Birmingham-Southern baseball advances to DIII College World Series, with school shutout

the Birmingham-South The baseball team will play in the Division III College World Series beginning May 31. However, when the Panthers take the field in Eastlake, Ohio, they will represent a school that no longer exists as an institution.

Birmingham Southern College — a 1,300-student private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama — will close its doors on May 31 due to financial difficulties. The school, founded in 1856, has struggled for nearly two years to regain its endowment. But legislation for the $30 million loan did not pass the Alabama House. As a result, the college decided to close its doors in March.

However, the Panthers baseball team will continue to play after sweeping Denison in a best-of-three super regional series to advance to the DIII College World Series. Birmingham-Southern won Friday’s game by a score of 10-1, and followed that up with a 7-6 win on Saturday morning.

Coach Jan Weisberg says playing baseball — and continuing to play in the postseason — has helped his players deal with the situation facing their school.

“With all the emotions we were going through, to not carry those emotions on our back, oh my God, this could be the last game in this dugout,” Weisberg said. Athlete Kennington Smith III. “It was a release, and I think they manipulated it.”

Since learning the school would close, the Panthers have gone 18-4. Before that, the team had a 13-10 record, losing nine of their past 10 games.

“[Coach Weisberg] “There’s only one thing we can focus on right now,” pitcher Hansen McCown said He told ESPN. “We’re just going to focus on us. We’re going to do things together. We’re going to keep playing baseball.”

Weisberg also pledged to help his players find teams at new schools. Many have found new programs, while others are still working on such arrangements. Some will also stop playing after this season, and 10 players will graduate.

As is the account of Birmingham-Southern College athletics Published on X (formerly Twitter), “The campus may be closed, but the story has not yet been written.”

Birmingham-Southern last played in the D-III College World Series in 2019, advancing to the finals before ultimately losing to Chapman University.