The Trinity University Tigers baseball team won the NCAA Division III national championship on May 31. Throughout a tournament beset with rain and delays, the Tigers maintained their focus and set a school record, ending the season 44-7.
After an 8-0 win to start off the tournament, and beating defending champions SUNY Cortland twice, Trinity sealed the championship by winning the first two games in the best-of-three championship round against Keystone College.
Trinity now has five NCAA DIII team championships. Men’s and women’s tennis won the title in 2000, while women’s basketball and men’s soccer were crowned in 2003. The school’s athletic program has remained consistently strong, with many appearances in NCAA championship tournaments and playoffs. This particular win, however, represents 20 years of history, according to Head Coach Scannell, who said he appreciates all those who have contributed to building the program.
Scannell also saw his 600th career win during the tournament.
Senior catcher Drew Butler was named tournament MVP. In the best-of-three championship round, Butler hit 7-11 with seven RBI, four runs scored, four doubles, and a triple.
The team returns home late tonight, where a victory party awaits them upon arrival.
Top image: Trinity University Tigers win the NCAA Div III Championship. Courtesy of Trinity University.
Related Stories:
Trinity Baseball Starts Championship Tournament with Big Win
Mayor Calls for Downtown Stadium, Triple-A Baseball Team by 2019
Trinity Market, Break Fast & Launch Partnership: ‘Beginning of Something Great’
Forbes: Trinity University is 8th Best Entrepreneurial College
SUNY-Cortland, not Courtland.
Great job by the Tigers – they have been close and had some back luck that kept them from winning championships in prior seasons. This year the focus was incredible and they had a little scheduling luck break their way (not that they needed it – they held their #1 pitcher for a possible deciding game today but pulled off the win last night just the same).