Pairings Announced For 2011 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Catawba College, which won its seventh conference championship in school history, is the top seed for the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament, which kicks off Wednesday at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C.
The Catawba Indians, 23-4 in conference play and 36-8 overall, are the two-time defending tournament champions. Catawba is ranked seventh in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II poll, and 15th by Collegiate Baseball. The Indians will face sixth-seed Newberry College in the tournament's opening game at noon on Wednesday. Catawba swept Newberry in their regular-season series.
The Newberry Wolves went 14-13 in conference play and 22-25 overall under first-year coach Russell Triplett.
Wingate University, the 2010 conference champions, finished second with a 17-10 conference record. The Bulldogs, under first-year coach Jeff Gregory, are 30-20 overall. Wingate will face fifth-seed Carson-Newman at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Carson-Newman Eagles went 15-12 in league action and are 20-26 overall. Carson-Newman won two of three in its regular-season series against Wingate.
Lincoln Memorial University and Tusculum College tied for third place in the conference standings with 16-11 records. The Railsplitters, 28-20 overall, earned the third seed by virtue of their three-game sweep over Tusculum March 18 and 19. Tusculum is 31-14 overall and received votes in the most recent NCBWA poll.
The Railsplitters and Pioneers will face each other in the nightcap game at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
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 Thursday with games at noon, 3:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Three more games are set for Friday. The championship game will be played Saturday at 1 p.m., with a second game, if necessary, to follow.
The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship.
All-Tournament tickets will be available at the gate for $16 for adults and $8 for children and students. Fans showing their Food Lion MVP card can save $2 on the price of an adult All-Tournament ticket.
Daily ticket prices are $8 for adults and $4 for children and students. Fans showing their Food Lion MVP card can save $1 off the price of an adult ticket.
Food Lion is the title sponsor for all South Atlantic Conference championships.
For information on visiting Forest City, N.C., follow the links.
Forest City Owls (McNair Field)
Wednesday, April 20
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Game 1: No. 1 Catawba vs. No. 6 Newberry, Noon
Game 2: No. 2 Wingate vs. No. 5 Carson-Newman, 3:45 p.m.
Game 3: No. 3 Lincoln Memorial vs. No. 4 Tusculum, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 21
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Game 4: Catawba / Newberry loser vs. Wingate / Carson-Newman loser,
Noon
Game 5: Catawba / Newberry winner vs. Lincoln Memorial / Tusculum
loser, 3:45 p.m.
Game 6: Wingate / Carson-Newman winner vs. Lincoln Memorial /
Tusculum winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 22
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, Noon *
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:45 p.m. *
Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 7:30 p.m. *
Saturday, April 23
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament
At McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Championship Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m. *
Game 11 (if necessary), Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4
p.m.
* 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.