GREENVILLE, N.C. — Potomac State baseball is very familiar with playing in the Eastern District Championship. They just may not have expected it this year.
In a season in which the Catamounts found themselves hovering around the .500 mark, they now find themselves two wins from a return trip to the JUCO College World Series.
Potomac State has been to the World Series — held in Grand Junction, Colorado — three times (2004 through 2006), but to return this season may be one of the toughest years ever.
This season PSC will face Pitt Community College for a best-of-three series starting today at Minges-Overton Baseball Complex on Pitt’s Campus.
“Pitt is very well coached, hits a ton and has two or three shut-down arms,” said PSC Head Coach Doug Little. “We will have to play very well in order to give ourselves a chance.”
One area where Potomac State may have an advantage is experience. This will mark the ninth time in the last 11 years that the Catamounts will find themselves in a series that will determine who punches their ticket to the World Series.
“Unfortunately, that experience doesn’t get any hits for you, but we have been there before and know what to expect.”
Just what does Little expect? “Very intense games. We have been through this too many times to expect anything less.”
Pitt will be making their second trip to a District final in the last three years. In 2008, Pitt was defeated by Region XX Champion Hagerstown.
The Bulldogs were a wrecking crew in this year’s Region X tournament, winning their first two games by mercy-rule scores before toppling USC-Sumter in Friday’s winners’ bracket game. PCC avoided playing any extra games, running its winning streak to eight against junior college competition.
In 2000, PSC defeated Pitt 3-2 in the opening game of the tournament held in Briarcliff, N.Y. That Pitt team was led by future Major League player Freddie Bynum, who played for the A’s, Cubs and Orioles.
Since 2000, Potomac State and Pitt are 2-2 in their previous four meetings.
Early in the 2000 season Pitt swept a doubleheader with the Catamounts 4-2 and 9-7 at Pitt. PSC then won the Eastern District game 3-2 behind a complete game effort from Brain Renner.
The two teams last faced off in 2001, when Potomac State rallied from a six-run deficit in the first inning for an 8-7 win.
Pitt is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest NJCAA poll and is 13th in team batting average. Potomac State, who began the season 13th in some polls, is unranked.
College
PSC plays Pitt for Eastern District title
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