DELAND, Fla. – Jacksonville State booked its trip to the semifinals of the 2023 ASUN Baseball Championship after another dominant pitching performance in a 9-3 win over Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night to win Pool B of the postseason format on Melching Field at Conrad Park.

After nearly posting a complete game performance by sophomore Tanner Jones on Wednesday night in Jax State's 6-1 win over host-Stetson, junior Jake Peppers was equally impressive in a career-high 6.2 innings of work, while the Gamecocks' offense stated off strong to give Peppers a cushion to work with. The Geraldine, Alabama was one strikeout off of a career-best with a season-high eight strikeouts. Peppers allowed three unearned runs in his best outing of the season and scattered four EKU hits across 6.2 innings.

Jax State's start offensively mirrored what it did against Stetson on Wednesday with a run in the first inning as freshman Bear Madliak opened the game with a solo blast. It is the second time this season that the Carrollton, Georgia catcher has started a game for JSU with a home run. Madliak added a double in the contest for a two-hit night.

The Gamecocks extended their advantage after two quick outs in the third with four straight singles. Senior Carson Crowe, who had three RBI on Wednesday, added two more with a two-run RBI single off the first EKU reliever out of the bullpen.

JSU put together a four-run fourth inning that was highlighted by the second home run of the night by the club. Junior Javon Hernandez belted his seventh home run of the season. The All-ASUN Second Team selection after leading the league in batting average and total hits finished with two on the night and four RBI. Hernandez now has 88 total hits in his first season with the program and is just 12 off the program's single season hits list.

Senior T.J. Reeves capped off the four-run frame with an RBI double. The RBI was his 70th of the season which puts him in select company within the Gamecocks' program as he became just the third JSU player in the NCAA Division I era to have 70-plus hits and at least 70 RBI in a season.

After the Colonels put three unearned runs on the scoreboard in the seventh without a hit in the frame, Jax State answered with two more runs in the eighth with a sacrifice fly from Hernandez. Freshman Caleb Johnson, who had a single in the frame, eventually scored on an EKU wild pitch with two outs.

Sophomore Austin Cornelius finished the final 2.1 innings on the mound with a pair of strikeouts.

The Gamecocks will now await the final results of Pool A play to find out who the opponent will be in Saturday's first semifinal game at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT.

Even though Jax State has secured the lone spot in the semifinals from Pool B, they will still have to play Austin Peay in the final game of pool play on Friday evening at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. The game has no bearing on the pool standings.

Friday's contest with the Govs will be the first between the two longtime Ohio Valley Conference rivals as members of the ASUN. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.