CONWAY, Ark. (April 27, 2009) – Positioned as the clear underdogs entering the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament, the Hendrix Warriors persevered through a number of close games and surpassed all the conference’s top teams en route to winning the college’s first SCAC title in any men’s sport. With the title, Hendrix earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III national tournament next month.
A large crowd of students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered on the college’s baseball field to greet the team as they returned from Jackson, Miss., around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The impromptu and rowdy celebration was highlighted by speeches from baseball coach R.J. Thomas and the team’s four seniors, and the team’s presentation of an autographed game ball to Hendrix President Tim Cloyd, who was on hand for the celebration.
Just a few hours earlier, freshman pitcher Caleb Schallawitz held a powerful Trinity University offense to one run on only three hits and struck out two in an 11-1 eight inning victory that gave the Warriors the championship. The #3 west Warriors went through the tournament undefeated and now stand at 22-21 on the season and 5-2 all-time in the SCAC Tournament. Hendrix defeated #2 west Trinity for the second time in the tournament after taking a 9-7 win over the Tigers on Saturday. The Warriors opened this year’s postseason classic with a 10-7 upset over #1 east DePauw University on Thursday before defeating #1 west Millsaps College, 9-8, on Friday.
Hendrix will now wait for its draw in the NCAA D-III Regionals, which will be announced Sunday, May 5 or Monday, May 6.
Schallawitz (North Richland Hills, Texas/Ft. Worth Christian H.S.) dominated a Tiger offense that totaled 68 hits and averaged 12 runs in its four previous SCAC Tournament games. He held Trinity scoreless for the first four innngs and improved to 2-2 on the season.
The Warriors pounded out 18 hits, which included at least one hit by every batter in the lineup, and did most of its damage during a four run third inning and a four run fourth inning.
Freshman 2B Clark Sims (North Little Rock, Ark./H.S.) ignited the third inning rally with a leadoff infield single. Sims advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior CF Daniel Ward (Tacoma, Wash./Washington H.S.) and moved to third on a grounder to the shortstop. Sophomore 1B Jeff Forgerson (Simi Valley, Calif./H.S.) sent Sims plateward with a single to left center and eventually made it to third on a base knock to right from junior LF Nathan Hill (Little Rock, Ark./Catholic H.S.). Senior C David Foley (The Colony, Texas/H.S.) then sent Forgerson home on a base knock to left before sophomore DH Brad Grinstead (Craig, Colo./Moffat Cty. H.S.) tripled to right center for a pair of runs.
Warriors’ junior SS Matt Gaglio (Kirkwood, Mo./H.S.) and Sims started the fourth with back-to-back singles. Gaglio was forced out at third base on Ward’s grounder to first before Sims and Ward executed a double steal to put runners at second and third. Harr drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle and Forgerson followed with a triple to right center. Hill sent Forgerson plateward with a sacrifice fly to center. The Warriors held an 8-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.
Trinity scored its lone run of the affair in the fifth frame when sophomore CF Dylan Early homered to right field with one out.
Hendrix added two runs to its advantage in the bottom half of the fifth with two outs. Sims reached on a single to left field before Ward blasted his 10th bomb of the season over the left field wall to make it a 10-1 ball game.
The Warriors increased their advantage to 10 runs in the sixth when Foley led off with a triple to right center and Gaglio hammered a two-out double to left.
Schallawitz induced three pop ups in the seventh inning to give Hendrix the monumental win via the 10-run mercy rule.
Hendrix’s No. 1 through 6 hitters went a combinded 13-23 (.565) and drove in eight of the teams’ 11 runs. Foley and Harr led the Warriors with 3-for-4 performances at the plate. Foley scored twice and drove in a run, while Harr scored once and drove in two. Sims was 3-for-5 with three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Forgerson, Grinstead and Gaglio collected two hits apiece.
For more information on Hendrix Athletics please visit www.HendrixWarriors.com or contact Brian Rejer, Sports Information Director, at (501) 450-1426.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 165 colleges featured in the 2008 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, contact Mark Scott at scottm@hendrix.edu or 501-450-1462.