MESA, Ariz. – The Corban University baseball team is traveling south to Arizona for the 2018 California Pacific Conference Championships this weekend. The tournament will take place May 6-8, and will be hosted by Benedictine University-Mesa. All games will take place at Hohokam Stadium, the spring training facility of the MLB's Oakland Athletics.
Games will begin on Sunday morning, and continue through Tuesday, with Wednesday being reserved as a make-up day, if necessary. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament, and earn the right to compete in the NAIA Opening Round. The University of Antelope Valley has already garnered an automatic berth with their Cal Pac regular season championship, meaning the tournament runner-up would earn the automatic bid to the national tournament in the case Antelope Valley won the tournament championship.
The Warriors will enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed, and will play in the tournament's first game on Sunday morning at 9 a.m., lining up against No. 5-seeded Marymount University (Calif.).
Tournament schedule:
SUNDAY, MAY 6
Game 1 @ 9 a.m. – #4 Corban (27-24) vs. #5 Marymount (19-29-1)
Game 2 @ 12:30 a.m. – #2 British Columbia (25-22) vs. #3 Benedictine-Mesa (39-16)
Game 3 @ 4 p.m. – #1 Antelope Valley (38-11-1) vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 4 @ 7:30 p.m. – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (loser eliminated)
MONDAY, MAY 7
Game 5 @ 11 a.m. – Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3
Game 6 @ 2:30 a.m. – Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 (loser eliminated)
Game 7 @ 6 p.m. – Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 (loser eliminated)
TUESDAY, MAY 8
Game 8 @ 11 a.m. – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7
Game 9 @ 30 min after – (if necessary)
Corban's (27-24) offense has been impressive all season, averaging over six runs per game, and boasting five players (Josh Ebert, Daniel Freiburger, Andrew Axmaker, Drew Loera, and Jarett Thoren) with a .300 batting average or higher. Ebert's .360 average is good for second-best in the NAIA West, and with a NAIA West-leading 23 stolen bases on the season, he has wreaked havoc on opposing teams both in the batter's box, and on the base paths. Axmaker has also been dangerous at the plate, tied for the team lead in home runs (6) and leading the team in RBI (41). Freiburger's 62 hits and 44 runs both serve as team-best marks.
On the mound, Corban is anchored by Kris Jackson, who has had a stellar season as the Warrior ace. Tied for the NAIA-West lead with nine wins, Jackson holds a conference-best 2.53 ERA, and has limited opponents' batters to just a .229 average. Caleb Henry has also been a force on the bump, particularly of late, notching a 3.53 ERA on the year, and holding opponents to .225 average. Out of the pen, senior Austin Holmes has been invaluable in relief, accumulating a 2.89 ERA.
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