Lynchburg, Va. -- Following the University of Lynchburg's three straight wins in the NCAA Tournament Regionals, the baseball squad has earned the right to host Rowan for the Super Regional round of the tournament at the Bank of the James Stadium, starting on Friday, May 23.

The Hornets won out in their regional round, taking down Marymount in their first game, 7-6, and Emory in their second and third games by scores of 10-1 and 6-5, respectively. Against Marymount, Lynchburg scored three runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings to help secure the win. The Saints attempted to come back in the final frame with three runs, but Colin McGuire successfully earned the save and closed out with the win.

In both games against the Eagles, Lynchburg got off to a hot start, scoring multiple runs in the first frame. In the 10-1 triumph, the Hornets scored twice in the first inning and got at least one run in all but two frames the remainder of the outing. Bryce Demory shined with a three-RBI homer in the sixth, while Eric Hiett went four-for-five at the plate with three RBI.

In Lynchburg's regional-clinching 6-5 win over Emory, the Hornets scored four runs in the opening frame and held onto the lead throughout the affair. Although the Eagles clawed back within one with a five-run seventh inning, McGuire took to the mound the seal the victory. He earned his ninth save of the season and second in the NCAA postseason.

The Hornets will square off against the Professorial Owls for the first time since 1980 and sixth occasion in program history. From 1977-80, Lynchburg and Rowan matched up five times, all in the NCAA tournament. Although the Profs own a 4-1 record in the series, Lynchburg has the most recent victory, which occurred on May 16, 1980 and concluded with a 5-3 result in the NCAA South Regional. This season, Rowan got an at-large bid to the tournament with the 12th-highest NPI rank in the country while Lynchburg earned an automatic qualification through claiming the ODAC title and had the 5th-best NPI in division III.

Rowan's greatest strength is at the plate. This season, they have the fourth-best batting average as a team in the country at .346. The Profs' on base percentage is sixth-best in division three at .449 percent and they rank fifth in both runs (467) and hits (563) as of May 18, 2025. They average the second most runs scored across the nation with 10.6 average runs per game.

Phil Sedalis is a significant contributor to their offensive success with 70 total RBI for an average of 1.63 per game and 65 runs for an average of 1.51 runs scored per game. Each of those stats rank within the top-10 in the country. He has knocked 16 home runs this season and tallied 74 hits, both marks that rank inside the top-20 in division III. Nick Struble owns the top hitting percentage on the squad of players with at least two plate appearances per game and have played in 75% of games with a .395 average.

Lynchburg opposingly boasts one of the top defensive groups in the country with the sixth-best marks division-wide in ERA (3.25), and WHIP (1.27). Additionally, the Hornets rank inside the top-20 in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (16th, 2.58), walks allowed per nine innings (18th, 3.19), and fielding percentage (19th, .971 percent). Lynchburg has totaled the fourth-most double plays this season with 47 and averages .98 double plays per game. 

Offensively, the Hornets have the 16th-best on base percentage in DIII at .438 percent and have scored the 12th-most runs in the division with a total of 426. Lynchburg ranks second in the country in walks as well, totaling 308 this season. Benton Jones and Joe Munitz are the two most walked players across division III. Jones has tallied 60 walks while Munitz has totaled 50.

This weekend's Super Regional is shaped up to be a fantastic matchup between two of the best ball clubs in the nation. The first contest between the two sides will take place on Friday, May 23 at noon. The second game will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 24 and the third if necessary game would follow Saturday's affair. All games will be played at the Bank of the James Stadium, home to the Lynchburg Hillcats minor league baseball team. Tickets are available via hometown ticketing on the Super Regional Information page, or click here to access tickets.

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