AUGUSTANA BASEBALL WINS 2018 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
CARY, N.C. - A complete game from senior Jacob Blank and key hits up and down the lineup led the Augustana baseball team to its first ever NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship Saturday afternoon from the USA Baseball National Training Complex. In the top of the fourth inning with the game scoreless, Michael Svozil singled to right center and in the same inning, Jordan Barth singled to center field to put runners on the corners for the Vikings. Ryan Nickel then singled to center, allowing Svozil to score to give Augustana an 1-0 lead. Lucas Barry dropped down a spectacular bunt that stayed fair allowing Barth to score on the RBI single to make it 2-0. The Cougars powered back in the bottom half of the fifth with a two-run blast off the bat of freshman catcher Robert Brooks. That was all the Cougars could muster. Breaking a 2-2 tie, Augustana added another run in the top of the sixth inning to retake the lead, 3-2. Lucas Wylie reached base via the hit-by-pitch and Ryan Menssen drew a walk that placed runners on first and second for the Vikings. Freshman JT Mix delivered once again from the 9-hole, finding a gap through the right side that scored Wylie. Blank gave up just two runs on four hits and added 12 strikeouts in nine complete innings of work. He ended his senior season with an undefeated 9-0 record. Michael Svozil (3-for-5) and Ryan Nickel (2-for-4) had multiple hits for Augustana. Nickel, Lucas Barry and Mix added RBI. Barry, Svozil, Mix and Tyler Mitzel were selected to the all-tournament team, with Mitzel earning the Most Valuable Player. The Vikings conclude the 2018 regular season 52-9 and 2018 National Champions.