Region and NE-10 Champion Ravens will open against #11 Angelo State on Saturday
at 2 p.m. (EST)

RINDGE, N.H. (May 24, 2007) - Franklin Pierce, ranked fifth in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll, will face 11^th-ranked Angelo State University in opening round action of the 2007 NCAA Division II Baseball Championships at Riverwalk Stadium, in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday at 2 p.m. (EST).

All Franklin Pierce games will be broadcast live on WFPC-LP 105.3 FM and simulcast via the internet at www.franklinpierce.edu /athletics. The national championship game on Friday, June 1, will also be broadcast live on CSTV (College Sports Television) at 8 p.m. (EST).

Franklin Pierce (49-9, 26-4 NE-10), which broke its own Northeast Region record for wins already this season, swept the Northeast Regional last weekend, posting a perfect 4-0 record to claim its second-straight regional title and third in program history - all coming over the last five seasons. The Ravens also completed the first Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament championship double in program history the week prior.           

Angelo State (50-18, 15-5 LSC South), making its first Division II World Series appearance, is in just its third year as a varsity program. The Rams captured their first Lone Star Conference tournament title to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth. ASU avenged a third-round loss (5-4) to defending South Central region champion Montevallo College to win three-straight out of the loser's bracket, including a pair of wins over Montevallo (8-1 & 3-2) to capture the regional title and Montgomery berth.

Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between the two programs and Franklin Pierce's first game against a South Central region champion in three World Series appearances. Joining the Ravens and Angelo State in their half of the eight-team championship series are South Atlantic Champions Columbus State University (48-18), ranked fourth nationally, and North Central region champs Southern Indiana University (41-21), ranked 13^th nationally. Those two teams will play Saturday's second game at 7:30 p.m. (EST).

The winners of Saturday's "bracket B" games will play Monday at 7:30 p.m. (EST), while the loser's will play an elimination game on Monday at 3:30 p.m. (EST).       

Franklin Pierce enters the postseason winners of seven-straight and 11 of 12 after its Northeast Regional sweep. Junior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) is hitting a team-best .364 (82-225) with 53 runs scored, a Conference-best 22 doubles, six triples, ten home runs and school-record 65 RBI to go with 15 stolen bases. The NE-10 and Northeast Regional MVP is hitting .447 (17-38) with nine runs scored, five doubles, five homers and 13 RBI in nine postseason games.

Twin brother Keith Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) is batting .359 (80-223) with 58 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, six home runs, 20 steals and 39 RBI this season. He has also made a team-high 11 starts on the mound, posting a 6-2 record and 3.00 ERA with a Conference-high 84 strikeouts and 26 walks over 63.0 innings of work, holding opposing batters to a .179 average.

Senior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty), who matched the program record with his 248^th career hit in Sunday's 5-2 win over Bryant University in the regional final, is hitting .351 (78-222) with 58 runs scored, 15 doubles, six triples, a homer and 39 RBI. His 27 steals (on 30 attempts) is just one shy of the program's single-season record.           

Also aiding a Ravens pitching staff which leads Division II with a 2.49 team ERA are sophomore right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) is 6-0 with two saves, a 1.80 ERA, 56 strikeouts and just 16 walks over 70.0 innings over 14 appearances (eight starts). Senior right-hander Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet) is 7-1 with a 1.53 ERA (7^th nationally), 44 strikeouts and 22 walks in 64.2 innings over 12 appearances (eight starts).

Franklin Pierce's bullpen has been outstanding all season long, led by senior Clay Jenkins (Easton, N.H./Profile) and junior Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H./Milford). Jenkins has made a team-high 20 appearances, posting a 6-1 record, with a save and 1.91 ERA, 41 strikeouts and just 12 walks over 47.0 innings. Bishop has not allowed a run in 23.2 innings of work this season, posting a program-record ten saves to go with a 2-0 record and 27 strikeouts, while allowing just 16 base runners (nine hits & seven walks).

Angelo State boasts the seventh-ranked hitting team among NCAA Division II leaders with a .354 team batting average, averaging 8.22 runs per game. The Rams starting lineup boasts three batters hitting .400 or better and five with 40-plus RBI.

Heading the ASU offense is junior Steve Allred (Midlothian, Texas), a transfer from Division I Texas-Pan American, who is hitting .410 (103-for-251) with 84 runs scored, 28 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 24 stolen bases and 54 RBI. Sophomore Clay Calfee (Conroe, Texas/Conroe) is batting .407 (94-231) with 70 runs scored, 18 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 17 steals and 68 RBI, while junior Jimmy Cox (North Richland Hills, Texas/North Central Texas) adds a .406 (58-143) average, 27 runs scored, 13 doubles, two triples and 34 RBI. Sophomore Matt Lenderman (Plano, Texas/Plano East) leads the Rams with 12 homers and 77 RBI, while senior Drew Caraway (Merkel, Texas/Incarnate Word) has chipped in 10 homers and 47 RBI.

Junior lefthander Michael Gunter (McKinney, Texas/North Central Texas) and senior right-hander Cody Broussard (Lafayette, La./Paris JC) lead the Angelo State pitching staff. Gunter is 10-5 with two saves and a 3.42 ERA over 24 appearances, 17 starts, with 86 strikeouts and just nine walks in 113.0 innings (including eight complete games). Broussard is 12-1 with a 3.61 ERA and four saves in 23 appearances, nine starts, with 78 strikeouts and 32 walks over 84.2 innings.

2007 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship
Riverwalk Stadium - Montgomery, Ala.
All times Eastern

Friday, May 25
Game 1: #2 Kutztown (49-5) vs. #14 Nebraska-Omaha (36-22), 2 p.m.
Game 2: #3 Cal State-Los Angeles (43-15-1) vs. #1 Tampa (49-10), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 26
Game 3: #11 Angelo State (50-18) vs. #5 Franklin Pierce (49-9), 2 p.m.
Game 4: #13 Southern Indiana (41-21) vs. #4 Columbus State (48-18), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 27
Game 5: Loser game 1 vs. Loser game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Game 6: Winner game 1 vs. Winner game 2, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 28
Game 7: Loser game 3 vs. Loser game 4, 3:30 p.m.
Game 8: Winner game 3 vs. Loser game 4, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 29
Game 9: Winner game 7 vs. Loser game 8, 3:30 p.m.
Game 10: Winner game 5 vs. Loser game 6, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 30
Game 11: Winner game 8 vs. Winner game 10, 2:30 p.m.
Game 12: Winner game 6, vs. Winner game 9, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 31
Game 13: if necessary, 2:30 p.m.
Game 14: if necessary, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 1
Game 15: Championship game, 8 p.m.