INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  On Monday, the NCAA announced its 64-team field for the 2025 Division III Baseball Tournament. The Methodist University baseball team will travel to Randolph-Macon College for the opening weekend in a double-elimination bracket.
 
The Monarchs will open the Ashland Regional facing 12th-ranked SUNY Brockport (36-3-2) on Friday, May 16, at 10 AM. The other game that day is set for 1:30 PM with the host Yellow Jackets (30-15) square off against Messiah University (31-14). The schedule for the rest of the regional looks like this:
 
Saturday, May 17
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 8:30 AM
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 12:00 PM
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3:30 PM
Sunday, May 18
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11:00 AM
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 45 minutes after Game 6 if necessary.

Tickets will be $10 for adults (ages 13 and above), $5 for children (ages 2-12), seniors (65 and over), and students of the participating schools (with valid ID). Tickets can be purchased at the venue or online HERE.

Methodist secured the USA South's automatic qualifier bid after the Monarchs claimed their fourth Conference Tournament Championship. This will be their 25th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their first since 2015.
 
The Monarchs, who have an overall record of 48-52 in the tournament, are experiencing one of their best offensive seasons since the 2015 team, which went 32-10. They are led by the 2025 USA South Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, Tristen Melvin, who boasts a .436 batting average. His average and total hits (72) rank among the top 20 in Division III this season. Additionally, the Methodist offense features five other hitters with batting averages of .329 or higher. The Monarch pitching staff is led by the one-two combo of Kyle Molivas (USA South Pitcher of the Year) and Ian Swanson (USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Year). Collectively, the staff has a 4.53 ERA, which is among the top 50 in the nation, and several Methodist pitchers are throwing exceptionally well, including Jackson Kuhn and Chase Carroll, who have not surrendered an earned run in their last 14 combined appearances.

Brockport is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and its third NCAA appearance in the last four years. The Golden Eagles are heading to NCAA Regionals with a 36- 3- 2 overall record, finishing conference play with a 21- 1- 1 record in Empire 8 contests. The offense includes four Brockport hitters who bat over. .374, including Zach Eldred, the team leader in batting average (.425), hits (68), doubles (16), home runs (18), RBI (69), and slugging percentage (.875). Eldred also headlines the Golden Eagles' pitching rotation, having achieved an 8- 0 record with a 1.89 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 62.0 innings. Arguably, Brockport's Anthony Lapine is considered the ace of the staff, with a 1.19 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 68.0 innings, alongside his 9-0 record.

This will be the eighth all-time meeting between these two institutions, with Methodist leading the series 7-0. Not only will this be the first meeting since 1986, but it will also be the first-ever matchup played outside of Fayetteville.