NCAA Playoff Berth at Stake for Chapman This Weekend

Chapman has to have a good outing at the UC San Diego tournament this weekend for the Panthers to receive a berth in the NCAA Division III baseball playoffs, which begin May 17.

Four teams in the West Region, including UC San Diego, enter the final weekend of the season vying for two regional at-large bids. Chapman Coach Rex Peters said he thinks the Panthers (25-8-1) need to win at least two of their four tournament games, including a victory over the host Tritons, to be considered.

Chapman, which opens at 8:30 today against La Verne, split a doubleheader with UCSD (18-13) last weekend. The Tritons and Panthers play today at 12:30 p.m.

“This weekend is big for us,” Peters said. “If we go 3-1 we’ve got a good chance. I hope the selection committee will take into consideration our strength of schedule. We’ve played a pretty darn good schedule.”

Chapman has defeated perennial Division III contender William Paterson of Wayne, N.J., and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. The Panthers have also beaten Cal State Hayward, a Division II school, three times.

* The NAIA releases playoff baseball pairings Sunday and the only thing Concordia Coach Jackie Schniepp knows is that his team will be on the road.

Biola, Point Loma, Azusa Pacific and The Master’s all figure to make the sectional playoffs, but Schniepp said those teams were so close in their performances this season that it’s impossible to guess who Concordia (27-21) will draw in Monday’s opening round.

Schniepp said he believes the Eagles will receive the No. 5 spot in the single-elimination sectional tournament, in which case they would not play a home game even if they advance. The team seeded No. 1 will draw a bye in the first two rounds Monday and Tuesday. The surviving team travels to play a best-of-three series May 12-13 at the home of the top-seeded team.

Concordia earned its playoff spot by finishing fourth in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

* Catcher Kevin Candelaria of Vanguard and pitcher Matt Broesamle of Concordia were named NAIA Region II players of the week for the week ending April 30.

Candelaria batted .571 and hit three home runs for the Lions. Broesamle helped Concordia secure a playoff spot by striking out 10 batters in the Eagles’ 6-5 victory over Westmont.