BEL AIR, Md., May 2, 2024 – A chance to advance to, and host the 2024 NJCAA East District Championship is on the line this weekend when the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team heads down to Maryland for the 2024 Region 20 Division I Baseball Championship, hosted by Harford Community College.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
2024 Region 20 Division I Baseball Championship
Hosted by Harford Community College – Bel Air, Md.
Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5
Admission: $10 per day (Cash only at the gate)
Tournament Central
 
Tournament Seeding

1. Harford Community College (45-9)
2. Monroe College (28-21-1)
3. WVU Potomac State College (25-16)

*Tournament seeding determined by head-to-head record, then Division I record
 
Tournament Coverage
Harford will provide live video and live statistics for each game of the Region 20 Championship
Live Video
Live Stats
 
Tournament Schedule
Friday, May 3, 2024
Game 1: #3 Potomac State vs #2 Monroe – Time: 11:00 AM
Game 2: #1 Harford vs. Loser Game 1 – Time: 3:00 PM
 
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Game 3: #1 Harford vs. Winner Game 1 – Time: 11:00 AM
Game 4: if 3 teams, then #2 vs #3, if 2 teams, then Championship Game – Time: 2:00 PM
 
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Game 5: Championship Game if necessary – Time: 12:00 PM
 
What's at Stake?
The Region 20 Tournament Champion advance to, and host the 2024 NJCAA Div. I East District Championship from May 10-11. The champion of Region 10 will be the visiting team in the East District Championship.
 
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Mustangs began their season back in early February, with what has now become a traditional trip down to Louisiana and Texas to give the team a taste of some of the top competition in the NJCAA. After dropping their first seven contests, the Mustangs had an impressive 13-1 win over Alvin Community College to conclude the trip down south with a win.
 
Monroe then visited Florence-Darlington Technical College for the Stinger Invitational. The Mustangs went 1-3 in the invitational, earning a Day 2 victory over then-ranked No. 15 Florence-Darlington.
 
Monroe's home opener turned the tide on its season. The Mustangs swept UConn Avery Point on March 3, kickstarting a 10-game winning streak that put the Mustangs above .500 at 12-10. Monroe's run ended in a doubleheader opener against Lackawanna College, but they ultimately split the day after bouncing back with a 16-6 win in six innings.
 
Monroe then made its first trip to Harford, but was unable to pick up a win in two games in Bel Air. After the Mustangs' next four games were rained out, they added two more contests at Harford, but were once again unable to defeat the Fighting Owls.
 
The Mustangs bounced back by taking two from Paramount Academy to open April. They followed that up by going 2-0-1 the following week before splitting a doubleheader that weekend at UConn Avery Point. Monroe defeated Div. III No. 14 Suffolk County Community College before taking 2-of-3 from Div. III No. 3 Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester. The Mustangs then visited Suffolk for two more games and swept the Sharks.
 
Monroe took down Paramount Academy twice on Sophomore Day. They then visited Harford one more time, but unfortunately could not get a win in their third trip to Bel Air. They rebounded the next day by sweeping Allegany College of Maryland. Monroe opened this week with a win over SUNY Sullivan on Monday before dropping its final two regular-season games to Lackawanna and now-ranked Div. III No. 1 RCSJ-Gloucester.
 
Offensively, the Mustangs were led by Eli Gries-Smith during the regular season with a .383 batting average and 1.027 OPS. Gries-Smith set a new Monroe College record recently by recording a base hit in 20 straight games. Diego Urreta hit .329 and scored a team-high 48 runs while leading the team with 14 doubles. Keldrin Rodriguez was the team's RBI leader with 44. All three were tied for the team-high with five home runs.
 
Monroe has had several strong performers on the mound throughout the season. Daniel DiEdwards has a team-high six victories, entering the weekend with a 4.39 ERA across a team-high 55.1 innings pitched. Brailyn Cruz leads the team with 50 strikeouts on the season. Sammuel Urena has been a strong reliever for the Mustangs throughout the season, accumulating a 3.06 ERA and a 3-1 record to go with two saves, as well as 32 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. Samuel Herrera leads the team with three saves, but his most recent start was his highlight of the season as he tossed a no-hitter against SUNY Sullivan this past Monday.
 
QUICK GLANCE AT REGION 20
The Mustangs played Harford six times throughout the season as mentioned above. Monroe's lone doubleheader date WVU Potomac State College was canceled due to inclement weather. Harford and Potomac State faced off just twice, with both games going Harford's way.
Region 20 Statistical Leaders
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).