Championship Bracket (PDF)
MASON, Ohio – Two teams will compete for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship trophy on Saturday as the league postseason nears an exciting conclusion at Prasco Park.
No. 7 seed Tiffin took the conventional road to get to the championship series, winning its third consecutive game in the winner’s bracket.
No. 5 seed Kentucky Wesleyan had a little bit more of a winding path, fighting back from a loss to Tiffin and proving resilient to defeat No. 2 Ohio Dominican in the Friday nightcap by a score of 11-3.
That will set up a compelling rematch between the Dragons and Panthers in the tournament finale with the first pitch at noon ET tomorrow.
Tiffin’s first run through conference tournament as a league member has been a sight to see for the fans in attendance as the Dragons have toppled No. 1 Malone, No. 2 Ohio Dominican and most recently, No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan.
Still, not many would have guessed that the Dragons would be among the final two left standing before the tournament got underway.
Ohio Dominican had earned a spot in the consolation bracket final by defeating No. 4 Lake Erie, 6-4, earlier in the day.
Tiffin’s first team all-conference selection Cody Orr tossed a complete-game gem with 10 strikeouts over the full nine innings. He also helped his own cause at the plate batting leadoff for the offense, going 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Second team all-conference pick Zach Campbell led off the fourth inning with a towering solo shot in the power alley to right center that gave the Dragons a 2-0 lead.
KWC was able to string together three consecutive extra-base hits, going double-double-triple to plate three runs in the eighth inning.
Orr remained in the game and was able to get the final out of the game on a payoff pitch for a swing and a miss. On short rest, KWC had to press the reset button and get ready to stave off elimination for the first time in the tourney.
Lane Kennemore and Joseph Burke launched towering home runs into the cold night air at Prasco Park. KWC opened up a considerable edge by scoring five runs in the eighth inning and starting pitcher Zach Burton, already with a history of some strong playoff performances, turned in another gem.
Burton, the 2015 Great Midwest Freshman of the Year, helped the Panthers get to the championship series for the third straight season.
Tiffin’s postseason run continues tomorrow at noon ET needing just one more win to celebrate a conference title and clinch a spot in the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional with an automatic qualifying bid.
The if necessary game between TU and KWC would be played right after. All games have been streamed and are also archived for later viewing on the Great Midwest Digital Network.