Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University baseball team is the number two seed in the upcoming Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament, league officials announced. The Bulldogs (30-20 overall) will face number five seed Carson-Newman College (20-26 overall) Wednesday at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C. First pitch is slated for 3:45 p.m.

Wingate won the 2010 SAC regular season championship. The Bulldogs and first-year head coach Jeff Gregory compiled a 17-10 record in league games, second only to number one seed (and NCAA Division I number 15) Catawba College.

The top six teams in the conference earned berths to the Food Lion SAC tournament. The bracket format follows the NCAA regional six-team bracket. The event opens with three games Wednesday.
Tournament play continues with three games on Thursday with games at noon, 3:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Three more games are set for Friday. The championship game will be played Saturday at 1 p.m., with a second game, if necessary, to follow. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II baseball tournament. Wingate won the Food Lion SAC tournament title in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998.

All-Tournament tickets will be available at the gate for $16 for adults and $8 for children and students. Fans showing their Food Lion MVP card can save $2 on the price of an adult All-Tournament ticket. Daily ticket prices are $8 for adults and $4 for children and students. Fans showing their Food Lion MVP card can save $1 off the price of an adult ticket. Food Lion is the title sponsor for all South Atlantic Conference championships.

Printable Bracket

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on two campuses in Wingate and Matthews, North Carolina. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 38 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 47 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

Wednesday, April 20
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball tournament
at McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Game 1: #1 Catawba vs. #6 Newberry, Noon
Game 2: #2 Wingate vs. #5 Carson-Newman, 3:45 p.m.
Game 3: #3 Lincoln Memorial vs. #4 Tusculum, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 21
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball tournament
at McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
Game 4: Catawba/Newberry loser vs. Wingate/Carson-Newman loser, Noon
Game 5: Catawba/Newberry winner vs. Lincoln Memorial/Tusculum loser, 3:45 p.m.
Game 6: Wingate/C-N winner vs. Lincoln Memorial/Tusculum winner, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball tournament
at McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
*Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, Noon
*Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:45 p.m.
*Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 23
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball tournament
at McNair Field, Forest City, N.C.
*Championship Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 11 (if necessary), Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4 p.m.

*If five teams remain after Game 6, and two after Game 9 OR if five teams remain after Game 6, and three after Game 9, then alternate brackets will be used.