Pairings Announced For 2009 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Tusculum Pioneers, who claimed their fourth conference championship in the past five years, are the top seed for the 2009 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament, which kicks off Thursday at Wingate University in Wingate, N.C.
The 12th-ranked Pioneers (18-4 SAC, 33-14) will face sixth seed Lenoir-Rhyne University (10-11, 24-19) in the Thursday opener at noon. Tusculum is the tournament's defending champion.
Lenoir-Rhyne finished tied for fifth in the regular-season final standings with Newberry College. The two teams met twice in conference games and split that series. Newberry edged out Lenoir-Rhyne for the fifth seed by going 1-1 against top-seed Tusculum, while Lenoir-Rhyne was 1-2 against Tusculum.
Catawba College (15-4 SAC, 27-15) earned the second seed. The Catawba Indians will face Newberry (10-11 SAC, 17-21) at 3:45 p.m.
Mars Hill College (12-8, 25-18) is the third seed. The Lions face fourth-seed and tournament host Wingate University (11-11, 23-26) in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m.
The top six teams in the conference earned berths to the Food Lion SAC Tournament. The bracket format follows the NCAA regional six-team bracket.
Tournament play continues with three games on Friday. Three more games are set for Saturday. The championship game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m., with a second game, if necessary, to follow.
All-Tournament tickets will be available at the gate for $12 for adults and $6 for children and students. Daily ticket prices are $6 for adults and $3 for children.
Thursday, April 23
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At Wingate University, Wingate, NC
Game 1: No. 1 Tusculum vs. No. 6 Lenoir-Rhyne, Noon
Game 2: No. 2 Catawba vs. No. 5 Newberry, 3:45 pm
Game 3: No. 3 Mars Hill vs. No. 4 Wingate, 7:30 pm
Friday, April 24
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At Wingate University, Wingate, NC
Game 4: Tusculum/Lenoir-Rhyne loser vs. Catawba/Newberry loser,
Noon
Game 5: Tusculum/Lenoir-Rhyne winner vs. Mars Hill/Wingate loser,
3:45 p.m.
Game 6: Catawba/Newberry winner vs. Mars Hill/Wingate winner, 7:30
pm
Saturday, April 25
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At Wingate University, Wingate, NC
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, Noon *
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:45 pm *
Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 7:30 pm *
Sunday, April 26
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At Wingate University, Wingate, NC
Championship Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 pm *
Game 15 (if necessary), Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4 pm
* If five teams remain after Game 6, and two after Game 9 OR If
five teams remain after Game 6, and three after Game 9, then
alternate brackets will be used.