Against all odds, Birmingham-Southern baseball advances to Super Regional

Just weeks away from dissolution, the Birmingham-Southern baseball team is writing one last chapter in its proud history.

On Sunday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky, the Panthers knocked off second-seeded Transylvania to advance to the Division III Super Regionals for the first time since 2022. Spurred by impressive performances from outfielder Eli Steadman and catcher/infielder Ty Truett, the 5-2 win marked the Panthers’ third in three days.

“Imagine the @espn 30 for 30 we could make happen 🤯,” the school’s athletics account posted in the game’s aftermath.

Imagine the @espn 30 for 30 we could make happen 🤯 https://t.co/M6GsoyeoFt

— BSC Athletics (@BSCsports) May 20, 2024

In the face of decades of financial struggles, the 168-year-old school’s shutdown is impending: Birmingham-Southern will officially close at midnight on May 31. The baseball team, the fourth-winningest program in the country during the 2010s, will dissolve with the college. The BSC athletic department recently sold off all of its equipment, awards, and memorabilia, and it’s unclear what will happen to the regional championship trophy. Postseason travel and lodging expenses are being covered by the NCAA.

However, the situation hasn’t hurt the team’s performance; in fact, it’s had the opposite effect. The Panthers are now 17-4 since news of the closure broke in late March.

“It was almost a weird thing. Right before we heard the news, we were in a rut and were struggling,” Steadman told d3baseball.com last week. “Once we heard the news, it was like a weight was lifted from our shoulders. We just rallied around each other and all the alums who reached out and have given us support. We came together like one big true family and gave each other our all and we’ve been playing so much better since.”

The Panthers walloped Transylvania 21-7 on Friday afternoon and squeaked by Spalding University on Saturday. Their Sunday rubber match victory over Transylvania secured BSC’s second regional title in the last three years.

Starting on Friday, Birmingham-Southern will take on 42-6 Denison University in a three-game series that will be played in Granville, Ohio. The winner will advance to the College World Series, the tournament’s championship round.

The CWS runs from May 31st to June 7th, the week after BSC’s closure. If the Panthers defeat Denison, they’ll be playing for a school that no longer exists.

After Sunday’s win, the Panthers received an outpouring of social media support from around the country, with BSC’s run being described as “storybook” and “movie-esque.”