For the second season in a row, both the Belhaven baseball and softball teams will be competing for a national championship.
The Belhaven men and women were selected to their respective NCAA Division III Tournaments during Monday’s selection show. It’s the second consecutive berth for Belhaven baseball and the sixth consecutive berth for Belhaven softball.
The baseball team earned an at-large bid after a regular season that included a 31-13 overall record and a deep run in the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament that ended on the wrong side of the championship game. Under first-year coach Patrick Robey, the Blazers spent much of the season in the national polls and were once ranked as high as No. 4 by D3Baseball.com.
Robey and company will travel to Marshall, Texas, to compete in the East Texas Baptist Regional as the 2-seed. The regional also includes 1-seed East Texas Baptist (33-10), 3-seed Rhodes (29-15), and 4-seed Concordia (Texas) (29-15).
The Blazers will open with Rhodes on Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT. During the regular season, Belhaven was 0-2 against the Lynx. However, the team swept East Texas Baptist at home.
Belhaven has been led on the bump by ace Gunner Staten, who holds a 5-2 record with 3.97 ERA. Closer John Wade has been a bullpen anchor with eight saves and a 1.10 ERA. Both were All-CCS selections.
Offensively, the Blazers have a balanced attack that includes All-CCS hitters Parker Ryan (.336 batting average), Austin Canale (.358), and Owen Abney (.327). The trio has combined for 13 home runs and 110 RBI.
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As for the softball side, Belhaven continues its run as one of the stoutest programs in the country under head coach Kevin Griffin. Two years removed from a runner-up finish in the College World Series, the Lady Blazers will try to get back to hoisting a trophy – but a bigger one this time – and the journey starts in Jackson. For the first time ever, Belhaven will host a regional at McLeod Field after notching a 37-9 record and a CCS championship.
The regional includes the home team playing as the 1-seed, Emory (25-12) as the 2-seed, Berry (30-13) as the 3-seed, and Westminster (Pa.) (30-9) as the 4-seed. Belhaven will start with Westminster on Thursday at 11 a.m. CT.
In the circle, Macy Funderburk has been dominant as of late, earning NFCA Division III Pitcher of the Week honors after going 5-0 in the CCS Tournament. The All-CCS first teamer holds a 15-4 record with a 1.74 ERA.
Offensively, the Lady Blazers as a whole lead the CCS in batting average (.344), runs scored (283), hits (364), and RBI (259). Several hitters are near the top in most individual categories, including Maryanna Guy, Melissa Lopera, and Kaleigh Steverson.