The No. 2 seed Roadrunner Baseball team suffered an opening day loss during the NJCAA Division III World Series, falling to No. 7 Oakton Community College, 5-2, on Saturday, May 28th at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, TN.
The Roadrunners' next opponent in will be Northern Essex in an elimination bracket game. The first pitch is slated for Sunday, May 29th, at 9:30 am. No. 3 Northern Essex dropped its opening round game, 10-0 to No. 6 Herlimer.
The underdog Owls built a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the seventh inning for a 4-0 advantage.
RCSJ staged a late rally but could not catch up. Rightfielder Shawn Dougherty and DH John Cristino knocked in runs to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the eighth inning. Oakton added one more run in the top of the ninth to [ut the outcome out of reach. Centerfielder Brendan Holloway collected three hits and two RBIs to spark the victory.
In other action, No. 1 seed Caldwell Tech survived its first-round game by edging No. 8 St. Cloud Tech 3-2. The top seed will meet the winner of No. 4 Niagara County vs. No. 5 Dallas-Eastfield.
Click Below or Tournament Results and Box Scores
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/2021-22/div3/national_championship/National_Championship_Results
Click Below for Updated brackets:
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/a/w/1cct25ci49ru4q/DIII_Baseball_WS_-_Bracket_d1v2.pdf
Roadrunner Preview
From top to bottom, every member of the RCSJ Gloucester Baseball roster feels they have a solid shot of bringing home a national championship as the 2022 NJCAA Division III World Series opens on May 28th at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, TN.
The Roadrunners, who boast of a 44-7 overall record, enter as the No. 2 seed and the No. 2 nationally ranked club in NJCAA Divsion III. Coach Rob Valli's team will meet No. 7 seed Oakton Saturday in a 1:00 pm start.
The winner will play the winner of No, 3 Northern Essex vs. No. 6 Herkimer on Sunday, May 29.
The confidence among players is at its highest level following last weekend's Region 19 / North Atlantic District B championship run at RCSJ.
"This is what we've played for all season, and we're as ready as anyone," said sophomore pitcher Angel Cespedes. "We have a lot of players here who have been to the World Series, so we are very confident."
Sophomore slugger Shawn Dougherty, who amassed a solid 11 home runs and 58 RBIs this past campaign, agrees with that assessment.
"It's our time, and of course we have to prove it on the field," he said. "We have a great roster and we can beat you a lot of different ways. We're excited to make a return trip to Tennessee."
Click Here to View Division III National Championship Schedule and Results
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/2021-22/div3/national_championship/National_Championship_Results
The Runners were at their best in the first round of postseason action last weekend as they easily brought home the Region crown by sweeping all three teams -- Northampton, Brookdale and RCSJ Cumberland -- over two days. All teams proved worthy opponents who each made appearances in the NJCAA D III National Rankings this past spring.
"We played a competitive schedule throughout the season and especially here in our own region tournament," commented Tourney MVP Aaron Graeber. "Our coaching staff is amazing, so we know we are well prepared for nationals. We're always in the hunt."
Pitching also proved to a strong point throughout the season thanks to steady performances from Region 19 Pitcher of the Year Ethan Shaub and fellow hurlers Angel Cespedes, Joe Marino and Billy Hoffacker among others.
The Runners will take things one game at a time and hope for plenty of success.
"We can hardly wait to get started," said Dougherty. "The World Series is what it's all about, and we're anxious to bring home a trophy!"