RICHMOND, Indiana – Earlham College will begin its journey through the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament's championship round by facing no. 2 seed Franklin College on Thursday, May 20, in Lexington, Kentucky.

First pitch between the Quakers and the Grizzlies is slated for 2:00 p.m.

The Quakers, who advanced after their two wins over Manchester University, have been reseeded as the no. 3 seed in the five-team, double-elimination championship round. Top-seeded Transylvania University will serve as the host, with no. 4 seed Anderson and no. 8 seed Bluffton rounding out the field. Bluffton has been reseeded as the no. 5 team in the field.

All five teams will be playing for the HCAC Tournament Championship and accompanying automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

All games will be held at the University of Kentucky's Kentucky Proud Park.

"This is the best time of year," said Steve Sakosits, Earlham's head baseball coach and interim director of athletics. "We work all year to be in this position to play for a conference tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA tourney. Our guys are very excited for this opportunity."

Earlham is led by fifth-year senior Danny Dopp, who enters the final HCAC weekend ranked fourth in the conference with a .405 batting average and fourth among conference leaders in doubles with 15. He currently paces the Quakers with 39 runs batted in. Out of Dopp's 53 total hits, 26 have been for extra bases, and he has set Earlham career records for hits, doubles, and runs batted in recent weeks. Senior Austin Hatfield is batting .315 for the Quakers with 14 doubles and 29 RBI, while Brian Pincura (.266) and Marc Gendreau (.252) are also among Earlham's RBI leaders with 26 and 24 respectively.

On the mound, senior Joey Gerbus (7-1, 2.95 ERA, 74 K) has been the Quakers' dominant no. 1 starter over the entire 2021 season, and has cracked Earlham's top five in career strikeouts with 188. Nick Carrazales (5-2, 5.36 ERA, 31 K) has been Earlham's no. 2 starter in the latter half of the season, with Domanick Michael (3-2, 5.40 ERA, 31 K) coming out of the pen setting a new Earlham single season saves record with eight.

Below is additional information about the 2021 HCAC Baseball Tournament championship round at Kentucky Proud Park:

2021 HCAC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 20     
10:30 a.m.       Game #1: No. 4 Anderson (22-17) vs. No. 5 Bluffton (18-22)
2:00 p.m.         Game #2: No. 2 Franklin (25-12) vs. No. 3 Earlham (23-18)
5:30 p.m.         Game #3: Winner Game #1 vs. No. 1 Transylvania (28-10)

Friday, May 21          
10:30 a.m.       Game #4: Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2
2:00 p.m.         Game #5: Winner Game #2 vs. Winner Game #3
5:30 p.m.         Game #6:  Winner Game #4 vs. Loser Game #3
 
Saturday, May 22      
10:30 a.m.       Game #7:  Loser Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6
2:00 p.m.         Game #8: Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #7 (Championship Game)
 
Sunday, May 23        
12:30 P.M.      Game #9: Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #7 (If Necessary)
 
ADMISSION: $10 per day; children 11-and-under are free. Students, faculty, and staff of any HCAC institutions will be admitted free with a current campus ID. Gates will open 60 minutes prior to the first game of each day's session.

COVID POLICIES: Facial coverings over the nose and mouth are required for all fans as they enter, exit and move around Kentucky Proud Park, as well as any time fans are unable to maintain the recommended physical distance from other fans not in their party or household.

STADIUM INFO: Concessions will not be sold within the venue; fans will be provided with a wrist band for exit and re-entry during the day. Outside food and beverages are permitted inside the venue, but fans are asked to put trash in the receptacles provided. No alcohol is permitted.

Programs will be available online at www.heartlandconf.org.

Prohibited Items – Alcohol, animals (with the exception of service dogs), artificial noisemakers, combustible heaters, firearms, flash cameras, ice/ice chests, large bags (nothing larger than 12" x 6" x 12"), and smoking. All weapons, including firearms, carried either concealed or openly, are prohibited items at UK Athletic Events per KRS 237.115. Anyone in violation of this will not be granted entrance into the facility.

Per NCAA, in 2021 fans are not permitted to interact with any student athletes at any time. This also applies to family and friends.