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MILLERSVILLE BASEBALL TEAM TO FACE SLIPPERY ROCK IN FIRST ROUND OF PASC PLAYOFFS

 April 28 – The Millersville University baseball team will face Slippery Rock at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30 in the first round of the PSAC baseball playoffs at Lancaster 's Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced start times on Monday with the PSAC East champion Marauders to play The Rock, which finished third in the PSAC West.

The winner will play Thursday at 6 p.m. against either Kutztown or Indiana ( Pa. ). The loser will play Thursday at noon and face an early exit from the six-team double elimination tournament.

Games will also be played on Friday with the championship to be played at either 1 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. (See below the list below for all possible playoff scenarios).

Students who attend a PSAC school and show their ID card at the gate will be admitted free. Tickets cost $7 per day.

Preview:

East No. 1 Seed - The Marauders (22-24, 12-8 PSAC East) clinched their first PSAC East regular season division title in eight years after unleashing a sizzling late-season streak. Millersville, which finished last in 2007, began this season by going 6-20 and just 1-12 in games decided by two runs of less. The Marauders then won 16 of their next 18 games to vault atop the PSAC East and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

First-year head coach Jon Sheehan, a former catcher for the Marauders who finished his career in 2004, leads a young group of players that includes sophomore Corey Phelan, a talented center fielder, and freshman first baseman Derek Kline (.367 batting average.). Millersville is looking to win its first PSAC Championship since 1998, the year the Marauders advanced to the College World Series.

The pitching staff is led by senior Brett Rhoads, a senior from Landisville , Pa. , who was twice named PSAC East Pitcher of the Week in 2008. The relief staff is anchored by senior Jesse Shablin, a lefty who led the Marauders with a 2.26 ERA and led the conference with 25 appearances.

West No. 3 Seed - Slippery Rock (25-21, 12-8 PSAC West) will be making its third straight trip to the PSAC Baseball Championships. The Rock seeks to improve upon its No. 3 finish in both 2006 and 2007. SRU seeks its first PSAC title since 2001. SRU enters the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed from the Western Division for the second straight year after being the division's No. 2 seed in 2006.

Rock was one of four teams to earn a share of 2005 PSAC-West title but was denied conference tournament berth by tiebreaker system. SRU did not earn conference playoff berth in 2004 after being conference runners-up in 2003. Rock went on to win regional title and fourth trip to Division II World Series in 2003.

Jeff Messer has now led Rock to 18 conference tournament appearances in 23 seasons as Rock's head coach. Messer is PSAC's all-time leader in career wins with 724-414-4 mark and ranks second among all Pennsylvania collegiate head coaches in career victories behind only former Temple boss James Wilson (1034 wins in 46 seasons).

Sophomore catcher Matt Adams ranks second in the conference (and 16 th in NCAA Division II as of April 20) with a .455 batting average while teammate Scott Bender, a junior outfielder, is sixth in the PSAC with a .418 average.

Tournament Schedule and Scenarios

 Wednesday, May 2
4:00 PM Game 1 East #1 Millersville vs. West #3 Slippery Rock (regularly Game #3)
7:00 PM Game 2 West #1 Shippensburg vs. East #3 West Chester (regularly Game #1)

Thursday, May 3
9:00 AM Game 3 East #2 Kutztown vs. West #2 IUP (regularly Game #2)
noon Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1 (tentative)
3:00 PM Game 5: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3 (tentative)
6:00 PM Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 1 (tentative)

1). IF FOUR TEAMS REMAIN AFTER GAME 6, THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL BE USED:

Friday, May 4
Noon Game 7: Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 6
3:30 pm Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
7:00 pm Game 9: Loser Game 7 vs Winner Game 8

Saturday, May 5
1:00 pm Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs Winner Game 9
4:30 pm Game 11: If necessary (20 minutes after conclusion of Game 10

2). IF FIVE TEAMS REMAIN AFTER GAME 6, THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL BE USED

Friday, May 4
Noon Game 7:  Loser Game 4 vs Loser Game 6
3:30 pm Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 4