Senior Connor Dillman pitches the ball. The Eagles tied for the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship. | Courtesy of Emory Athletics
This past weekend, the Emory baseball team won the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, sharing the honor with Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) as co-champions at Seminole State College in Sanford (Fla.). This win marks the 13th UAA Championship in baseball’s history.
Last Friday, March 13, the team took on the New York University Violets. The Eagles shut down the Violets’ offense, allowing just three hits in a 5-0 victory. Sophomore right-hander Hans Hansen started on the mound for the Eagles and went seven innings, striking out five. The Eagles got contributions from all around, with junior outfielder David Coble, senior outfielder Brett Lake, sophomore infielder Philip Maldari, senior outfielder Wes Peacock and senior outfielder Jordan Selbach each driving in a run.
Coble walked to start the game and proceeded to steal second and third before he was driven in a Peacock single to left. The Eagles got another run in the third inning on a groundout from Lake that brought in sophomore catcher Austin Maggin in from third. Violets freshman pitcher Chase Denison struggled with his command on Friday, giving up seven walks, including one to Coble with the bases loaded, forcing Selbach to run across the plate from third.
Hansen dominated from the start, sitting down the first nine Violet hitters before allowing a hit in the fourth. In the fifth, Selbach reached on a fielder’s choice to second base, scoring Peacock from third. Hansen continued to cruise through seven innings before being replaced by senior righthander Michael Byman. The Eagles got one more run in the ninth on a Maldari single to left that scored Lake.
“It is amazing to see [Hansen’s] progression this year, he’s got five pitches that he can throw for strikes and he’s been really effective,” senior Conor Dillman said.
On Saturday, the Eagles took on the Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) Spartans. The Eagles pulled out a 3-0 win behind a strong performance from sophomore lefthander Jackson Weeg, who gave up just one hit while striking out six over seven innings. The Eagles got on the board in the third inning when junior infielder Jack Karras led off the inning with a single to right. Coble flew out to center and sophomore outfielder Wilson Morgan reached on a throwing error by the Spartans. Karras moved up to third before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Lake. After a passed ball and a wild pitch, Morgan advanced to third and scored on a Peacock single up the middle. Sophomore right-hander Kyle Monk pitched the final two innings for the Eagles, earning the save.
The Eagles’ sophomores provided major contributions in the victory.
“It is important to get underclass guys into this environment and to get used to winning so that they’re ready in the future,” Dillman said.
Peacock added that juniors, such as Coble and infielder Dylan Eisner, also stepped up this weekend.
On Sunday, the Eagles took on Washington University in St. Louis Bears. After scoring one run in the seventh that narrowed the Bear’s lead to 5-2, the Eagles added two more in the top of the eighth. They were unable to tie the score, and fell 5-4 to the Bears, tying them for first place in the UAA.
The Eagles got on the board first against the Bears, scoring a run in the top second inning on freshman infielder Nick Chambers’ single through the left side of the infield that scored Eisner. The Bears answered in the bottom of the third with a hit into a fielder’s choice, with the bases loaded, that scored the runner from third. The Bears added another run in the fourth. The Eagles were unable to answer and in the bottom of the fifth as the Bears put up three more runs and opened up a five to one lead.
The Bears started off the sixth inning by reaching on a throwing error by Chambers and then advancing to second. The Bears moved over to third on a ground out and scored on a single to left.
In the top of the seventh, Coble started the inning off with a single to right, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Morgan’s single to center, narrowing the deficit to 5-2.
In the top of the eighth, Maldari and Eisner each recorded back-to-back singles and junior Ben Vizvary doubled to left, scoring Maldari. The Eagles loaded the bases on the next at bat after sophomore pinch hitter Brian Hernandez was hit by a pitch.
Sophomore pinch hitter Cody Wetmore then struck out swinging to make two outs. Coble singled to right, scoring Eisner, but Vizvary was thrown out at the plate on his attempt to tie the score.
The Eagles were unable to get any more runs in the ninth, falling to the Bears 5-4, but tied them for first place in the UAA.
“We pitched well the whole weekend and hit the ball hard but we couldn’t string hits together at times,” Peacock said.
Peacock added that he believes the team has the talent and experience to make it back to the College World Series. Last year, Emory came in second, falling to the third-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 7-0 in the title game at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin.
The Eagles will return to action today, March 20, in an away game against the Piedmont College (Ga.) Lions at 7 p.m.
