2011 Regional Tournament Website
Millington, TN -- Claiming a spot in the 2011 NCAA Division III College World Series will be no easy task for the Piedmont College baseball team as the Lions will have to get through perhaps one of the nation's toughest regionals which begins today in west Tennessee. Joining #23 Piedmont at the Millington Regional is three other nationally ranked ballclubs including two of the country's top three ranked teams in Christopher Newport and Shenandoah.
While the talk of the 2011 South Regional field amongst the fans may be the top-ranked Captains of CNU and the third-ranked Hornets of Shenandoah, there is just one team being talked about in the Piedmont clubhouse - that's #29 Salisbury University, the tournament's fourth seed and PC's opening round opponent. The two will do battle tonight in the evening finale of day one with action set to begin at 7:00 CST, 8:00 EST with full coverage available online including a video and audio broadcast.
The Seagulls and the Lions have met once before in NCAA postseason play with that meeting coming in the 2008 NCAA South Regional as Piedmont fought back to overtake then top-seeded Salisbury 10-6 staving off elimination in the tourney. PC will be looking to make it 2-0 against their foe out of Maryland when the two take the field later tonight at USA Stadium in Millington, TN for the third game of the day at the South Regional Tournament.
Salisbury enters tonight's contest with the nation's #29 ranking in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association poll while the Lions sit in the poll's #23 spot having climbed seven spots over the last three weeks. The two clubs represent half of the Regional's ranked teams participating as two of the country's top three teams are also playing at the tournament in #1 Christopher Newport University and #3 Shenandoah University.
Though the Lions are playing in perhaps the nation's toughest regional, elite competition is no stranger to the 2011 boys from Georgia as Piedmont has faced a slew of nationally ranked competition managing a 30-13 overall record on the year. PC has shared the field with the top-ranked Captains of CNU while also battling #2 Marietta in the Southeast Ohio Invitational earlier in the season and hold a pair of 6-5 wins over nationally teams including Adrian College who sits at #22 in the latest ABCA poll.
Fans can follow the action at the 2011 NCAA South Regional via live stat, video and audio links at the Regional Tournament website with coverage provided by the Office of Sports Information at Rhodes College. The #3 seed Lions will face #4 seed Salisbury with the first pitch of the Wednesday finale set for 7 pm Central, 8:00 EST.
