Big Series of the Week #9
Athens, Tennessee- While there is only one ranked team in this matchup, this series has major implications in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. This series features the current leaders of the conference in Tennessee Wesleyan and the third place team in Reinhardt. We will get into what could be at stake in this matchup for both teams and how it will effect the conference.
Who’s Playing
#3 Tennessee Wesleyan welcomes Reinhardt who is receiving votes in both the coaches poll and the super secret NAIA Ball Media poll. The third ranked Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan are 32-6 deep into the year, and 21-0 in AAC play. Reinhardt is 26-12 in their campaign, as well as 16-4 in AAC play.
Why this Series is BIG
In the Appalachian Athletic Conference there are 2 automatic qualifiers into the national tournament. Both of those bids are awarded during the conference tournament to the teams that make the tournament championship game. So seeding in the conference tournament has EVERYTHING to do with your chances in getting a bid. TWU has the best odds to hold the 1 seed in this tournament, and while the probability says Reinhardt and Bryan are the 2 and 3 seed in whatever order, there is only a 3 game difference between 4th place Truett- McConnell and 2nd place Bryan. And while Bryan misses a conference series this year with Tennessee Wesleyan, they still have impactful matchups coming up with both 3rd place Reinhardt and 4th place Truett- McConnell. Essentially the race and the series here is a multitude of things for TWU it’s about pulling away from everyone and securing a 1 seed. For Reinhardt it’s about having a resume building series win mixed with the opportunity to hold on to that 2 or 3 seed. The way the tournament is set up the 2/3 seeds totally avoid the 1 seed till the championship game, the 4 seed and the 5 seed go to the same pool as the 1 seed. Winner of each pool, goes to the title game and the national tournament automatically.
Schedule
All times local
Game 1- Friday 4/14 3pm
Game 2- Saturday 4/15 1pm
Game 3- Saturday 4/15 4pm
How to watch
The Teams
#3 Tennessee Wesleyan has won 7 straight in April and has easily been a top 5 program in the nation all year long. Rightfully so Billy Berry’s squad is a certified blue chip program and is expected to be super competitive year in and year out. Offensively the team is hitting .317 average together, two of its top hitters include Dan Sayre who leads the team in hits, and of course Carson Ford who has hits in 15 of his last 16 games and the team leader in homers. On the mound Blake Peyton a freshman left handed pitcher has racked up 70 strikeouts in 46 innings, as well as a 2.93 earned run average. TWU had a big job to do in replacing a lot of stars, especially on the mound from last years team. What they have done is do nothing but be really solid, win the games they are expected to win.
Reinhardt is on the cusp of being back ranked in the top 25, the Eagles have quality early season victories against ranked opposition in Webber International, and they blew out William Carey in mid-February. Reinhardt is in that middle ground where they would be in limbo if they didn’t receive an automatic qualifier bid via the conference tournament, so every good looking win counts. 4 Eagles have hit over 10-plus home runs this season, Lance Dockery and Tucker Zdunich lead the team with 13 a piece. Zdunich is on a tear recently with 23 hits, 22 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs, and 23 runs batted in, all in the last 3 weeks. On the mound Andrew Herbert is 8-1 in 57 innings with 62 punch outs and a 2.84 earned run average.
Final Thoughts
This series represents something massive for both teams, for Tennessee Wesleyan it would likely seal the deal on another TWU regular season AAC title. For Reinhardt the series would mean resume building wins, as well as solidifying strong seeding in potential run for an automatic qualifier bid. The results of this series has consequences for the rest of the league. Only the top 6 teams are guaranteed a spot in the AAC tournament in Kingsport, Tennessee. Seeds 7 through 10 play a single elimination game against each other for the right to keep their season alive. This series sets us up for an exciting late season matchup between two teams who are regularly in postseason play.
- Robby Gutierrez