2005 University of the Cumberlands Baseball Wrap-Up

The University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) baseball team ended their 2005 season at the NAIA Region XI Tournament in Lebanon, TN. The Patriots (38-21) made it to the championship game, but were eliminated by defending national champion Cumberland University (TN).

The season began with the Patriots ranked #10 in the NAIA preseason poll. The team battled through injuries from game one. There were as many as 14 players on the injured list at one time and eight players were lost for the season.

The regular season schedule was highlighted with games against NCAA Division I schools, the University of Kentucky and Belmont University, and NAIA top-25 teams North Georgia, Tennessee Wesleyan, and Campbellsville University. The Patriots finished the regular season in second place in the Mid-South Conference and finished third in the conference tournament.

The Patriots received an at-large bid to the NAIA Region XI Tournament. They entered the tournament as the #6 seed but earned an appearance in the championship game, going 3-2 in the tournament. These were the first regional wins in Cumberland College history. The Patriots picked up victories against then #6 Trevecca Nazarene University, Campbellsville University, and Lambuth University.

Many Patriots earned individual honors from the Mid-South Conference. Sophomore Joel Dobney (Wilmington, OH), juniors Adam Garrett (Lawrenceburg, KY) and Justin McDonald (LaGrange, KY) and senior Isaiah Ruffner (Kingston, TN), were named Academic All-Conference. Recognized as All-Conference Honorable Mention were: junior outfielder Daniel Guttridge (Richwood, KY) .354-5-29, junior outfielder Chris Wood (Tallahassee, FL) .309-9-44, senior right handed pitcher Isaiah Ruffner 6-3, 2.82 ERA. Honored as First Team All-Conference were: senior outfielder Roman Cox (Richmond, KY) .367-9-43, junior second baseman B.J. Foley (Corbin, KY) .285-0-33, and junior right handed pitcher Adam Walker (Oak Ridge, TN) 7-0, 2.73 ERA.

The Patriots received votes for the NAIA Top 25 in the final poll. They also proved that they are not a team to be taken lightly in the post season. The 2006 season should be an exciting one in Williamsburg, KY.

2004 Season Wrap-Up