Mar 11, 2008

Rams Face #6 West Chester in Semifinals of 2008 Bill Giles Invitational

On Wednesday, March 12 at 3:30 p.m., the Philadelphia University baseball team (0-3) faces a stern test at Serpico Stadium in West Chester, Pa. The Rams seek to stop the season-opening 11-game winning streak of the sixth-ranked team in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation (NCBWA) Division II National Poll.

West Chester University's Golden Rams (11-0) welcome Head Coach Mark Heineman's ballclub in a semifinal-round matchup of the 8th Annual Bill Giles Invitational. The second semifinal takes place on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. in New Castle, Del. between two fellow Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) teams, as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia take on host Wilmington University.

The winners of these two games advance into the Championship Game of the Bill Giles Invitational, which will be played at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia--the home of the 2007 National League East Champion Phillies--on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

After Wednesday's tilt with West Chester, the Rams head south to Georgia for their 2008 Spring Trip, playing six games from Monday, April 17 through Thursday, April 20 in the Peach State. Among them is an encounter at 23rd-ranked West Georgia University in Carrollton, Ga. next Thursday.

History of the Bill Giles Invitational
The Bill Giles Invitational was introduced in 2001 and is a collegiate Division II baseball tournament. Taking part in the tournament are West Chester University, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia University and Wilmington University.

Past Winners
2007 - Wilmington College (now Wilmington University)
2006 - West Chester University
2005 - West Chester University
2004 - West Chester University
2003 - West Chester University
2002 - Philadelphia University
2001 - Philadelphia University

2007 Recap
For the first time in Bill Giles Invitational history, the Wildcats of Wilmington College claimed the championship trophy defeating the Philadelphia University Rams 7-6 on April 10, 2007 at Citizens Bank Park.

Wilmington jumped on the board first, scoring a run in both the second and third innings and starting pitcher Jim Okoniewski kept the bats of Philadelphia University quiet through six, allowing only one run on four hits.

The game stayed locked at 2-1 until the seventh inning when Wilmington broke the game open with four hits, including doubles by Jason Rust and Joe Danks, tallying four runs to extend their lead to 6-1. Philadelphia University scored once in the bottom of the eighth and Wilmington answered back with what would turn out to be a very important run in the top of the ninth.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth it looked like the Wildcats had the game and the title in hand.

However the Rams refused to go down without a fight. After a leadoff single, Okoniewski retired the next two Philadelphia University batters.

Then the Rams rallied for four two-out runs on an additional single, a double, two walks and an error, putting Philadelphia within one and the tying run 90 feet from home. But Okoniewski kept his composure and recorded the final out to record the complete game as Wilmington captured their first-ever Bill Giles Invitational Championship.

The 2007 semifinals were also high-scoring one-run affairs, as Wilmington edged four-time defending champions West Chester University, 11-10; and Philadelphia University topped of University of the Sciences, 9-8 to reach the championship game.


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