West Chester Wins NCAA DII Baseball Championship

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NCAA DII BASEBALL WORLD SERIES - Grand Prairie, Texas
Interactive Bracket

SUNDAY, JUNE 4 - 1 PM
West Chester 5, UC San Diego 2 - WCU wins National Championship
Box Score
Press Conference


Courtesy of West Chester Sports Info
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - West Chester University captured its second NCAA Division II college baseball national championship in school history Sunday afternoon, knocking off UC San Diego by a final score of 5-2.

West Chester (44-11) completed its perfect run through the NCAA Tournament for the second time in six-years. The previous national championship happened in 2012.

Senior Robert Knox provided an early 1-0 lead for the Golden Rams with a lead-off homerun in the top of the first.

Teammate Nick Ward provided a solo shot of his own in the third to recapture the lead at 2-1. However, UC San Diego would answer to even the game at two apiece heading into the seventh.

West Chester's Clay Harwick registered the biggest hit of the afternoon in the top half of the seventh inning, adding a two-out single to score fellow senior Joe Sheeran.

That proved to be the difference in the game as senior Josh McClain shutdown the UC San Diego bats for the final four innings and gathered the win. His efforts for West Chester earned him the Most Outstanding Player award as well.

McClain relieved Jon Fisher, who tossed five innings for the Golden Rams.

Much more to follow.

All-Tournament Team
Michael Palos -- Catcher-- UC - San Diego
Jared Malone -- First Base -- West Chester
J. D. Hearn -- Second Base -- UC - San Diego
Alex Eliopulos -- Third Base -- UC - San Diego
Nick Ward -- Shortstop -- West Chester
Drew Quinones -- Designated Hitter -- Lindenwood
Wes Degener -- Outfield -- Lindenwood
Jack Larsen -- Outfield-- UC - San Diego
Giovanni Dingcong -- Outfield -- St. Thomas Aquinas
Tre Hobbs -- Pitcher-- Delta State
Josh McClain -- Pitcher -- West Chester (Most Outstanding Player)

THURSDAY, JUNE 1 - 9:45 PM
West Chester 1, Colorado Mesa 0

WCU Recap
Box Score

MONDAY, MAY 29 - 8 PM
West Chester 5, Lindenwood 2

WCU Recap
Box Score

SATURDAY, MAY 27 - 4 PM
West Chester 9, North Georgia 4
WCU Recap
Box Score

NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL
Schedule/Results
Thursday, May 18
Game 1 - 11 a.m. No. 6 Shepherd 10, No. 3 Seton Hill 3 Box Score SHU Recap
Game 2 - 3 p.m. No. 2 West Chester 5, No. 7 Winston-Salem St. 4 Box Score WCU Recap
Game 3 - 7 p.m. No. 4 Millersville 6, No. 5 Shippensburg 0 Box Score MILL Recap SHIP Recap
Friday, May 19
Game 4 - 11 a.m. Winston-Salem St. 5, Seton Hill 3 (loser eliminated) Box Score SHU Recap
Game 5 - 3 p.m. No. 1 Mercyhurst 11, Millersville 4 Box Score MU Recap MILL Recap
Game 6 - 7 p.m. West Chester 11, Shepherd 4 Box Score WCU Recap
Saturday, May 20
Game 7 - 11 a.m. Winston-Salem St. 10, Millersville 8 (loser eliminated) Box Score MILL Recap
Game 8 - 3 p.m. Shippensburg 10, Shepherd 5 (loser eliminated) Box Score SU Recap
Game 9 - 7 p.m. West Chester 8, Mercyhurst 4 Box Score WCU Recap MU Recap
Sunday, May 21
Game 10 - 11 a.m. Winston-Salem St. 9, Shippensburg 8 (loser eliminated) Box Score SU Recap
Game 11 - 2:30 p.m. Winston-Salem St. 6, Mercyhurst 1 (loser eliminated) Box Score MU Recap
Monday, May 22 CHAMPIONSHIP DAY
Game 12 - 12 p.m. West Chester 12, Winston-Salem St. 7 (Game 11 winner eliminated with loss) Box Score WCU Recap

NCAA Release
Regional Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- Five Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference baseball teams will participate in the NCAA DII Baseball Championship, the NCAA announced Sunday evening.

The field consists of 56 teams across Division II. It marks the second consecutive season that the PSAC has placed five teams in the tournament.

Mercyhurst enters the tournament as the No. 1 team in the country and as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region. MU will play host and the event will take place in Jamestown, N.Y. The Lakers swept the PSAC West postseason awards.

West Chester impressed after amassing 36 wins on the season and are ranked No. 14 in DII and boast the No. 2 seed in the region.

Seton Hill, the PSAC Baseball Champions, claimed the No. 3 seed after winning the league crown with an unblemished tournament run.

Millersville grabbed the No. 4 seed while Shippensburg earned the No. 5.

The championship provides for two regional sites hosting six teams, four regional sites hosting seven teams and two regional sites hosting eight teams, for a total of eight regional sites. All regionals are double-elimination tournaments and will be played May 18-22. Regional champions will advance to the double-elimination championship finals May 27-June 3 at The Ballpark in Grand Prairie in Grand Prairie, Texas. The finals will be hosted by the Angelo State University and Texas AirHogs Professional Baseball.

This year marks the 50th annual championship, and the first year that the finals will be held in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Atlantic Regional at Jamestown, New York
1. * Mercyhurst (37-6)
2. West Chester (36-11)
3. Seton Hill (36-18)
4. Millersville (33-17)
5. Shippensburg (30-22-1)
6. Shepherd (31-21)
7. Winston-Salem (35-17)