Baseball Headed Back to the NCAA Tournament for a Third Time

5/13/2024 12:00:00 AM

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Goldey-Beacom's baseball team, in the process of another outstanding season that has drawn national attention, has received an at-large berth to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.

Sixth-seeded GBC is headed to Uniondale, NY and will open play Thursday against third-seeded Post after 2:00 pm, following the matchup between second-seeded Molloy and seventh-seeded New Haven at 11:00 am. The winner of this double-elimination regional will face the survivor of the East 1 Regional for a trip to the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, NC.

In just its eighth overall season since the program's reinstatement, Goldey-Beacom is back in the field just like it was in 2021 and last season. The squad this year was ranked second in the East Region by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) for a majority of the season and as high as 22nd in the organization's national poll.

One of the headliners in the Lightning's success this season has been junior shortstop Braden Kolmansberger (Lewisberry, PA), named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. Coming up with big hits at the right time and consistently providing incredible play, the 2022 second team All-CACC pick this year broke the school record with a 28-game hitting streak during which he had 14 multi-hit contests, seven games with at least three hits, 11 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs.

Also included in that run was a five-hit, five-RBI contest March 22 at Jefferson and another five-RBI game April 9 vs. Holy Family in which he tied the school record with three home runs.

He is second in the CACC with 55 RBI, tied for first with 67 hits, second with 15 doubles and 13th with a .353 batting average. His RBI are one off the school record.

Kolmansberger also is first in school history with nine triples, second with 41 career doubles, second with 116 RBI, second with 325 assists, tied for second with 160 hits and sixth with 40 stolen bases.

Senior infielder Darin Miller (Mifflinburg, PA) was tabbed first team All-CACC and continues to be an offensive dynamo, repeatedly providing timely hits and great versatility whether playing second base or third base. A gifted athlete who has given the Lightning two great seasons, Miller this year paces the team with 21 multi-hit games.

His highlights this season include twice getting four hits and six RBI in a game, plus hitting a walk-off home run May 3 in game one of Goldey-Beacom's first-round series in the CACC Tournament against Wilmington.

Miller is tied for first in the league with 67 hits, third with 52 RBI and 18th with a .345 batting average. He is fourth in team history with 103 RBI and seventh with 124 hits.

Senior Garrett Musey (Millville, NJ) battled back from injury to take his rightful place in being named first team all-league, using his overwhelming power and clutch play to once again power the Lightning. This hardly is his first honor as the standout first baseman was named first team All-CACC, second team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-East Region and CACC Rookie of the Year in 2021 in addition to being tabbed second team all-league in 2022.

His patience was on full display May 3 in game two of the first-round series. In a 3-3 game, he drew a walk that eventually led him to scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a double from senior Kyle Walker (Wilmington, DE).

Despite only playing 40 games this season, Musey is third in the league with 10 home runs, sixth with a .361 average, first with a .521 on-base percentage and 16th with 11 doubles. He is first in team history with 31 home runs, first with 630 putouts, third with 114 RBI and sixth with 127 hits.

Senior Justin Jump (Wilmington, DE) has had an incredibly solid year on the bump in being named second team All-CACC, giving the Lightning strong outings that led him to opening the season by winning his first four decisions. Six times this season he tossed at least six innings and he has at least six strikeouts five times, including eight February 24 against Kutztown.

Jump also was named Baseball's winner of the Top XVII Award, which goes to the individual who has the highest GPA on one of the competing teams at the finals site of each CACC Championship, similar to the NCAA Elite 90 Award. The conference's award is so named as the league sponsors 17 sports, along the lines of the NCAA sponsoring 90 sports.

He is third in the league with six wins, fourth with 65 innings pitched and ninth with 60 strikeouts.

Jump is first in team history with 192 strikeouts, tied for second with 13 wins and third with 196 innings pitched.

The first-round victory over Wilmington put Goldey-Beacom (33-19, 15-9 CACC) into championship weekend of the CACC Tournament for a second straight season.

Goldey-Beacom last season in its second NCAA Tournament appearance hosted a regional and for the second time in three years was three victories away from making the College World Series. This is the fourth straight year GBC has been part of the NCAA East Region rankings.

2024 NCAA Tournament – East Regional 2 – Uniondale, NY

Thursday, May 16
G1: New Haven at Molloy, 11:00 am
G2: Post vs. Goldey-Beacom, 2:00 pm

Friday, May 17
G3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 11:00 am
G4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 2:00 pm

Saturday, May 18
G5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, Noon
G6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 3:00 pm

Sunday, May 19
G7: If-Necessary Game, Noon

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