SUWANEE, Ga. - Trinity University became the first team to qualify for the 2012 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball championship tournament. Trinity currently sits in first place in the SCAC West Division with a perfect 11-0 record. The Tigers played just one non-conference game last week and are 23-3 overall this year.

AROUND THE SCAC

Austin College went 1-3 last week, falling 16-3 to East Texas Baptist before dropping two of three in a tough weekend series with Southwestern. The ‘Roos fell 6-4 in game one before taking a 3-1 win in game two, and on Sunday the Pirates used a ninth inning run to top the ‘Roos 2-1. Mason Leech batted .467 for the week and had a solo homer, and Will Schommer hit .333. Colt Herron, Chase Muder and Shane Williams each drove in three runs on the week. Blaine Tew turned in a masterful performance in the 2-1 loss to Southwestern, going 8.0 innings and allowing just one run on four hits with three strikeouts in a no decision, while Austin Molinaro picked up the win in relief in the 3-1 victory over the Pirates on Saturday.

No. 22 Birmingham-Southern went 3-1 last week on the road, falling to Emory in Atlanta on Tuesday before sweeping Rhodes in the three-game series in Memphis over the weekend. Sunday's game three was especially exciting, with BSC winning 6-5 courtesy of a three-run homer by senior Jon Walker in the top of the ninth inning. Junior Bruce Maxwell leads BSC on the year hitting .524, and was ranked third in the nation in batting average as of last week's rankings. He also leads the nation with 19 doubles, as well as slugging percentage, total bases, on base percentage, and walks. The Panthers return home this week, facing Emory on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and then Centre on Friday and Saturday.

Centre lost three times this week falling 4-2 to Transylvania Wednesday and then dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Millsaps Saturday. The Colonels lost 13-4 and 5-4. Sunday’s series’ finale was cancelled due to weather. Centre, now 11-16 overall and 1-4 in the SCAC, will travel to Birmingham-Southern this weekend for a three-game series.

Dallas (15-12, 5-9 SCAC) went 2-1 on the week in SCAC play as the Crusaders took two of three from Hendrix. Hendrix took the series opener, 4-1 on Saturday before Dallas took the series with 5-4 and 3-2 (11 innings) wins. In the series finale, Dallas’ Adam Farris led off the bottom of the 11th with a triple and then scored on Trevor Allred’s ensuing single to left field. Dallas returns to action on April 3rd when they travel to Texas-Arlington before hosting Austin College for three games April 6-7.  

Hendrix went 1-3 on the week, but sixth-year head coach R.J. Thomas picked up his career 104th win, passing Jim Holland to become the winningest coach in school history. Hendrix started the week with a 7-4, non-conference loss at Rhodes on Tuesday. Senior third baseman Kyle Raskin had a pair of hits, including a double in the game. Senior starter Geoff Lomax improved his record to 6-2 on the year with a five-strikeout, five-hit, one-run complete game effort in the Warriors’ 4-1 series-opening win at Dallas on Saturday. Sophomore Collin Radack recorded three hits in the game and Raskin hit a home run. The Crusaders rebounded to win game two 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth. Radack added three more hits and senior second baseman Clark Sims broke the school record with his sixth triple of the year. Dallas won the series finale 3-2 in 11 innings on Sunday. This week, Hendrix will host Ozarks on Tuesday, then play at Washington (Mo.) for a three-game series beginning Friday. 

Millsaps found some big time offense on Saturday afternoon as they traveled to Centre Colonels SCAC play. Millsaps pounded 28 hits in two games while scoring 18 total runs to take a 13-4 (7 innings) and 5-4 win over the Colonels. Senior Ryan Zemke and junior Wes Perkins were each 3-for-4 and combined for six total RBIs on the day in the win in Game One. Stephen Gates, Keith Shumaker, Jules Roussel, and Samuel Doucet each added two hits apiece while Shumaker added two RBIs while Zemke, Roussel, and Doucet each had a home run. Junior Will Edwards took the win. The Major pitching of sophomore starter Zander Romano, Shumaker, and Doucet held off a late rally by the Colonels as Romano picked up the win and Doucet picked up his first save of the season in a 5-4 win. Romano pitched five innings while striking out six while Doucet pitched 2.2 innings and only gave up two hits while allowing one walk. Shumaker was 3-for-5 for the day with a RBI while Perkins added a 2-for-5 day with two RBIs. Wall and Doucet each added two hits on the afternoon. The Majors improve to 17-10 on the season and 4-1 in the SCAC. Millsaps is playing well as they have won seven of their last nine and are back in action on Wednesday as they welcome in Belhaven before a home weekend against Sewanee.

Oglethorpe went 1-3 this past week, dropping a non-conference contest against DePauw on Wednesday (L, 7-5) before travelling to Sewanee where the Tigers took of three in a close-knit series. Against DePauw, the Petrels fell behind early, allowing three runs on just one hit in the first inning, and then allowing two more in the fifth. On Saturday, Sewanee swept Oglethorpe in a heartbreaking doubleheader for the Petrels. losing Game 1 by the score of 2-1, and Game 2 by the score of 8-7. The Petrels led 1-0 into the sixth inning (of a scheduled seven) in Game 1 and 7-3 into the eighth inning of Game 2 before giving up the lead in both instances. Oglethorpe finally had some breaks go there way on Sunday when they pulled out a 10-9 victory over the Tigers in 10 innings. In the 10th, Sewanee got the first out but Spear followed with a single. Then Leff cracked a two-run homer, giving the Petrels the lead for the first time since the third inning, 10-8. Sewanee was able to score a run in the bottom half, but Schmutz was able to hold on for the save, leaving the bases loaded. He pitched an inning and walked two, but did not allow a hit or a run. OU is now 8-17 on the season, 2-4 in SCAC play.

Rhodes went 1-3 this week with a 7-4 victory over visiting Hendrix in mid-week action, before being swept in a three game set by No. 24 Birmingham-Southern. BSC took Saturday’s double header 3-2 and 6-4, and then finished the sweep with a  6-5 win on Sunday. Rhodes will return to action this Wednesday against DII Christian Brothers University, before Oglethorpe comes to town for a three game set on Friday and Saturday. The Lynx are now 15-12 overall and 2-4 in SCAC play.

After dropping a mid-week contest against No. 8 Piedmont, Sewanee earned two wins against SCAC foe Oglethorpe, Saturday. The Tigers then dropped a 10-9 decision in extra innings Sunday. Overall, Sewanee is in the midst of a five-game homestand. The Tiger have won six out of their last eight games heading into this Tuesday’s mid-week contest against regional-rival Covenant. Sewanee (11-13) currently sits tied for third with Rhodes in the latest SCAC East Division standings. The Tigers still have games against Millsaps, Centre, and Rhodes. This week, the Tigers will play a Piedmont College in a midweek contest, before returning to action against Oglethorpe, Saturday and Sunday.

With two wins and two losses last week Southwestern moves to 8-19 on the year and 4-7 in the SCAC. Tuesday against McMurry, Southwestern jumped out to an early lead, 6-3, through five innings including a three-run first, but the Warhawks posted five runs in the eighth and used a record setting performance from Marcellous Biggins to defeat SU 9-6. Southwestern returned to SCAC play on Saturday, facing Austin College. Southwestern once again opened strong with one run in each of the first & second innings. Those proved to be the difference maker as both teams had a four-run fourth before defenses took over and Southwestern claimed the 6-4 win. In game two, SU struck first once again but not until the sixth while Austin College was held scoreless until the bottom of the eighth where they posted three runs to steal the 3-1 win. Sunday's contest was a dog fight as the Pirates scored one run in the top of the second and Austin matched the effort with one run in the fourth. The game remained tied heading into the ninth and Nate Shipp drove in Charlie Garrett for the go-ahead run and after the Pirate defense closed out the game Southwestern emerged with the 2-1 win. Southwestern heads to Trinity for a two-game set this weekend.

No. 1 Trinity played just once last week, rallying from a three-run deficit to defeat the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 9-3 on Tuesday night. The Tigers tied the game with a three-run fourth inning, then scored six more runs in the next three innings to seal the victory. Dominick Robusto had two hits and three RBI in the game, while Kelly Woodruff and Will Donnan drove in two runs each. Trinity ace Ben Klimesh struck out four batters in a rare two-inning relief appearance. Klimesh is just 18 strikeouts from breaking Trinity’s single season record of 121, set by Brian Nowell in 1998. He is also within striking distance of the SCAC record for a single season (132). Klimesh is already the career leader in strikeouts in the SCAC, passing former Tiger Mike Frost a couple of weekends ago. He would need to fan 28 more batters to break the Trinity career record of 342, set by Trinity Hall of Famer Paul Stanley (1970-73).After just one game last week, Trinity will play five road games this week, beginning with a doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons on Tuesday afternoon. Over the weekend, Trinity will play a three-game SCAC series against Southwestern. The Tigers beat the Pirates 5-1 and 9-1 in two games in San Antonio earlier this year.

For the complete SCAC Baseball Diamond Weekly for Week 9, click here.