOL RECORD

TESS’S ARMY ELIMINATES SAN DIEGO, 4-1

From staff and wire reports

WICHITA, Kan. — The San Diego Stars could not reproduce their dramatic escape from pool play a year ago, falling 4-1 to Tess’s Army in a win-or-go-home game Tuesday at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium.

The loss eliminated San Diego from the 92nd National Baseball Congress World Series. The Stars completed Pool D play at 0-3, scoring five runs and allowing 21 across losses to the Hays Larks, Alaska Goldpanners and Tess’s Army.

San Diego entered Tuesday in a familiar position.

The Stars also began last year’s tournament 0-2 before defeating the Dodge City A’s, 10-9, on Joe Anderson’s walk-off single to secure Pool B’s third seed. They subsequently won their first bracket game and finished tied for seventh nationally.

There would be no repeat this time.

Keaton Humphrey held the Stars to one hit over seven scoreless innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. The performance allowed Tess’s Army to take control of the final Pool D bracket berth.

Abdiel Alcea’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly opened the scoring. Tess’s Army eventually built a four-run advantage behind RBIs from Alcea, Adin Morehouse and Jackson Ellison.

Nate Moloney kept San Diego within reach but took the loss after allowing four runs—three earned—on seven hits over 5⅓ innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked four.

Jason Wright led the Stars with two hits in four at-bats. Nick Reed went 1-for-2 and drove in San Diego’s only run.

OFFENSE NEVER FINDS ITS RHYTHM

San Diego’s offense was held to one run in two of its three pool games and never scored more than three.

The Stars opened with an 11-3, seven-inning loss to Hays before falling 6-1 to Alaska. Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat completed a tournament in which San Diego was outscored 21-5.

Pool D proved formidable. Hays and Alaska each won their first two games, leaving the Stars and Tess’s Army to meet for the pool’s third and final position in the single-elimination bracket.

WBA CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS STARS’ SEASON

The winless tournament record does not erase the accomplishment that returned San Diego to Wichita.

The Stars earned the Western Baseball Association’s NBC World Series berth after sweeping two games on WBA Championship Day at Palomar College.

San Diego defeated the Bulldogs, 10-3, in the semifinal before rallying from five runs down to beat the top-seeded San Diego Waves, 11-7, for the championship.

That run continued the legacy of the Stars and late founder Mickey Deutschman, who was inducted into the NBC Hall of Fame in 2021.

San Diego reached the national tournament again and entered with momentum, but its offense never carried over against a difficult Pool D field. The Stars’ season ended Tuesday with a WBA championship—and a quick exit from Wichita.