FT. MYERS, Fla. - The Sun Conference reinstated it's conference baseball tournament in 2009 after an eight-year hiatus due to the NAIA Regional and Super-Regional format from 2000-2008, and for the last three seasons, the Embry-Riddle Eagles have come away with the Sun Conference Baseball Tournament crown. The sixth-ranked Eagles will look to make it a four-peat this week at the City of Palms Park, entering the six-team tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after finishing the 2012 conference slate with a 21-6 record.
The Blue and Gold claimed the program's fifth straight and 13th overall Sun Conference regular season title in 2012, clinching the championship with a three-game series sweep over Ave Maria on the last weekend of conference play. The Eagles earned the right to play sixth-seeded SCAD Savannah in the tournament's opening game on Tuesday, May 1 at 10 a.m. The Eagles took two of three games from the Bees in the two team's conference series in Savannah, Ga.
ERAU (38-14) will put their 13-1 mark in the conference tournament on the line this week in hopes of securing the 2012 crown. The only loss the Eagles have suffered in the tournament came in 2010 when St. Thomas downed Embry-Riddle 3-1 in the third round (ERAU later beat the Bobcats twice to win the title).
The Eagles' opponent is not unfamiliar. The Bees have squared off against ERAU 33 times since 1992, 26 of which have ended with the Eagles on top, including the three times the two teams have met in the conference tournament, and two more times in the former Regional XIV Tournament.
Jeff Lemon, the Eagles' junior third baseman, has been on a tear since returning from injury midway through the year, posting a .377 batting average on 46 hits, seven doubles, 21 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Following close behind Lemon is the ERAU starting outfield of
Frankie Arias,
Greg Smith and
Ian MacGeorge. Smith is hitting at a .366 clip in 2012, recording 59 hits and 52 runs scored while swiping a team-leading 27 bases. Caracas, Venezuela native Arias has a .351 average from the plate with 69 hits, 41 RBIs and 56 runs scored. Arias is second on the squad with 18 stolen bags.
Sun Conference Player of the Year candidate MacGeorge has struck for 65 hits, including 21 doubles and four homers, chasing in 51 RBIs for a slugging percentage of .530.
Shortstop
Ben Kline joined ERAU's elite 150-Hit Club this season, he now stands at 159 career hits as an Eagle, good for 13th all-time. The Omaha, Neb. product is hitting .333 in 52 games, collecting 15 doubles and three home runs while leading the team with 71 hits. Last season, Kline led The Sun Conference Tournament field with 10 hits and was second with 10 RBIs, one back of teammate
Chris Page's 11.
The Eagle pitching staff has once again put together a great season, posting a team ERA of 3.15 in 440.2 innings. Six ERAU hurlers have five wins, with
Kevin Maloney leading the way with a 7-0 record. Maloney's conference-leading ERA of 1.29 has been highlighted by two complete games and 41 strikeouts.
Daniel Eaton has a 2.62 ERA in 17 appearances and 96.0 innings of work. The Warner Robbins, Ga. native leads the Blue and Gold with 76 strikeouts, holding opponents to just a .232 batting average.
Robbie Ratliff and
David Lidyard have been two of the best in the Eagle bullpen, as Ratliff boasts a 6-2 mark and 3.14 ERA, while Lidyard's four saves paces the team.
The 2012 All-Conference teams will be announced on Monday night at the tournament banquet; last season the Eagles put seven players on the first team and three on the second team.
All of the games in The Sun Conference Tournament will be broadcast by Associate Director of Athletics
John Phillips and former Eagle players Austin Quinn and
Cory Davids. To follow all of the action of the 2012 Sun Conference Baseball Tournament, visit the
Tournament Headquarters.
