Rowan Earns NCAA Baseball Tournament Berth
Rowan is headed to the NCAA Division III baseball tournament after winning the automatic bid with a 4-1 victory over Ramapo in the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship.
That improved the Profs record to 33-9. Rowan was the fourth seeded the NJAC, one of the top Division III conference in the country for many sports, with baseball being no exception.
Ramapo was the No. 2 seed.
What is interesting is that Rowan and Ramapo met three times in the NJAC tourney.
Rowan opened the tournament with a 14-2 win over Rutgers Camden on Tuesday, May 1. Righthander Danny Serreino, a product of Jackson Liberty High, got the win, allowing seven hits and two runs in seven innings, while striking out eight.
Second baseman Alex Kokos, who attended Wayne Valley High in North Jersey, went 5 for 6 with a double and triple, two runs and three RBI.
That win was followed by a 3-2 victory over Ramapo. Starting pitcher Andrew DiPiazza from Central Regional in Bayville, NJ, earned the win by going 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out eight. Senior Jordan Friedman from Cherry Hill East, earned the save with 2 2/3 shutout innings.
The big hit for Rowan was a two-run home run by Monny Strickland in the fourth inning. Strickland is a senior leftfielder and South Jersey product from Egg Harbor Township High.
The next day, Ramapo then returned the favor, beating Rowan, 7-2.
On Sunday, Rowan then beat Kean, 13-8 to advance to the championship game. Junior first baseman Anthony Harrold of Gloucester Catholic, went 2 for 6 with a home runs, three runs scored and two RBI.
Righthander Anthony Cartier, a junior from Buena, earned the win, allowing two earned runs in six innings.
Serreino pitched a complete game in the 4-1 championship win over Ramapo. He allowed one run on three hits, while striking out 10 and walking just two, improving his record to 7-2.
Junior shortstop Dillon Mendel, a product of North Jersey’s Sparta High, went 3 for 5 with a triple, run scored and two RBI. The triple was his 12th, setting the school career mark that had stood since 1992 when Dean Petrillo finished his career with 11.
As one can see, Rowan had many different players come up with clutch hits or strong pitching performances, showing the type of balance that championship teams need.
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Rowan will get some desired rest since the NCAA Tournament won’t be announced until Sunday, May 13.
This will be Rowan’s second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under fourth-year coach Mike Dickson, a product of Gloucester Catholic. Last year the Profs earned an at-large bid, but this year they took any suspense away by capturing the NJAC tourney.
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Author: Marc Narducci
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