SU Athletics [Baseball:ncaabsb2002]

SALISBURY BASEBALL BEGINS PLAY IN NCAA TOURNAMENT ON THURSDAY

Sea Gulls Face York in Opening Game of Six-Team South Regional
Salisbury University returns to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament for the third straight year and eighth time overall when it begins play in the South Regional on Thursday, May 16 in Winston-Salem, NC. The Sea Gulls (28-11-3) are the #3 seed in the six-team regional and open against #4 seed York. Game time on Thursday at Wake Forest University is 1 p.m.

South Regional
Salisbury is the defending South Region champion and will try to claim back-to-back region titles for the first time in team history. The six-team, double-elimination regional tournament is being hosted by Guilford College and the Greater Winston-Salem Sports Commission. Thursday’s schedule calls for two games to be played at Wake Forest University and one at Ernie Shore Stadium. All games after Thursday will be played at Ernie Shore Stadium. Thursday’s opening day schedule:

12 pm   # 1 Methodist (38-7-1) vs. # 6 Lebanon Valley (25-17)                at Ernie Shore Stadium
10 am   # 2 Christopher Newport (31-13) vs. # 5 Bridgewater (26-16-1)   at Wake Forest
1 pm. # 3 Salisbury (28-11-3) vs. # 4 York (31-13)                             at Wake Forest

The South Regional is one of eight regional tournaments being contested this week. The eight regional champions advance to next week’s Division III World Series, being hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Appleton, WI.

Salisbury in Postseason Play
The Sea Gulls are making their eighth overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. SU has a 16-14 overall record in seven previous trips, including 6-2 last year. The Sea Gulls won the South Region championship in 2001 with a 4-0 regional record, then finished fourth at the College World Series with a 2-2 mark. Prior to last year, Salisbury had made previous trips to the tournament in 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983 and 2000.

Gulls Against the Regional Field
Salisbury had a 4-4 cumulative record against the other South Regional qualifiers during the 2002 regular season. SU won three of four match-ups against CAC rival York, including two wins in the CAC Tournament. Salisbury split with Christopher Newport, winning 11-6 at home on February 26 and losing 10-5 at CNU on April 23. The Sea Gulls dropped two games at Methodist last month, falling 3-2 and 8-5. SU’s scheduled game against Bridgewater in March was rained out and not rescheduled. Salisbury is 7-6-1 against the full 42-team NCAA field this year.

Salisbury Wins Third CAC Championship in 2002
Salisbury received an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament despite winning the Capital Athletic Conference championship for the third straight season. With only six baseball teams, the CAC does not qualify for an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Salisbury claimed the conference title, its fourth since 1995, by winning four games in the double-elimination CAC Tournament. The Sea Gulls defeated Gallaudet, Catholic and York twice to claim the title.

Gulls Ranked 22nd in Latest ABCA Poll
Salisbury is ranked 22nd in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball poll, released on Monday, May 6. The current ranking is the lowest of the season for the Sea Gulls, who were ranked fifth in the preseason poll. The Sea Gulls have been ranked ninth, ninth, eighth and now 22nd in the four regular season polls of the 2002 season. They are also ranked third currently in the South Region.

Eight Straight 20-Win Seasons
The Sea Gulls recorded their eighth straight 20-win season in 2002. A strong showing in this week’s regional gives the Gulls a chance to reach the 30-victory plateau for the third straight year and the fourth time in team history. Salisbury tied its team record for victories by finishing with a 33-13 record in 2001. The mark had been set previously with a 33-11 record in 1977. Salisbury registered a nine-game winning streak earlier this year, as well as a 13-game unbeaten streak which also including two tie games.

Salisbury Places Six on All-Conference Team
Capital Athletic Conference champion Salisbury placed six players on the all-conference baseball teams, including three players on the 12-man first team. Sea Gulls on the first team were senior 3B Kevin Davis, senior SS BJ Jarrett, and senior OF Jason Ewing. Named to the second team were senior 1B Andrew Colanero, freshman OF Galen Morres, and junior LHP Corey Willey. In addition, second-year SU Head Coach Doug Fleetwood was selected by his peers as the CAC’s Coach of the Year for the second straight year.

Statistically Speaking
Salisbury brings a .331 team batting average into the tournament and averages 9.1 runs per game, 12th best in the nation. The Sea Gulls have scored 10 runs or more 18 times this season. The team’s leading hitter is senior OF Jason Ewing, who sports a .425 average. He also leads the team with 11 HRs, 52 runs scored, 68 hits, 19 steals and 25 extra-base hits. He ranks second with 44 RBI. Senior SS BJ Jarrett is close behind with a .415 average, and is second on the club in hits (61) and runs (39). Senior 3B Kevin Davis (.390) leads the team with 52 RBI, two shy of the team’s single-season record.

Willey, Kriger Share Team Lead in Wins
Two junior lefthanders - Corey Willey and Star Kriger - share the team lead in pitching wins with six apiece. Willey has the best overall record at 6-1 and sports the team’s lowest ERA at 2.18. Kriger is 6-6 overall with a 4.17 ERA and a team-high 90.2 innings worked. Three other hurlers have three wins apiece: freshman Brian Shipe (3-0, 3.28 ERA); sophomore Steve Fredrick (3-1, 3.95 ERA); and senior Matt Roath (3-2, 4.66 ERA). The Sea Gull pitching staff sports a team ERA of 4.10 entering the tournament.

Head Coach Doug Fleetwood
Doug Fleetwood is in his second year as the head coach of the Salisbury baseball program and serving in his fourth year overall with the Sea Gulls. He brings a 61-24-3 career record into the 2002 NCAA Tournament, and has piloted his club to back-to-back CAC titles in 2001 and 2002. He has also been named by his peers as the CAC’s Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons. After two years as the team’s hitting coach, Fleetwood was named as the new head coach in November, 2000. In his first season, Fleetwood piloted the Sea Gulls to the South Region title and their first-ever appearance in the College World Series. Prior to joining the Sea Gulls, Fleetwood piloted the Cambridge/South Dorchester (Md) High School baseball team for 12 seasons, winning the state title in 1978 and advancing to the state regionals 11 times. He compiled a 171-63-1 record.