For the first time in 11 years, the University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team has earned a berth to the 2012 NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament. The Chargers will compete at the South Regional, hosted by the University of Tampa at the UT Baseball Field, which runs from May 1721 in Tampa, Fla.
Making its fifth appearance, and first since four straight berths from 19982001, UAH (3122) enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed. CT.
Lynn swept the Chargers in a fourgame series earlier this season in Boca Raton, Fla., to drop UAH to 14 alltime against Lynn. UAH lone victory over the Fighting Knights came by a north face outlet store berkeley score of 124 in the 2004 season opener at a neutral site in Jacksonville, Fla. Earlier this season, Lynn won games one and three of the fourgame series by scores of 71 and 64, respectively, while needing extra innings to defeat UAH on walkoff runs in games two and four, 32 and 109, respectively.
UAH is 8899 alltime against the 2012 NCAA South Regional field, including a mark of 911 when facing members of the field this season.
UAH will be looking for it firstever NCAA Division II World Series berth this week, but will have to navigate its way through arguably the toughest region the north face outlet store in the nation the only region with eight teams. Two of the last three, and four of the last six, national champions are in this week field, including the current No. 1ranked Tampa Spartans. West Florida won last year national title, while Lynn won in 2009, and Tampa claimed the championship in 2006 and 2007.
In addition, five of the eight teams in this year field are either ranked or receiving votes in the most recent Collegiate Baseball Top 30 poll. No. 1seed Tampa is ranked first overall, while No. 3seed Lynn ranks ninth, No. 2seed Delta State follows in 10th and No. 7seed North Alabama comes in at 23rd. No. 5seed Nova Southeastern is receiving votes in the poll.
Historically, the Chargers are 68 in NCAA Division II regional play. UAH turned in its best regional performance in it firstever trip in 1998, when the Blue and White advanced to the semifinals before falling to West Georgia, 61.
UAH finished the regular season with the Gulf South Conference secondbest league record of 159, and earned the No. 3 seed for tournament play after tiebreakers. The Chargers 15 wins in conference play this year are the secondmost in school history, coming just one shy of the programrecord 16 wins set in 1999 and 2000. Additionally, UAH has surpassed the 30win mark this season to accumulate the most victories (31) in a single season since the 2004 season when the squad finished with 36 wins.
The Chargers recently concluded play in the GSC Tournament in Rome, Ga., where the team made a run to the championship game before falling to topseeded Delta State, 148 a team UAH beat earlier in the tournament by a score of 84. Win or lose against Lynn, however, and UAH could very well get a rematch with DSU in the second round, or face rival North Alabama for the fifth time this season.
UAH had three Chargers named to the GSC AllTournament team at the conclusion of the conference tournament. Mike Loveled the Chargers at the plate throughout the tournament by hitting at a .611 (11for18) clip with three doubles, five RBI and seven runs scored. Ty Chancelorbatted .304 (7for23) with a home run and four RBI, while Justin Riddlewent .294 (5for17) in the tournament with a homer, two doubles and four RBI.
As a team, UAH is hitting .303 on the year, including a .344 clip with 11 home runs, 35 doubles and 108 RBI in the squad past 13 games. The Chargers are averaging 6.3 runs on 9.6 hits per game, while the pitching staff is limiting opponents to just 3.9 runs on 8.7 hits per outing, with a 3.56 ERA.
Returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since claiming the 2009 national championship, Lynn has won 13 of its last 15 games and is one of just two teams this year to take two games from topranked Tampa.
As a team, the Fighting Knights are hitting at .308, paced by Anthony Boza .406 average, 13 home runs, 18 doubles and 50 RBI. Boza batted .750 against UAH earlier this year, including four homers and nine RBI. While averaging 5.8 runs on 10 hits per contest, offensively, Lynn pitching staff is allowing just 3.7 runs on 8.4 hits per outing, and carries a 3.38 ERA.