NCAA Bracket

Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications

EASTLAKE, OH – The top-ranked Johns Hopkins baseball team opened the Division III Baseball Championship Friday afternoon at Classic Park, dropping the contest, 7-16, against Messiah. With the loss, the Blue Jays will play Kean in a top-10 matchup Saturday morning.
 
Hopkins (44-4) wasted no time taking an early lead. Caleb Cyr clubbed a two-run home run, giving the Blue Jays the 2-0 lead. An inning later, Jimmy Stevens extended the lead to 3-0 with a second-inning lead-off home run over the left field bleachers.

Rovner retired the first six batters he faced before giving up a third-inning lead-off home run to Messiah's Nick Moyer, trimming the Hopkins lead to 3-1. A ground-rule double scored the Falcons' second run, then a two-run single gave Messiah their first lead of the game, 4-3.

The Falcons (37-14) then plated an additional eight runs, taking a 10-3 lead on a single and an error by Jake Siani, a wild pitch and a trio of singles, scoring 12 unanswered runs.
 
Messiah continued to pile on runs, adding an additional three runs in the fifth, taking a 15-3 lead on a pair of singles.
 
However, the Blue Jays showed some fight. Stevens hit his second long-ball of the game, trimming the lead to 15-5. However, the Falcons recouped one of those runs in the top of the seventh on the Blue Jays fourth error of the game, ultimately securing the 16-5 victory.
 
Johns Hopkins returns to action, tomorrow, Saturday May 31 at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, taking on Kean at 10 AM.
 
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
 
• Jimmy Stevens led the Blue Jay offense going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two home runs. Caleb Cyr also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run.
 
• Quinn Rovner suffered his first loss of the season, moving to 7-1, surrendering six runs – five earned – on three hits and three walks.
 
• Johns Hopkins has hit multiple home runs in three consecutive Division III Baseball Championship games, dating back to 2023.
 
• The Blue Jays have lost their opening Division III Baseball Championship game three times in the history of the program, not including today. In those losses, JHU has bounced back two out of the three times to win the next game.