APR. 30 — Leafs Play Waiting Game After Sweep Of USF
Goshen must wait on Spring Arbor make-up game for final standing in MCC

Fort Wayne, IN — In order to have a shot at the Mid-Central Conference North Division Championship — and an automatic berth in NAIA Regional play — the Goshen College baseball team needed to sweep conference foe University of St. Francis on Saturday afternoon, and then get some help from other league teams.

After 5-4 and 7-0 wins at St. Francis, all the Leafs can do now is wait.

Goshen (18-12, 14-8) did what it needed to do on Saturday, but must now wait to see how the Spring Arbor University-Taylor University contest pans out, as those two teams are scheduled to resume a suspended game Monday afternoon at Taylor with the result having direct implications on the Leafs’ finish in MCC play. Should Spring Arbor hold onto its lead in the contest — the game was suspended with Spring Arbor leading by a 6-2 score in the top of the third inning — the Cougars would win the MCC’s North Division Championship, finishing with a league record of 13-7 (.650). Should Taylor beat Spring Arbor, the Cougars would finish with a conference record of 12-8 (.600), giving the North Division title to Goshen (14-8 conference record, .636). To view the complete conference standings, click here.

“It’s a tough situation for Taylor to be in,” said Jayson Best, Goshen head coach. “They thought their season was over this weekend, only to find out that this game has direct impact on who wins the North Division, so it has to be completed. If Spring Arbor holds on they will be the division champs and we’ll play in the conference tournament on Thursday. Unless we see a miracle, that’s what I’m counting on.”

Ironically, it was the addition of Spring Arbor University to the MCC this academic year that changed the conference’s post-season admittance entirely, as in years’ prior the top three teams in the conference advanced to NAIA Regional competition. With the Cougars making it a nine-team conference, however, the MCC elected to divide the league into two divisions, with each divisional champion playing in a three-game series to determine a conference champ (both divisional winners get automatic bids to NAIA Regional play). The final bid to NAIA Regional competition now goes to the winner of the four-team, double-elimination tournament comprised of each division’s second- and third-place teams. The winner of that mini-tournament would then garner the final NAIA Regional bid. Goshen is guaranteed to at least participate in that tournament, pending on a Spring Arbor win against Taylor.

Regardless of where and who the Leafs wind up playing this week, their games against St. Francis on Saturday could be a promising foreshadowing of things to come. Goshen received clutch play in Game One and a strong pitching effort in Game Two in taking care of important business at the Cougars’ baseball complex, giving the team at least a shot at the MCC’s North Division Championship.

The Leafs turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead quickly in Saturday’s first game, after a five-run fifth inning proved to be just enough for junior Ben Taylor (7-1) to stay undefeated in conference play on the mound. After Goshen was held hitless for the game’s first four innings, the Leafs unleashed a scoring wave on the Cougars in the fifth, beginning with sophomore Brian Shelton driving in a run to start the trend. Taylor then pushed the go-ahead run across the plate on a ground out, and senior Josh Snyder then singled home Shelton to make it a 3-1 lead. Snyder then stole second and was driven home by sophomore Casey Cavell’s single. After stealing both second and third, Cavell scored on a passed ball to end the scoring onslaught. When the smoke cleared, Taylor was able to finish things off on the mound, though St. Francis still managed to make it interesting: A two-run fifth and a score in the seventh inning made it a 5-4 game, but Taylor was able to coax a ground out to end the game with the tying and go-ahead runners on base for the Cougars.

“I thought Ben Taylor got by again today on less than his best stuff,” Best said. “He has figured out how to get by and keep his pitch count down when he doesn’t have his best stuff going. That’s what makes him one of the top pitchers in the conference.”

Shelton finished 2-3 from the plate in the day’s first contest, scoring and knocking in one run. Snyder also belted an RBI and scored off a single, while Cavell was impressive with his two stolen bases in two attempts with an RBI and a run scored.

Sophomore Dann Hunt (3-3) took the mound for Goshen in Game Two, and the left-hander did have his best stuff going for the Leafs, tossing a four-hit shut out in a contest that was never close. Junior Greg Koop got things going in the second inning with a lead-off double and was driven in by senior Brad Miller. That would have been enough for Hunt, but Goshen kept on pouring it on. A four-run sixth inning gave the Leafs more than enough insurance, as Koop finished the day 3-4 from the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Cavell doubled, as did Shelton. Sophomore Nate Colclasure was also impressive, going 3-4 with a run and two RBI. Hunt finished the complete-game effort striking out six while walking none.

“It’s good to see Dann come back after a rough outing against Marian (a 16-0 loss on Apr. 25),” Best said. “He was back on track today and looking like the pitcher we need him to be to take us into the post-season.”

Goshen will now await the final score of the aforementioned Spring Arbor-Taylor game, scheduled to be completed Monday afternoon. Pending that outcome, Goshen will either face Indiana Wesleyan University (if Spring Arbor wins) in the first game of the MCC Tournament for the third seed to advance to NAIA Regional play or will face Marian College (if Spring Arbor loses) as the league’s North Division Champion in the MCC Championship series.

Regardless of what transpires, Goshen is guaranteed to be playing this Thursday, at a to-be-determined location. Check back to this website for the most-up-to-date post-season news. Information on the location and opponent of the Leafs’ next contest will be made available as it becomes known.