Balladeer’s Blog’s annual tradition of giving a shoutout to the several dozen NAIA college baseball players who were selected by Major League Baseball teams in the draft continues. I’m also continuing my tradition of bestowing Official Balladeer’s Blog Nicknames on them.
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS –
Chris “Captain” Pike – Tampa Bay Rays ***** “Bad Boy” Brad Wieke – New York Mets ***** Michael “Sergeant” Nolan – Oakland A’s Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
Here’s one last round of congratulations to this year’s college baseball champions in the nine divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
National Champions – CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS
Runners-Up – LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS
2013 Champions – FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association)
National Champions – FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY SUNBIRDS
Runners-Up – LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES
2013 Champions – CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY LANCERS Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NCAA DIVISION TWO *
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Balladeer’s Blog’s college baseball coverage for 2014 came to a close with yesterday’s completion of the World Series in NCAA Division Two and the NJCAA Division Two. The UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES did battle with the COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY MAVERICKS for the title. The Screaming Eagles grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the 1st Inning but the Mavericks went ahead 2-1 in the 3rd. That was all the scoring until another Southern Indiana run tied the score at 2-2 in the 8th Inning. Things remained knotted up at that score until the TWELFTH INNING, when USI scored the go- ahead run on – of all things – a bases- loaded walk. Matt Chavarria pitched the 3-2 victory. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCREAMING EAGLES, THE 2014 CHAMPIONS OF D2 BASEBALL! * Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
* NAIA *
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The Cinderella 10 seeds – the CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS – made it all the way to the title game to take on the 2nd seeded LEWIS- CLARK STATE WARRIORS. Behind some impressive pitching by Anthony Gomez the Bulldogs ensured they would remain THE story in NAIA baseball throughout the offseason with another nation- shaking upset. Cumberland shut out the Warriors while slamming in 2 runs of their own in the 2nd Inning and 1 more in the 7th for a 3-0 victory and their program’s third- ever baseball crown. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BULLDOGS, THE 2014 CHAMPIONS OF NAIA BASEBALL! *
* NJCAA DIVISION ONE *
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – When all the dust had settled in this year’s thrilling College World Series for the NJCAA Division One the last two teams standing were the IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS and the MIAMI DADE COLLEGE SHARKS. The Reivers came into the title game undefeated in this year’s Series play but the Sharks already had a loss to their name, so Miami Dade had to win just to force a second game in this Double- Elimination tournament. Iowa Western would have none of it, though, utterly swamping the Sharks SEVENTEEN to FIVE to take their third baseball championship in the last five years! Drake Robison pitched for the win. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE REIVERS, THE 2014 CHAMPIONS OF NJCAA BASEBALL! * Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NAIA *
The 2nd seeded LEWIS- CLARK STATE WARRIORS battled the 3 seeds – the OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES – for the right to face Cumberland University in the championship game. The Warriors held a 1-0 lead from the 1st Inning until the Eagles took a 4-1 lead of their own in the 3rd. In an explosive 6th Inning Lewis- Clark State outscored OWU 7-1 to seize an 8-5 advantage and added another run in the 7th to set up the final score of 9-5. Michael Noteware of the Warriors went all 9 Innings, Iron Man style, for the win. Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NJCAA DIVISION THREE *
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The TYLER COLLEGE APACHES won their 2nd College World Series in the past 5 years last night by defeating the CUMBERLAND COUNTY COLLEGE DUKES. The Apaches and Dukes were tied at 1-1 in the 1st Inning before Tyler took a 3-2 lead in the 3rd. That grew to a 4-2 lead in the 4th Inning and 6-2 in the 6th with Cumberland County’s last hurrah coming off a lone run in the 8th. The Apaches went 4-0 in 2014 World Series play with this 6-3 victory. Tyler’s Jarrett Dooley pitched for the win. * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE APACHES, THE 2014 CHAMPIONS OF NJCAA-3 BASEBALL! * Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NCAA DIVISION THREE *
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS made college sports history yesterday! By winning the 2014 College World Series in NCAA Division 3 the Warhawks became the only sports program to win their division’s football, basketball AND baseball titles in one academic year! Whitewater pitcher Scott Plaza threw a 9 Inning shutout while his teammates’ bats tore up the EMORY UNIVERSITY EAGLES for a 7-0 win! * CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WARHAWKS, THE 2014 CHAMPIONS OF D3 BASEBALL!* Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NAIA *
DAY THREE – GAME ONE – The 2nd seeded LEWIS- CLARK STATE WARRIORS did battle with the 8th seeded SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC RUNNING HORNETS in an elimination game. The Running Hornets got off to a 1-0 lead in the 1st Inning with their only run of the entire game. The Warriors tied it up 1-1 in the 3rd Inning and took a 2-1 lead in the 6th. From there Lewis- Clark State’s bats caught fire and slammed in 2, 3 and 2 runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th Innings, respectively, for a 9-1 drubbing. Warriors pitcher Gunnar Swanson got the win. Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
If it’s Memorial Day that means the usual orgy of college baseball action! Yesterday the NAIA had a day off but action continued in the College World Series for the NCAA Divisions Two and Three as well as all three divisions of the NJCAA.
* NCAA DIVISION 2 *
DAY TWO – GAME ONE – The SETON HILL UNIVERSITY GRIFFINS got cooking immediately in this game, taking a 3-0 lead in the 1st Inning. Their opponents – the MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS – made it a 3-2 ballgame in the 2nd Inning bringing an end to the scoring until the Griffins added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th. Seton Hill’s Mike Bittel was the winning pitcher in this 4-2 affair. Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
* NAIA *
DAY TWO – GAME ONE – The 8th seeded SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC RUNNING HORNETS faced the 5th seeded GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS in the first elimination game of the 2014 World Series. A 1-1 tie in the 3rd Inning became a 3-1 lead for the Running Hornets in the 4th. That grew to a 4-1 advantage in the top of the 6th but the Tigers tied things up at 4-4 in their half of the Inning. Southern Polytechnic added another run in the top of the 7th and rode that to a 5-4 final score. Pitcher Brantley Burton got the win. Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
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