CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - For the first time in history, the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Baseball Tournament saw a championship matchup between the five and six seeds. The No. 5 Coe College Kohawks (21-19) defeated the No. 6 Wartburg College Knights (25-21) 10-6 to claim the 2022 A-R-C Baseball Tournament Championship. Coe is the first-ever five-seed to win the title. 
 
The victory also gives Coe the A-R-C automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament with next weekend's regional site being announced Monday, May 16 at 12:00 PM on NCAA.com. 
 
The final day of the American Rivers tournament began with No. 5 Wartburg defeating No. 2 Loras 8-5 in an elimination game. The 1:00 PM championship matchup between No.5 Coe and No. 6 Wartburg ended with Head Coach Steve Cook’s Kohawks capturing their fourth Conference Tournament Championship in program history by a score of 10-6. The fifth-seeded Kohawks went 3-0 in the tournament with the offense scoring 37 runs and the defense only allowing 11. They started the tournament with a 3-0 win over No. 4 Luther on Thursday morning and moved on to defeat No. 1 Buena Vista 13-2 (7 innings) later that afternoon. Friday’s winner’s bracket match-up saw Coe upend second-seeded Loras 11-3, en route to the title game. 
 
Coe’s previous titles came in 2011-12 and ‘15. Overall, the Kohawks have made eight championship game appearances (2011-13, 15, 17, 19, 21-22). Of those eight trips, they have faced Wartburg on four occasions, coming out on top three times. 
 
The 2022 NCAA Division III Championships begin with the Regional round, taking place May 19-22 followed by the 16-team Super Regional round the following weekend. Eight teams will emerge from the Super Regional round to line up at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships June 3-8. The American Rivers Conference and the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) will host the Division III College World Series in 2022. To purchase tickets or find out more information on the 2022 NCAA Division III College World Series visit the championship page by CLICKING HERE.
 
American Rivers Conference Tournament Schedule / GAME RECAPS
 
Thursday - Recaps Click Here
Game 1 - 11:00 a.m. - No.4 Luther, 0 - No.5 Coe, 3 at Daniels Park
Game 2 - 11:00 a.m. - No.3 Nebraska Wesleyan, 2 - No.6 Wartburg, 13 - 8 Innings at Veterans Memorial Stadium
Game 3 - 2:00 p.m. - No.6 Wartburg, 10 - No.2 Loras, 13
Game 4 - 5:00 p.m. - No.5 Coe, 13 vs. No.1 Buena Vista, 2 - 7 Innings 
Game 5 - 8:00 p.m. - No.3 Nebraska Wesleyan, 3 vs. No.4 Luther, 5
 
Friday - Recaps Click Here
Game 6 - 10:00 a.m. - No.2 Loras, 3 vs. No.5 Coe, 11
Game 7 - 1:00 p.m. - No.4 Luther, 4 vs. No.1 Buena Vista, 5 - 10 Innings
Game 8 - 4:00 p.m. - No.1 Buena Vista, 3 vs. No.6 Wartburg, 7
 
Saturday
Game 9 - 10:00 a.m. - No.6 Wartburg, 8 vs. No.2 Loras 5

After each team scored just one run through four frames, the offenses opened up down the stretch, seeing sixth-seeded Wartburg advance to the championship game with an 8-5 win over second-seeded Loras. 
 
Wartburg’s offensive attack was led by Zachary Walton, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Max Goodhue produced two runs on two hits with four at-bats, while Eliot Jurgensen added two runs. Four players recorded a single hit game for the Knights, pushing the team total to nine. 
 
Dreyton LaVeine recorded the win for Wartburg, going one inning with one run allowed and one hit. Cael Boehmer earned the save with two innings of work. Starting pitcher Darren Kilpatrick went six innings on the mound, allowing four runs on seven hits. 
 
Loras’ offense also produced nine hits on the day, with Nick DiBendetto leading the way. DiBendetto was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run. Also recording a multi-hit game was Luke Fennelly, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Max Cullen contributed one RBI and one run while going 1-for-4 at the plate. 
 
Loras starting pitcher Matt Jeter went four innings, giving up four runs on five hits. The loss went to Ethan Peters, who hurled four innings, allowing four hits and four runs. Julian Lopez closed out the game for the Duhawks, recording the final three outs. 
Game 10 - 1:00 p.m. - No.5 Coe vs. No.6 Wartburg

Game 10 - 1:00 p.m. - No.5 Coe, 10 vs. No.6 Wartburg, 6

The Coe College Kohawks put together their third-straight game with double-digit hits en-route to the program’s fourth A-R-C AQ Tournament title. Behind 15 hits as a team, Coe defeated the Wartburg College Knights, 10-6. 
 
After a wild first inning that saw Wartburg quickly put three runs on the board and Coe followed that up with seven of their own, the pitching staffs settled in for a duel down the stretch. Coe freshman Ethan O’Donnell collected the win, hurling four innings of scoreless baseball while giving up four hits. Austin Divello gave up no hits and no runs in two innings of work. TJ Johnson came in to close out the ninth inning, giving up two hits and two runs, but collecting the all-important final three outs. Matthew Mittlemark started on the mound for Coe, going two innings and giving up four runs on two hits. 
 
TJ Johnson put up another stellar performance at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Jacob Brosius tallied three hits in four plate appearances, scoring one run. Creighton Kreshel scored one run and drove in one while going 2-for-4. TJ Deardorff finished the game with two RBIs, two runs, and two hits in five at bats. Also finishing with a multi-hit day was Tyce Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. 
 
Wartburg, just the second six-seed to advance to the conference tournament finale, tallied eight hits. The Knights were led by Zachary Walton, who finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Max Goodhue, went 2-for-5 and scored one run, while Keaton Gray drove in four runs on two hits, appearing at the plate four times. 
 
On the mound for Wartburg, William Armstong pitched 0.1 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits. Dreyton LaVeine tossed 7.2 innings, giving up 10 hits and three runs.   
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