We are so proud of our baseball team for qualifying for the NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series and the chance to play for a national championship in just our third year of existence! The eight-team, double-elimination tournament will be held at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum University in Greeneville, TN from May 28-June 2. The Cobras enter the tournament as the number one seed with a record of 46-7. We will face the number eight seed St. Cloud Technical and Community College from Minnesota on Saturday (5/28) at 4:30 PM!
WP: Seth Willis (9.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R 2 ER, 7 K, 2 BB)
LP: Carson Geislinger (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB)
Jacob Bebber hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Caldwell a 3-2 victory over St. Cloud in the opening round of the NJCAA Division Three Baseball World Series at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, TN on Saturday.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth of a tied game, Cole Hales drew a walk. Steven Smith followed with a double down the third base line to give the Cobras runners at second and third. Bebber singled to right field to give the Cobras the walk off victory.
Caldwell's Seth Willis picked up the complete game victory on the mound. The West Lincoln product allowed only two runs off five hits, while striking out seven to get his thirteenth victory of the season (13-2).
Carson Geislinger picked up the loss on the mound for the Cyclones. Starter Christian Lessman went eight innings, allowing two runs off six hits while striking out five and walking four.
Caldwell got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when Breon Ishmeal delivered a two out RBI single to plate Bebber. The Cyclones would answer back in the top of the second inning when Dylan Haskamp hit a two-run homerun to give the Cyclones the lead.
Caldwell tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on a Mason Lyda sacrifice fly RBI to score Michael Logan.
Caldwell, making their first appearance in the World Series, won their 25th game in a row and improve to 47-7.
Caldwell will face fifth-seeded Dallas College-Eastfield Sunday night at 8PM. The Harvester Bees (45-10-1) defeated fourth seeded Niagara 11-5 on Saturday night. St. Cloud (26-12) will face Niagara (49-10) in an elimination game on Sunday at 1PM.
In other opening round action from Saturday, sixth seeded Herkimer defeated third seeded Northern Essex 10-0 in 7 innings. Seventh seeded Oakton won over second seeded RCSJ-Gloucester 5-2.
Jacob Bebber connects on an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning to give top-seeded Caldwell a 3-2 victory over St. Cloud Saturday in the opening round of the NJCAA Division Three Baseball World Series
The top seeded Caldwell Cobras celebrate a walk off 3-2 victory over St. Cloud in the opening round of the NJCAA Division Three Baseball World Series
Seth Willis picked up his thirteenth win of the season as the top seeded Caldwell Cobras defeated St. Cloud 3-2 in opening round of NJCAA Division Three Baseball World Series
WP: Zane Leonard (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB)
LP: Spencer Ledford (6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 K, 3 BB)
SV: Stephen Pena (4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB)
Dallas College-Eastfield scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to open a five-run lead that Caldwell could not overcome. The fifth seeded Harvester Bees (46-10-1) went on to win 6-3 to advance to Monday's winner's bracket final against sixth seeded Herkimer (39-7) at 7PM.
In the top of the eighth inning, Jayden Morgan got a solo homerun for Dallas-Eastfield. The Harvester Bees would get three more runs, getting an RBI double from Emilio Trevino and a two RBI single by Khalon Clayton.
Facing a 6-1 deficit, Caldwell answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cole Hales RBI triple plated Jermie Greene and then Hales would come home on a wild pitch, making the score 6-3.
In the ninth inning, Caldwell would load the bases with one out. However, the Cobras would hit into a game ending double play.
Caldwell left the bases load twice in the game and hit into three double plays.
The top seeded Cobras (47-8) saw their 25-game winning streak come to an end. They will face third seed Northern Essex (42-3) in an elimination game at 3:30PM Monday afternoon.
In the top of the second inning, the Harvester Bees would load the bases with two outs. Aiden Gephart and Jerrick Ervin would draw back-to-back walks to give Dallas-Eastfield a 2-0 lead. In the fifth inning, the Harvester Bees threatened to blow open the game, loading the bases with no outs. Caldwell pitcher Spencer Ledford would work out of the jam, striking out three batters in a row.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cobras would get on the board thanks to a two out RBI single by Breon Ishmeal. The Cobras would have runners at first and second when Hayden Setzer singled through the right side, but a base running mistake resulted in the third out, leaving the score 2-1.
Hayden Setzer got the complete game victory on the mound as Caldwell starved off elimination and stayed alive in the NJCAA Division Three Baseball College World Series by beating Northern Essex 5-1.
Setzer struck out 12 while only walking two as Caldwell won for the 48th time this season. Setzer runs his record to 9-0.
Caldwell got on the board in the third inning when Cole Hales scored on a double play with bases loaded. Caldwell's second run of the game came in the fourth inning when JT Fecteau's double down the left field line plated Michael Logan, giving the Cobras a 2-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.
Caldwell added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning. Mason Lyda's two out RBI double scored Tyler Bradley. Fecteau picked up his second RBI on a single to score Lyda and Caldwell's lead grew to 4-0.
Northern Essex (42-4) got a run in the top of the seventh inning when Joseph Settle advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a throwing error. Caldwell's final run of the game came in the bottom of the seventh via Steven Smith's solo homerun.
Caldwell (48-8) will play St. Cloud in an elimination game at 3:30PM on Tuesday. The eighth seeded Cyclones (26-12) eliminated Oakton on Monday 11-3 in seven innings. Tuesday's game will be a rematch of Saturday's opener when Caldwell got the walk off 3-2 victory. The Caldwell-St. Cloud winner will then face the loser of the winner's bracket final (Herkimer vs. Dallas College-Eastfield) at 7PM on Tuesday.
WP: Will Westbrock (7.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 5 K, 1 BB)
LP: Dylan Haskamp (7.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 K, 0 BB)
Save: Steven Smith (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB)
Facing elimination, Caldwell scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break open a scoreless game and went on to defeat St. Cloud 4-0.
Will Westbrock pitched seven and a third innings, allowing no runs. St. Cloud would load the bases in the eighth inning with one out, but relief pitcher Steven Smith would get a pop-up and fly out to end the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Hayden Setzer entered the game as a pinch hitter and hit a double into left field. Mason Lyda’s bunt moved Setzer to third with one out, allowing Kayl Ratliff to hit a sacrifice fly RBI to give Caldwell a 1-0 lead. Cole Hales would follow with a two out single and would be driven in by Steven Smith’s double to center field to give Caldwell a 2-0 lead.
Caldwell would get two insurance runs in the eighth inning. Breon Ishmael would reach on an error and Mike Logan would be hit by a pitch to give the Cobras two on base with one out. Setzer doubled to left field to score Ishmael and Logan, giving Caldwell a 4-0 lead. Smith would retire the Cyclones in order in the ninth inning to get the save and secure Caldwell's victory.
St. Cloud finished their season at 26-13, fourth place in the nation. Caldwell (49-8) advanced to the elimination semi-final to face Dallas College-Eastfield.
Caldwell's Will Westbrock (3) delivers a pitch in the Cobras 4-0 victory over St. Cloud.
Caldwell's Hayden Setzer (helmet) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the go ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning against St. Cloud.
Steven Smith (7) works out of a bases loaded jam in relief in the eighth inning versus St. Cloud.
WP: Nathan McKissick (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 3 BB)
LP: Jamison Eichacker (4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 K, 0 BB)
Dallas College-Eastfield scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie and seized control of the elimination final. The Harvester Bees would go on to defeat Caldwell 11-1 in 6 innings.
In the fourth inning, Dallas College-Eastfield got three runs off three hits, including an RBI double by Chris Dickens and an RBI single by Jaylen Morgan. The Harvester Bees added five more runs off three hits in the fifth inning, including two more RBI by Dickens on a single through the right side. Morgan would also get another RBI from a double down the right field line.
With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Caldwell’s Kayl Ratliff would be hit by a pitch. Tyler Bradley would single down the third base line and a throwing error by the third baseman would allow Ratliff to score from first base, making the score 8-1.
Dallas College-Eastfield would end the game via the ten-run mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs off four hits.
Dallas College-Eastfield (47-11-1) advanced to Wednesday’s championship game, where they will face Herkimer College. It will be a rematch of Monday’s winner bracket final, where Herkimer won 9-3. A win by Herkimer (40-7) would give them the national championship; a loss would force a winner-take-all game on Thursday.
Caldwell finished the season 49-9, third place in the nation. The Cobras were also Region 10 and Mid-Atlantic District champions.
The Caldwell Cobras gather one last time after falling to Dallas College-Eastfield by an 11-1 score in the elimination semi-final of the NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series.