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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORANGE, Calif. – It is probably the least surprising announcement of the year regarding Chapman University sports. The Panthers’ baseball team, 35-3 and ranked No. 1 in Division III since Week 2, has earned an invitation to the NCAA Division III postseason and will be the top seed at this week’s West Region championships. However, for the first time in six years, the Panthers will have to go on the road to capture another regional title. The three-time defending West Region champs will travel to Abilene, Texas and begin postseason play on Wednesday when they face No. 6 seed La Verne at noon (central). The tournament is being hosted by McMurry University (Texas), the No. 3 seed in the bracket. Chapman earned its best regular season mark since 1999 with an overall record of 35-3 and finished the year winning 26 of its last 27 games, including a school record 20 straight. The Panthers are making their sixth consecutive NCAA postseason appearance under head coach Tom Tereschuk. Since 2003, Chapman has won four West Region titles and one national championship (2003). Last season, the Panthers finished fifth at the Division III finals. The Panthers earned one of six Pool ‘B’ at-large (independent) selections in the nation. Rounding out the six-team field will be conference winners No. 3 McMurry, No. 5 Trinity (Texas) and No. 6 La Verne. No. 2 George Fox (Ore.) earned a Pool ‘C’ bid as second place team from the Northwest Conference and No. 4 Cal State East Bay also earned a Pool ‘B’ bid. Chapman has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by D3Baseball.com for nine consecutive weeks and is 9-1 against the West Region field this year, including a four-game sweep over East Bay and a three-game sweep against La Verne. The only team in the NCAA playoffs to defeat the Panthers this year is McMurry, who took one of three at Hart Park in February. Not surprising, the Panthers rank No. 7 in Division III in team earned run average with a 3.28 mark and have thrown five shutouts this season. Chapman’s own All-America junior tandem of Wayde Kitchens (7-0, 0.31) and Kurt Yacko (5-0, 0.78, 12 saves) are currently ranked Nos. 1-2 in the nation in ERA, as well. Kitchens enters the 2008 postseason with a 19 1/3 scoreless inning streak, having thrown back-to-back shutouts in his final two starts. The Panthers have already set the school record for home runs this season with 52 and are on pace to shatter Chapman marks in team batting (.357) and slugging (.541). Senior OF Mike Vass is batting .395 with 11 HR and 42 RBI. He is just one home run shy of the school’s single-season record. And Yacko, the reigning Division III Co-Player of the Year is batting .356 with 10 HR and a team-high 45 RBI. Every one of Chapman’s starting nine players is batting .315 or better.
NCAA West Region Tournament Website: |
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