Category: MACU

Salem, MACU to Meet in Small College World Series First Round

Two New South teams will square off on the first day of competition in this year’s USCAA World Series Baseball Tournament.

Mid-Atlantic Christian was seeded seventh by the USCAA on Sunday afternoon, but had to wait until Monday to learn its opponent. After a dramatic win to take home the NSAC crown on Sunday evening, the Salem baseball team came off the bubble and was tabbed as the #10 seed to face the Mustangs. First pitch will be at 2:45 PM on Monday, March 15th.

The USCAA World Series features the top 10 USCAA programs from across the country and is hosted in Dubois, Pennsylvania. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs in their only meeting this season, 17-2, on Saturday of the NSAC Tournament in Ettrick, Virginia.

Image courtesy salemtigers.com/Chris Waugaman

Trojans, Tigers Advance to Sunday Championship

ETTRICK, VA – Joseph Hastings was absolutely dominant on the mound Saturday afternoon as he allowed just one hit and a walk through seven innings to lead Virginia State to a 3-1 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian University and a berth to the New South Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday.

Hastings struck out six batters and took a no-hitter bid into the sixth inning before surrendering his first and only hit of the game. At the plate, the Trojans generated just enough offense, especially with Ricky Jones two-RBI single through the left side in the fourth.

The Trojans’ overall record improves to 21-27 and will play in the championship game of the NSAC Tournament at 1 p.m.

The Trojans avoided disaster in the bottom of the seventh to secure their place in the title game. A catcher’s interference call on the Trojans led to the bases being loaded with no outs. Avante Banks recorded the first out by catching a popup foul ball and Virginia State completed a very close double play (shortstop to second to first) to win the game. The Trojans are defending conference champions for a reason and Hastings and the defense showed why in the half-inning.

The four combined runs in this game all came in the fourth inning.

Virginia State led the inning off with four consecutive singles from Norman Jackson, Liam Simpson, Ricky Jones, and Dawsyn Hock. Jones scored Jackson and Simpson with his single and Hock’s hit up the middle brought Jones home.

The lone Mustang run was caused by a lone Trojans’ fielding error in the outfield that resulted in the runner advancing to third base and scoring on the next at-bat.

The Trojans are a win away from earning their second consecutive NSAC Championship.

After a tough loss on Friday evening, Salem had its work cut out in the elimination round. The Tigers faced off with the Builders of the Apprentice School, and picked up a dramatic 5-4 win. That win earned them a contest with the Mustangs of Mid-Atlantic Christian, and Salem ran away with that one with a dominant 17-2 victory.

The two wins today have earned the Tigers a spot in the NSAC Championship and a rematch with the Virginia State Trojans at 1 p.m. Sunday. Should Salem win, tht will force a second and deciding game starting 30 minutes after the close of the first game.

Story content and image courtesy govsutrojans.com and salemtigers.com

MACU’s Louis Named Baseball Coach of the Year

Mid-Atlantic Christian University’s Michael Louis has been named the 2023 NSAC Baseball Coach of the Year.

Louis, in his third season at the helm and fourth overall with the program, led his team to the best record in the program’s short history this season. Included in the victories was a series win over then-fifth ranked Atlantis, their first-ever win over rival Apprentice, and the program’s first no-hitter.

Coach Louis has led the Mustangs to back-to-back appearances in the USCAA National Tournament, has guided five USCAA All-Americans, and one USCAA Academic All-American. The guidance of Coach Louis has made an impact not just on the field but also in the classroom, as the Mustangs set a program record for highest team GPA recorded in 2022, and in the community with over 350 hours of community service registered by the team in 2022.

Louis has also been responsible for spearheading the relationship with Elizabeth City Parks and Recreation to make improvements to Holmes Field at Knobbs Creek, including visual improvements to the facility as well as to the outfield fence. Louis also has improved the fundraising arm of the program, raising over $40,000 for the improvement of the program in his two years.

Congratulations to Mike Louis, the New South Conference Coach of the Year!

Hammond, Redman Lead All-NSAC Team

VSU’s Tahraun Hammond

Virginia State’s Tahraun Hammond and Apprentice’s Nick Redman have been selected as the New South Conference Baseball Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, to lead the All-Conference voting.

Hammond, a sophomore shortstop from Tappahannock, Virginia, enters the conference tournament batting .322 with 37 hits, 32 runs, 16 RBIs and 34 BBs. He also pitched 59.2 innings with a 3-2 record and four saves.

Apprentice’s Nick Redman

Redman, a freshman leftie from New Kent, Virginia, has a sparkling 8-1 record in 13 appearances with 64.2 innings on the mound. Nick has given up only 16 earned runs for an ERA of 2.23 and 84 strikeouts (11.69 per game).

Congratulations to Tahraun, Nick, and all the members of the 2023 NSAC All-Conference Team!

First Team

  • Tahraun Hammond, SS, Virginia State — Player of the Year
  • Nick Redman, LHP, Apprentice — Pitcher of the Year
  • Alex Miller, OF, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Hunter Johnson, INF, Apprentice
  • Caleb Whitley, OF, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Ricky Jones, OF, Virginia State
  • Nathan Kuhn, OF, Salem
  • Jalyn Lee, INF, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Riggs Ellis, INF, Apprentice
  • Colin Langley, P/C, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Sam Schmitt, LHP, Salem

Second Team

  • Luis Angarita, 2B, Salem
  • Joe Hastings, P, Virginia State
  • Jaryd Lund, LHP, Salem
  • Bryce Post, RHP, Apprentice
  • Liam Simpson, LF, Virginia State
  • Travis Snell, OF, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Anthony Torres, MIF, Mid-Atlantic Christian
  • Camden Weston, SS, Apprentice
  • Nate Yeary, CF, Apprentice
  • Kaiden Zacharias, 1B/OF, Salem

NSAC Honors 2023 Baseball All-Academics

Each season, the New South Conference is proud to recognize its student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and the field. The following young men have all achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) on a 4-point scale while also displaying excellence on the diamond.

“This is my favorite award,” said NSAC commissioner Mike Davis. “Athletic achievement is hard enough, but it’s compounded when combined with the rigors of academics. I’m proud to say that our member schools do not sacrifice one for the other.”

The 2023 New South Athletic Conference Baseball All-Academic Team:

The Apprentice School

  • Jack Daszkowski
  • Thomas Ellis
  • Logan Mize
  • Matthew Phoebus
  • Bryce Post
  • Jake Sanchez-Tiller
  • Braxton Wallace
  • Kyle Whitlock
  • Tyler Winegrad

Mid-Atlantic Christian University

  • Titus Bleckley
  • Bobby Brown
  • Josiah Collado
  • Drew Copeland
  • Trey Dail
  • Riane Franklin
  • Aidan Guise
  • Sean Henry
  • Giovanny Mendez
  • Landen Miller
  • Ryan Mitchell
  • Jamel Moss
  • Anthony Torres
  • Syler White

Salem University

  • Max Atkinson
  • Jacob Barcikowski
  • Evan Bell
  • Liam Conway
  • Tommy Downey
  • Brett Her
  • Memphis Elliott
  • Chase George
  • Frankie Gulko
  • Tyler Gump
  • Alex Harper
  • Gavin Hissam
  • Trey Hissam
  • Ryan Hopping
  • Jackson Hutchison
  • Zach Kendall
  • Nathan Kuhn
  • Travis Lavendier
  • Jaxon Lehr
  • Hayes Lightsey
  • Jose Lojo
  • Jordan Mosley
  • Adlai Muench
  • Haidyn Norman
  • Keegan Oliver
  • Gabe Ross
  • Tyler Sammons
  • Sam Schmitt
  • Ben Sitarenios
  • Tyler Shinn
  • Keith Wallace
  • Kaiden Zacharias

Virginia State University

  • Rahzel Atkinson
  • Avante Banks
  • Thomas Chandler
  • Justis Crawley
  • Alexander Dayle
  • Tahraun Hammond
  • Joseph Hastings
  • Dawsyn Hock
  • Aldrewvonte Jackson
  • Norman Jackson
  • Ricky Jones
  • David Johnson
  • Gene Ligon
  • Ryan Messer
  • Jody Morris

Redman Fans Nine as Builders Knock Off MACU 5-4

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Nick Redman threw eight innings and struck out nine as the Apprentice School baseball team took down Mid-Atlantic Christian 5-4 Tuesday afternoon.

The Builders got on the board in the first inning, scoring two runs on a Caleb Russell single up the middle. After the Mustangs scored in the bottom half of the first to cut the lead to 2-1, Apprentice scored two more in the second on a pair of MACU errors.

The Mustangs again cut the lead to one in the fourth on a Travis Snell two-run blast over the left field fence, but the Builders answered in the top of the fifth, scoring on another MACU error to extend the lead to 5-3. The Mustangs pushed across a run in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough as Apprentice handed MACU its first New South Athletic Conference loss of the season.

Redman improved to 8-1 on the season, while Logan Mize picked up his seventh save of the year. Jeremy Harmon led the Builders at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Nate Yeary and Riggs Ellis each had a pair of hits.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Langley, Lee are NSAC Weekly Honorees

Mid-Atlantic Christian pitcher Colin Langley had another outstanding week for the Mustangs. The freshman from Williamston, North Carolina pitched 7.1 innings with 5 strikeouts against Apprentice, plus 5.1 innings against Carolina U with 9 SO’s, to earn NSAC Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time this season. For the week, Langley allowed just 2 earned runs and 8 hits.

MACU’s Jalyn Lee was swinging a big bat for the Herd this week. The redshirt junior from Smithfield, North Carolina went 7 for 12 with 4 RBI’s, 2 runs scored, and a homer, earning Lee the NSAC Player of the Week Award.

Congrats to Colin and Jaylin!

Three NSAC Teams in National Rankings

New South Athletic Conference baseball squads are getting recognized nationally for their work on the diamond.

Defending Small College World Series champion Apprentice School is ranked third in the first USCAA baseball poll of the season, behind only Miami-Hamilton and Bucks County. Mid-Atlantic Christian rounds out the poll at number 15, with Salem bubbling just under the radar.

Virginia State is currently ranked fifth in the Black College Nines’ Top 10 Poll.

Langley, Zacharias Garner POW Honors

MACU’s Colin Langley and Salem’s Kaiden Zacharias led their teams to victories this past week and in doing so earned accolades from the New South Conference.

Kaiden Zacharias
Colin Langley

Langley earned the Pitcher of the Week award with an 8-7 conference win for the Mustangs over Virginia State as he went 6.1 innings, giving up just one earned run off of 6 hits. He also recorded 7 Ks.

Meanwhile, Zacharias had 7 hits, 2 SBs, and 6 RBIs to help the Tigers win a series against preseason #7 West Chester. Kaiden is currently hitting .333 with 18 RBI and 14SBs. For his productive work, Zacharias is our NSAC Player of the Week.

Congrats to both Colin and Kaiden!

Honorable Mention: Jalyn Lee, MACU; Jaryd Lund, Salem

MACU Slips Past VSU 8-7

ETTRICK, Va. – Redshirt junior Jalyn Lee launched a home run and scored 2 RBIs to lead Mid-Atlantic Christian to an 8-7 NSAC win over Virginia State Monday afternoon.

Colin Langley only gave up one earned run in 6 1/3 innings to get the win for the Mustangs. Caleb Whitley pitched 2 innings in relief for the save.

With the win, the Mustangs stay unbeaten in NSAC play at 2-0 and improve overall to 16-16. The Trojans fall to 0-1 and 13-11, respectively.