World Series bound
GREENSBURG — Cody Herald waited a year for this.
The Butler graduate and Seton Hill junior right fielder joins pitching coach and Mars graduate D.J. Cannon in providing a Butler County connection to the Griffins' first-ever NCAA Division II World Series berth.
Champions of the Atlantic Region, Seton Hill (40-15) faces Central Region champion Minnesota State-Mankato at 1 p.m. Sunday in Cary, N.C., to begin series play.
“We thought we were going to the World Series last year and we dropped the last two games in the regional,” Herald recalled. “This year, we wanted to leave nothing to chance.
“Once we got to the finals this time, we wanted to get it over with in one game.”
The Griffins did so, shutting out Millersville, 3-0, behind former Butler BlueSox pitcher Brett Sullivan. Herald doubled and scored a run in that game.
“It's surreal. It's a great feeling,” Herald said of getting to the World Series. “This is something I've wanted since I got here. I feel especially great for our seniors.”
Herald leads the Griffins with a .348 batting average, 63 hits, 42 runs and 15 doubles. He's also stolen 17 bases.
Herald was one of four Griffins named first team All-Atlantic Regional.
One of nine hitters in the lineup carrying a batting average of .311 or better, Herald said everyone is able to relax at the plate.
“We talk about the mental side of the game all the time,” he said. “If you come up to the plate and don't get the job done, it's OK because there's eight guys coming up behind you ready to pick you up.
“This really is a tight team and we have confidence in each other.”
Sullivan is 8-2 with Seton Hill this season and is one of a quartet of starters who came on strong this year in support of left-hander and professional draft prospect Alex Haines.
Haines' numbers slipped this year as he went 5-2 with a 4.72 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. His numbers were much more dominant last season.“Alex still pitched well and got outs when we needed them,” Cannon said. “But we had a bunch of younger pitchers step up their game this season to gett us where we are now.“We had a fifth-year senior, Bob Carbaugh, go down with a shoulder injury and the other guys really answered the bell.”Sophomore Mike Bittel is at the head of that class. After seeing some action as a freshman last year, he recorded an 8-2 record and a 1.82 ERA. Other top starters are Brad Schnelle (6-3, 3.72) and Jordan Fuller (5-1, 2.63).Cannon won 12 games and pitched 159 innings for the Griffins from 2009-12.He stepped in as pitching coach last season.“I've pitched with some of these guys, then worked with them ... Seeing this kind of success is extremely rewarding,” Cannon said.“Everybody accepted his role and pitched very well.”Seton Hill's pitching staff has a 3.58 ERA this spring with 21 saves, 265 strikeouts and only 118 walks.Seton Hill last played in a collegiate World Series in 2006, when it played at the NAIA level.
