One last round of congratulations to the college baseball champions from the nine divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
National Champions – LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS
Runners-Up – Faulkner University Eagles
2015 Champions – Lewis-Clark State Warriors
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association)
National Champions – OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON
Runners-Up – Bethesda (CA) University Flames
2015 Champions – Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds Continue reading
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GAME ONE – The GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS took on the SANTA ROSA COLLEGE BEAR CUBS. The Rustlers came into the game with 1 loss already hanging over them so they HAD to win just to survive against the undefeated Bear Cubs. A 3-2 Golden West College lead in the 1st Inning became an 8-3 advantage in the 2nd and the shootout was on. In the end the Rustlers forced a second game by defeating Santa Rosa College by a Polo Match score of 12-10. Soren Yarnall pitched for the GWC win. 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: The NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SHARKS and the MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MARAUDERS met on the diamond for the second game of this best-of-three championship series. The Sharks had taken the previous day’s game so the determined Marauders – staring down the barrel of elimination – got off to a 3-0 1st Inning lead. 
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: The two teams battling it out for the D3 title were the TRINITY (TX) TIGERS and the KEYSTONE COLLEGE GIANTS. The Tigers forced a 2nd game by hammering the Giants FOURTEEN to SIX in the early game! In the decisive Game Two a 3-1 1st Inning lead for Trinity became a 5-3 edge in the 3rd Inning. By the 7th Inning the Tigers led the Giants 8-6 on their way to a 10-7 victory and their first title in baseball. Pitcher Chris Tate got the Win. * THE TIGERS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FOR NCAA DIVISION THREE * 
DAY FOUR: GAME ONE – The 3rd seeded BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY BRUINS went head to head with the 8th seeded LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS. In the 3rd Inning the Bruins went on top 1-0 and in the 6th made it a 2-1 advantage. Bellevue University shut out the Blue Raiders the rest of the way while adding additional runs in the 8th Inning for a 4-1 victory. Bruins Pitcher Braulio Torres-Perez threw for 9 Iron Man Innings in the win. 
DAY THREE: GAME ONE – This Elimination Game pitted the 8 seeds – the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS – against the 6th seeded AUBURN UNIVERSITY AT MONTGOMERY WARHAWKS (formerly the Senators). Runs came easily in this high-scoring shootout. By the 3rd Inning the Blue Raiders held a 6-2 advantage over the Warhawks, which turned into a 15-10 lead by the 6th. From there AUM added 2 more runs as Lindsey Wilson College pulled off a 15-12 upset. 
DAY NINE: GAME A – The CORTLAND STATE RED DRAGONS – the defending National Champions – took on the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT LACROSSE EAGLES in a rematch of last year’s title game. After a scoreless 1st Inning the Red Dragons found themselves trailing the Eagles 1-0 in the 2nd. The 4th Inning ended in a 2-2 tie and from there Cortland State’s bats got very hot. When all was said and done the Red Dragons won the game by a score of 8-3 for Pitcher Jeff Cooke. 
DAY ONE: GAME ONE – The 7th seeded STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS and the 10 seeds – the POINT UNIVERSITY SKYHAWKS – were tied up at 1-1 in the 1st Inning. The Warriors grabbed a 5-3 lead in the 4th Inning and then shut out the Skyhawks from there. The final score was Sterling College 9 Point University 3 with Pitcher James McDonald snagging the win for the Warriors. 
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