Moments From The Past: Baseball earns first USA South Championship in highlight-filled 2017 season

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Message from Assistant Director of Sports Information Trevor Wenners: Interested in reliving some standout moments from LaGrange College athletics? Starting on Aug. 5, we will be unveiling our Moments-From-The-Past series. Our dedicated and loyal fans will be able to get an up-close look at the long and deep history of Panther sports.

The 2017 LaGrange College baseball team was one of a kind.

The unit changed the culture of the program and laid the groundwork for the abundance of success over the next few seasons. The squad competed at a championship level every day and nothing was going to stop this group from bringing home its first USA South crown after finishing third in the tournament in 2016 and second in 2013.

Casey Bell was a 2017 D3baseball.com First Team All-American.

"The 2017 team was a special group and the players were close with each other," said LaGrange College baseball head coach David Kelton, who will be entering his eighth year at the helm of the program in 2021. "It was an unselfish group of guys that wanted to win. They were fun to be around and fun to coach. They did the little things well and competed hard every game. This group set the tone for our program and helped shape the culture into what it is today."

The program has morphed into one of the best and most consistent NCAA Division III teams in the country. From 2017-19, the Panthers hoisted three-consecutive USA South Championships, earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament in each of those seasons. During that period, LaGrange went 102-36 overall and 43-15 in the conference.

Back in 2017, the Panthers were picked to finish first in the USA South Coaches' Preseason poll. LaGrange did not bask in the glory but used the ranking as motivation to ensure that it was adequately prepared for every opponent.

The group's commitment to excellence was second to none, as LaGrange recorded a program-record 40 wins and suffered a team-low six losses (excluding the 2020 abbreviated season). The Panthers finished 16-2 in conference, recorded a .889 winning percentage and was the USA South regular-season champion.

LaGrange was ranked No. 1 nationally among Division III schools in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball Top-25 polls during its postseason run.

LaGrange opened the regular season with six-straight victories and emerged victorious in 14 of its first 15 games. After suffering their second loss of the season, the Panthers responded with a 12-game winning streak, improving to 26-2 with a three-game sweep of Hampden-Sydney on March 24 and 25.

Head coach David Kelton is honored after LaGrange College won the 2017 USA South Championship.

The top-seeded Panthers hosted the double-elimination 2017 USA South Tournament on Cleaveland Field at Williamson Stadium. LaGrange received exceptional performances from its pitching staff in the playoffs, while the lineup provided timely hitting. The Panthers outscored their four opponents by a combined margin of 16-3 during the four-day tournament.

During the opening day of the tournament on April 12, LaGrange handed eighth-seeded Piedmont a 5-2 loss, behind outstanding efforts by Blane Swift (3-for-4, 2 doubles, run) and Tavin Thompson (2-for-4, 2 doubles, RBI, run).

In a 3-0 win over fifth-seeded Maryville in Game 2 on April 13, the Panthers did all the scoring in the eighth inning. With one out, Chad Pigg connected on the game-winning RBI single off a bunt, plating Blake Butcher. During the ensuing at-bat, Joe Pradat (3-for-3, 2 RBIs, double) registered a two-run single through the right side, giving the team some breathing room.

Andrew Weekley was the winning pitcher, working eight-plus innings and striking out 10 batters. He relinquished only four hits, while not walking a single batter or allowing any runs.

In Game 3 on April 14, Cain Sauls played the role of hero, breaking a 1-1 tie against third-seeded N.C. Wesleyan in the bottom of the ninth. He stepped up to the plate with one out and the bases loaded, and then delivered the game-winning infield single, scoring Thompson during a 2-1 triumph.

Thompson finished 3-for-4, with an RBI and a run, while starting pitcher Richie Post had a great command of the zone, striking out eight batters and not walking anyone in seven innings. Post retired the final eight batters that he faced, and then Austin Perez earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief in the eighth and ninth.

LaGrange clinched its first-ever USA South Championship with a 6-0 victory over Piedmont on April 15. The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on RBI singles by Casey Bell and Swift. James Poropatic went 3-for-3 and reached base four times, to go along with two runs and an RBI.

Tavin Thompson maintained a .376 batting average and finished with 71 hits during the 2017 season.

Josh Smith was phenomenal on the mound, earning the win during 8 1/3 innings of work. He struck out five and only walked one. Smith retired the side in order during the first, third and fifth.

LaGrange went 2-2 in its second-ever NCAA Division III Regional Tournament in Danville, Virginia, defeating Otterbein, 7-1, and Rowan, 12-5.

The team earned its fair share of awards and honors. Bell was selected as the USA South Player of the Year, while Ryan Broaderick garnered Pitcher of the Year accolades. Post was the conference's Rookie Pitcher of the Year and Kelton was selected as Coach of the Year. Bell, Broaderick, Butcher, Thompson, Swift and Jonathan Fleckenstein were named to the All-Conference First Team, while Poropatic and Weekley were honored on the second team.

The Panthers saw seven players named to the ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Teams. Broaderick took home South All-Region Pitcher of the Year honors and was a first-team selection. Butcher and Thompson were named to the first team, Swift, Bell and Fleckenstein were present on the second team and Weekley was placed on the third team.

Additionally, LaGrange saw seven student-athletes receive D3baseball.com All-South Region recognition and Kelton earned South Region Coach of the Year. Bell was on the first team, Butcher, Broaderick and Swift were on the second team and Thompson, Weekley and Fleckenstein were named to the third team.

Bell was a 2017 D3baseball.com First Team All-American selection. Broaderick and Butcher were named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America Second Team.