INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Coming off its first Gulf South Conference Championship game appearance since 2013, the Valdosta State baseball team learned Sunday evening it earned the No. 5-seed in the upcoming NCAA South Regional #1, scheduled for May 18-21 at the University of Tampa. The Blazers will open versus No. 4-seed Rollins (34-16, 22-8 SSC) on Thursday at 5 p.m.
The Blazers (33-18, 18-12 GSC) earned their second-straight berth into the NCAA postseason and back-to-back appearances for the first time since 2009-2010. VSU won its first three games of the Gulf South Conference Championship and fell 10-8 in ten innings to West Florida in the final game last Tuesday.
The Tars dropped their last three games of the regular season this past weekend at Embry-Riddle as the Sunshine State Conference does not have a conference tournament. Top-seeded Tampa (40-9) who won the Sunshine State Conference title with a 26-4 record, will battle No. 8-seed Spring Hill College (32-21) who won three-straight Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles. VSU defeated Tampa twice this season, winning in Tampa (6-3) on Mar. 14 and then won in Valdosta in an 11-inning thriller, 15-14 on Apr. 4.
No. 2-seed West Florida (37-15) earned hosting duties in the second pod of the regional as the Argos will battle Florida Southern (32-18) in Pensacola, Fla., while No. 3-seed Montevallo (38-14) tangles with No. 6-seed Barry (32-17). Both pods are double-elimination.
The winners of the two "pods" will meet in a super regional, scheduled for May 26-27, at the highest remaining seed as the winner will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship, scheduled for June 3-10 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The Blazers are making their 23rd appearance in the NCAA postseason as the team is 53-48 all-time with one championship in 1979, two third place finishes and three fourth place honors. VSU went 1-2 in the regional last season as a No. 4-seed, losing to Nova Southeastern, defeating Spring Hill College and losing to host Tampa. This is the eighth time VSU has qualified for the NCAA postseason since 2000.
Check back with vstateblazers.com later this week for the NCAA South Region Championship Central webpage and links for live stats, audio/video streaming and more.
