Dawson Willis wins Division II national title at LSU-Eunice

The LSU-Eunice Bengals returned to the top of the Division II baseball mountain Saturday. And they have a former Bearcat to thank for helping get over the edge.

Dawson Willis, a 2022 graduate of Ruston High, was at the center of the Bengals winning their eighth NJCAA Division II National Championship in a 9-3 win over Brunswick Community College, with Willis taking home the NJCAA Division II Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“We’re just trying to take in the moment and take in those last moments we had with the guys,” Willis said. “We did one of the greatest things you can do in baseball and so we’re just riding the high of that feeling right now.”

Over the course of the tournament, Willis went 7-for-16 (.437) at the plate with 7 runs, an RBI and 7 stolen bases. In the title game, Willis, along with teammate Weston Fulk, led the Bengals with 3 hits each. The former Bearcat led off the fourth inning with a double and eventually came around on an RBI single from Tyson LeBlanc for LSU-E’s first run of the ballgame.

“It feels really good to be able to help the team like that to help us win,” Willis said. “That was our goal and to be able to help like I did it means a lot because I wanted to win with these guys.”

The Bengals’ (56-8) eight National Championships are the most in NJCAA Division II history, and the second most in the overall history of the NJCAA. LSU Eunice saw the best version of Willis this season, with the former Bearcat playing and starting in all 64 games – the most of anyone on the team.

With a .329 batting average, Willis led the team in hits (72) and finished second in home runs (7), third in RBIs (52), second in walks (70), second in on-base percentage (.505), and first in stolen base attempts (68) and successful steals (54) as well.

Willis will transfer to the University of Oklahoma for next season, looking to make his mark at the SEC level. And he’s thankful for Ruston High preparing him for the opportunity.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I’m just looking forward to doing my best,” Willis said. “ I know coach (Zack) Smith prepared me well and was a good coach and he taught me a lot about the game and how to have the right mindset.”