BASEBALL: Anna Maria Earns Top Seed in 2021 GNAC Tournament
The 2021 conference playoffs will feature a 4v5 play-in game with the top-three seeds receiving a bye into Thursday's semifinals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
#1 Anna Maria, #2 JWU, #3 Lasell
earn byes to Thursday's semifinals
WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference has announced its 2021 GNAC Baseball Tournament information, with the top-three seeds earning byes into Thursday's semifinal single-elimination round.
The playoffs will begin on Tuesday, with fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus College hosting fifth-seeded Norwich University for a 5:00 PM first pitch. The winner will advance to take on top-seeded Anna Maria College, which finished 9-3 in GNAC play, on Thursday in another single-elimination contest.
Thursday's other do-or-die matchup will feature second-seeded Johnson & Wales University (7-5) and third-seeded Lasell University (7-5). The two teams did not meet head-to-head in the regular season.
The two remaining teams will square off in a best 2-of-3 series beginning on Saturday, May 8 to determine the GNAC champion and the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Should those two teams split on Saturday, the if-necessary game will take place on Sunday, May 9 at the same host site.
For complete list of matchups and game times, please see below. Game times for Thursday will be updated as soon as possible.
Anna Maria nailed down the top tournament seed after a doubleheader sweep at JWU on Friday, separating the two teams in the standings.
The AMCATS, who are also an impressive 17-8 overall this spring, have been led offensively by junior Kosta Drosidis (1.241 OPS) and sophomore James Powers (1.287 OPS), as the tandem has coombined for nine home runs, 20 doubles, 61 RBI, and 63 runs in 50 combined games.
The GNAC intends to return to its normal playoff format in Spring 2022, which features a four-team, double-elimination tournament beginning on Thursday following a single-elimination round on Tuesday.
The GNAC would also like to honorably mention our programs that were forced to opt out of the season due to COVID. We are deeply saddened that our baseball student-athletes from Colby-Sawyer College, Dean College, Rivier University, and longtime GNAC power Saint Joseph's College of Maine could not compete for a spot in the conference tournament this spring.
Tuesday, May 4
#5 Norwich at #4 Albertus Magnus - 5:00 PM
Thursday, May 6
4v5 winner vs. #1 Anna Maria - 3:00 PM (at NEBC)
#3 Lasell at #2 Johnson & Wales - 5:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday, May 8-9*
Best 2-of-3 at highest remaining seed
* - if necessary third game played on Sun 5/9
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –