WINTHROP, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College of Maine ran through its league schedule with a 12-2 mark to earn the top seed in next week's 2015 GNAC Baseball Tournament, claiming the conference regular-season title.
Saint Joseph's, ranked sixth in the latest New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) regional poll, enters the postseason having won five-consecutive GNAC titles with nine conference crowns over the last 10 years overall.
The GNAC's six-team tourney gets underway on Tuesday with first-round, single-elimination action, followed by the four-team, double-elimination portion of the tournament on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
The final two days of the tournament on April 25-26 will take place at Holman Stadium in Nashua, N.H.
Tuesday's first-round action will feature fifth-seeded Rivier University (8-6) traveling to fourth-seeded Lasell College (9-5) for a 6:00 p.m. contest, while third-seeded Suffolk University (9-5) will host sixth-seeded Albertus Magnus College (4-10) at Adams Field in Quincy, Mass. at 7:30 p.m.
The Rivier-Lasell winner will travel to top-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine) on Thursday, April 23 in a non-elimination contest at 4:00 p.m. The Albertus-Suffolk winner will travel to second-seeded Johnson & Wales University (10-4) in Thursday's other non-elimination contest. First pitch for that game is set for 6:00 p.m.
Saint Joseph's, Johnson & Wales and the two remaining teams will then take the field at Holman on Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m. For the complete schedule, please see below.
First Round - Tuesday, April 21 (single elimination)
Game 1: #6 Albertus Magnus at #3 Suffolk - 7:30 p.m. (at Adams Field, Quincy, Mass.)
Game 2: #5 Rivier at #4 Lasell - 6:00 p.m.
Second Round - Thursday, April 23 (double elimination begins)
Game 3: Game 2 winner at #1 Saint Joseph's Maine - 4:00 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner at #2 Johnson & Wales - 6:00 p.m.
Semifinals - Saturday, April 25 (at Holman Stadium, Nashua, N.H.)
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (elimination game) - 10:00 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner - 1:00 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 loser vs Game 5 winner (elimination game) - 4:00 p.m.
Championship - Sunday, April 26 (at Holman Stadium, Nashua, N.H.)
Game 8: Game 7 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 12:00 p.m.
Game 9: if necessary
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
