Photo by: Joseph Craven
Top-seeded Wright State set to host 2021 HL Championship at The Nisch
5/23/2021 7:05:00 PM | Baseball
Regular season champion Wright State will begin the postseason on Thursday morning, as the top-seeded Raiders will host No. 4 seed Milwaukee at 11 a.m. in the opening game of the 2021 Horizon League Championship at Nischwitz Stadium.
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The Raiders, who locked up the regular season title back on May 8, enter the tournament with a 32-11 overall record and riding a nine-game winning streak. Wright State has won 18 of 19 dating back to mid-April and finished with a 28-4 mark in Horizon League play this season. The Raiders were 18-1 in home games at The Nisch this season.
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
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Milwaukee enters the HL Championship as the No. 4 seed with a 20-31 overall record and had a 17-23 mark in Horizon League play. Milwaukee lost three of four this weekend at Youngstown State, and has lost seven of its last 10 overall. The Raiders and Panthers met once during the regular season, with Wright State taking three of four games on May 7 and 8 while outscoring Milwaukee 57-18 in the series.
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Thursday's other first round matchup will feature No. 2 UIC and No. 3 Youngstown State in a game slated for a 3 p.m. start at Nischwitz Stadium. UIC enters the postseason with a 29-16 overall record and a 28-11 HL record, while Youngstown State is 32-22 overall with a 24-16 mark in the Horizon. UIC has won 11 straight games and 19 of its last 20 overall. Youngstown State has won eight of its last 10 games, including taking three of four at home against Milwaukee to close the regular season. UIC and Youngstown State split their eight regular season meetings, with each side winning three of four games at its home park.
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This season, Wright State swept UIC in a weekend series in Chicago in March in the lone regular season series between the teams, outscoring the Flames 38-14. The Raiders were 5-3 against Youngstown State, sweeping the Penguins in a four-game series at The Nisch in mid-March before YSU took three of four in Youngstown two weekends later. Over the eight games, the Raiders outscored Youngstown State 74-49.
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The winners of the first two games on Thursday will advance to Friday's first game at 12 p.m., while the two losing teams in the opening games will face off on Thursday night in an elimination game. Thursday night's elimination game winner will face the loser of Friday's winner's bracket game in an elimination game on Friday afternoon. Saturday's championship game is slated for a 12 p.m. first pitch, with the 'if necessary' game to follow. The full bracket can be seen here.Â
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All games of the 2021 Horizon League Championship will air on either ESPN3 or ESPN+, with live stats available to follow the action as well.
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Tickets will be sold for the Championship, with spectators asked to stay in their family groupings and maintain social distancing. More information on tickets is forthcoming.
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The Raiders, who locked up the regular season title back on May 8, enter the tournament with a 32-11 overall record and riding a nine-game winning streak. Wright State has won 18 of 19 dating back to mid-April and finished with a 28-4 mark in Horizon League play this season. The Raiders were 18-1 in home games at The Nisch this season.
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
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Milwaukee enters the HL Championship as the No. 4 seed with a 20-31 overall record and had a 17-23 mark in Horizon League play. Milwaukee lost three of four this weekend at Youngstown State, and has lost seven of its last 10 overall. The Raiders and Panthers met once during the regular season, with Wright State taking three of four games on May 7 and 8 while outscoring Milwaukee 57-18 in the series.
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Thursday's other first round matchup will feature No. 2 UIC and No. 3 Youngstown State in a game slated for a 3 p.m. start at Nischwitz Stadium. UIC enters the postseason with a 29-16 overall record and a 28-11 HL record, while Youngstown State is 32-22 overall with a 24-16 mark in the Horizon. UIC has won 11 straight games and 19 of its last 20 overall. Youngstown State has won eight of its last 10 games, including taking three of four at home against Milwaukee to close the regular season. UIC and Youngstown State split their eight regular season meetings, with each side winning three of four games at its home park.
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This season, Wright State swept UIC in a weekend series in Chicago in March in the lone regular season series between the teams, outscoring the Flames 38-14. The Raiders were 5-3 against Youngstown State, sweeping the Penguins in a four-game series at The Nisch in mid-March before YSU took three of four in Youngstown two weekends later. Over the eight games, the Raiders outscored Youngstown State 74-49.
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The winners of the first two games on Thursday will advance to Friday's first game at 12 p.m., while the two losing teams in the opening games will face off on Thursday night in an elimination game. Thursday night's elimination game winner will face the loser of Friday's winner's bracket game in an elimination game on Friday afternoon. Saturday's championship game is slated for a 12 p.m. first pitch, with the 'if necessary' game to follow. The full bracket can be seen here.Â
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All games of the 2021 Horizon League Championship will air on either ESPN3 or ESPN+, with live stats available to follow the action as well.
Â
Tickets will be sold for the Championship, with spectators asked to stay in their family groupings and maintain social distancing. More information on tickets is forthcoming.
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