Birmingham-Southern advances to College World Series

Don’t turn out the lights at Birmingham-Southern just yet.

Birmingham’s never-say-die baseball team of destiny is moving on. Before their school closes for good, the Panthers will play for a national championship. At this point, the only thing keeping the school alive is a plucky baseball team that refuses to go away.

Birmingham-Southern College swept its three-game super regional series with Denison University on Saturday in Granville, Ohio, and the baseball team playing for a school that’s closing down is now headed to the Division III College Baseball World Series. BSC is shutting its doors on May 31. The D-III World Series begins on the same day in Eastlake, Ohio.

The Panthers will now go down swinging on their sport’s biggest stage.

GOODMAN: Breaking the rules this once for Birmingham-Southern

Birmingham-Southern entered the D-III playoffs with an at-large bid, but then won a regional tournament to advance to the super regional stage of the national baseball tournament. That’s when the circumstances of BSC gained national attention. Birmingham-Southern won Game 1 against Denison 10-1 on Friday and edged Denison 7-6 on Saturday morning.

Birmingham-Southern led 5-4 going into the ninth inning of the Game 2, but Charlie Banks of BSC doubled home two more runs to ensure the dramatic victory.

Birmingham-Southern College traces its beginnings back to 1858, but is closing due to financial trouble.