For the fourth time in the program's history and the first time since 2007, the Emory University Eagles, ranked 22nd in the Nation, will be headed to Appleton, Wisconsin to compete for the NCAA Division III Championship, after winning the South Regional Championship with a 5-2 victory over Bridgewater College in Demorest, Georgia on Sunday night.
The Eagles battled their way back through the losers' bracket, after dropping their second game of the tournament to Bridgewater. Emory rallied off four-straight wins, defeating Rhodes College, Shenandoah and Bridgewater twice to win the Regional Championship.
"It's a great moment," said Emory Head Coach Mike Twardoski. "I think the best part of it is the ten seniors we have on the team. That is really the rally point for us. We knew it was going to be a tough stretch, losing a game pretty early in the tournament, and we just didn't want [the seniors] to take off their uniforms this year… It's a great moment for Emory baseball."
Senior catcher Jared Welch was named the South Regional Most Valuable Player, after driving in a team-high seven runs with two doubles and two triples, and holding opposing base runners to just four steals on nine attempts over the six games. Senior outfielders Daniel Iturrey and Brandon Hannon, junior pitcher Connor Dillman and freshman closer Kyle Monk each earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
"Our team is extremely unique in that everyone's role is the same," said Welch. "From one through nine, our job is to get on base. And after we get on base, the guy behind him has got to get on base as well… When you have nine guys on the field that are trying to do that, you put together some good wins."
The Eagles will face Baldwin Wallace College, winner of the Mid-Atlantic Regional, in the opening game of the World Series. The game is scheduled for a 2:15 PM start on May 23rd at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.
On Sunday, both teams' starting pitchers were working on short rest, with Emory Dillman earning the win over Rhodes on Wednesday with a 115-pitch effort, and Bridgewater's Nick Corbin picking up a victory over Birmingham-Southern on Friday with a 97-pitch outing.
A two-run single in the top of the second inning off the bat of Justin Peatock put Bridgewater out in front early, 2-0. Emory responded immediately in the bottom of the frame, starting with back-to-back singles from Iturrey and Jared Kahn, to put runners on the corners. The next batter, Welch, hit a ball to the wall in left-centerfield, but Bridgewater leftfielder Derrik Walling tracked it down, making a leaping catch to save an extra-base hit. The play would score Iturrey from third, however, cutting the lead in half.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Kahn and Welch opened the inning with back-to-back walks, and freshman Philip Maldari drove them both in with a double in the left-centerfield gap, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game, 3-2. Junior Wes Peacock later drove in Maldari from second with a two-out hit, putting Emory ahead by a pair.
Bridgewater would threaten against Dillman in the top of the fifth, putting runners at second and third with one out. The right-handed pitcher and all-University Athletic Association (UAA) First Team selection extricated himself from trouble, however, striking out a pair of Eagles to end the frame and his day. It was the second time in the game Bridgewater left the bases packed to end an inning.
Dillman scattered eight hits and five walks in the outing, holding the Eagles to a pair of runs and striking out eight over five innings and 115 pitches. He picked up his second win of the tournament, and improved to 9-1 overall this season.
Emory took advantage of a pair of errors in the bottom of the fifth to add on a run. Senior righty Matt McMahon entered the game in the sixth, and retired the side in order, including a pair of strikeouts. After he allowed a leadoff hit to start the seventh, freshman Jackson Weeg (just two days removed from an eight-inning outing against Rhodes) picked off the runner, and induced a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning without any damage. Weeg retired the side in order in the eighth, putting Emory three outs away from the Regional Championship.
Monk would close out the game in the ninth, earning his fifth save of the campaign, four of which came during the six tournament games.
Corbin took the loss for Bridgewater, dropping to 8-2 on the year. Bridgewater closed out its campaign with a 36-14 record, while Emory improved to 34-11 with the victory.
"Nothing surprises me about this team," said Iturrey. "Everyone has done their job, everyone has stepped up, exactly how we've expected them to. We're capable of being a championship team."
"We are now to a point where we can do something in the College World Series," said Twardoski. "This team can do some damage there, and I think we're at the peak of our playability right now."
August 6, 2014
2014 Emory Baseball Season Recap
May 30, 2014
Hannon Named Capital One Academic All-American
May 23, 2014
Lake & Welch Claim National Honors
May 20, 2014
Welch & Monk Named UAA Athletes of the Week
May 19, 2014
Four Eagles Earn D3Baseball.com All-Region Accolades
May 14, 2014
#22 Emory Opens NCAAs with 4-2 Win over Rhodes
May 12, 2014
#24/30 Emory Heads to Demorest for NCAA Regionals
May 12, 2014
Emory Baseball Named to the NCAA Championship Field
April 29, 2014
Dillman Named UAA Athlete of the Week
April 25, 2014
Dillman Strikes out 14 as Emory Blanks Huntingdon 8-0
April 24, 2014
Eagles to Wrap-Up Regular Season against Huntingdon
April 22, 2014
Baseball vs. LaGrange Postponed Until Wednesday
April 22, 2014
Hansen Claims Fourth Conference Pitcher of the Week Honor
April 19, 2014
Emory Falls to NAIA #4 Georgia Gwinnett on Senior Day
April 18, 2014
Friday Baseball at Georgia Gwinnett Rained Out
April 16, 2014
Emory Shuts Out Berry 5-0 to Sweep Season Series
April 14, 2014
Emory Baseball vs. Berry Postponed Until Wednesday
April 12, 2014
Eagles Hold on for 5-4 Win over Southwestern
April 11, 2014
Hannon Records 200th Hit in 10-2 Win over Southwestern
April 1, 2014
Dillman & Maldari Named Association Players of the Week
March 31, 2014
29th-Ranked Emory to Play at Berry College on Tuesday
March 30, 2014
#29 Emory Splits Doubleheader with #10 Birmingham-So.
March 28, 2014
Weather Forces Changes to Weekend Baseball Schedule
March 28, 2014
#29 Emory to Face #10 BSC in Key Weekend Series
March 26, 2014
#29 Emory Falls in Ninth Inning to Centre College
March 25, 2014
Kahn & Hansen Named UAA Hitter & Pitcher of the Week
March 25, 2014
Kahn Named to D3Baseball.com Team of the Week
March 23, 2014
Emory Wins Fourth-Straight with 7-1 Victory over DePauw
March 22, 2014
Sunday Baseball Game vs. DePauw moved to 2 PM
March 22, 2014
Emory Baseball Sweeps DePauw in Saturday Doubleheader
March 21, 2014
Hannon & Lake Named to All-UAA Tournament Team
March 20, 2014
Emory Returns Home to Host Weekend Series against DePauw
March 16, 2014
Emory Defeats Brandeis to win 12th UAA Championship
March 13, 2014
Eagles win Third-Straight at UAA Baseball Championships
March 12, 2014
Lake & Weeg Earn Weekly Honors
March 11, 2014
Emory Defeats Wash U. 8-2 at UAA Championships
March 10, 2014
Emory Baseball Splits Doubleheader during Day 2 of UAAs
March 9, 2014
Eagles Strike First at UAAs with 7-3 Win over Wash U.
March 6, 2014
2014 UAA Baseball Championship Preview
March 5, 2014
Emory Rally Falls Short in 7-6 Loss to Oglethorpe
March 4, 2014
Peacock Named to D3Baseball.com Team of the Week
March 2, 2014
Peacock Hits Third HR in 14-2 Emory Rout of Rochester
February 26, 2014
Baseball to Wrap-Up Home Stand against Rochester (Mich.)
February 25, 2014
Emory Bats Come Alive in 13-4 Win over Oglethorpe
February 24, 2014
Baseball Aims to Bounce Back against Oglethorpe
February 23, 2014
Rough Eighth Inning Sends Emory to 12-9 Defeat at Methodist
February 22, 2014
Eagles Shutout 1-0 at Methodist
February 21, 2014
Baseball to Face Methodist in Weekend Series
February 19, 2014
Emory Handles LaGrange in 10-4 Win
February 18, 2014
Lake Named to D3Baseball.com Team of the Week
February 18, 2014
Baseball to Host LaGrange in Midweek Matchup
February 17, 2014
Iturrey & Hansen Selected as UAA Hitter & Pitcher of the Week
February 16, 2014
Emory Splits Sunday Doubleheader at Piedmont
February 15, 2014
Eagles to Play Doubleheader at Piedmont on Sunday
February 15, 2014
Baseball Defeats Piedmont 4-3 on Peacock’s Walk-Off Double
February 13, 2014
First Game of Emory Baseball Series vs. Piedmont Postponed
February 11, 2014
Baseball to Play Three against In-State Rival Piedmont
February 10, 2014
Lake & Dillman Named First UAA Baseball Players of the Week for 2014
February 9, 2014
Emory Baseball Wraps-Up Cali Trip with Win over Pomona-Pitzer
February 8, 2014
Emory Splits Doubleheader with 10th-Ranked Cal Lutheran
February 7, 2014
Emory Opens Season with 11-2 Win at Occidental
February 4, 2014
Emory Baseball Set to Open 2014 on West Coast this Weekend
February 3, 2014
Emory Baseball 2014 Season Preview