2017 MIDWEST REGIONAL 1^ST ROUND QUICK FACTS
#4 Drury Panthers (36-18) vs #5 Bellarmine Knights (34-19)
NCAA-II Midwest Regional (Opening Round, Game Two) – Thur., May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. (central)
Gerace Stadium – Midland, Michigan
 
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Drury and Bellarmine in rematch of last week's thriller
The Panthers open the NCAA-II Midwest Regional against fifth seeded Bellarmine at 9 a.m. (central) on Thursday at Gerace Stadium in Midland, Michigan. The Knights are 34-19 and went 20-8 in the GLVC to finish second in the East Division. Thursday's game will be a rematch of last week's second round GLVC tournament contest that saw Drury win 7-6 on a bottom of the ninth inning two-RBI single by Nic Perkins that pushed the Panthers into the third round with a 2-0 tournament record and sent the Knights to a Saturday elimination-game.
 
The Panthers are seeded fourth in the region and enter the national tournament with a 36-18 record and were GLVC-West Division champions having gone 19-9 in the league's regular season. Drury fell to Quincy 4-3 in the GLVC championship game on Sunday and went 3-1 in the conference tournament. This year marks Drury's fifth trip to the NCAA-II tournament during their 11-year program history and is their third national tournament appearance in four years.
 
The winner of Thursday morning's game will play advance to a winner's bracket semifinal on Friday afternoon to play the winner of top seeded Northwood (43-11) and number eight seed Kentucky Wesleyan (27-22) while the two losing teams will match-up in an elimination game on Friday morning.
 
The Panthers are 7-8 all-time in the national tournament. They have never advanced past the regional but have played four games in the tournament twice and went five games deep in 2014.
 
Drury is expected to start senior RHP Ryan Colombo on Thursday. The Topeka, Kansas native is 9-2 with a 2.60 earned run average. Colombo was named GLVC Player of the Year and a first team all-conference selection in the West Divison as a utility player as he has made starts at shortstop, second base and first base in addition to being in the Panthers starting pitching rotation throughout the year. Colombo made his first relief appearance of the season on Sunday against Quincy going an inning and allowing no hits, no runs with one walk and one strikeout. He got the win in his last start, a 9-1 win over Saint Joseph's. Colombo pitched a complete, nine-inning game giving up just five hits and one earned run with one walk and five strikeouts. Drury is 11-2 in games he starts.
 
Bellarmine's probable starter is LHP Eddie Mathis. The senior is 9-3 with a 2.74 ERA. His last start came on Thursday in the opening round of the GLVC tournament against Missouri S&T as he got a complete-game win going nine innings allowing seven hits and two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts in a 13-2 win over the Miners. Mathis was a 1^st team All-GLVC East Division selection this year.  
 
DRURY-BELLARMINE QUICK FACTS
Qualified for NCAA-II tournament
Drury: At-large bid
Bellarmine: At-large bid
 
Probable starting pitchers
Drury: RHP Ryan Colombo (9-2, 2.60 ERA)
Bellarmine: LHP Eddie Mathis (9-3, 2.74 ERA)
 
Leading hitters
Drury: Ryan Colombo (.380, 3 HR, 33 RBI), Nic Perkins (.363, 7 HR, 48 RBI), KK Daniel (.346, 2 HR, 30 RBI)
Bellarmine: Zac Wiley (.401, 9 HR, 39 RBI), Drew Greenwood (.358, 0 HR, 25 RBI), Alex Ralph (.350, 0 HR, 36 RBI)
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Scott Nasby (5^th year, 168-106-1)
Bellarmine: Larry Owens (4^th year, 106-100)
 
Last game
Drury lost vs Quincy 4-3 (Sun. in GLVC championship game at US Baseball Park)
Bellarmine lost vs Saint Joseph's 8-1 (Sat., in GLVC tourn., Game 9 at US Baseball Park)
 
Last Meeting
Drury won 7-6 (May 12 at US Baseball Park, GLVC tournament, Game 7)
 
All-time series
Bellarmine is 10-8 against Drury in the all-time series
 
Next
Winner plays Northwood / Kentucky Wesleyn winner, Fri., 4 p.m. (central)
Loser play Northwood / Kentucky Wesleyan loser, Fri., 9 a.m. (central)
 
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