Mount Olive College and Town of Cary, which have co-hosted each of the last four NCAA II Baseball National Finals, have been awarded the 2014 and 2015 Division II Baseball National Finals, it was announced by the NCAA. The two-year extension will mark seven consecutive years the championship is at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., making it the third longest run in the 45-year history of the NCAA II Baseball Championship.
“The USA Baseball National Training Complex is just a tremendous facility for us to showcase our championship,” Division II Baseball Committee Chair Jim Givens said in a statement from the NCAA. “The people of Cary and Mount Olive have really embraced this event and allow us to have a wonderful experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
Mount Olive won the 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship in Sauget, Ill. The NCAA opened the bidding for the Division II Baseball National Finals when 2008 host Southern Illinois-Edwardsville reclassified to Division I. Mount Olive and Town of Cary were awarded the bid in 2009 and have now earned three two-year extensions.
Mount Olive was both co-host and tournament participant in the 2011 National Finals. The Trojans tied for third, falling in the semifinal round to eventual national champion West Florida.
“It has been a great opportunity for the college to serve as the host institution for the NCAA DII baseball championship, so we are pleased to receive a two-year extension as host,” said Mount Olive College Director of Athletics Jeff Eisen. “We also appreciate this expression of confidence from the NCAA for the job that we and the Town of Cary have done as the hosts for the last four years.”
In the first four years the championship has been held in Cary, four first-time champions have been crowned. In addition to West Florida’s title in 2011, Lynn (Fla.) won the 2009 national championship, Southern Indiana took the crown in 2010 and West Chester (Pa.) won last year’s national title.
The first NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship took place in 1968, with the National Finals held in Springfield, Mo. After a four-year run in Springfield, Mo., the championship moved to Springfield, Ill., for eight years, the second longest run for the championship. The championship then moved to Riverside, Calif., in 1980 and stayed for five years, which will become the fourth longest run after the 2014 National Finals. Montgomery, Ala., played host to the National Finals for a record 23 consecutive years from 1985-2007.
The 2013 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals will be held May 25-June 1. Tickets will go on sale in the spring.
– News release