MARSHALL, Texas – A ticket has been purchased for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and #15/19 East Texas Baptist University is headed to the Midwest for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. It is the first time for ETBU to be in the NCAA Tournament as they continue to make their magical run towards a national championship.
"We are trying to enjoy this as much as we can and the time left we have with the guys," said head coach
Jared Hood. "We are excited for this challenge and grateful for the opportunity. This team never quits and they work hard. This is something they have wanted to accomplish since the beginning. I am really proud of them and how they have banded together in this run. I'm happy it's not over with."
The championship tournament will take place from June 2-8 at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Ia. It is being hosted by the American Rivers Conference. ETBU opens up on Friday, June 2, at 4:30 p.m. against #2 Salisbury University (Md.)
It will be a tough task for ETBU facing #2 Salisbury who is making their third straight appearance in the championship tournament. They won the national championship in 2021 and were runners-up last season. They come to Iowa with a 35-6 record after winning the Super Regional over Rowan University, 10-6, and 17-12. They opened the tournament in a best-of-five series with Penn State Harrisburg winning game one, 6-2. They fell in game two, 12-11, but then won, 13-5, and 10-5, winning the regional.
ETBU brings the Cinderella story to Iowa as the only team to make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and make it to the championship round. They will be one of three programs in Iowa making their first appearance in the championship tournament with Endicott (Md.) and Lynchburg (Va.).
Earning the right to play in the championship round, ETBU advanced to the final destination by winning the Marshall, Texas Regional and Super Regional Tournament. Their last 13 post-season games have been at Woods Field going 10-3. They last played on the road April 22 when they swept a double header over Texas Dallas, 7-1, and 6-3, claiming the American Southwest Conference regular season championship. Since April 25, they are 13-4 at Woods Field.
Last weekend, ETBU opened the Super Regional with a convincing, 9-1, win over La Verne on Friday night.
Cole Godkin went six innings with four strikeouts for his seventh win of the year. Saturday's first game brought a 5-0 lead for ETBU only to see La Verne win, 9-8, forcing a game three.
Jagger Neely continued his strong post-season performance with six innings of work for his third win of the year with three strikeouts allowing one earned run.
ETBU represents the south and the west in Iowa as the American Southwest Champions and the Marshall, Texas Regional and Super Regional Champions.
They will be the third game of the day on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
ETBU Game Notes
ETBU vs. Salisbury
Last Meeting: first time
Record: first meeting
Ranking: #2/#2 – Salisbury | #15/#19 ETBU
Salisbury University
Location: Salisbury, Md.
Conference: Coast-to-Coast
Record: 35-6
Ranking: #2 D3baseball.com | #2 College Baseball Newspaper
2023 C2C Tournament Champions – defeated Mary Washington, 22-4
2023 Middletown, Pa. Regional Champions – defeated Penn State-Harrisburg (3 games to 1 | 5-game regional)
2023 Salisbury, Md. Super Regional Champions – defeated Rowan, 10-6, and 17-12
National Champions: 2021
National Runners-up: 2022
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28
NCAA Consecutive Appearances: 23
ETBU
Location: Marshall, Texas
Conference: American Southwest
Record: 40-13
Ranking: #19 D3baseball.com | #15 College Baseball Newspaper
2023 ASC Tournament Champions – defeated Hardin-Simmons, 16-8, and 8-1
2023 Marshall, Texas Regional Champions – defeated Trinity University, 2-1, in final elimination game
2023 Marshall, Texas Super Regional – defeated La Verne, 14-6, in final elimination game
NCAA Tournament Appearance: first time
ETBU in National Tournaments
ETBU is now 5-2 in the NCAA Tournament in their first appearance winning the Marshall, Texas Regional and Super Regional. It had been 22 years since ETBU was in a national tournament last playing in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) World Series in 2001. They made three appearances in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and were the NCCAA World Series runners-up in 2001. ETBU went 30-15 that year. Overall, they are 4-4 in the NCCAA National Tournament and now are 9-6 in three national tournaments.
NCAA Tournament Appearance
2023
Marshall, Texas Super Regional (2-1)
ETBU 9, La Verne 1
La Verne 9, ETBU 8
ETBU 14, La Verne 6
Marshall, Texas Regional (3-1)
ETBU 16, Cal Lutheran 6
ETBU 9, Trinity 4
Trinity 8, ETBU 6
ETBU 2, Trinity 1
NCCAA World Series Appearance
2001 (3-1)
Faulkner 5, ETBU 4
ETBU 4, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
ETBU 13, Malone 3
ETBU 3, Gardner Webb 2
2000 (1-2)
Olivet Nazarene 6, ETBU 3
Malone 9, ETBU 2
ETBU 6, Indiana Wesleyan 4
1999 (0-2)
Hillsdale Baptist 4, ETBU 3
Emmanuel College 3, ETBU 2
ETBU vs. Teams in the NCAA National Championship Tournament
ETBU has never played any of the teams in the national championship tournament. They have played two teams from Michigan (Adrian), Ohio (Malone Univesity, Mount Vernon Nazarene), Illinois (Millikin, Rockford College), Kansas (Tabor College). Overall, ETBU is 7-4 vs. Midwest programs. They have never played anybody from the East Coast.
ETBU vs. Midwest Teams
Adrian College 0-1 L, 12-1 (2009)
Malone University 1-0 W, 13-3 (2001)
Millikin 3-2 L, 3-2 (2023)
Mount Vernon Nazarene 1-0 W, 4-2 (2001)
Rockford 1-1 W, 12-9 (2005)
Tabor College 1-0 W, 21-2 (2001)
ETBU in the 2023 Post Season
ETBU is 10-3 this post season dropping a game in each tournament they have played in. They started off the post season as the no. 1 seed in the ASC Tournament and lost to Hardin-Simmons University, 12-4, before reeling off five straight elimination wins to claim the championship. They went 3-1 in the Marshall, Texas Regional Tournament winning game one vs. Cal Lutheran, 16-6, and game two over Trinity (Texas), 9-4. In the championship round, they fell in the first game, 8-6, before winning the final game, 2-1, advancing to the Super Regional. Winning game one in the Super Regional, 9-1, over La Verne, ETBU fell in the second game, 9-8, but turned around and won the final game, 14-6.
2023 Post Season Run
ASC
ETBU 8, HSU 1 – ASC Championship game 2
ETBU 16, HSU 8 – ASC Championship game 1
ETBU 21, Texas Dallas 2
ETBU 9, LeTourneau 4
ETBU 17, Concordia Texas 13
HSU 12, ETBU 4
Super Regionals
ETBU 9, La Verne 1
La Verne 9, ETBU 8
ETBU 14, La Verne 6 – Championship Game
Marshall, Texas Regional (3-1)
ETBU 16, Cal Lutheran 6
ETBU 9, Trinity 4
Trinity 8, ETBU 6 – Championship Game 1
ETBU 2, Trinity 1 – Championship Game 2
The ASC in the NCAA Tournament
ETBU becomes just the third ASC member to play in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament behind Concordia Texas and former member Texas Tyler. Texas Tyler went to the 2018 National Championship and defeated Texas Lutheran, twice, in the championship going 5-1 in Appleton, Wis. Concordia Texas was the first team to go in 2002 going 0-2 in Appleton, Wis.
ETBU is the 10
th ASC member (former and current) to make the NCAA Tournament. Concordia Texas has made six appearances while former member Texas Tyler had eight appearances. Texas Dallas, LeTourneau, McMurry, Sul Ross State, and former members Texas Lutheran and Mississippi College all made the NCAA Tournament for the ASC.
Concordia Texas (2002) and Texas Tyler (2018) are the only two teams to advance onto the NCAA Championship tournament. Concordia went 0-2 in 2002 with losses to Eastern Connecticut State and Lakeland for seventh place. Texas Tyler went 5-1 in the national championship tournament in 2018 to win the championship over Texas Lutheran.
Concordia Texas 12-13 2019, 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011, 2002
Texas Dallas 6-9 2022, 2021, 2018, 2007
LeTourneau 1-2 2014
McMurry 1-8 2008, 2004, 2001, 1998
Sul Ross State 0-2 1999
Former Members
Texas Tyler 17-16 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009
Texas Lutheran 7-8 2013, 2007, 2006, 2005
Mississippi College 5-4 2010, 2003
Hood in the Post Season
Jared Hood has put together his finest season as a head coach in his ninth year at ETBU. He has taken his team to the ASC Tournament eight times as the 2020 season was cancelled. He has been to the ASC Tournament Championship series four times winning it for the first time in 2023. Overall, he now has a 27-17 for a .614 winning percentage. In the NCAA Tournament, he is 5-2 and now coached six championship games with four ASC Tournament, one regional tournament, and one Super Regional.
ASC Tournament
2023: 5-1 – ASC Tournament Champions
2022: 4-2 – ASC Tournament runners-up
2021: 3-2 – ASC Tournament runners-up
2019: 2-2
2018: 0-2
2017: 3-2 – ASC Tournament runners-up
2016: 3-2
2015: 2-2
Total: 22-15
NCAA Tournament
2023: 5-2 – Marshall, Texas Regional Champion & Super Regional Champion
ETBU vs. Former National Champions
ETBU is no stranger to taking on programs that have won national championships as Salisbury will be the fourth program this year. ETBU has faced Cal Lutheran, Trinity, and La Verne. Cal Lutheran won the national championship in 2017, Trinity in 2016, La Verne in 1995, and Salisbury in 2021. ETBU is 5-2 against those programs.
ETBU vs. Ranked Teams Under Hood
Jared Hoods teams in nine years have played 27 games and has won 11 games. He last defeated a ranked program on April 23, 2022, against Texas Dallas, 3-2, in nine innings. ETBU has faced two nationally ranked teams to begin the season in Alabama dropping both of them.
Hood vs. Ranked Teams (11-16)
#4/4 BSC L, 15-11 Feb. 19, 2023
#2/3 LaGrange L, 5-0 Feb. 17, 2023
#17/19 Texas Dallas L, 18-8 Apr. 23, 2022
#17/19 Texas Dallas W, 3-2 (9) Apr. 23, 2022
#17/19 Texas Dallas W, 7-5 Apr. 22, 2022
#14 Centenary College L, 10-8 (10) Apr. 6, 2021
#21 Concordia Texas L, 11-1 Feb. 28, 2021
#21 Concordia Texas W, 5-3 Feb. 27, 2021
#21 Concordia Texas W, 7-2 Feb. 27, 2021
#1 Chapman L, 15-13 Feb. 15, 2020
#1 Chapman L, 11-1 Feb. 14, 2020
#1 Chapman L, 8-3 Feb. 14, 2020
#20 Chapman L, 5-3 Feb. 16, 2019
#20 Chapman L, 7-6 (11) Feb. 16, 2019
#20 Chapman W, 3-0 Feb. 15, 2019
#13 Centenary W, 11-4 Mar. 5, 2018
#12 Texas Tyler W, 5-3 Mar. 3, 2018
#12 Texas Tyler W, 4-2 Mar. 3, 2018
#12 Texas Tyler L, 7-0 Mar. 2, 2018
#21 Trinity (TX) L, 12-6 Feb. 17, 2018
#6 Texas Tyler L, 6-1 (10) May 13, 2017
#6 Texas Tyler L, 9-8 (13) May 12, 2017
#14 Texas Dallas W, 11-7 (10) May 7, 2017
#14 Texas Dallas W, 9-8 May 6, 2017
#4 Texas Tyler W, 7-5 Apr. 28, 2017
#4 Texas Tyler L, 8-3 Apr. 28, 2017
#4 Texas Tyler L, 7-5 (10) Apr. 27, 2017
Win Streak
Setting a new program record earlier this season, ETBU had a 14-game winning streak in March. From March 18 through April 18, ETBU swept four American Southwest Conference series while also defeating Howard Payne and Centenary. The streak started after ETBU fell, 2-1, in game one of a double header in Brownwood to HPU. In the second game, ETBU held off the YellowJackets, 6-4, which was the first win of 14 straight games. The streak followed with nine straight wins of scoring 10 or more runs in a game with 15 runs in three of the games.
UMHB series – ETBU opened up with a 10-1 win and earned a 13-3 and 15-6 on Saturday, March 25. They had 36 hits scoring 38 runs.
McM series – the next sweep came on March 31 and April 1 as ETBU collected 37 runs and 42 hits. They won on Friday, 15-6, and then took the Saturday games, 11-1, and 14-1.
LeTourneau series – ETBU scored 15 runs in two of the three games with a combined 40 runs and 38 hits. Game one was a shutout, 10-0, and then two 15-run games followed with 15-7 and 15-1 wins.
Hardin-Simmons series – The runs slowed down some in this series as ETBU won 3-1 in game one with just four hits. In game two on that day, ETBU won 9-4 with eight hits. April 15 brought a 16-1 win in the final game with 18 hits.
Centenary – a midweek game that ETBU won, 7-5, in Shreveport, La., with nine hits.
The streak came to an end on April 21 when Texas Dallas won in game one in Richardson, 10-7.
Overall, ETBU scored 156 runs in 14 games for an average of 11.1 runs per game. They posted 167 hits with 23 home runs averaging 11.9 hits per game.
Lea Breaks 46 Year-Old Record; Boasts 26-game Hit Streak
Sophomore
Ben Lea surpassed a record that looked to be untouchable from 1977. Harold Slate hit 21 home runs that season and his record stood until 2023. On May 6 against LeTourneau, he went 2-of-4 and in his third at-bat he broke open the game. Tied at four in the fifth inning, he was the first batter of the inning and hit a solo home run that put ETBU up, 5-4. That started a four-run inning as ETBU went on for a 9-4 win.
He then hit no. 22 in the championship tournament game one vs. Hardin-Simmons to put ETBU up, 15-6. No. 23 then came against Trinity in their first meeting of the NCAA Tournament, 9-4, in the sixth inning for a 4-2 lead.
Along with the home run record, he set a new ETBU record for consecutive games with a hit. He went 26 games with a hit starting on March 7 vs. Hendrix all the way through April 28 vs. Ozarks. In game two vs. Ozarks, he didn't have a hit in five at-bats ending the streak.
Collins Hits 300 Ks; Breaks Two Records
Setting new records at ETBU in his career, Collins broke the 300-strikeout barrier against Concordia Texas in the ASC Tournament. He now has 311 career strikeouts after his outing vs. La Verne and broke his single season record for strikeouts (121) from last year with 122 this year. He has 10 games in his career with 10 or more strikeouts with a career-high of 15 vs. Texas Dallas last year to win the ASC regular season championship in Marshall. He is 27-6 overall in 44 appearances with 12 complete games in 217.1 innings pitched.
This year, he broke the ASC record for winning Pitcher of the Week awards earning five this year to give him 10. He surpassed Texas Lutheran's Brad Orosey's from 2009 to 2012 when he won it nine times.
Double Digit Ks in a Game (10)
April 10, 2021 vs. Louisiana College – 11
Feb. 13, 2022 vs. Belhaven – 13
Feb. 19, 2022 vs. Ozarks – 10
Feb. 27, 2022 vs. Howard Payne – 12
Mar. 5, 2022 vs. Hardin-Simmons – 11
Mar. 25, 2022 vs. Sul Ross State – 11
Apr. 23, 2022 vs. Texas Dallas – 15
Mar. 18, 2023 vs. Howard Payne – 10
Mar. 25 , 2023 vs. UMHB – 11
Apr. 14, 2023 vs. Hardin-Simmons – 13
Wagner Breaks 46-year Old Single Season RBI Record
In the first game vs. La Verne,
Brett Wagner recorded one RBI to break Harold Slate's record of 64 RBI set in 1977. The RBI was a solo home run to left field in the seventh inning to make it 8-1. He now has 72 RBI which is third in the nation. In the Super Regional Series, he had seven RBI
ETBU in the NCAA Rankings
ETBU is one of the top offensive teams in the nation ranked in nine offensive categories. The are ranked top five in five offensive categories in doubles (2
nd), home runs (2
nd), runs (3
rd), hits (4
th), and slugging percentage (5
th).
Individually, ETBU has four players ranked in the top 10.
Ben Lea leads the way in four top 10 categories while
Brett Wagner,
Sayers Collins, and
Jacob Evangelista are in one category. Evangelista's 81 hits are four shy of tying the single season record of 85 set by Tim Brown in 1980.
Team
Doubles – T-2
nd (126)
Home Runs – 2
nd (80)
Runs – T-3rd (499)
Home Runs Per Game – 8
th (1.51)
Slugging Percentage – 5
th (.559)
Double Plays – T-4
th (44)
Hits - 4
th (610)
Batting Average – 13
th (.340)
Scoring – 17
th (9.4)
ERA – 46
th (4.36)
Ben Lea
Home Runs – T-2
nd (23)
Total Bases – 2
nd (157)
Home Runs Per Game – 6
th (0.43)
Slugging Percentage - 8
th (.892)
Runs – 13
th (63)
Brett Wagner
RBI – 3
rd (72)
Home Runs – 14
th (15)
Sayers Collins
Strikeouts – 3
rd (122)
Jacob Evangelista
Hits – 10
th (81)
ETBU in National Polls
ETBU is currently in two NCAA Division III National Polls being 15
th in one and 19
th in the other as of Tuesday night, May 24th. ETBU fell one spot to 15
th in an off week in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and moved up three spots in the D3baseball.com poll. This is the sixth week in a row to be ranked in the CBN poll and second week in the D3baseball.com.
No. 19. Claremont-Mudd-Scripts.
Others receiving votes: UW-Whitewater 37, Misericordia 32, Tufts 29, Claremont-Mudd-Scripts 23, Penn St.-Harrisburg 23, La Verne 18, Rhode Island College 17, Cal Lutheran 17, Webster 12, UW-Oshkosh 11, Trinity (Texas) 11, St. Joseph's (L.I.) 11, Mitchell 10, Elizabethtown 8, Ithaca 7, Roanoke 7, Methodist 6, Lewis & Clark 4, Emory 3, Bethel (Minn.) 3, Case Western 3, John Carroll 3, Mary Washington 1, Pacific 1.
