Cary, N.C. —- The 9th-ranked and third-seeded Catawba College baseball team (44-15, 24-6 SAC) will open up its week in Cary, N.C. at the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championships with a matchup against the 21st-ranked and sixth-seeded Penmen from Southern New Hampshire University (36-17, 20-7 NE10).
GAME INFORMATION
When: Sunday, June 2, 1:30 p.m. (Catawba Tailgate 11 a.m.)
Where: USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary, N.C.
Links: Live Stats | Video | Tickets | WBTV news segment | Catawba Baseball fundraiser
Previous matchups: First-ever meeting
All-time records at Cary: SNHU 5-10 | Catawba 5-6
Projected pitching matchup: Parker Lendrum (8-2, 3.71 ERA) vs. Austin Fine (9-3, 3.93 ERA)
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Southern New Hampshire
- The Penmen are making their fourth straight trip to Cary for the DII National Championships and fifth in the last six full seasons.
- SNHU made their first-ever trip to Cary in the same year as Catawba in 2012, but the two were on opposite sides of the bracket and did not play each other.
- Southern New Hampshire enter this week winners of 13 of their last 15 games and five straight
- SNHU won the NE10 Northeast Division title before falling in the first round of the NE10 First Round
- The Penmen are 5-0 since, defeating Franklin Pierce and Jefferson twice to punch their ticket to the East Supers, where they took down Molloy in back-to-back games, erasing six-run deficits in both games to punch their ticket to Cary
Catawba
- Catawba is making its fourth all-time appearance in Cary, all since 2012 and first since 2019
- The Catawba Indians are winners of their last four heading into this week of action
- Catawba claimed its eighth SAC regular season crown in the last 12 full seasons before falling in the Opening Round of the SAC tourney
- Catawba dropped its first game of the NCAA Southeast Regional vs. 25th-ranked Young Harris before winning back-to-back elimination games vs. 13th-ranked UNC Pembroke and Young Harris again to clinch a spot in the Southeast Supers
- The Catawba Indians won both games against Georgia College, holding the Bobcats scoreless for 16 of 18 innings
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southern New Hampshire
Parker Lendrum (SP, So, Exeter, N.H.)
- The Friday ace throughout Regional play for the Penmen, Lendrum earned the win against Franklin Pierce in the East Regional before allowing four runs in 4.2 innings in the Super Regional comeback win over Molloy last week.
Jorge Burgos (2B, Sr, Santo Dominogo, Dominican Republic)
- Burgos, the NCBWA All-East Region First Team selection at second base and an All-American honorable mention. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .339 this season with a team-best and program-record 18 homers – double the next most – with 12 doubles, 60 RBI and 53 runs scored
- Harry Vargas Segura (CF, Jr, Bronx, N.Y.)
- Projected as the leadoff hitter for the Penmen, Vargas Segura is another First Team All-Region performer for SNHU, ranks second in the country with 48 stolen bases this season while also leading the NE10 in walks in runs. The junior out of the Bronx will look to get on base and steal second to get SNHU in scoring position early
Catawba
Austin Fine (SP, Sr, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
- Fine impressed in his most recent outing against Georgia College, tossing six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out six, including back-to-back Bobcats to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. Fine leads the team with a 1.17 WHIP with nearly three times as many strikeouts as walks
Dylan Driver (RF, Jr, Faith, N.C.)
- Driver notched a bases-clearing triple in his most recent outing to blow the game open against Georgia College, extending his team-leading hit streak to five games. Driver also holds the program record for hit-by-pitches in a season with 26, with more HBPs than strikeouts (24) this season for a team-best .490 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage with the range and arm needed in Cary, a larger park than Catawba plays at home
Cole Hales (3B, Sr, Salisbury, N.C.)
- Hales broke out in a big way for the Catawba Indians in the Super Regional, notching three doubles in two games against GCSU to extend his team-leading reaching-base game streak to 10 while providing stellar defense at the hot corner. In the five-spot in the order, Hales often times bats in situations to drive runners in with two outs, evident in his 44 RBI in 52 games started at third base
A LOOK AHEAD
- Catawba will face either top-ranked and second-seed Tampa or 16th-ranked and seventh-seed UIndy on Tuesday, whichever team has the same result as the Catawba Indians in their matchup, set for 6 p.m. on Sunday
