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LANCASTER, PA – Franklin & Marshall College has been selected as the #5 seed for the seven team NCAA Mid-Atlantic baseball regional at Bear Stadium in Boyertown, Pennsylvania on May 17-21. The Centennial Conference champion Diplomats (28-9, 16-2 Centennial Conference), ranked #13 in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III National Poll, will meet #4 seed and Pennsylvania Athletic Conference runner-up Gwynedd-Mercy College (31-13) at 9:30 a.m. on May 17 with the winner advancing to play top-seeded College of New Jersey the same day at 8 p.m. The Griffins are an at-large selection to the tournament as Gwynedd-Mercy fell in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship series versus Alvernia College. Gwynedd-Mercy will make its third appearance in the tournament but first as an at-large selection. The Griffins last made the tournament in 2001 advancing to the regional finals. Wednesday’s other first-round Mid-Atlantic Region match-ups include #7 seed Frostburg State (27-11), the Allegheny Mountain Conference champion, versus #2 seed Montclair State (27-16-2), a New Jersey Athletic Conference at-large, at 1:00 p.m. Further, #6 seed Alvernia College (30-11), the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference champion, will face #3 seed Kean University (29-15), an at-large from the New Jersey Athletic Conference, at 4:30 p.m. The regional champion will advance to the national championship tournament in Appleton, Wisconsin. The bid marks the third to the national championship tournament in 131 years of varsity competition at Franklin & Marshall College and the third in the last 11 years as the 1995 Centennial Conference champion Diplomats went 2-2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey, while last year’s Centennial Conference champion Diplomats finished 0-2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Boyertown. Overall, the regional tournament marks the Diplomats fifth non-conference post-season tournament appearance. In 1991, Franklin & Marshall was selected to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III championship tournament, but lost 11-10 to Allentown College (now DeSales University) in the semifinal round. In 2003, the Diplomats went 1-1 in the ECAC Tournament defeating Wilkes University 5-4, but fell to host Penn State-Behrend 3-1 in the title game. Ticket prices are $4 for adults and $2 for students, while tournament passes are available at $20 for adults and $10 for students. Hosted by Alvernia College and Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, Boyertown, Pennsylvania
1. The College of New Jersey (32-5)
2. Montclair State (27-16-2)
3. Kean (29-15)
4. Gwynedd-Mercy (31-13)
5. Franklin & Marshall (28-9)
6. Alvernia (30-11)
7. Frostburg State (27-11) Wednesday, May 17th
Game 1: #5 Franklin & Marshall vs. #4 Gwynedd-Mercy, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: #7 Frostburg State vs. #2 Montclair State, 1 p.m.
Game 3: #6 Alvernia College vs. #3 Kean University, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. #1 TCNJ, 8 p.m. Thursday, May 18th
Game 5: Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser, 9:30 a.m. (elimination game)
Game 6: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Game 4 Loser vs. Game 5 Winner, 4:30 p.m. (elimination game)
Game 8: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser, 8 p.m. (elimination game) Friday, May 19th
Game 9: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, Noon
Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 3:30 p.m. (elimination game)
Game 11: Game 9 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner, 7 p.m. (elimination game) Saturday, May 20th
Game 12: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, Noon
Game 13: Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser, 4:30 (if necessary)
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