April 13, 2007
APOPKA, Fla. — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) turned quite a few heads on Friday as the rolled through the NCAA Championship field and into the National Title match on Saturday at 4:00 pm. The Lady Hawks, seeded fifth and ranked sixth in the nation, first took down fourth seeded and fifth ranked Central Missouri, then topped Fairleigh Dickinson University, the defending National Champions and nation's second best team. After a bye, UMES then took out the top ranked Huskers of the University of Nebraska 4-2 and with it, scheduled a date with Vanderbilt in a best of seven baker game match-up tomorrow for the National Title.
"I can't believe it," said Head Coach Sharon Brummell. "Well, check that, I can believe it, we knew we could beat the teams in this field, today we proved it."
The Hawks had to sit and wait after knocking FDU to the loser's bracket, for the winner of the Nebraska and Sacred Heart match-up. Earlier in the day the NCAA Bowling Committee made a change to the original bracket meaning the Hawks would face the Nebraska/Sacred Heart winner so that they wouldn't bowl the same team twice in one day.
That made no difference. UMES topped the Husker 4-2 (179-239, 225-185, 279-257, 233-183, 177-232) and Vanderbilt, the other undefeated team took out the Knights of FDU, who eliminated Central Missouri earlier, 4-1 (258-184, 171-166, 214-193, 192-237, 225-223).
Setting up the match up tomorrow of the two teams who haven't had a loss in the event and now the only two teams who have ever rolled a perfect Baker match in NCAA competition.
The only problem for the Hawks? They haven't ever beat Vanderbilt in NCAA competition. UMES did defeat the Commodores in the qualifying round on Thursday in pinfall, but since wins and losses didn't count in the round, the Hawks have still never officially topped VU.
"I am not worried about it," said Brummell. "We have bowled extremely well over the last couple of days, topping them in qualifying, and just because we haven't officially beat them doesn't mean we can't. Were here aren't we?"
That attitude is what has gotten the Lady Hawks to the television finals tomorrow. They will air live on ESPNU at 4:00 pm and then replay on ESPN2 on Sunday at 4:00 pm.
Since neither team lost in the double elimination bracket the finals will be a winner takes all best of seven baker game format. That format was put into play for the live broadcast.
"We hope to bring home a National Championship," added Brummell. "Wouldn't that be something?"
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has never won an NCAA National Title. The school, then Maryland State College, won an NAIA National Championship in 1967 in Men's Outdoor Track & Field, the school's only National Title.
