Ravens set to face No. 7 Central Missouri on day one Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

RINDGE, N.H. (May 22, 2007) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 14th in both this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll and the pingbaseball.com rankings, has reached the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships for the third-straight year and fourth time in program history (all since 2003) after claiming the Northeast Region Championship on Monday.

Franklin Pierce (43-13, 20-10 NE-10) will open the eight-team double-elimination event in game two of the championship against the University of Central Missouri (45-15, 26-8 MIAA) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). The Ravens and Mules are joined on their half of the bracket by West Region champions Sonoma State University (50-13) and North Atlantic champions Shippensburg University (38-24), who will meet in Saturday’s first game at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).

The second half of the bracket, which begins play on Sunday, features three of the top four nationally-ranked teams in South Central region champs Ouachita Baptist University (47-14), South Atlantic region champions Mount Olive University (54-6), South region and two-time defending national champions University of Tampa (42-9-1) and North Central region champions Ashland University (39-16).

After a 23-year run in Montgomery, Ala., the Division II Baseball Championships take place at GSC Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., on the east back of the Mississippi River in greater Saint Louis for the first time. GSC Ballpark is the home of the independent Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies, who are serving as championship hosts along with Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, University of Missouri-Saint Louis and the Village of Sauget (pronounced SO-shjay).

Admission to the event is $7.00 for reserved seating, $4.00 for adult general admission, $3.00 for student general admission, $5.00 for the bleacher/picnic area and $2.00ea for youth groups (min. 20). All-Tournament passes are also available for $40.00 for reserved seating and $25.00 for general admission seating.

All Franklin Pierce games will be broadcast live on WFPC-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast via the internet through the Franklin Pierce athletics website (www.franklinpierce.edu/athletics). The Ravens pre-game show will begin approximately ten minutes before game time.

Saturday will mark the second meeting all-time between Franklin Pierce and Central Missouri. The Mules handed the Ravens their first loss of the 2003 Baseball Championship with an 11-4 victory en route to their second National Championship. In fact, Franklin Pierce’s two losses in its first World Series appearance came to UCM and Tampa, who would later meet for the national title.

Franklin Pierce enters the championships winners of 13 of 15 after Monday’s 10-3 victory over second-seeded Bryant University in the Northeast Region championship. The Ravens put up gaudy offensive numbers at the regional, hitting .399 as a team with a .783 team slugging percentage. They belted 19 home runs over their five games (4-1 record), averaging 11.8 runs per game. Franklin Pierce hit .486 (36-for-74) with two outs over the regional, with 37 of its 57 RBI coming with two away.

Franklin Pierce is led by junior preseason All-American Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North), who is hitting .394 (80-for-203) with 63 runs scored, 18 walks, two triples, nine home runs and 44 RBI. He has drawn a program-record 46 walks (15th nationally) this season and leads the Northeast-10 Conference with a .510 on-base percentage.

Senior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge), named Most Outstanding Player of the Northeast Regional for the second-straight season, is hitting .355 (77-for-217) with 45 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 19 stolen bases and 54 RBI. He hit .522 (12-for-23) at the regional with seven runs scored, two doubles, five home runs and 15 RBI. Renaud homered in all five regional contests.

Freshman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) is batting .337 (69-for-205) with 45 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, six homers and 42 RBI. Sophomore Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) adds a .327 average (70-214), 39 runs scored, 15 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 55 RBI. Eight of Rivers nine homers have come in postseason play, where he is hitting a team-best .474 (18-for-38) with 12 runs scored, two doubles and 20 RBI over nine games in the NE-10 and NCAA Tournaments.

Senior Kevin Renaud earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Northeast Regional for the second-straight year.

Franklin Pierce boasts arguably the top pitching staff in Division II, ranking second nationally in team ERA (2.65), first in strikeouts per nine innings (9.72) and second in hits allowed per nine innings (7.19).

The staff is led by junior All-Region righthander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park), the Daktronics Northeast Region Pitcher of the Year, who has set a program record with 11 wins (11-1) to go with two saves, a Division II best 1.10 ERA, 106 strikeouts and just 32 walks over 106.0 innings pitched in 16 appearances (14 starts). He also ranks among national leaders in wins (7th), hits per nine innings (5.60) and strikeouts (11th).

Sophomore lefthander Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), a transfer from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Ravens. He is 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA, 97 strikeouts and 32 walks over 75.0 innings in 14 appearances (11 starts). Opposing batters are hitting just .178 against him and his 5.52 hits/9 innings is the fourth-best average nationally. He also ranks among national leaders with 11.64 strikeouts per nine innings (4th) and ERA (25th).

Sophomore righthander Kyle Vazquez (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) was also an All-Conference performer for Franklin Pierce this season. He posted a 7-1 record, 3.31 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 26 walks over 81.2 innings in 15 appearances (12 starts) this season.

Senior righthander Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H./Milford) has been a first team All-Region and All-Conference performer out of the bullpen for Franklin Pierce this season. The Ravens all-time saves leader (21), Bishop has posted nine saves this season to go with a 6-3 record and 1.64 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 14 walks over 38.1 innings pitched in 22 relief appearances.

Central Missouri, ranked seventh in this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, enters the World Series winners of six-straight and 16 of 19 after sweeping through the Central Region championships, in Emporia, Kan., capped by an 11-6 victory over No. 12 University of Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday. The Mules also score 7.2 runs per game and are also ranked among national leaders with a 3.71 team ERA (15th), .964 fielding percentage (27th) to go with a .325 team batting average (53rd).

Senior Blaine Rutledge (Victoria, Minn.) leads UCM with a .410 (82-for-200) batting average, 44 runs scored, 18 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 21 stolen bases and 52 RBI. Classmate Balin Bergman (Omaha, Neb.) is hitting .399 (59-148) with 32 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 29 RBI, while senior Clay Weatherford (Fulton, Miss.) adds a .378 average (70-185) with 36 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 39 RBI. Senior Iain Dykins (Reno, Nev.) has posted a .308 average (68-221) with 59 runs scored, 12 doubles, a triple, team-best 12 homers and 62 RBI.

Junior righthander Mark Carey (Alton, Ill.) has made 15 appearances (14 starts) on the mound for the Mules and is 10-1 with a 2.78 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 31 walks over 90.2 innings pitched. Sophomore lefthander Danny Potje (Arnold, Mo.) is 8-2 with a 3.44 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 21 walks over 65.1 innings in 13 appearances (12 starts).

Junior righthander Chris Matlock (Springfield, Mo.) handles the closer duties for the Mules and is 4-2 with 11 saves and a 2.60 ERA, 61 strikeouts and just 11 walks over 55.1 innings in 31 relief appearances.

The winner of Saturday night’s game will face the winner of Saturday’s opening game between Shippensburg and Sonoma State on Monday at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). The losing teams from those two contests will play an elimination game on Monday at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).


2008 NCAA Division II Baseball Championships
GCS Ballpark, Sauget, Ill.
May 24-31
Hosted by Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, University of Missouri-Saint Louis, Gateway Grizzlies Baseball Club & the Village of Sauget

Saturday, May 24
Opening Ceremonies, 1 p.m.
Game 1: #2 Sonoma State (50-13) vs. #21 Shippensburg (38-24), 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: #7 Central Missouri (45-15) vs. #15 Franklin Pierce (43-13), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 25
Game 3: #4 Ouachita Baptist (47-14) vs. #1 Mount Olive (54-6), 3:30 p.m.
Game 4: #3 Tampa (42-9-1) vs. #16 Ashland (39-16), 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 26
Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 27
Game 7: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 28
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 29
Game 11: Winner game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, 3:30 p.m.
Game 12: Winner game 6 vs. Winner game 10, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 30
*Game 13: if necessary, Noon
*Game 14: if necessary, 3 p.m.

Saturday, May 31
Game 15: National Championship, 1 p.m.

* - if only one game is necessary on Friday, start will be 2 p.m.