The Rams (38-20, 21-11) will square off against the Cavaliers of UVa-Wise (35-17, 22-8 MEC) on Thursday, May 11, at 5 p.m. at Cavalier Field in Wise, Virginia., after receiving a NCAA II Atlantic Regionals bid Monday morning. Shepherd is the fourth-seed, while UVa-Wise is the third-seed.
This will be the third regional appearance in school history for the Rams, with 2007 and 2010 being the other two years the team qualified for a bid.
The Rams are very familiar with the Cavaliers, as they faced them four times this season, winning one of the four match ups.
On April 14, the Rams split a road double-header against the Cavaliers. In game one, the Rams lost 2-0 in a pitchers’ duel. However, in game two, the Rams found some offense and got by with a 4-2 victory.
These two teams most recently met in the MEC tournament this past weekend, with the Cavaliers winning both of these games. On Friday, May 5, offense was hard to come by for both teams, as the Rams fell 1-0. The last time they faced each other was Saturday, May 6, with the Cavaliers coming away with a 3-1 victory.
Both teams showcased strong pitching when they faced off earlier this season, which is a theme that could very well continue Thursday afternoon.
Anthony Bracken is the Sports Editor of The Picket. He can be reached at abrack02@rams.shepherd.edu