NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Trevecca Nazarene University baseball team (30-17, 19-3 G-MAC) completed a run to their fourth consecutive Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season championship with a double-header sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan College (32-15, 17-5 G-MAC) on Friday at Jackson Field. TNU shutout the Panthers 5-0 in game one. It is the first time KWC has been shutout all year. The Trojans won 4-1 in game two.

The 30-win season is the 12th time in the last 14 years that the Purple and White have reached the 30-win mark. The Trojans are 134-71 over the four year run of G-MAC titles and this year's senior class. It also mirrors coach Ryan Schmalz career at Trevecca. The team is 69-15 in G-MAC regular season play over the last four years. 

The Panthers and Trojans will play two more games on Saturday; beginning at 2 PM. The first game is scheduled for a seven-inning game while game two is tipped for nine-innings. Trevecca will honor their seniors at about 1:40 PM. The seniors are: Tyler Tichenor (SR/Centertown, KY), Ivey Starling (SR/Brentwood, TN), Zach Tompkins (SR/Mt. Juliet, TN), Micah Blount (SR/Birmingham, AL), and Austin Sisk (SR/Kodak, TN).

Trevecca is 8-3 in the NCAA Division II era versus Kentucky Wesleyan. The Trojans are on a six-game win streak in the series.

The Trojans, with the regular season title, earned the top seed at the 2016 G-MAC championships set for May 11-14 at Prasco Park and Legacy Field in Mason, Ohio. Trevecca will play the sixth seed on Wednesday, May 11 at 11 AM at Prasco Park.

Both games were full of great pitching and defense by both teams. The difference in both games came down to some key hits by the Trojans.

GAME ONE RECAP

Neither team could solve the opponents starting pitcher until the Trojans broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Griffin Ganick (SO/Brentwood, TN) led off the inning for the Trojans with a single. An out later Ryan Arington (JR/Cincinnati, OH) reached on a bunt single. With two out in the inning Tyler Tichenor hit his 16th career triple to drive in Ganick and Arington.

Trevecca added a run in the sixth for a 3-0 lead. Bryson Shelton (JR/Powell, TN) hit a solo home run to lead off the inning. It is his fifth of the year.

The Trojans scored two more in the eighth for the 5-0 final. Micah Blount hit a solo home run with, his 15th of the year, with one out in the inning. Shelton singled next and scored on a Zach Tompkins double.

Trevecca had 11 hits and one error while the Panthers had eight hits.

Bryan Smith (JR/Unionville, TN) pitched a complete game shutout and is 7-3 on the year. Smith allowed eight hits and had six strikeouts.

GAME TWO RECAP

Trevecca scored three in the bottom of the second. Clay Staton (JR/Franklin, TN) singled with no one out and no one on. Griffin Ganick singled but was out trying to stretch the single in to a double. Tyler Burn drew a walk to put runners at the corner with one out. Ryan Arington drove both base runners in with a triple. Arington scored when Ethan Harrison (FR/Erlanger, KY) doubled.  

The Trojans added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Zach Tompkins singled and Patrick Reed (JR/Murfreesboro, TN) came in to pinch run. Reed moved to second on a stolen base and Ganick drove him in with a two-out single.

The Panthers broke up the shutout and scored their first run of the day in the top of the seventh.

Trevecca had seven hits while Wesleyan had two.

John Bolton (JR/Nolensville, TN) pitched the complete game and allowed just two hits, two walks, and one run while striking out four. Bolton is 7-2 on the year.