CALDWELL, Idaho – The Corban University baseball team is headed back to the postseason tournament in 2019. The Warriors officially punched their ticket to the California Pacific Tournament on May 5-7 with the team's first series sweep of season, taking games three and four by final scores of 6-3 and 6-1 (six innings).

"I couldn't be happier with my team," said head coach Derek Legg. "We have practiced hard the last two weeks, and this weekend was a result of that. The guys grinded all weekend and we played some of our best baseball all year. This should give us some confidence going into the conference tournament. We will continue to work hard and try to get better every day."

As it stands, the Warriors end their NAIA-West regiment with the team's first winning record (16-15) in conference play in three years.

Corban struck first in game one of the doubleheader today, with Justin Tow starting the scoring with an RBI single up the middle in the second.

The Yotes would answer with three runs in their half of the frame, however. College of Idaho nine-man Keaton Elledge drove in two with a single, and Chase Labbe followed that up with a run-scoring double.

The lead wouldn't last long for the Yotes, as Corban evened the score in the top of the third with a pair of runs, highlighted by Estenio Sede's first-career round-tripper. The Warriors' leading home run hitter, Ben Ross, would flash a little power of his own in the sixth, putting the Navy and Gold ahead with a solo shot (6) to left center.

Jared Bell—who pushed his hit streak to six today—provided the insurance for the Warriors in the eighth, roping a two-run triple into the right-field alley to extend the Corban lead to 6-3.

Zackary Simon got the start and the win on the mound for the Navy and Gold, turning in yet another quality start (seven innings pitched, three runs, six strikeouts) and moving to 2-3 on the season.

A pair of three-spots in the first and the third helped the Warriors take a resounding early lead in the finale. Ross once again served as the power supply in the first, hooking a three-run shot (7) down the left field line off of College of Idaho starter Austin Van Horne.

The other half of Corban's run total came on a wild play in the third inning involving a Nate Cantonwine RBI single. After bringing home Sede with the two-out base hit, Cantonwine—along with Daniel Freiburger, who originally was at first base—would end up coming around to score on a throwing error by Yote reliever Nathan Pena.

College of Idaho's Elledge would score the team's first run of the game in the sixth, crossing home on a wild pitch, but the game would be called shortly after due to heavy precipitation. Elledge (1-for-2, run) also collected the Yotes' lone hit of the day against Corban starter Jacob Bowser. 

The sophomore right-hander—typically used in a relief role for the Corban pitching staff—has now collected wins in both of his starts this season, lowering his 2019 ERA to just 2.34.

Though the Corban offense only saw six half-innings of work in the finale, the squad still pounded out 12 hits in the triumph. All but one member of the Warrior starting lineup collected a knock, while Sede (2-for-4, two runs), Cantonwine (2-for-3, RBI, run), Bell (2-for-2), and Jared Berard (2-for-3) all finished with a couple.

The Warriors couldn't have picked a better moment to earn their first series sweep of 2019, turning in some of the team's most-impressive all-around performances of the season at just the right time.

In addition, some of the squad's key pieces have been heating up as postseason play approaches; Josh Ebert has now reached safely in 10 of his last 11 games, Freiburger is batting .388 in the month of April, and Ross has launched home runs in five of the past 10 contests.

The Warriors (18-26-1, 16-15) will have one more series before traveling to Arizona for the Cal-Pac Tournament, hosting NCAA Division II foe Academy of Art on April 26-27. Prior to the 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, Corban's seniors will be honored with a pregame ceremony.