Indianapolis, Ind.----For the first time since 2001, the Wingate University Bulldogs have earned a bid to the NCAA Division II post-season baseball tournament. Winners of the Food Lion SAC tournament, Wingate gains entrance to the Southeast Regional tournament via the league’s automatic bid. Wingate will take on top seed and tournament host Mount Olive College (39-7 overall).

The Bulldogs and Trojans will play Thursday at 7 p.m. The 2008 national champions, Mount Olive enters the tournament ranked second nationally. Wingate played a doubleheader at Mount Olive this year, with the Trojans taking both games. The ‘Dogs led the first game by a run in the final inning before the Trojans won in their last at-bat via a bases-loaded, two-out single.

Wingate is 34-20 overall, after going 17-10 during the SAC regular season. The Bulldogs finished second in the regular season standings, after winning the regular season title in 2010. Wingate went 4-0 in the 2011 SAC tournament, notching wins over Carson-Newman, Lincoln Memorial, Newberry and Catawba. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games and 10 of their last 11 overall.

The Bulldogs are led by a pair of first team All-SAC selections. Junior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) was named the 2011 SAC Player of the Year. The Tino Martinez Award semi-finalist leads the conference in hits (91), homers (17), RBI (77), runs scored (65), triples (five) and slugging percentage (.748). He ranks second in batting average (.410), on-base percentage (.475) and total bases (166). Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) leads the conference and the nation with 25 doubles, while also leading the SAC with 168 total bases. He ranks second in the conference in homers (16), RBI (68) and slugging percentage (.706).

As a team, the Bulldogs lead the nation with 626 hits, rank second with 141 doubles, fifth with 60 homers and sixth with a .510 slugging percentage. Junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) is third nationally with 23 doubles. He is also third on the team with nine homers and 45 RBI. Senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) is 23rd in the nation with 74 hits, ranking fourth on the team with 14 doubles and 46 runs scored. Junior designated hitter Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) is 24th in the nation with 19 doubles, to go along with a .344 batting average and an on-base percentage of .429, ranking second on the team. Freshman infielder Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) is second on the team with a .367 batting average. Junior infielder Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) has a .414 on-base percentage; he is fourth on the team with 32 RBI.

The Wingate pitching staff is anchored by senior left-hander Chris Nelson (Greenville, N.C.) and sophomore right-hander Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.). Nelson started two of Wingate’s four games in the SAC tournament, picking up a pair of wins while allowing only one earned run in 13 innings of work. He was named the tournament MVP for his efforts. Nelson is 6-3 overall with a 3.58 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 78 innings of work. Somers is 7-3 overall with a 2.56 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings of work. The second-team All-SAC selection began the year as the closer, notching five saves. He leads the league in ERA and strikeouts per game. Freshman right-hander Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) ranks fifth in the league with a 3.04 ERA.

The bullpen is anchored by senior right-hander Cameron Falcon (Durham, N.C.). He is 2-0 overall with a 2.39 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings, notching a pair of saves. Senior right-hander Drew Boyer (Millet, Alberta) has two wins and a 2.45 ERA in a team-best 22 appearances. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Josh Karr (Richmond, Va.) is 3-1 overall with a 2.45 ERA and two saves on the year, racking up 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. Freshman right-hander Stephen Vaughan (Wilmington, N.C.) is second on the team with four saves, going 2-1 overall on the year with a 4.20 ERA.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. 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 five 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.

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)

NCAA Division II Southeast Region baseball tournament
hosted by Mount Olive College (Scarborough Field)

Seed/Team
1. Mount Olive (39-7)
2. Francis Marion (37-14)
3. UNC Pembroke (42-10)
4. Columbus State (32-17)
5. Catawba (40-13)
6. Wingate (34-20)