SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– The Drury Panthers will take on the number two seed and host Illinois Springfield on Thursday at 7 pm in the opening round of the NCAA-II Midwest Regional Tournament #2 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The tournament is a four-team, double-elimination event.
Drury is 30-23 and seeded seventh in the region. The Prairie Stars are 37-15-1 and are coming off of a 4-3 loss in the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship game on Sunday. Both Drury and Illinois Springfield went 21-12 in league play to finish tied for fourth place in the standings. The two teams will be head-to-head for the fifth time this season. Illinois Springfield won two of the three games during the regular season and picked up an 11-2 win over the Panthers in the opening round of the GLVC tournament.
The Panthers have won 15 of their last 21 games. Drury was 15-17 on April 2 but put together a 15-6 record since then and earned an at-large bid. UIS also received received an at-large bid and were awarded a host site for the second straight season. The Prairie Stars went 2-2 in last year's Midwest Regional, which was an eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
The winner of the Panthers-Prairie Stars game will play the winner of third-seeded Wayne State (34-15) and number six seed Quincy (32-18) on Friday at 3:30 pm while the two losing teams will play one another in an elimination game on Friday at noon.
The winner of Midwest Regional #2 will play the winner of Midwest Regional #1 hosted by Ashland in a three-game series May 23-25 at the site of the highest surviving seed. 2019 is the first year the Division II baseball tournament has featured a format with two sites during the regionals.
Drury is in the NCAA-II tournament for the sixth time in the program's 13-year history, and it is their second national tournament appearance in three years. The Panthers were in the national field in their inaugural season of 2007 and advanced again in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.
Midwest Regional #2 Schedule
Thursday
#7 Drury at #2 Illinois Springfield, 7 pm
#3 Wayne State (Mich.) vs #6 Quincy, 3:30 pm
Friday
Winner's bracket, noon
Loser's bracket, 3:30 pm
Winner of loser's bracket game vs loser of winner's bracket, 7 pm
Saturday
Championship game #1, noon
Championship game #2 (if necessary), 3:30 pm
Midwest Regional #1 (May 16-19)
#1 Ashland vs #8 Tiffin
#4 Northwood vs #5 Bellarmine
Diamond Notes
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Clayton Engel had 7 RBI's in three games played in the GLVC tournament.
--Engel also hit .400 during the GLVC tourney going 6 for 15 at the plate and had hits in all three games.
--Drury committed 12 errors during the three games of the GLVC tournament
--Illinois Springfield's probable starter on Thursday, Justin Revels, was the GLVC Pitcher of the Year and will be facing the Panthers for the third time this year. He is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA against Drury this season.
--Drury has gone 15-6 since April 3
rd.
--The Panthers have gone 4-5 against teams ranked in the top 25, and they have a 5-10 record against teams in the national tournament field.
DRURY QUICK FACTS
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Probable Starters for Drury
RHP
Kaleb Schmidt (3-4, 3.78 ERA)
RHP
Tom Tewes (6-2, 4.60 ERA)
RHP
Hunter Becker (4-1, 4.21 ERA)
Head Coach
Scott Nasby (7th year, 228-154-1)
Stat Leaders
DU-
Collin Fraley (.345, 0 HR, 17 RBI),
Aaron Mann (.339, 7 HR, 50 RBI),
Clayton Engel (.328, 10 HR, 54 RBI),
Ethan Owens (.317, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 17 SB),
Andrew Hastings (2-0, 2.37 ERA),
Alex Austin (26 app., 4-4, 4 saves, 3.65 ERA)
Drury Summary
Record: 30-23 (21-12 in GLVC)
Current Streak: Lost 1
All-time record in NCAA-II Tourn.: 8-10
Last appearance: 2017 (1-2)
Record in last five games: 4-1
Record at home: 16-14
Record on the road: 13-9
Vs RH starters: 28-21
Vs LH starters: 2-2
In 1-run games: 6-8
Extra Innings: 2-1
Shutouts: 4-4
Decided in last AB: 4-6
Leading after 6 inn: 23-3
Trailing after 6 inn: 4-17
Tied after 6 inn: 3-3
Leading after 7 inn: 20-4
Trailing after 7 inn: 4-14
Tied after 7 inn: 1-1
Leading after 8 inn: 19-2
Trailing after 8 inn: 2-14
Tied after 8 inn: 1-2
Best record: 30-22 (21-12)
Worst record: 15-17 (2-3)
Longest win streak: 7 (April 3-14)
Longest losing streak: 3, 2x (last, March 27-31)
#allweDUiswin
