The North Atlantic Conference finished up their regular season on the baseball and softball diamonds Monday, and now the top four teams head into postseason play beginning on Friday.
In softball, the Thomas College Terriers earned the top seed by winning a tiebreaker with Husson and will host the tournament at Colby College in Waterville. Thomas and Husson as the two top seeds are also two of the hottest teams in the NAC, with the Terriers winning 12 games in a row and the Eagles having won nine of their last 10 games. The winner of the weekend will receive an automatic bid to the upcoming 2019 NCAA Division III Championship. Below is the schedule of the double elimination format with game times to be announced by the NAC:
All games played at Couture Field at Colby College, Waterville
Friday, May 3rd
Game 1- #1 Thomas 4 vs #4 UMaine-Farmington 3 (8 innings)
Game 2- #2 Husson 9 vs #3 UMPI 6
Saturday, May 4th
Game 3- UMPI 1, UMF 0, UMF eliminated
Game 4- Husson 7 vs Thomas 6
Game 5- Thomas 5 vs UMPI 4, UMPI eliminated
Sunday, May 5th
Game 6- Husson 8 vs Thomas 0, Husson wins NAC title and advances to Division III national tournament
In baseball, the Husson Eagles swept a weekend series from UMPI and finished the regular season with a seven game win streak to secure home field in Bangor for the tournament. It is the first time in nine seasons that Husson has finished as the top seed. The winner of this weekends NAC tourney will then get the chance to host the champion of the City University New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) in a best of three series the following weekend to try to receive the automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship. The NAC and CUNYAC have signed a two year agreement to align that baseball championship format. Next season the champion from CUNYAC would host that championship series. The CUNYAC includes the Universities of Baruch, Staten Island, CCNY, Lehman, and John Jay. Below is the schedule of the double elimination format with game times to be announced by the NAC:
All games played at Alfond Diamond at Winkin Complex, Bangor
Friday, May 3rd
Game 1- #1 Husson 10 vs #4 UMaine-Farmington 1
Game 2- #2 Northern Vermont-Lyndon 10 vs #3 Thomas 4
Saturday, May 4th
Game 3- Thomas 6 vs UMF 3, UMF eliminated
Game 4- Husson 6 vs NV-Lyndon 0
Game 5- Thomas 3, NV-Lyndon 2, NV-Lyndon eliminated
Sunday, May 5th
Game 6- Husson 3 vs Thomas 1, Husson wins NAC title and advances to best of three against Baruch University (CUNYAC champion) at Husson University for a trip to national tournament
