RALEIGH, N.C. (Courtesy of JMU Athletics) – James Madison baseball’s season came to an end on Sunday night at Dail Park as it fell to No. 11 NC State, the 10th seed in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, in the Raleigh Regional Final by a score of 5-3. The Dukes concluded their season with a record of 36-25, as it reached a regional final for the second time since the NCAA expanded to the super regionals format in 1999.
The Wolfpack improved to 36-20 and will await the results of the Athens Regional on if they will host a super regional. At the dish for JMU, sophomore Mike Mancini led the way with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double, two homers, two runs scored and three RBI’s. Junior Todd Mozoki started on the mound, going three-plus innings while striking out three.
How It Happened:
After loading the bases for a third consecutive inning, NC State broke through with a pair of runs on back-to-back walks for the first runs of the game. Mancini responded with a solo shot, his third of the day extending back to game five of the Raleigh Regional, to get JMU on the board and make it 2-1.
NC State regained its two-run lead with a solo homer for a 3-1 lead. Much like when the Wolfpack scored in the fourth, Mancini responded for the Dukes with a solo shot to bring the Dukes within one at 3-2. It is Mancini’s 15th homer of the season and the fourth in seven at bats. Eighth InningThe Wolfpack used a double following a leadoff single to plate a run and make it 4-2. Back-to-back doubles from junior Fenwick Trimble and Mancini made it a one-run game at 4-3. Ninth InningA leadoff homer for NCSU restored its two-run lead at 5-3.
Game Notes
- The Dukes close out the season with 88 home runs, the second most in a season in program history.
- Jason Schiavone’s stolen base pushed the JMU final tally of stolen bases to 106, tied for the ninth most in a season at JMU.
- NC State left 16 runners on base.
- Mike Mancini recorded his second career multi-homer game, doing so in back-to-back games.
- Fenwick Trimble’s double in the eighth inning was his 55th of his career, moving him into a tie for fifth at JMU.
Raleigh All-Region Tournament Team JMU Selections
- Mike Mancini (2B)
- Brendan O’Donnell (RF)
- Donovan Burke (P)