UNIVERSITY CENTER – Saginaw Valley State University baseball coach Walt Head received word after midnight Sunday that his team has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II North Central Regional Baseball Tournament this week.
     The Cardinals will be making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and advance to the post-season for the first time since the school dropped its NAIA affiliation in 1989. SVSU participated in NAIA post-season play seven straight years from 1983 to 1989.
     The No. 2 seed in the four-team, double-elimination tournament, SVSU (38-9-1) will meet No. 3 seed Ashland University (40-16) at 2 p.m. Thursday. No. 1 seeded Mercyhurst College (35-16-1) plays No. 4 seed University of Indianapolis (37-21) at 6 p.m.
     All games will be played at Jerry Uht Park in Erie, Pa., the home of the Class AA Erie SeaWolves.
     "We've been waiting for this for a long time," said Head, who recorded his 500th victory at SVSU Sunday as the Cardinals wrapped up their first GLIAC title since 1995. "If we keep playing up to the competition, I like our chances (in the tournament)."
     Inclement weather forced cancellation of a weekend series with Ashland this spring. The Eagles won the GLIAC title in 1999, won the regional tournament and advanced to the College World Series. The Cardinals did not meet Indianapolis this season and split three games at Mercyhurst on the first weekend in April.
     SVSU has won 24 of its last 28 games to match the school record for wins, set in 1986 and 1994. Head has compiled a 501-371-5 record in 18 seasons.
     A host of records were rewritten this season with a number of Cardinals getting in on the act. SVSU hit .341 and posted a 4.30 earned run average.
     Junior Jason Valenzuela (Ontario, CA) finished the season with a school-record 80 hits and takes a .455 average into the post-season.
     Senior Kraig Enders (Sanford/Sanford-Meridian) broke records with 56 RBI and 13 homers and has a .417 average.
     Senior Joel Dohm (Owosso) has set or tied career records for homers (26), doubles (60) and RBI (65), has a .344 average and is second on the team with 45 RBI. Senior Josh Miller (Whitby, Ontario) has seven homers and hit .357, while drawing 42 walks to lead the team in on-base percentage (.530).
     Leading the pitching staff is junior left-hander Tim Goheen (Proton Station, Ontario), who has won 13 straight games and has an 11-0 mark this season with a 2.05 ERA. Freshman right-hander Scott Corby (London, Ontario) has tied a season record with 12 starts, and has a 6-1 record. Six different pitchers have combined for a 23-0 record.
     Three games are schedule for Friday, beginning with a loser's bracket game, followed by a winners bracket game, and concluding with a loser's bracket final. The first championship game will be held Saturday with the "if neccesary" game to follow.

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