It is with great pride and excitement that I'm able to say WE ARE POSTSEASON BOUND!
For the first time since 2004, the Yellow Jackets have qualified for their conference tournament - which adds to a season that has already seen the most wins and first 20 win season since 1995. Some may even say the roller coaster ride started in February, when DC was picked to finish last in the preseason conference poll.
The scenario was as such: the Jackets were under the impression that two wins against Transylvania in the last 3-game series of the season would secure them a spot in the HCAC conference tournament (as the #4 seed) - in conjunction with those two wins, DC also needed second place Anderson to win one out of three against sixth place Franklin, to hold off the Grizzlies and keep them out of the mix.
In Friday's GM 1 action v. Transy, the Jackets went on to win by a score of 2-1 lead predominantly by pitching performances from three members of the Yellow Jacket staff. SP Darin Waterman secured his fourth win of the season by tossing 7 innings and surrendering the only Pioneer run of the game. Waterman exited and left the ball in the hands of Aaron Patterson who threw a scoreless eighth inning on just seven pitches. SR Alex Schomaeker (#AlShoe) then came on in the bottom half of the ninth to close the door and earn his ninth save of the year - bettering Patterson' seven pitch inning with just one pitch per batter, retiring the side.
Following the game, we found out that Franklin had claimed game one over Anderson in an offensive explosion. Still thinking that the Ravens from Anderson would take at least one game of the doubleheader against Franklin the following day - we felt as if a DH split with Transy still got us in the Heartland dance.
In Game 2 of the Defiance/Transy series the Jackets did their part. Defeating the Pioneers 6-3, led by SR Jake Taylor's team leading sixth win of the year while FR Ryan Kohlhofer turned in a 2-4 performance with 2 RBI and SR 3B Andy Habecker added three hits of his own. Patterson and Schomaeker would again toss scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively - earning Schomaeker his conference leading tenth save on the year. Following the game, news traveled that Franklin again had beaten Anderson to go up 2-0 in the series.
From there on the situation was simple - if DC swept the series against Transy, the Jackets were in, regardless of the outcome of Franklin's last game v. Anderson. However, if the Grizzlies got the job done against Anderson and DC fell to the Pioneers, Defiance would be on the outside looking in come tourney time.
Unfortunately the latter is exactly what happened. Defiance lost game three to Transylvania 3-0, unable to muster any offense including only 3 hits against a very good Pioneer pitching performance - Franklin then went on to complete the sweep of second place Anderson and clinch their spot in the conference tournament. Needless to say, the four-hour bus ride back to Northwest Ohio was a somber one indeed. For all intent and purposes, the Jackets did what they drove down to Lexington to do, but sadly two out of three was simply not enough. At the time.
What transpired over the next 24 hours still leaves me in disbelief.
After the third game against Transy had concluded, and Franklin had secured their spot in the tournament - DC did still have one bit of hope left to cling on to. If ninth place Earlham College could manage a three-game sweep over third place Rose-Hulman, the Jackets would leap frog Rose and take over the fourth and final spot in the conference tournament. Going into their series Earlham's conference record stood at 5-16, while Rose found themselves at 12-9.
Game one of the Earlham Quaker and Rose-Hulman Engineer series went to EC by a score of 10-3. Most of everyone on the bus, myself included, were watching live stats on their phones - constantly clicking the 'refresh' button. Steadily the mood increased and by the time we got off the bus, Jackets' Head Coach Derek Woodley told the team "I've got a really good feeling about tomorrow." Of course referring to the doubleheader between Earlham and Rose-Hulman, scheduled to start at 12pm.
With Game two of the series beginning at the same time as Defiance's commencement ceremony, the buzz around campus was more focused on the action going on in Richmond, IN rather than the action on the stage right in front of them. With my eyes glued to my phone, and possibly a maroon undershirt on, I watched Earlham claw their way to an 8-7 victory over Rose. One more game to go.
Through 4 and half innings of play in the third and final game, Earlham and Rose were knotted at 3 - a two run fifth inning would give the Quakers the lead. At this point I had upgraded from live stats to a live video feed. With all different types of people with a connection to the Yellow Jacket program watching, including a large group of players and their families all huddled around one computer screen - Earlham would go on to score four more runs and beat the Engineers by a final of 9-4. Rose-Hulman was swept out of the conference tournament picture. And the Yellow Jackets of Defiance would be stepping in.
Baseball:Earlham 8, 9, Rose-Hulman 7, 4 (Final) Quakers sweep of Engineers delivers Defiance a #HCAC tournament berth #d3bEUPHORIA! It's the only word that comes to mind.
— HCAC (@HCACDIII) May 5, 2013
As I reflect back on the events of this past weekend, I still feel like I'll be waking up any minute, but please, no one pinch me just yet. I'm not ready. The Jackets play this Thursday (5/9) at 12pm against No. 1 seed Manchester, the regular season champ and tournament host as well. Seeding for the tournament: 1) Manchester, 2) Anderson, 3) Franklin and 4) Defiance.
For up to the minute coverage, including pre-game lineups and post-game score summaries, from North Manchester, IN later this week - follow the Diamond on Twitter. For live stats and in-game coverage visit the conference website. Conference tournament format is double elimination with games Thursday and Friday, and the championship game to be played Saturday (5/11) at 12pm.
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