NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The 2016 USCAA Baseball National Championship field has been announced. This years’ Baseball Small College World Series will be hosted in Glens Falls, New York by the College of St. Joseph’s Vermont. The tournament will begin on Sunday, May 8th and will continue until Thursday, May 12th. All games will be played at East Field Park.
The top seed in the Baseball National Championship goes to the College of St. Joseph’s Vermont. The Fighting Saints, coming off of a heartbreaking Championship loss in 2015, enter the 2016 Championships with a record 44 wins. After an early exit in last year’s championship, Rochester College enters as the second seed in this year’s tournament. They are managed by first year coach and former USCAA Student Athlete of the Year Scott Kunert, and have wins over Apprentice, Cleary, and Wright State Lake going into the 2016 Championships. The three seed in the 2016 Small College World Series is the 2013 National Champion, University of Cincinnati Clermont. The Cougars from Batavia, Ohio rank third in the USCAA in both hits and extra base hits this season and are 7-2 in their last nine games.
Defending National Champions, The Apprentice School, return to the USCAA Baseball National Championship as the fourth seed. The Builders, who won their title as the fifth seed last season enter the 2016 Championships after battling for nine wins in their last 11 games, including defeating NCAA D3 ranked Christopher Newport University. The fifth seed goes to Penn State Schuylkill, their highest seed in the Small College World Series. The Lions are currently 21-12 and have a 16-4 conference record in the PSUAC. Robert Morris Peoria makes their first trip to the Baseball National Championships as the sixth seed. They were led offensively this season by Dakota Carter, who is tied for third in home runs in the USCAA.
Wright State Lake Campus, the seventh seed, is making the institution’s first appearance in any USCAA National Championship. Despite one of the most difficult schedules in the USCAA, the Lakers battled to earn their spot with wins over UC Clermont and Rochester this season. Entering the tournament as the eighth seed are the Lions of Penn State DuBois. PSU DuBois is 17-3 in conference play in their first baseball season since the mid 1980’s. The ninth seed goes to Cleary University, who boast a top five pitching staff led by Jack Ropp who boasted a 2.02 ERA in eight starts.
The final seed in the 2016 Baseball National Championship field is a conditional bid. The bid, held for the conference champion of the PSUAC, will go to Berea College as long as Penn State Schuylkill or DuBois captures the PSUAC title, which will be held on Sunday, May 1st. Penn State Mont Alto, Brandywine, Beaver, and Fayette will each try to fight for their spot during this weekend’s PSUAC Baseball Championships.
You can follow all of the action from the 2016 USCAA Baseball National Championships using the baseball championship website. You can watch games live using the ‘Watch Live’ link on the championship websites. For more information on the USCAA’s spring tournaments contact info@theuscaa.com.
Baseball National Championship Website
Baseball Tournament Participants
#1 College of St. Joseph’s Vermont
#2 Rochester College
#3 University of Cincinnati Clermont
#4 The Apprentice School
#5 Penn State Schuylkill
#6 Robert Morris Peoria
#7 Wright State Lake Campus
#8 Penn State DuBois
#9 Cleary University
#10 PSUAC Champion or Berea College (Dependent on PSUAC Championship)
