ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team will take on the defending national champions, the University of Lynchburg (30-15), to open NCAA Division III Regional play at Case Western Reserve University on Friday, May 17 at Nobby's Ballpark. Ithaca (31-9) will be the No. 2 seed in the regional, while No. 1 seed Case Western (31-9) hosts Alvernia University (28-16).
The winner of this regional will take on Trinity University (Texas) or the University of La Verne (27-13-1) in the Super Regional on May 24-25.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 17
#9 Case Western vs. Alvernia – 10 a.m.
Ithaca vs. Lynchburg – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 18
Loser of Game One vs. Loser of Game Two – 8:30 a.m.
Winner of Game One vs. Winner of Game Two – 12 p.m.
Game Three Winner vs. Game Four Loser – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
Game Four Winner vs. Game Five Winner – 11 a.m.
Game Seven (if necessary) – 45 minutes after
Ithaca will be making its 51st all-time trip to the NCAA Division III Championship. The Bombers made 10 appearances (1955, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974) prior to 1976, which is when the NCAA established Division III. Ithaca earned the Liberty League's automatic bid by sweeping the postseason championship for the third straight season on three consecutive walk-offs as the Bombers beat Union (8-7) and Rochester twice (3-2 and 7-6).
Ithaca is 133-98 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has won two national titles – 1980 and 1988. Outside of the two championships, Ithaca has been the national runners-up on three other occasions – 1976, 1981 and 1986.
HOW THEY GOT TO CLEVELAND
Case Western – The Spartans earned an at-large out of the United Athletics Association (UAA)
Ithaca – The Bombers won the Liberty League
Lynchburg – The Hornets won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
Alvernia – The Golden Wolves won the MAC Commonwealth