Both U.S. Mennonite Brethren colleges’ baseball teams reached their respective World Series this season.
Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University won its second consecutive National Christian College Association World Series title May 23 in Mason, Ohio. The Sunbirds defeated Lee (Tenn.) University, also for the second straight year.
FPU is transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II. FPU anticipates full participation next year and would have qualified for the NCAA postseason but was ineligible because of sanctions stemming from violations by the FPU tennis programs, which were suspended for the 2014-15 academic year.
The team went 39-18-1 this season, tying the program’s record for wins. It will graduate 12 seniors.
“I’m so happy for these guys and couldn’t be more proud of this group,” said head coach Oscar Hirschkorn. “There were so many big moments throughout our run, and someone different came through every time. It couldn’t have happened to a better group, and I’m thankful they got to experience this feeling.”
Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., finished the year 54-12, losing two games and winning one in its second consecutive trip to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
The No. 3 seed Bluejays fell to top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist University 5-1 May 25, placing seventh.
Tabor won both the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships under seventh-year coach Mark Standiford.
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