Baseball 6/8/2018 10:43:00 AM Jordan Alves

Beauford Sanders caps off remarkable season with NCCAA Coach of the Year honors

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The National Christian College Athletic Association has announced Campbellsville's Beauford Sanders as the 2018 NCCAA Baseball Coach of the Year.

Sanders, who just completed his 28^thseason, led Campbellsville to a 44-19 record, 11-4 inside Mid-South Conference Play, a Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship, NAIA Opening Round finals appearance and the team's first-ever NCCAA World Series Championship.

"This award is a fitting honor to Coach Sanders and his staff for the remarkable season this year," said Director of Athletics, Jim Hardy. "Coach Sanders has proven that he not only works to put highly competitive student-athletes on the field but also helps them mature as young men who represent us well after they graduate. I would like to say Congratulations Coach Sanders for being named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year Award and for the tremendous accomplishments of the team this year."

The Tigers earned their sixth 40-plus-win season under Coach Sanders time at Campbellsville. CU finished second in the Mid-South Conference regular season standings but upset University of the Cumberlands in the MSC Tournament finals, 7-2, to earn its ninth title – which also leads all conference programs by a land slide. The next closes team is Cumberland University with six titles.

With the win, Campbellsville played its way into earning a No. 2-seed in the NAIA Opening Round Championship at Bowling Green Ballpark and rallied to force an if-necessary game against Reinhardt University. CU lost in the championship game, 5-1, to end its run at an NAIA World Series appearance.

But the Tigers earned their fourth bid to the NCCAA World Series in Easley, S.C. and once again rallied. After going 2-2 in Pool Play, CU earned the No. 2-seed in the semifinal and upset top-seeded Biola University, 9-7, to reach the championship game.

In the finals, the Tigers jumped on Warner University early but held on late in the ninth inning to win the World Series title, 7-6.

In addition to the team accolades, CU captured its fourth First-Team NAIA All-American in DJ Wilson and the Tigers had four NCCAA All-Americans – Wilson, Logan Roberts, Tyson Solis and Matthew Valdez.

Sanders now has a 898-578 record after 28 seasons at Campbellsville and boasts a 1,166-825 record in his career. The 898 wins at a four-year institution rank No. 12 on the NAIA's Active Coaches' Wins List.

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Players Mentioned

#14 Logan Roberts: RHP; 6' 2"; Senior; Lake Forest, Calif.

#5 Matthew Valdez: SS; 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior; Yuma, Ariz.

#22 DJ Wilson: RHP; 6' 2"; Senior; Bend, Ore.

#23 Tyson Solis: OF; 5' 8"; Junior; El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Players Mentioned

#14 Logan Roberts
: 6' 2"; Senior; Lake Forest, Calif.
: RHP

#5 Matthew Valdez
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior; Yuma, Ariz.
: SS

#22 DJ Wilson
: 6' 2"; Senior; Bend, Ore.
: RHP

#23 Tyson Solis
: 5' 8"; Junior; El Dorado Hills, Calif.
: OF