Baseball | 5/15/2017 4:59:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball team (33-7) is in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship for the first time in program history. RIT will play in the double-elimination Mid-Atlantic Regional at PeoplesBank Park in York, Pa. as the No. 4 seed and open against No. 5 seed Alvernia University (28-13-2) at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 17.
Follow the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region all weekend long, as
video,
live scoring, and a
tournament webpage is available. The winner of the regional will advance to the Division III College World Series, which begins on May 26 in Oshkosh, Wis.
The Tigers earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after winning the Liberty League Tournament on May 12. RIT enters the national tournament as arguably the hottest team in Division III, having won 12 games in a row and is 26-1 over its last 27 games. RIT's 33 wins are a program record. The Tigers won 22 straight games against Liberty League foes to end the season and are 3-4 against teams in the NCAA Tournament.
In addition, the Tigers have set team records for longest winning streak (14), most doubles (102), total bases (611), runs batted in (279), putouts (996), shutouts (4), and most strikeouts by a pitching staff (296). There are also several other team records within reach.
Nine different players are hitting at least .300, while seven have driven in at least 20 runs. As a whole, RIT is hitting .309 and has a .402 on-base percentage, to go along with a .460 slugging percentage. Defensively, RIT is eighth nationally with a .973 fielding percentage and its pitching staff is one of the best in Division III. RIT's pitchers are ninth nationally with a 3.12 earned run average, tenth with a 3.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and seventh with a 1.19 WHIP.
The Tigers are ranked No. 24 in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Week 12 poll, released on May 16. The week prior, RIT earned its first national ranking in program history.
Senior
Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia), who was named the RIT co-Senior Male Athlete of the Year on May 8, is enjoying another tremendous season, leading the team and Liberty League with eight home runs, 39 RBIs, 94 total bases, 46 runs scored, and a single-season school record 31 walks to go along with a .349 batting average. Classmate
Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name) is second on the team with a .344 batting average to go along with a single-season team record 16 doubles, two homers and 37 RBIs.
Mike Myers (Hamlin, NY/Brockport), the Liberty League Tournament Most Valuable Player, has five homers and 33 RBIs, while appearing in 39 contests behind the plate and throwing out 13 would be base-stealers.
RIT's pitching staff is among the stingiest in all of Division III. Junior
Brian Reed (Rochester, NY/Penfield) leads the staff with an 8-1 record, to go along with a 1.64 ERA, four complete games, and 63 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings.
Jameson Moran (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo) and
Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) are both 6-0, while
Stevie Branche (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) has 62 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings and opponents are hitting just .178 off him. Reliever
Brett Bouchard (Fairport, NY/Fairport) is 5-1 with six saves, a 1.97 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and just two walks allowed in 45 2/3 innings pitched. Zeglen is also hitting .343 with two homers and 29 RBIs.
Alvernia, RIT's first round opponent, enters the NCAA Regional with a 28-13-2 record. The Crusaders, members of the MAC Commonwealth Conference, earned an at-large bid into the tournament. Alvernia is hitting .322 as a team and has a 3.82 team ERA. Nathan Sides leads the Crusaders with a .431 batting average (75-of-174) with 50 runs scored. Ben Dubas has eight homers and 42 RBIs, while Cameron Coons has driven in 50 runs. On the mound, John Catchmark is 8-2 with a 2.28 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.
Top-seed Johns Hopkins (36-6) went 17-1 in the Centennial Conference during the regular season and won the postseason title to earn an automatic berth. Johns Hopkins is No. 2 in the most recent D3Baseball.com poll. The Blue Jays are hitting .302 as a team and has a 3.07 team ERA. Ryan Orgielewicz is hitting .388 with 26 extra base hits, including 10 home runs and a team-best 45 RBIs. Conor Reynolds is batting .375 with 52 runs scored and 40 walks. On the mound, three different Blue Jays have an ERA under 2. Alex Ross has struck out 78 batters in 61 innings.
Shenandoah (36-8), the No. 2 seed, earned an at-large bid out of the ODAC. The Hornets, ranked No. 10 in the most recent d3Baseball.com poll, are hitting .324 as a team and have a 3.88 team ERA. Jake Loew leads the team with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs, while Colin Morse is 9-0 in 79 2/3 innings with a 2.60 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
Third-seeded Wheaton (23-14) earned an at-large bid in the tournament. The Lyons, who were swept by No. 11 Babson in the NEWMAC Tournament, have lost six of their past seven games after starting the season 22-8. Josh LaJoie leads Wheaton, batting .337 on the year, while both Jared Sharkey and Zach Goodwin-Boyd are batting .329. Goodwin-Boyd leads the team with 35 RBIs, five home runs and six triples. On the mound, Brady Furdon has seen the most action, starting 10 games, compiling a 3.68 ERA and 4-2 record, with a team-best 42 strikeouts. Wheaton is hitting .283 as a team and has a 4.33 team ERA.
Sixth-seeded Elizabethtown (27-15) won its first ever Landmark Conference championship on Sunday, defeating Susquehanna 6-2. The Blue Jays have won nine of their last 11 games, and are hitting .301 as a team, while compiling a 4.42 ERA. Kyle Fackler leads the Blue Jays with a .475 batting average, to go with a team-best 76 hits and 26 RBIs. On the mound, Josh Kwak leads the team with a 1.85 ERA, five saves, and a 3-0 record. Anthony Lippy leads the Blue Jays this season with 40 strikeouts.
Seventh-seeded SUNY Maritime (26-11) secured a trip to the NCAA Tournament with its first ever Skyline Conference Title. The Privateers, who are batting .333 as a team, are riding a seven-game winning streak into the regional tournament. Brian McLaughlin leads Maritime with a .455 batting average, to go with nine home runs and 51 RBIs, and is slugging at .780. On the mound, Travis Bruinsma has been the top starter for Maritime, compiling an 8-2 record and 3.70 ERA. The Privateers have a 5.05 team ERA.
Eighth-seeded Lesley (21-17-1) earned a bid to the tournament by winning its first ever New England Collegiate Conference Championship. The Lynx are hitting .277 as a team and have a 4.77 ERA. Lesley is led offensively by J.P. Agiorgousis, who is batting .328 with two homers and 19 RBIs. Tom Muratore (3.76 ERA) and Nick DeGrenier (4.96 ERA) have both started in 11 contests this season, combining for an 11-6 record.
Below is a schedule of events
Thursday, May 18
Friday, May 19
Saturday, May 20
Sunday, May 21
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
Live Coverage |
Recap |
Box Score |
| Game 13 |
Winner G12 vs. Loser G11 |
12 p.m. |
Live Video
Live Stats |
Recap |
Score |
| Game 14 |
Winner G11 vs. Winner G13 |
3:30 p.m. |
Live Video
Live Stats |
Recap |
Score |
Monday, May 22
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
Live Coverage |
Recap |
Box Score |
| Game 15 |
G14 Rematch If Necessary |
11 a.m. |
Live Video
Live Stats |
Recap |
Score |
