ST. CHARLES, Mo. – After the No. 21 (NCBWA) second-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University baseball team (36-11) dropped the opening of two Midwest Regional Championship games 6-2 to RV (NCBWA) third-seeded Davenport (32-16), the Trojans punched their ticket to the College World Series with an 11-9 game two win at the Lou Brock Complex on Sunday afternoon. Braden Odom hit for the cycle to help fuel the offensive fireworks. 

- Midwest Region Homepage –

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

The Trojans and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference earn their first-ever ticket to the College World Series with the Trojans' 11-9 game two win.

A trip to the NCAA Division II CWS in Cary, N.C., is the reward for the Trojans who are now amongst the Elite Eight of all college baseball.

The only negative result for the Trojans in the entire tournament came with a 6-2 loss in game one, Sunday. The defeat snapped an 11-game winning streak which dated back to the final regular-season sweep of Cedarville University on May 7-8.

HOW IT HAPPENED

GAME 1: DU 6, TNU 2

On an 11-game winning streak, Trevecca held the upper hand entering Sunday's championships. However, it was Davenport that struck first, jumping on Trojan starter, Davis Jackson with a pair of runs in the second, one in the fifth, and one more in the seventh. As they have all post-season long, the Trojans responded with a Braden Odom two-run double to right-center in the top of the seventh. It was not enough, though, as the Panthers tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to secure a 6-2 game one victory, more importantly setting up a winner-take-all game two.

GAME 2: TNU 11, DU 9

Despite the game one defeat, the Trojans' championship aspirations remained alive and were quickly reinforced with a three-hit, three-run first inning.

For the first time in the regional tournament, the Trojans did not have to come from behind as the first four Trojans reached base, highlighted by a Joseph McNamee two-run single up the middle.

The Panthers held serve with a trio of hits in the bottom half of the first, but the Trojans' starter, Drew Pierce surrendered just a single run.

For the second consecutive inning, the Trojan leadoff batter reached, this time via a five-pitch walk for David Milam. A ground-rule double to left field scored a run and set up Ethan Harrison to drive in a second for Trevecca in the inning.

The Trojans led 6-1 at the end of the second and held an eight-run advantage after three full frames behind a Braden Odom two-run shot to right field helping the Trojans cause in the third.

The fourth was the first frame of the game the Trojans did not record a run, although three Trojans reached base. Pierce recorded the first out of the fourth before making way for reliever Tiger Cox to take the rubber. Pierce struck out four over 3.1 innings.

The Panthers scored a run each in both the fourth and fifth. After a three spot in the sixth by DU, the Trojans held on to a 9-8 lead setting up for an exciting final three frames.

The Panthers rallied from an eight-run deficit to tie it at 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, three consecutive singles brought the Panthers all the way back. The earned run ended the day for Tyler Koprowski who was relieved by all-time saves leader, Jay Benard who got the Trojans out of the jam with a flyout to right field.

The tide changed, in the eighth, as Braden Odom finished off the cycle by smashing a triple to right field which more importantly pushes the Trojans ahead 10-9. Ethan Harrison singled in Odom to plate an insurance run for Trevecca who shut down the Panthers in order in the eighth.

Bernard closed the door on the Panthers in the ninth to clinch the Midwest Championship for Trevecca.

SERIES HISTORY

The Trojans and Panthers met up early in the 2021 campaign with Davenport coming away with the series, two games to one.

Although the Panthers maintain the 3-2 advantage over Trevecca in the all-time series, the Trojans won when it mattered on Sunday.

MIDWEST REGION SCHEDULE

*Note – GM 1 and GM 3 times swapped for host Lindenwood to play late game Thursday. Weather issues altered that plan. GM 1 – Lindenwood/Davenport – is Friday at 9:00 AM.

THURSDAY – MAY 27

GM 3 – #6 Northwood (28-15) def #1 Illinois Springfield (37-7) 13-9

GM 2 – #2 Trevecca (33-10) def #5 Quincy (28-14) 8-3

FRIDAY – MAY 28

GM 1 – #4 Lindenwood (34-7) def #3 Davenport (29-15) 6-2

GM 4 – #5 Quincy (29-14) def #1 Illinois Springfield (37-8) 4-3 / UIS eliminated

GM 5 – #2 Trevecca (34-10) def #4 Lindenwood (34-8) – 7-4

GM 6 – #3 Davenport (30-15) def #6 Northwood (28-16) 16-1

SATURDAY – MAY 29

GM 7 – #6 Northwood (29-16) def #4 Lindenwood (34-8) 7-5 / LU eliminated

GM 8 – #3 Davenport (31-15) def #5 Quincy (29-15) 22-13 / QU eliminated

GM 9 – #2 Trevecca (35-10) vs #6 Northwood (29-17) 9-4 / NU eliminated

SUNDAY – MAY 30

GM 10 – 1:00 PM – #2 Trevecca (35-11) vs #3 Davenport (32-15) 6-2

GM 11 – 4:30 PM – #2 Trevecca (36-11) vs #3 Davenport (32-16) 11-9 / DU eliminated, TNU Champs

MIDWEST REGION NOTES

• The Midwest Region is hosted by Lindenwood University of St. Charles, Mo.
• Regional play starts Thursday, May 27 and concludes on Sunday, May 30.
• The games are to be played at Lou Brock Sports Complex.
• The six-team double-elimination region field is made up of three automatic qualifiers (AQ) and three at-large selections.
• The three automatic qualifiers are the conference tournament champions from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).
• The final three bids go to at large selections evaluated by the regional advisory committee then selected by the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee based on distinct criteria.
• The NCAA Division II Championship field includes 48 teams spread across eight double-elimination six-team regional sites.
• REWATCH the entire 2021 Midwest Region Tournament.
• The eight regional winners advance to the finals where the national champion is determined in a best-of-three final series. The championship is June 6-12, 2021, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC.

SEASON ESSENTIALS 

G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats | G-MAC Scores | 2021 G-MAC Championships 

FINAL MIDWEST REGION RANKINGS

1 – University of Illinois Springfield (37-6 / GLVC)

2 – Trevecca Nazarene University (32-10 / G-MAC)

3 – Davenport University (26-14 / GLIAC)

4 – Lindenwood University (33-7 / GLVC)

5 – Quincy University (28-13 / GLVC)

6 – Northwood University (26-12 / GLIAC)

7 – Tiffin University (29-16 / G-MAC)

8 – Ohio Dominican University (28-11 / G-MAC) 

WHAT'S NEXT?

For the first time in school history, Trevecca heads to the 2021 NCAA DII Baseball Championships take place from June 6-12, 2021, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS

Visit the Official Home of Trevecca Athletics at www.tnutrojans.com

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