CARY, N.C. – The lists of firsts for the Trevecca Nazarene University baseball program (36-12) this season are long. Like most collegiate athletic teams, the Trojans faced many firsts due to the COVID-19 pandemic alone this season.
NCAA D2 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CENTRAL
The firsts continue Monday at 1:00 PM CT when the Trojans play Northwest Nazarene University (34-9) in an elimination game at the 2021 NCAA Division II College World Series at Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
TROJAN TAILGATE IN CARY
Trevecca Alumni and Friends are hosting a tailgate party at 12:30 PM (ET) in the parking lot at Coleman Field. All parents, alumni, and friends are welcome to stop by to get ready for the game.
Live Stats | Video | Press Conference
The Trojans and Nighthawks both lost their tournament opener Saturday – Trevecca 7-6 in 10 innings to Tampa and NNU, 9-3, to Central Missouri.
The winner of the TNU/NNU game Monday plays the loser of Monday night's Central Missouri/Tampa game on Wednesday.
For the Trojans, there are many non-covid related firsts too. One of those is first-year head coach Chase Sain who is in his first year as a college head coach.
The Sain Gang won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament for the first time in a year when a region automatic bid came along with the championship. The Trojans won the first three G-MAC tournaments, but that was before the conference owned an automatic qualifying bid to the region level.
Meaning the Trojans made the NCAA Division II Midwest Region for the first time but didn't wait to win their first region win and first region tournament championship. The region championship provided TNU its first trip to the NCAA D2 College World Series.
The Trojans made history becoming the first Great Midwest baseball team to win the midwest region and therefore the first G-MAC program to advance to the college world series.
One more first, the Trojans and Nighthawks are meeting for the first time in baseball.
The Nighthawks, the winner of the west regional, have some firsts as well. They are in their first-ever D2 World Series. It is the first time a team from their conference, the GNAC, has won the region and advanced to the college world series. NNU lost to top-seed Central Missouri on Saturday.
SAIN GANG POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Every Trojan has contributed to the run this season, but a few have turned up the volume in the postseason.
At the regional and college world series, Bryant Goolsby is hitting .417 with a home run and seven RBI. When you add in two walks and two hit-by-pitch, Goolsby has a .500 on-base percentage.
Shawn Wallwork is hitting .333 with a team-high four doubles.
Braden Odom has three doubles, a triple, three homeruns, and 13 RBI. Odom hit for the cycle as well, doing so in the championship game of the Midwest Region. He is hitting .326 in 10 postseason games. Odom has scored 12 times.
Ethan Harrison matches Odom for the team lead with 13 RBI in the postseason, he is hitting .326 as well with two homeruns. Harrison has scored nine times.
Joseph McNamee is hitting .316 with
David Milam leads the team with 13 runs scored in the postseason, he has walked a team-high nine times with a double.
Jay Benard, the career leader with 16 saves, has three saves in the postseason and is 1-1 with a .87 ERA over 10.1 innings of work.
Chase Haley is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA. Haley has 10 strikeouts over his 12 innings of work.
Tyler Koprowski is 1-0 with seven strikeouts over six innings of work and a 1.50 ERA.
BEFORE YOU GO
**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 (44-6)
2 - Atlantic: Seton Hill University Griffins (39-6)
3 - South Central: Angelo State University Rams (43-7)
4 - Midwest: Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans (36-12)
5 - South: Tampa University Spartans (21-4)
6 - Southeast: Wingate University Bulldogs (34-13)
7 - East: Southern New Hampshire University Penmen (28-8)
8 - West: Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks (34-9)
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS
Visit the Official Home of Trevecca Athletics at www.tnutrojans.com
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