BOONE, N.C. — Senior shortstop
Bailey Welch reached first with a single and, replaced by a pinch-runner, received an ovation Saturday as teammates left the dugout to greet him following his final at-bat on Beaver Field in Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
There's a lot to celebrate in advance of the postseason and plenty of work ahead as the Mountaineers prepare for their trip to Montgomery, Ala.
App State went 11-10 in Sun Belt play to earn the No. 4 seed from the difficult East Division and post the sixth-best record in the 12-team league. It is scheduled to open next week's Sun Belt Tournament in Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday night against West Division No. 6 seed Texas State (in the fourth game of the day, at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET) and then play West Division No. 1 seed Louisiana on Thursday night (in the last of three games, at approximately 8 p.m. ET).
The Mountaineers (20-30) didn't face Texas State (21-34, 9-15) or Louisiana (30-22, 13-11) during the regular season. The Ragin' Cajuns will make their tournament debut Wednesday night against the Bobcats in the other "Pool C" game.
All 12 teams qualify for the event, with four "pool" groups of three teams apiece and each team playing a minimum of two games (against the other two teams in its pool). Semifinalists will emerge from pool play that runs Tuesday-Friday, and the highest seed in a pool would win the tiebreaker if all three teams went 1-1.
Tickets are now on sale with single-game tickets and all-session tournament booklets available. Prices range from $10 to $25 for a single game and from $50 to $110 for all-session tournament booklets. For more information on tickets and seating options—or to purchase all-session tournament booklets—contact the Montgomery Biscuits ticket office by calling 334.819.7483. Each of the 15 games will also be broadcast live on ESPN+.
A winning record and its best finish in the Sun Belt regular-season baseball standings secured, App State closed its 2021 home schedule with a series victory against East Division champion South Alabama.
After taking the first two games by scores of 6-4 and 4-2, the Mountaineers ended the regular season with a 13-3 loss to the Jaguars on Saturday. Following the final out, team members and coaches acknowledged the standing crowd and thanked them for their support during what's been a unique 14 months.
There was no Sun Belt Tournament last season because of COVID-19, and App State made its Sun Belt postseason debut in 2019. The Mountaineers lost 6-2 against Louisiana in Conway, S.C.
Championship Pools
Pool A
No. 1 East – South Alabama
No. 4 West – Little Rock
No. 6 East – Coastal Carolina
Pool B
No. 2 East – Georgia Southern
No. 3 West – ULM
No. 5 East – Georgia State
Pool C
No. 1 West – Louisiana
No. 4 East – App State
No. 6 West – Texas State
Pool D
No. 2 West – UTA
No. 3 East – Troy
No. 5 West – Arkansas State
Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 25
Game 1 – No. 4 Little Rock vs. No. 6 Coastal Carolina
Game 2 – No. 3 Troy vs. No. 5 Arkansas State
Game 3 – No. 3 ULM vs. No. 5 Georgia State
Game 4 – No. 4 App State vs. No. 6 Texas State
Wednesday, May 26
Game 5 – No. 1 South Alabama vs. No. 6 Coastal Carolina
Game 6 – No. 2 Georgia Southern vs. No. 5 Georgia State
Game 7 – No. 1 Louisiana vs. No. 6 Texas State
Thursday, May 27
Game 8 – No. 1 South Alabama vs. No. 4 Little Rock
Game 9 – No. 2 UTA vs. No. 5 Arkansas State
Game 10 – No. 1 Louisiana vs. No. 4 App State
Friday, May 28
Game 11 – No. 2 UTA vs. No. 3 Troy
Game 12 – No. 2 Georgia Southern vs. No. 3 ULM
Saturday, May 29
Semifinal 1 – Pool A Winner vs. Pool D Winner, 12 p.m.
Semifinal 2 – Pool B Winner vs. Pool C Winner, 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 30
Championship Game – Semifinal 1 Winner vs. Semifinal 2 Winner, 1 p.m.
All Times Are Subject To Change
