2017 NCAA Division III baseball tournament

The 2017 NCAA Division III baseball tournament was played at the end of the 2017 NCAA Division III baseball season to determine the 42nd national champion of college baseball at the NCAA Division III level. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wisconsin for the championship. Eight regional tournaments were held to determine the participants in the World Series. Regional tournaments were contested in double-elimination format, with four regions consisting of six teams, and four consisting of eight, for a total of 56 teams participating in the tournament. The tournament champion was Cal Lutheran, who defeated Washington & Jefferson in the championship series in three games.[1][2]

2017 NCAA Division III
baseball tournament
Season2017
Teams56
Finals site
ChampionsCal Lutheran (1st title)
Runner-upWashington & Jefferson
MOPMiguel Salud (Cal Lutheran)

On Sunday, May 21, the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen advanced to the Division III College World Series for the first time since 1999, with a 9–7 victory over Concordia University Texas. The team historically finished third in 1999 and were the runner-up in 1992 and 1996. The team started strong in the World Series, beating Wheaton College 4–2 and taking 14–5 and 10–8 decisions over North Central College. This meant Cal Lutheran was in the best of three championship series against Washington & Jefferson.[3][4] The team was led by head coach Marty Slimak for the 24th year. Slimak had played in the DIII College World Series five times before and had helped his team to the national championship game twice.[5]

On May 30, Cal Lutheran won its first baseball championship after defeating the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents 7–3 in the decisive third game at the Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin. CLU had to win twice on Tuesday, May 30, in order to win the championship title. Kingsmen player Miguel Salud of the Philippines was named the SCIAC Most Outstanding Player.[6][7][8] He was also an NCAA Division III West All-Region Third-Team pick and a SCIAC second-team pick.[9]

It was Salud's first and only season of collegiate baseball at CLU. As a closer, Salud led Division III in saves with fourteen. He delivered six saves in ten playoff games during postseason play. Salud played a key role in the team winning their first World Series.[9][10] He appeared in 33 games, second-most for Division III players that season, and went on to earn fourteen saves with a 3–2 record. Cal Lutheran finished with a 40–11 record for the season.[10] Another Kingsmen player, Brad Fullerton, finished with a tournament-best 11 hits to help CLU win the Division III College World Series.[11]

The Kingsmen earned the second Division III national title in the university's history, joining the 2015 women's volleyball team.[9][5] The 40–11 season was the best in team history and included a 5th straight SCIAC regular season title.[9]

Bids edit

The 56 competing teams were: [12]

By Team edit

By conference edit

Conference Total Schools
American Southwest Conference 2 Concordia (TX), Texas–Tyler
Empire 8 2 Ithaca, St. John Fisher
Little East Conference 2 UMass–Boston, Southern Maine
MAC Commonwealth Conference 2 Alvernia, Arcadia
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2 Macalester, St. Thomas (MN)
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference 2 Babson, Wheaton (MA)
New Jersey Athletic Conference 2 Rowan, TCNJ
North Coast Athletic Conference 2 DePauw, Wooster
Old Dominion Athletic Conference 2 Roanoke, Shenandoah
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2 Greenville, Webster
Southern Athletic Association 2 Birmingham–Southern, Rhodes
State University of New York Athletic Conference 2 Oswego, Cortland
University Athletic Association 2 Emory, Washington (MO)
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2 Wisconsin–La Crosse, Wisconsin–Whitewater
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference 1 La Roche
Capital Athletic Conference 1 Salisbury
Centennial Conference 1 Johns Hopkins
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin 1 North Central (IL)
Colonial States Athletic Conference 1 Keystone
Commonwealth Coast Conference 1 Salve Regina
Great Northeast Athletic Conference 1 Suffolk
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference 1 Earlham
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1 Wartburg
Landmark Conference 1 Elizabethtown
Liberty League 1 RIT
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference 1 Worcester State
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association 1 Adrian
MAC Freedom Conference 1 Misericordia
Midwest Conference 1 St. Norbert
New England Collegiate Conference 1 Lesley
New England Small College Athletic Conference 1 Tufts
North Atlantic Conference 1 Castleton
North Eastern Athletic Conference 1 Penn State–Berks
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference 1 Concordia (IL)
Northwest Conference 1 Linfield
Ohio Athletic Conference 1 Otterbein
Presidents' Athletic Conference 1 Washington & Jefferson
Skyline Conference 1 SUNY Maritime
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1 Cal Lutheran
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference 1 Centenary
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference 1 St. Scholastica
USA South Athletic Conference 1 LaGrange
Independents 0 none

Regionals edit

Bold indicates winner.

Midwest Regional edit

Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium-Whitewater, WI (Host: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater)

First round/elimination round 1Second round/elimination round 2Semifinals/elimination semifinalsFinals
4Wisconsin–Whitewater4
5St. Norbert2
Wisconsin–Whitewater2
Wisconsin–La Crosse5
1St. Scholastica2
8Wisconsin–La Crosse11
Wisconsin–La Crosse0
Concordia (IL)14
3Adrian5
6St. Thomas (MN)2
Adrian2
Concordia (IL)7
2Concordia (IL)8
7Macalester3Concordia (IL)17
Wisconsin–La Crosse3
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
Adrian8
St. Norbert0St. Scholastica11Wisconsin–La Crosse8
St. Scholastica2St. Scholastica5St. Thomas (MN)3
St. Thomas (MN)10
Wisconsin–Whitewater2
St. Thomas (MN)3St. Thomas (MN)7
Macalester211

Mideast Regional edit

Ross Memorial Park-Washington, PA (Host: Washington & Jefferson College)

First round/elimination round 1Second round/elimination round 2Semifinals/elimination semifinalsFinals
1Wooster2
8Earlham6
Earlham6
Washington & Jefferson15
4Washington & Jefferson12
5Misericordia7
Washington & Jefferson8
Keystone4
3La Roche2
6Keystone5
Keystone10
DePauw3
2Cortland5
7DePauw8Washington & Jefferson66
Corltand73
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
DePauw13
Wooster12Wooster4Keystone4
Misericordia0DePauw0Cortland22
Cortland9
Earlham0
La Roche2Cortland5
Cortland10

New York Regional edit

Onondaga Baseball Complex-Syracuse, NY (Host: State University of New York Athletic Conference)

First roundSecond round/elimination round 1Semifinals/elimination semifinalsElimination finalsFinals
1Oswego11
6Ithaca10Oswego1
Tufts0
2TCNJ4Oswego6
5Tufts3Southern Maine4
TCNJ1Oswego69
Southern Maine10Southern Maine74
3Southern Maine5Southern Maine4
4Castleton3TCNJ4Ithaca0
Ithaca5Ithaca9
Castleton2

South Regional edit

American Legion Field-Danville, VA (Host: Averett University)

First roundSecond round/elimination round 1Semifinals/elimination semifinalsElimination finalsFinals
1Salisbury5
6Roanoke15Roanoke4
Emory2
2Rowan10Roanoke5
5Emory2LaGrange2
Rowan5Roanoke613
LaGrange12Salisbury75
3LaGrange7LaGrange2
4Otterbein1Rowan7Salisbury4
Salisbury6Salisbury811
Otterbein4

New England Regional edit

Whitehouse Field-Harwich, MA (Host: Massachusetts Maritime Academy)

First round/elimination round 1Second round/elimination round 2Semifinals/elimination semifinalsFinals
4UMass–Boston9
5Penn State–Berks810
UMass–Boston4
Babson0
1Salve Regina3
8Babson14
UMass–Boston13
Suffolk4
3St. John Fisher0
6Suffolk4
Suffolk1
Arcadia011
2Arcadia4
7Worcester State312UMass–Boston11
Babson8
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
Arcadia0
Penn State–Berks4Salve Regina5Suffolk1
Salve Regina12Salve Regina4Babson9
Babson5
Babson12
St. John Fisher14St. John Fisher8
Worcester State7

Central Regional edit

GCS Ballpark-Sauget, IL (Host: Webster College)

First roundSecond round/elimination round 1Semifinals/elimination semifinalsElimination finalsFinals
1Birmingham–Southern14
6Greenville6Birmingham–Southern6
Webster4
2Wartburg3Birmingham–Southern0
5Webster0North Central (IL)5
Wartburg3North Central (IL)3
North Central (IL)8Birmingham–Southern211
3Washington (MO)1Birmingham–Southern6
4North Central (IL)3Wartburg1Wartburg1
Greenville1Washington (MO)012
Washington (MO)7

West Regional edit

Irwin Field-Tyler, TX (Host: University of Texas at Tyler)

First roundSecond round/elimination round 1Semifinals/elimination semifinalsElimination finalsFinals
1Texas–Tyler2
6Rhodes7Rhodes11
Linfield7
2Centenary12Rhodes8
5Linfield1Cal Lutheran10
Centenary2Cal Lutheran9
Cal Lutheran8Concordia (TX)7
3Cal Lutheran6Rhodes4
4Concordia (TX)3Centenary4Concordia (TX)6
Texas–Tyler2Concordia (TX)13
Concordia (TX)5

Mid-Atlantic Regional edit

WellSpan ParkYork, PA (Host: Middle Atlantic Conferences)

First round/elimination round 1Second round/elimination round 2Semifinals/elimination semifinalsFinals
4Johns Hopkins15
5Lesley2
Johns Hopkins13
Alvernia9
1RIT4
8Alvernia8
Johns Hopkins1
Wheaton (MA)6
3Wheaton (MA)8
6Elizabethtown6
Wheaton (MA)6
Shenandoah0
2Shenandoah5
7SUNY Maritime3Wheaton (MA)41
Shenandoah50
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
Shenandoah4
Lesley6Lesley1Johns Hopkins2
RIT515Shenandoah8Shenandoah4
Alvernia6
Alvernia11
Elizabethtown13Elizabethtown1
SUNY Maritime5

World Series edit

Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium-Grand Chute, WI (Host: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh/Lawrence University/Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau)

First round/elimination round 1 Second round/elimination finals Semifinals Championship Series
               
MW2 Concordia (IL) 2
ME4 Washington & Jefferson 4
Washington & Jefferson 11
Roanoke 1
NY1 Oswego 7
S6 Roanoke 8
Washington & Jefferson 8
Roanoke 1
Concordia (IL) 9
Oswego 4
Roanoke 10
Concordia (IL) 3
Washington & Jefferson 12 4 3
Cal Lutheran 2 12 7
NE4 UMass–Boston 2
C4 North Central (IL) 5
North Central (IL) 5
Cal Lutheran 14
W3 Cal Lutheran 4
MA3 Wheaton (MA) 2
Cal Lutheran 10
North Central (IL) 8
UMass–Boston 3
Wheaton (MA) 2
North Central (IL) 5
UMass–Boston 4

References edit

  1. ^ "Cal Lutheran wins Game 3 to claim first national title". NCAA. May 31, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Kingsmen trump Presidents to ascend throne". d3baseball.com. May 30, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  3. ^ "Cal Lutheran Advances to Division III Baseball World Series". May 21, 2017.
  4. ^ "Say cheese: CLU wins World Series". June 2017.
  5. ^ a b "College World Series Champion Kingsmen Return to Campus".
  6. ^ "Kingsmen Sweep Presidents to Win First NCAA Baseball Title". May 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "Kingsmen ballplayers go fishing, catch NCAA championship".
  8. ^ "Cal Lutheran Crowned Baseball National Champions". May 30, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d "College Update: Salud saves, Cal Lutheran baseball wins first NCAA DIII World Series". Los Angeles Times. June 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Pautsch, Salud Lead Division III in Statistical Categories".
  11. ^ "Cal Lutheran wins Division III College World Series title for first time".
  12. ^ "2017 NCAA Division III baseball championship selections revealed". NCAA. May 15, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.