One for the LMU Record Books

HARROGATE, TN – The Lincoln Memorial University baseball team has competed as a member of the Gulf South Conference since the early 1990’s, never having recorded a sweep over Valdosta State University.  That is, not until this weekend.

This weekend the much improved Railsplitter baseball team opened the Gulf South Conference schedule, realizing this could be the final time ever they will face off against VSU, as Lincoln Memorial will officially become a member of the South Atlantic Conference as of July 1, 2006.

After taking a double-header from the Blazers on Saturday 10-0 and 7-4, LMU Head Coach Jeff Sziksai and his team were probably unaware they had accomplished something no other Railsplitter baseball team had done and were about to set another record on Sunday.

Saturday’s win over VSU was the first time since LMU became a member of the GSC that an LMU baseball team had taken two games from the Blazers in the same day of a series.  The last time LMU took at least of three games played against Valdosta State was back in 1998, the last time the Railsplitters qualified for the conference tournament.

On Sunday, LMU run ruled VSU for the second time in as many days, coming from behind to win 16-6 to take the series 3-0, while moving their overall record to 18-8 on the year and 3-0 in the GSC.  The final game of the series was also of historical significant because it marked the first time ever the Railsplitters have swept Valdosta State in a three-game series.

Reed Neff (Brentwood, TN) got credit for the win Sunday.  Neff pitched 4.2 innings, giving up eight hits, six runs and six earned runs, while walking three batters and striking out three.  Teammate Kyle Wakefield (Kalamazoo, MI) came in with two outs in the fifth to finish, allowing no further damage.

Many of the Railsplitters hit the ball well in Sunday’s final game.  Derek Treece (Powell, TN), Sergio Baez (Miami, FL) and Dustin Rowland (Eagle River, AK) all went out of the yard, but it was Treece that stood out as the dominant hitter of the day.  Treece was four for six on the afternoon with a homerun and six runs batted in.

LMU’s next conference outing won’t be until next weekend when they travel to Carrollton, Georgia to take on the Braves of the University of West Georgia, but this week the Railsplitters will try to keep the bats hot when they play host to future South Atlantic Conference opponent Mars Hill College Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.  Saturday’s post game article asked the question, “Is LMU Baseball Back,” it sure looks like it.

Lincoln Memorial 16, Valdosta State 6 (Mar 19, 2006 at Harrogate, TN)
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Valdosta State...... 102 120 00 -  6  8  5      (13-10, 0-3 GSC)
Lincoln Memorial.... 200 602 42 - 16 16  1      (18-8, 3-0 GSC)
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Pitchers: Valdosta State - Chris Davison; Brad Altone(4); Tim Harris(6); Stewart Thomas(7);
Brandon Cooper(7); Wade West(8). Lincoln Memorial - Reed Neff; Kyle Wakefield(5).
Win-Reed Neff(5-2)  Save-Kyle Wakefield(3)  Loss-Chris Davison(1-3)  T-3:03  A-70
HR LMU - Sergio Baez (2); Derek Treece (3); Dustin Rowland (2).


Thomas faced 2 batters in the 7th.


Cooper faced 3 batters in the 8th.


West faced 1 batter in the 8th.