5/11/2008 – NCAA TOURNAMENT: No. 2 Seed George Fox to Face No. 5 Seed Trinity in West Regional
NEWBERG, Ore. – Almost two weeks of figuratively holding their collective breath came to an end for the George Fox University baseball team around 11:00 p.m. Sunday when news came that the Bruins have been selected to play in the NCAA Division III National Baseball Championship, with their first game set for Wednesday, May 14, against Trinity University (Texas) in the West Regional in Abilene, Texas.
The Bruins will enter the tournament as one of 14 at-large or “Pool C” teams chosen. Automatic or “Pool A” slots went to 34 conference winners or conference tournament winners, six spaces went to “Pool B” teams from independents or teams in conferences without aotomatic bids, for a total of 54 teams. Five regions, including the West, are six-team playoffs, while three have eight teams. The eight regional champions will compete in the NCAA Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisc., May 23-27.
Joining George Fox (28-12), who is the No. 2 seed in the West, are No. 1 seed Chapman University (35-3), No. 3 seed and regional host McMurry University (29-17), No. 4 seed California State University-East Bay (26-14), No. 5 seed Trinity (32-13), and No. 6 seed University of La Verne (25-14-1). Linfield College (30-10), the Northwest Conference champion, is seeded No. 5 in the Central Regional in Moline, Ill.
Times Wednesday are still to be determined, but Chapman will meet La Verne in the day’s first game, followed by George Fox and Trinity, with McMurry and Cal State-East Bay in the third game.
Tournament host McMurry has created a West Regional web site that will contain live stats of all games, box scores, and recaps. The site may be found at http://athletics.mcm.edu/Sports/baseball/2008/08baseballregional.asp. Also, plans are progressing for live internet webcasts of all George Fox playoff games via the campus station, KFOX. A link to that station and the games is at http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/, or click on the KFOX logo on the George Fox baseball home page at http://www.georgefox.edu/athletics/baseball/index.html.
The Bruins finished second in the Northwest Conference to Linfield, although they did take three out of four in their season-ending series in McMinnville, which undoubtedly played a significant role in their high seed. George Fox is second nationally in double plays turned (48), and 21st nationally in doubles per game (2.50). Under first-year coach Marty Hunter, the Bruins are making their third straight appearance in the NCAA playoffs and their seventh in nine seasons of NCAA eligibility. George Fox is 14-11 in their previous six appearances, including a 9-1 mark in 2004 that included the West Region and World Series titles.
Chapman is the No.1-ranked team in the nation and has been all season long. The Panthers from Orange, Calif., have made three straight appearances in the World Series and won the national championship in 2003. Chapman is hitting .357 as a team (14th nationally) with a 3.28 ERA (7th nationally). The Panthers score at a 9.1 clip (24th nationally) while ranking seventh nationally in home runs per game (1.37).
McMurry was George Fox’s season-opening opponent, with the Bruins taking two out of three in Abilene. McMurry’s former nickname was the Indians, but as the NCAA is opposed to names which might carry offensive ethnic connotations to some, the school is presently without a mascot. McMurry has a team batting average of .347 (21st nationally), is second nationally in home runs per game (1.63), and averages 9.2 runs per game (22nd nationally) and 2.48 doubles per game (23rd nationally). McMurry’s 75 total home runs are the most in the nation.
Cal State-East Bay, located in Hayward, Calif., earned a “Pool B” bid on the strength of what was rated as the toughest schedule in the nation. The Pioneers and Bruins met in a three-game series in Hayward in late March, with East Bay taking two of three from the Bruins.
Trinity earned its bid by winning the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. The Tigers from San Antonio, Texas, lost to the Bruins in the West Regional championship game in 2004, which propelled George Fox on to the national title. Trinity is ninth nationally in doubles per game (2.76), while the Tigers’ pitching staff leads the nation in strikeouts (414) and K’s per nine innnings (9.5). The Tigers have also turned the most double plays in the country (56).
La Verne climbed from third to first on the final weekend of the season to win the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crown in a tight race with the University of Redlands, California Lutheran University, and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.