Teams Lock-Up NCAA Bids

Worcester, Mass. – Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player Doug Shribman belted a three-run home run in the seventh inning of game three to give Bucknell the lead for good and the Bison completed a sweep of Saturday’s contests over Holy Cross to win the Patriot League Baseball Championship at Fitton Field.

After losing game one, 8-7, on Friday, Bucknell mounted a comeback by claiming a 4-3 victory in game two and rallying from a 6-3 deficit for a 12-7 victory in the winner-take-all game three to complete the Saturday sweep. The Bison became the first road team to win the Patriot League Championship series after losing the first game, and only the third to make that comeback overall.

Bucknell (25-33) earns the Patriot League’s automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals, and will now await its opponent and destination when the field is announced on May 31.

It is the fifth Patriot League title for the Bison, tying Army and Navy for the most in League annals. They won it all for the second time in the past three years, also claiming the crown as the first No. 4 seed in the field in 2008.

Holy Cross (26-26) was playing in the Championship round for the first time.

The Bison set multiple offensive records for the Patriot League Tournament, but none were more impressive than Shribman’s performance. He belted seven home runs and totaled 16 RBIs in the six games, including a pair of three-run home runs in game three.

For more information on the entire Patriot League Tournament, including box scores from Saturday’s games, visit the Championship page

Shribman was joined by 10 other players on the All-Tournament Team, which is listed below.

Patriot League Baseball All-Tournament Team

Bucknell junior first baseman Doug Shribman (Tournament MVP)
Bucknell senior outfielder Andrew Brouse
Bucknell senior second baseman Ben Yoder
Bucknell sophomore relief pitcher Ryan Ebner
Holy Cross senior third baseman Matt Perry
Holy Cross freshman catcher Stephen Wadsworth
Holy Cross sophomore starting pitcher Nate Koneski
Army junior outfielder/starting pitcher Ben Koenigsfeld
Army junior first baseman/relief pitcher Kevin McKague
Lehigh senior starting pitcher Andrew Berger
Lehigh senior starting pitcher Ken Longernecker

(Courtesy Patriot League)

Bethune-Cookman Wins MEAC Championship

Daytona Beach, Fla., May 23, 2010- Bethune-Cookman won its fifth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball title with a 7-4 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

The championship game will air in a tape-delayed broadcast on ESPNU, Monday, May 24 at 5 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman junior DJ Leonard earned Outstanding Tournament Performer honors.

Head Coach Mervyl Melendez was named the Outstanding Tournament Coach for the tenth time in his career.

Bethune-Cookman (35-20) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Jeremy Davis doubled to score Justin Hoyte. Davis then scored on a DJ Leonard double to left field.

Alejandro Sanchez scored in the second on a Juan Perez single to increase the Wildcats lead to 3-0 lead.

North Carolina A&T (31-26) came back in the fourth and scored two runs to bring the Aggies to within one. Marquis Riley scored on a Mark Nales single and Kelvin Freeman scored when Dario Little was walked by B-CU pitcher Roman Lancara with the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bethune-Cookman attacked again with a Davis tripled to right field. Ryan Durrence followed with a fly out left field to score Davis. Sanchez hit a solo home run in the sixth to extend the Wildcat lead 5-2.

The Aggies attempted a comeback in the seventh when Nick Rogers scored off a Freeman single.

Bethune-Cookman added two runs in the seventh and North Carolina A&T responded with one more run in the eighth for the final score of 7-4.
Roman Lancara (4-2), who pitched for the first time this season against MEAC competition, earned the victory. He allowed seven hits, two runs and struck out four in six innings of work.

Nick Oelker (5-6) took the loss for the Aggies in 6.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, seven runs and six strikeouts.

With the win, Bethune-Cookman earned the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Baseball Championship. The pairings will be announced on Monday, May 31 at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.

2010 MEAC Baseball All-Tournament Team

Nick Rogers, North Carolina A&T
DJ Leonard, Bethune-Cookman
Kelvin Freeman, North Carolina A&T
Jeremy Davis, Bethune-Cookman
Alejandro Sanchez, Bethune-Cookman
Sammy Serefine, Norfolk State
Phil Vaughn, Maryland Eastern Shore
Esterlin Paulino, North Carolina A&T
George Hines, North Carolina A&T
Nick Oelker, North Carolina A&T
Dwight Robinson, Coppin State

Outstanding Performer: DJ Leonard, Bethune-Cookman

Outstanding Coach: Mervyl Melendez, Bethune-Cookman