Amherst Will Host Double-Elimination Tournament

HADLEY, Mass. – Amherst College will host the 2005 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Baseball Championship after finishing first in the NESCAC West Division. The double elimination tournament will begin Friday, May 13 and continue through Sunday, May 15 with games played on Amherst’s campus and at Western New England College (WNEC) in nearby Springfield. The host of the NESCAC Championship alternates between East and West Division top seeds annually.

Amherst (9-2-1 West, 20-6-1 overall), the defending NESCAC champion, will meet Tufts (10-2 NESCAC East, 23-9) in game one at 3:00 p.m. on Friday at Amherst. The two teams have not played since game one of the 2003 tournament hosted by Amherst, a contest which the Jeffs won 5-1 over the visiting Jumbos.

Trinity (10-2 NESCAC East, 28-5) earned the top seed in the East Division and will meet West Division number two seed Wesleyan (7-4-1 NESCAC West, 11-22-1) in game 2 of the championship. The Bantams, currently ranked 5th nationally, and Cardinals will meet on the campus of WNEC Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

The first day losers will play in an elimination game Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at WNEC, while Friday’s winners will meet at the same time at Amherst. The third game on Saturday will be an elimination game between the two teams who split their first two games and will be played at Amherst. Sunday’s championship at Amherst will feature the survivor of the final game on Saturday and the tournament’s undefeated team. A second game on Sunday may be necessary in the double elimination tournament if the team who entered the day undefeated loses the first game. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship tournament.

Tournament recaps and box scores will be available following each day of competition.

2005 NESCAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Day 1 - Friday, May 13
Game 1 - E2 Tufts at W1 Amherst - 3:00 p.m. - at Amherst
Game 2 - W2 Wesleyan vs. E1 Trinity - 3:00 p.m. - at WNEC
Day 2 - Saturday, May 14
Game 3 - Loser of GM 1 vs. Loser of GM 2 - 10:30 a.m. - at WNEC
Game 4 - Winner of GM 1 vs. Winner of GM 2 - 10:30 a.m. - at Amherst
Game 5 - Winner of GM 3 vs. Loser of GM 4 - 2:30 p.m. - at Amherst
Day 3 - Sunday, May 15 at Amherst
Game 6 - Winner of GM 4 vs. Winner of GM 5 - 10:00 a.m.
Game 7 - If Necessary - Immediately Following