GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah baseball team will host a postseason game for the first time since 2004 and just the second time in program history on Thursday afternoon when they welcome the York Spartans to Grantham. The MAC Commonwealth Play-In Game will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the Starry Athletic Complex with a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Semifinals on the line for the Falcons and Spartans.
Messiah and York both finished with a conference record of 14-10, but the Falcons won two out of three against the Spartans in mid-March to earn the tie-breaker and the right to host Thursday's Play-In Game.
The winner on Thursday will square off with the top-seeded Lebanon Valley Dutchmen in the three-game MAC Commonwealth Semifinal Series that will begin on Saturday, May 6.
Fans should note that all MAC Commonwealth Tournament games require admission to enter the contest. Tickets can be purchased at the field for the following prices: Adults - $5, Senior Citizens - $4, Students (valid ID) & Children - $2, Pre-school (under 6) with Adult – FREE.
See below for a preview of Thursday's Play-In Game:
No. 4 Messiah University Falcons – 19-19-1 overall, 14-10 conference
The Falcons finished the regular season with an even, 19-19-1 overall record, but claimed the fourth seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament with a 14-10 mark in the conference. Messiah hit nearly .300 in conference games with a .298 batting average against conference foes this season. Messiah won the season series against three of the four teams to qualify for the MAC Commonwealth Tournament, taking two out of three against Widener, York, and Alvernia. The top-seeded Lebanon Valley Dutchmen were the lone team to sweep the Falcons in conference play, however the Falcons played both games of the doubleheader close, falling by scores of 3-1 and 10-9.
Offensively, the Falcons are led by a trio of big bats with
Joshua Ammons,
Sam Zercher, and
Evan Wagaman anchoring the middle of the order all season. All three are hitting north of .315 on the season while slugging at least .530. Zercher has tied the program-record for home runs in a single season with 10 and leads Messiah with a .708 slugging percentage and a 1.166 OPS.
On the hill, expect a well-rested staff to be led by
Christian Woodie for the Falcons. Woodie has started eight games for the Falcons this season and has pitched to a 5.26 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 49.2 innings on the year. Expect to see
Noah Barrall, the owner of a 1.66 ERA, in relief with any number of other pitchers available in the must-win game for the Falcons. Messiah has not played since last Thursday, so the whole stable of relivers should be available to throw an inning or two in the Play-In Game.
No. 5 York College Spartans – 19-18 overall, 14-10 conference
The Spartans have played near .500 on the season with a 19-18 overall record. Like the Falcons, they also went 14-10 in the conference, but fell to Widener in the final game of the regular season to move into the Play-In Game. York started the season 3-7 in their first 10 games, but went 14-7 over their next 21 games to move three games over .500 on the year. Despite losing their final two series of the year against Lebanon Valley and Widener, the Spartans still landed a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament.
Offensively, the Spartans are led by centerfielder Robby Elzinga's .387 batting average with 21 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. He also leads the team with 10 stolen bases on 13 attempts. Led by Elzinga's 1.098 OPS, the Spartans carry a .798 OPS as a team with Lucas Prendergast (.892), Jacob Deimlin (.888), and Brendan Martin (.887) all north of .880 as well.
On the hill, Brandon Purdy and Bryce Shaffer led the staff with ERAs south of 5.00, carrying marks of .4.36 and 4.94, respectively. Shaffer tossed four innings on Tuesday against Widener, so the Falcons will expect to see Purdy on the hill to get the start in the one-game playoff. The Spartans also used their top two bullpen arms on Tuesday, but expect to see Ethan Kennedy (19 app, 32.2 IP, 4.41 ERA) and Yandel Tolentino (14 app, 22.2 IP, 6.75 ERA) available to throw against the Falcons.
When They Met
As mentioned, the Falcons and Spartans played a three-game series earlier this season with the Falcons claiming two out of three on Mar. 9 and 11. On the road, Messiah took down the Spartans 10-6 in the nine-inning game on Mar. 9 thanks to a huge, seven-run third inning. The Falcons then won the first game of the doubleheader on Mar. 11 by a 4-0 final with
Nathan Stein tossing a complete-game, one-hit shutout with just one walk and a pair of strikeouts. The Spartans salvaged the final game of the series with an 11-9 win.
