Eight college baseball teams from Maine to Oregon will arrive at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium later this week to play in the double-elimination tournament. The 38th edition of the championship begins Friday, May 24, and runs through Tuesday, May 28. This marks the 14th consecutive year the finals will be contested in Appleton.

Three former national champions are in the field and three of them represent the East Coast.

The University of Southern Maine (42-8), which won the national title in 1991 and 1997, is making its seventh trip to the finals and its first since back-to-back appearances in 2000 and 2001. The Huskies reached the finals with a 9-0 victory over Endicott College (Mass.) in the Harwich, Mass., Regional final.

Another East Coast squad, Kean University (N.J.), is making its sixth appearance in the finals and third consecutive trip to Appleton. The Cougars have made all of those appearances in the last seven years, starting with 2007, the year Kean (38-11) won its national title. The Cougars punched their ticket to Appleton with a 6-1 victory over Keystone College (Pa.) in the Moosic, Pa., Regional final.

The other former national champion in the field is Ithaca College (N.Y.), which won titles in 1980 and 1988. This is Ithaca’s 12th trip to the finals but its first since 1994. Ithaca (38-6) earned its berth in the finals with a 4-2 victory over the State University of New York-Cortland in the Auburn, N.Y., Regional championship game.

From the West Coast, Linfield College (Ore.) is making its third appearance in the finals. The No. 1-ranked Wildcats (38-7) return to Appleton for the first time since 2010 and earned their trip to the finals with a 3-1 victory over Trinity University (Texas) in the Austin, Texas, Regional championship game.

The team with the shortest travel time to Appleton is the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (39-9), which is located just 65 miles west of the Fox Cities. Stevens Point is making its fifth appearance in the finals and its first since 2010. The Pointers won the Whitewater, Wis., Regional with a 1-0 victory over Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) in the regional title game.

Manchester University (39-5-1) stopped Marietta College’s hopes for a three-peat by downing the Pioneers 8-5 in the title game of the Terre Haute, Ind., Regional. Manchester makes its second trip to Appleton, with the first coming in 2004.

Webster University (Mo.) is making its second consecutive and second overall appearance in the finals. The Gorloks (36-10) punched their ticket to Appleton with a 7-3 win over Concordia University (Ill.) in the championship game of the Moline, Ill., Regional.

The lone newcomer to the finals is Millsaps College (Miss.), which earned its berth among the final eight teams with a 7-6 victory over Sailsbury University (Md.) in the Millington, Tenn., Regional title game. Millsaps (38-12) won the regional championship game with a walk-off, run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Friday’s Game Schedule (All times Central)

10 a.m. — University of Southern Maine (42-8) vs. Millsaps College (38-12)

1:15 p.m. — Linfield College (38-7) vs. Ithaca College (38-6)

4:30 p.m. — University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (39-9) vs. Manchester University (39-5-1)

7:45 p.m. — Kean University (38-11) vs. Webster University (36-10)

Tepper took seventh in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 2.25 inches. Dwyer was ninth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 20:50.90.

Results

Brewer (Rio, Wis./Rio), a senior pitcher, made the all-conference team for the first time.

Brewer posted a 1-1 record in conference play with a stellar 2.88 earned run average. In 25 innings, Brewer allowed 25 hits, struck out 10 and walked 10.

In his first season as a starting pitcher, Brewer went 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA. He made six starts, pitched 46 innings, struck out 21 and walked 16.

Lawrence finished with an 11-24 overall record.

Midwest Conference news release

The Lawrence men finished with 63.5 points, and St. Norbert College won the men’s title with 85.5 points. Lawrence’s top finishes on the men’s side belonged to cross country and tennis, which both finished second.

On the women’s side, Lawrence finished with 41.5 points, and Monmouth College won the title with 86. The top finisher for Lawrence was softball, which also took second place in the league.

Midwest Conference news release

Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) was a second-team selection in the utility category, and this marks the third time she has earned all-region honors in her career. Murray was a third-team selection in 2010 and 2012.

Murray was Lawrence’s top pitcher and top hitter this season.

In the circle, Murray posted a 13-11 record with a 2.32 earned run average in 148 innings. She struck out 93 and walked 22 while tossing a pair of shutouts and pitching a combined no-hitter, the third of her career.

Murray, who played first base and served as the team’s designated player, hit a team-high .379 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer and a team-high 22 runs batted in.

Murray was named the Midwest Conference North Division Pitcher of the Year and earned all-league honors for the second consecutive season. Murray led Lawrence to a second-place finish in the Midwest Conference.

This marks the 17th consecutive season that Lawrence has had at least one all-region selection.

The clinic is Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day) from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The clinic is open to players ages six to 14 and includes instruction on hitting, fielding and throwing. Korey Krueger, Director of Operations for the Panther Baseball Program, will lead the clinic.

The clinic is limited to 350 participants, and to register on a first-come, first-served basis, go to: www2.lawrence.edu/athletics/ncaayouthbaseball.shtml. Registration the day of the clinic starts at 8 a.m.

Each participant will receive a free T-shirt, and all participants should bring a glove and bat. For more information, please contact Krueger at 920-731-7529 or via email at koreyk@pcfoxcities.com.

As a special offer to those taking part in the clinic, the first 100 participants purchasing an adult ticket for Monday’s games or holding an all-session pass for the championship will receive a Rawlings promotional item. Two semifinal round games will take place on May 27 at noon and 3:30 p.m.

The NCAA Division III Baseball Championship features eight teams from around the country playing from May 24-28. This marks the 14th consecutive year the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship will be played at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, which is the home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Ticket prices are: all-session pass, $33 adults, $20 senior citizens and students; daily session pass, $11 adults, $7 senior citizens and students.

Information/Registration

Stevens won the title with a time of 9:34.42 to beat Carroll University’s Dakota Pruitt by nearly three seconds. Teammate Cameron Davies raced to a fourth-place finish in 9:47.58.

Stevens also grabbed a third-place finish in the 5,000 on Saturday with a time of 1:34.64. Stevens wasn’t able to defend his championship in the 1,500 meters on Friday and took fifth place in 4:00.64. Teammate Dan Thoresen was sixth in 4:03.42.

The Lawrence men finished seventh with 54 points, and Monmouth College won the title with 201. The Lawrence women also placed seventh with 39 points, and the Scots also won that team title with 244.5 points.

The other top finisher on the men’s side was freshman JP Ranumas, who grabbed second in the 110 hurdles in 15.49 seconds. Karston Anderson of Monmouth edged Ranumas by .18 seconds for the title.

Lawrence had two throwers place in the top five in the discus. Spencer Swick grabbed third with a throw of 142-4, and Nick Craker was fifth with a toss of 137-4.

Others placing on the men’s side were: freshman Ben Bard in the 400 hurdles (sixth, 1:00.38), sophomore Kyle Dockery in the 10,000 (sixth, 33:29.10), Tyler Herman in the 400 (eighth, 51.67) and the 1,600 relay team (eighth, 3:34.51).

Rose Tepper took second place in the high jump to pace the Lawrence women on Friday. Tepper, a former conference champion in the high jump, was the runner-up with a jump of 5 feet, 5 inches. Monmouth College’s Emily Tysma won the event with a jump of 5-7.25.

Freshmen Sofie Yang placed in three events, taking fourth in the pole vault with a height of 10-0.75, sixth in the 100 hurdles in 1:08.88 and sixth in the 100 hurdles in 16.46 seconds.

Anna Bolgrien wasn’t able to defend her title in the 400 hurdles and took fourth in 1:06.12. She also grabbed seventh in the 100 hurdles in 16:52. Also placing for the Vikings were the 400 relay (fifth, 51.40), the 1,600 relay (fifth, 4:14.26), Liza Girsova in the 100 meters (seventh, 13.03) and Genna Matt in the hammer throw (eighth, 121-7.25).

Results

Tepper, a former conference champion in the high jump, took second with a jump of 5 feet, 5 inches. Monmouth College’s Emily Tysma won the event with a jump of 5-7.25.

Freshmen Sofie Yang and Genna Matt also placed for the Vikings on Friday. Yang grabbed fourth place in the pole vault with a height of 10-0.75, and Matt was eighth in the hammer throw with a toss of 121-7.25.

The Lawrence women are in eighth place with 14 points.

On the men’s side, senior Sam Stevens wasn’t able to defend his championship in the 1,500 meters. Stevens took fifth place in 4:00.64, and teammate Dan Thoresen was sixth in 4:03.42.

Sophomore Kyle Dockery took sixth place in the 10,000 with a time of 33:29.10.

The Lawrence men are in eighth place with 10 points.

Results

Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) was named North Division Pitcher of the Year, and Tatro earned Coach of the Year honors. Both Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol) and Anna Wawiorka (Oconto Falls, Wis./Oconto Falls) also were named to the all-conference team.

Murray won Pitcher of the Year honors for the first time and was named to the all-conference team for the second consecutive season.

Murray went 5-6 in conference play but posted an outstanding 2.17 earned run average. She struck out 39 and walked 12 in 67.2 innings. Murray also hit .513 in league play with four doubles and 11 runs batted in in 14 games.

On the season, Murray posted a 13-11 record with a 2.32 ERA in 148 innings. She struck out 93 and walked 22 while tossing a pair of shutouts and pitching a combined no-hitter, the third of her career. Murray also hit a team-high .379 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer and a team-high 22 RBIs.

Tatro was honored as Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 20 seasons at Lawrence. Tatro, who has more wins (321 in softball, 412 overall) than any coach in Lawrence history, led the team to 21 victories this season. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference was its best since winning the title in 1999. Tatro also was named Coach of the Year in 2011, 2006, 2002, 1999, 1998 and 1997.

Kaye, who also was named to the all-conference team in 2010 and 2011, hit .283 in league play and scored a team-high 10 runs. She also had two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. On the season, Kaye started every game in center field and hit .307 with 21 RBIs. She led the team with 11 doubles and three home runs, including a dramatic three-run, walk-off homer against St. Norbert College in the MWC Tournament.

Wawiorka is the first Lawrence freshman to be on the all-conference team since Kaye was selected in 2010. The rookie third baseman was second on the team with a .341 batting average in conference play with four doubles and five RBIs. On the season, she was third on the squad with a .319 batting average with 10 doubles, one triple and 14 RBIs. She also led the team with 10 stolen bases.

Lawrence finished the season with a 21-15 record and took second in the MWC Tournament.

When his Lawrence University track teams open competition on Friday at the Midwest Conference Championships in Beloit, Wis., Fast has several athletes fighting for individual titles. He also has dozens of other athletes competing for championships inside the championships, fighting to move up one place here or two places there to provide precious points for the Vikings.

“As a team it’s going to be a close competition for fifth to eighth place, and we see ourselves right in the middle of that,” Fast said of his men’s squad. “If we rise to the occasion as a team and have a couple of events go our way, then we will end up on the higher end of that spectrum. We have a good amount of entries that are currently ranked just outside the top eight who we believe will be able to step up and really help the team.”

The Lawrence men are paced by senior Sam Stevens, who is the defending champion in the 1,500 meters. Stevens will face stiff competition if he wants to repeat in the 1,500, and he also is a contender for two other titles Stevens is the top-ranked runner in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 9:28.57, and he has the second-fastest time in the league in the 5,000 at 15:14. 

The Vikings also will look to distance runners like Dan Thoresen and Jamie Brisbois to pick up points in a few events.

Freshman JP Ranumas is looking for a championship in the 110 hurdles and is tied for the second-fastest time in the league at 15.63 seconds. Ranumas also looks to pick up points for the Vikings in the triple jump.

Lawrence is led in the field events by sophomore Spencer Swick, who is ranked fourth in the shotput with a toss of 45 feet, 6 inches. Swick, Andy Paider and Nick Craker form the trio of throwers for Lawrence and could place in any of the throwing events.

Sophomore Anna Bolgrien is Lawrence’s returning champion on the women’s side after winning the 400 hurdles a season ago in 1:05.60. She enters the meet with the second-fastest time in the league at 1:05.75. The Vikings will be looking to place three athletes in the 400 hurdles because rookies Sofie Yang, ranked fifth in that event, and Hayley Cardinal, ranked 10th, give Lawrence a strong presence. 

Lawrence will need some strong performances throughout its lineup to move up from a seventh-place finish in 2012.

“We will be competing against Beloit and Knox for eighth place,” Fast said. “Our team has a lot more upside then those we are competing against, and we have some people in other events that are ready to step up and really turn some heads so that bodes well for us.”

Senior Rose Tepper looks to end her career with another conference championship in the high jump. Tepper is ranked fourth in the league at 5-3 and also is one of the top-eight runners in the league in the 200.

In addition to the 400 hurdles, Yang could pull down more points for the Vikings as she is ranked sixth in the pole vault and seventh in the 100 hurdles. Yang also has an outside shot at placing in the triple jump.

In the other field events, freshman Genna Matt set a school record recently in the hammer throw at 118-10 and also will try to place in the javelin.

Four honored in softball

In the wake of Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference, three Vikings have been named to the all-conference softball squad and Kim Tatro earned North Division Coach of the Year honors.

Shannon Murray was selected as North Division Pitcher of the Year, and Cathy Kaye and Anna Wawiorka both were also chosen for the all-conference team.

Murray went 5-6 in conference play but posted an outstanding 2.17 earned run average. She struck out 39 and walked 12 in 67.2 innings. Murray also hit .513 in league play with four doubles and 11 runs batted in in 14 games.

Kaye hit .283 in league play and scored a team-high 10 runs. She also had two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. Wawiorka was second on the team with a .341 batting average in conference play with four doubles and five RBIs.

Tatro was honored as Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 20 seasons at Lawrence. Tatro, who has more wins than any coach in Lawrence history, led the team to 21 victories this season.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.