NDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Webster University baseball team will open up play in the Division III World Series on Friday, May 31 at 1:15 p.m. against UMass-Boston (35-12) as the NCAA officially released the complete eight-team bracket Sunday for the 2019 Division III World Series at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

The other two teams included in the Webster (37-11) bracket are Chapman, who is sporting a 38-11 record and Washington & Jefferson, who is sporting a 36-10 record, who face each other at 10 a.m. on Friday. The four teams will play a double-elimination format with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship series to determine the National Champion. The other bracket features Babson (38-8) facing Johns Hopkins (34-11) at 4:30 p.m. Friday and the final opening round match-up has Birmingham-Southern (39-13) facing Heidelberg (35-13) at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. 

Webster earned its fourth trip and first trip since 2015 to the World Series by sweeping the first two games of the Midwest Super Regional this weekend at Concordia-Chicago. The Gorloks opened the Super Regional with a 4-3 win in the opening game, before collecting a 17-6 win Saturday's first game to earn the trip to Cedar Rapids. 

"It's been a few years since we've been to the World Series and now this is the first year it's going to be in Cedar Rapids, so that is exciting," Webster head coach Bill Kurich said following his team's Super Regional win on Saturday. "The first time we went we were in awe of being there and let the moment get to us, so I hope that doesn't happen to us as none of these guys have been there. You've got to be able to handle the moment and not let it speed up on you."

The Gorloks are 2-6 all-time in the Division III World Series as they played in the event in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and Webster has yet to win its opening round game in the World Series as they fell 12-4 to SUNY-Cortland in the first round in 2015 and then fell 14-8 to Kean in the first round in 2013 and 3-2 to Wheaton (Mass.) in the 2012 first round. 

"We're good baseball right now. We went through a stretch in the middle of the year where we didn't play good, but we were fortunate to win most of those games, even when we weren't playing well," added Kurich. "This time of year, the team that is playing the best usually has a chance and if we continue to play the way we have lately, we'll be hard to deal with."

Webster's opening round opponent, UMass-Boston, will be a familiar foe of the Gorloks as Webster picked up a 6-4 win over the Beacons on March 13 in Kissimmee, Fla., as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

In that game, Webster's offense benefited from 13 walks, including a school-record tying four walks issued to sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and two hit batsmen as they had eight hits and scored six runs. Junior Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) pitching into the seventh and allowed 10 hits and four runs, while striking out nine and walking none in his 107-pitch outing and then senior closer Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC) pitched the final three innings and allowed one hit, while walking three and fanning five to earn his second save of the season. 

UMass-Boston advanced to the World Series after needing three games to win their Super Regional in Boston, Mass. In that Super Regional, the Beacons defeated New England College, 6-2 in the if necessary game as NEC forced a third game with a 6-4 win in Saturday's first game. 

racket Sunday for the 2019 Division III World Series at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

The other two teams included in the Webster (37-11) bracket are Chapman, who is sporting a 38-11 record and Washington & Jefferson, who is sporting a 36-10 record, who face each other at 10 a.m. on Friday. The four teams will play a double-elimination format with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship series to determine the National Champion. The other bracket features Babson (38-8) facing Johns Hopkins (34-11) at 4:30 p.m. Friday and the final opening round match-up has Birmingham-Southern (39-13) facing Heidelberg (35-13) at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. 

Webster earned its fourth trip and first trip since 2015 to the World Series by sweeping the first two games of the Midwest Super Regional this weekend at Concordia-Chicago. The Gorloks opened the Super Regional with a 4-3 win in the opening game, before collecting a 17-6 win Saturday's first game to earn the trip to Cedar Rapids. 

"It's been a few years since we've been to the World Series and now this is the first year it's going to be in Cedar Rapids, so that is exciting," Webster head coach Bill Kurich said following his team's Super Regional win on Saturday. "The first time we went we were in awe of being there and let the moment get to us, so I hope that doesn't happen to us as none of these guys have been there. You've got to be able to handle the moment and not let it speed up on you."

The Gorloks are 2-6 all-time in the Division III World Series as they played in the event in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and Webster has yet to win its opening round game in the World Series as they fell 12-4 tp SUNY-Cortland in the first round in 2015 and then fell 14-8 to Kean in the first round in 2013 and 3-2 to Wheaton (Mass.) in the 2012 first round. 

"We're good baseball right now. We went through a stretch in the middle of the year where we didn't play good, but we were fortunate to win most of those games, even when we weren't playing well," added Kurich. "This time of year, the team that is playing the best usually has a chance and if we continue to play the way we have lately, we'll be hard to deal with."

Webster's opening round opponent, UMass-Boston, will be a familiar foe of the Gorloks as Webster picked up a 6-4 win over the Beacons on March 13 in Kissimmee, Fla., as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

In that game, Webster's offense benefited from 13 walks, including a school-record tying four walks issued to sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and two hit batsmen as they had eight hits and scored six runs. Junior Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) pitching into the seventh and allowed 10 hits and four runs, while striking out nine and walking none in his 107-pitch outing and then senior closer Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC) pitched the final three innings and allowed one hit, while walking three and fanning five to earn his second save of the season. 

UMass-Boston advanced to the World Series after needing three games to win their Super Regional in Boston, Mass. In that Super Regional, the Beacons defeated New England College, 6-2 in the if necessary game as NEC forced a third game with a 6-4 win in Saturday's first game. 

Complete NCAA Division III World Series Schedule
Bracket 1
Friday, May 31
Game 1 - Chapman (38-11) vs. Washington & Jefferson, 36-10, 10 a.m.
Game 2 - Webster (37-11) vs. UMass-Boston (35-12), 1:15 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
Game 5 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 10 a.m. (Loser is eliminated)
Game 6 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 1:15 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 9 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 10 a.m. (Loser is eliminated)
Game 11 - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 9, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, June 3
Game 13 (If Necessary Game) - Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 11, 12 p.m.
or
Game 13 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #1, Best-of-three series), 12 p.m.
Tuesday, June 4
Game 14 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #2, Best-of-three series), 11 a.m.
Game 15 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #3, if necessary, Best-of-three series), 45 minutes after conclusion of first game
Wednesday. June 5
There will be at least one game played on Wednesday, if there is an if-necessary game needed on Monday

Bracket 2
Friday, May 31
Game 3 - Babson (38-8) vs. Johns Hopkins (34-11), 4:30 p.m.
Game 4 - Birmingham-Southern (39-13) vs. Heidelberg (35-13), 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
Game 7 - Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 4:30 p.m. (Loser is eliminated)
Game 8 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 10 - Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, 1:15 p.m. (Loser is eliminated)
Game 12 - Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10, 7:45 p.m.
Monday, June 3
Game 14 (If Necessary Game) - Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 11, 3:30 p.m.
or
Game 13 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #1, Best-of-three series), 12 p.m.
Tuesday, June 4
Game 14 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #2, Best-of-three series), 11 a.m.
Game 15 - Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (Game #3, if necessary, Best-of-three series), 45 minutes after conclusion of first game
Wednesday. June 5
There will be at least one game played on Wednesday, if there is an if-necessary game needed on Monday