Box Score CARY, N.C. – For the first time in school history, the Trevecca Nazarene University baseball team took the field in the NCAA Division II College World Series on Saturday.
Although they received home runs from both Braden Odom and Ethan Harrison, the Trojans (36-12) dropped their opening game, 7-6, to the defending 2019 NCAA National Champions, the University of Tampa (21-4) in ten innings.
Despite the loss, Trevecca remains in the tournament and takes the diamond once again on Monday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m. (CT) where they await the loser of the #1 Central Missouri and #8 Northwest Nazarene.
Here's how it all unfolded at Coleman Field on Saturday.
NCAA D2 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CENTRAL
FIRST INNING (3-3, tied)
Trevecca's historic College World Series run began with a fastball delivered high and outside at 1:03 p.m. (CT) from the righthanded arm of Trojan starter Drew Pierce. After the Spartans' leadoff man was retired, the defending CWS champions went to work. A single to center field provided the first hit of the tournament for the Spartans, but it was quickly negated when David Milam caught the runner stealing during the subsequent at-bat. Tampa's Jamarcus Lyons drew a walk and took second off a wild pitch. Lyons scored off a single to right field and then Luke Glancy cleared the bases with a two-run shot to right field to give Tampa a 3-0 lead. Pierce got out of the 26-pitch inning with a pop-up to second leaving the Trojans with work to do.
The Trojans wasted little time making their presence known in Cary as the first pitch seen by Braden Odom was sent well past the right-field wall. Odom collected his ninth home run of the season but more importantly proved the Trojans belonged. A five-pitch walk drawn by Shawn Wallwork and then consecutive singles by Ethan Harrison and Bryant Goolsby loaded the bases with no outs. Trey Vanderpool made it a 3-2 game when he reached via a fielder's choice but was then picked off attempting to steal second. The Trojans did not elect to send Harrison home during the run down though Harrison would score off a wild pitch to even it at 3-3 through the first.
SECOND INNING (6-3, TNU leads)
Pierce quickly recorded the first out, producing a foul out to third base on one pitch. An infield single and a stolen base gave the Spartans another runner in scoring position, but a double play got the Trojans out of the inning when a fly out to center allowed Braden Odom to double up the Spartans at first base.
David Milam led off the inning with a walk and after a strikeout by Andru Becker and a fly out to center off the bat of Odom, the Trojans were thought to be done. However, Shawn Wallwork singled to center field to put runners on first and second. Then, Ethan Harrison stepped in and after taking ball one, launched a three-run home run to left field to open the game up 6-3 in favor of the Trojans.
THIRD INNING (6-3, TNU leads)
Drew Pierce took the rubber with a lead for the first time on the afternoon and it only brewed confidence for the Kingsport, Tennessee native. Pierce induced two ground-outs and a pop-out to give the Trojans a chance to add to their lead in the bottom half of the third.
Looking to stop the bleeding, the Spartans went to their bullpen to start the third inning. Trey Vanderpool made them pay, though, with an infield single to the shortstop. Joseph McNamee sacrifice bunted Vanderpool into scoring position and John O'Dwyer moved McNamee just 90 feet away with a ground out. Milam took strike three, though, to end the third inning with neither team scoring.
FOURTH INNING (6-3, TNU leads)
Pierce needed just six pitches in the fourth as he kept his right fielder, Andru Becker, busy in the frame. All three putouts went into the glove of Becker and the Trojans grabbed their bats once again. Pierce had retired nine straight Spartans to end the fourth.
The Trojans put just one on base in the fourth as Becker took a called strike three and Odom grounded out to shortstop before Shawn Wallwork touched first with a single to right. Harrison flew out to left to end the inning.
FIFTH INNING (6-3, TNU leads)
For the third straight inning, Pierce faced the batter minimum with two flyouts to center field and by inducing a groundout to first.
The Trojans received a single from Bryant Goolsby to lead things off in the fifth, the fourth time they had put the leadoff man aboard in the contest. The Trojans would not piece much more together as Vanderpool grounded into a double play and after McNamee singled, O'Dwyer flew out to center.
SIXTH INNING (6-3, TNU leads)
Facing the Spartans lineup for the third time, Pierce was unfazed. He retired the leadoff batter via the strikeout and after allowing a single, collected a fly out to third base for the second out. Tampa came close to breaking through when Glancy doubled down the line, but runners held up at second and third. The Spartans went to their bench for the first time on the afternoon and Pierce beat him with a strikeout.
David Milam struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth for the Trojans, only the second time the lead-off batter did not reach. Becker and Odom were later retired to end the frame.
SEVENTH INNING (6-6, tied)
Tampa stuck with their bench to begin the seventh and in fact, sent three straight new bats to the plate. The first lead-off batter of the day reached for the Spartans via a single to left field. Pierce then beat the third and fourth consecutive pitcher hitters on strikeouts before Tampa returned to its original scorecard. E.J. Cumbo connected for a bloop single to center field which ultimately ended the day for Pierce.
Drew Pierce tossed 103 pitches through six and two-thirds innings. Pierce allowed five runs, all earned while striking out four.
Trojan reliever, Tiger Cox came on for Pierce and allowed a three-run homer to left field to tie the game at 6-6.
The Trojans received a two-out single to center off the bat of Goolsby but otherwise could not answer the Spartan's comeback in the seventh.
EIGHTH INNING (6-6, tied)
Trojan skipper, Chase Sain called upon his closer, Jay Benard, to take control of the rubber in the eighth. With one out, a pair of walks put runners on first and second, and the Trojans in threat of giving up the lead. Benard, however, reared back and got an inning-ending four-six-three double play to get out of trouble.
After McNamee struck out swinging, John O'Dwyer reached first on a throwing error, the first error made by either team. With two gone, O'Dwyer made it into scoring position off a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher, but Becker went down on strike to end the eighth.
NINTH INNING (6-6, tied)
Benard, on for his second inning of work, quickly retired the Spartans in the ninth on four pitches to make way for the Trojans to win it in the bottom of the ninth
The Trojans could not put together anything in the home half of the ninth as all three batters struck out swinging to force extra innings.
TENTH INNING (7-6, UT wins)
A leadoff double to left field began things for the Spartans and a sacrifice bunt put Tampa just 90 feet away from taking the lead. Although the Trojans brought their infield in, the Spartans went ahead on a fielder's choice when Ethan Harrison tried to gun down the runner at third base.
Facing a deficit for the first time in nine innings, the Trojans' heart of the lineup came to plate in the tenth. Goolsby and Vanderpool flew out to right and left respectively, leaving things for McNamee to sort out. The Trojans' third baseman went down swinging to give the Spartans the 7-6 victory in extra innings.
Everything Coach Chase Sain and Ethan Harrison had to say after the game.
2021 NCAA DIVISION II COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
**Admission to the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship is free to all fans this year as general admission.
**Gates open 45 minutes prior to the first game each day.
**The stadium will not be cleared out between games and only the third-base side of the stadium will be used for general fan admission.
**Please check the official championship home page each day for changes or updates to fan and attendance policy.**
THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FIELD
1 - Central: University of Central Missouri Mules (43-6)
2 - Atlantic: Seton Hill University Griffins (38-6)
3 - South Central: Angelo State University Rams (42-7)
4 - Midwest: Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans (36-12)
5 - South: Tampa University Spartans (21-4)
6 - Southeast: Wingate University Bulldogs (34-12)
7 - East: Southern New Hampshire University Penmen (28-7)
8 - West: Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks (34-8)
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Trevecca won the 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament title, claiming the tournament at Prasco Park (Mason, Ohio) with a 4-0 record. Trevecca swept through the tourney defeating Malone 4-1, Kentucky Wesleyan 6-5, Hillsdale 9-1, and Tiffin 7-6.
Trevecca advanced to the 2021 NCAA Division II Midwest Region, their first trip to region play in the NCAA Era. The Trojans won the region, going 4-1 at Lou Brock Sports Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University (St. Charles, Mo.)
Trevecca entered Sunday's region championship on an 11-game win streak. When Davenport University upended the Trojans 6-2, it forced an if-necessary game, a game the Trojans won 11-9 for the championship and their trip to Cary.
The run through the region saw the Trojans win their opener 8-3 over Quincy, then a 7-4 victory against Lindenwood, and a 9-4 beating of Northwood. Davenport ended the perfect postseason for Trevecca with a 6-2 win. The Trojans answered with their win, 11-9 for the title. In the title game, Trevecca center fielder Braden Odom hit for the cycle to fuel the Trojan offense. Odom went 4-5 with four runs scored and four RBI. Joseph McNamee was 3-5 with a double and two RBI.
Trevecca coach Chase Sain, in his first year as head coach, replaced Ryan Schmalz on August 17, 2020, following the August 5, 2020 resignation for coach Schmalz.
This is the first Trevecca baseball team and first Great Midwest Athletic Conference baseball team to advance to the final eight teams.
The 2020 Trevecca team was, ironically, in North Carolina when their season ended due to COVID restrictions. They were 6-11 at the time. The team traveled to North Carolina for a week of games, but first weather and then COVID ended their stay without playing a contest. Now they are back in North Carolina, but this time for their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series.
The team has 15 seniors, 10 of which are super seniors who decided to return this year when their original senior season was interrupted abruptly.
Trevecca has two seven-year collegiate players – Dalton Mauldin and John Anderson. Both were given medical hardship for a sixth year and then COVID extended their career another year.
Trevecca had 11 players sit out the conference tournament due to a positive covid infection and subsequent contact tracing, making their 4-0 run to the championship all the more impressive.
NEARLY UNCHARTED WATERS
The Trevecca baseball team is only the second Trojan squad to advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship scene. The 2019 men's golf team advanced after placing fifth in the regional tournament and went on to finish fifth in the country at the National Championships. They are the only Trevecca team to win the region.
Three individual Trojan athletes have advanced to their respective national championships. Caroline Hampton Cole (Cross Country – 2015-16), Alexa Rippy (Women's Golf – 2017-18), and Logan Rodgers (Indoor Track – 2015-16).
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS
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