Eastern Illinois University Athletics

In May of 2008, Eastern Illinois baseball put together one of the most memorable postseason runs in Panther Athletics' Ohio Valley Conference era (1996-present). Entering the OVC Tournament in Paducah, Ky. as the four seed, EIU won four games in four days vs. four different teams to claim the tournament title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. Eastern ended regular-season champion Jacksonville State's 17-game winning streak, which was the second longest in the nation, in the process.

The Panthers were placed in the Lincoln, Nebraska Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing both games in Lincoln, EIU played in arguably the two most exciting games of the regional. Eastern came up short in the Friday afternoon slugfest against Nebraska, but the 23 runs scored certainly made for an entertaining game. Saturday, EIU rallied back from an early 5-0 deficit to force extra innings. There was plenty of drama in the late innings before Oral Roberts emerged victorious, 8-7, in the lone extra-inning affair of the regional.

With the OVC Tournament chase being as a tight as ever this season, three EIU wins down the stretch proved crucial to the Panthers just clinching a berth in the conference tourney. Eastern scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to beat SEMO in walk-off fashion on May 4. Scott Foley pitched out of a pair of bases-loaded jams in the ninth inning of a 4-3 win against Austin Peay May 10. A week later, the Panthers scored a season-high 20 runs in a must-win game at Eastern Kentucky.

Recap of Postseason Links

Game Stories & Boxscores
May 21: Mueller leads EIU to opening-round win against Tech >>> Boxscore
May 22: Four-run ninth inning lifts Panthers past Samford >>> Boxscore
May 23: Eastern snaps JSU's Streak, Advances to Tourney title game >>> Boxscore
May 24: Panthers ride early vs. SEMO lead to Tournament title >>> Boxscore
May 30: Eastern drops 23-run slugfest with Nebraska >>> Boxscore
May 31: EIU's season ends with extra-inning lost to ORU >>> Boxscore

Game Previews
May 20: Panthers to open OVC Tourney vs. Tech
May 21: Eastern to take on Samford Thursday
May 22: Panthers draw top-seeded JSU in winner's bracket final
May 24: Eastern to square off against SEMO for Tournament Title
May 28: Panthers to take on host Nebraska to open NCAA Regional
May 30: Eastern to play ORU in elimination game Saturday

Miscellaneous Stories
May 27: Nommensen & Mueller receive All-OVC honors at league banquet
May 24: NCAA Tournament selection show Monday at 11:30 in Academic Center
May 26: Panthers draw Nebraska in opening round of Lincoln Regional
May 26: Listen to NCAA Regional preview radio special
May 27: Nommensen Spotlighted by Ping!Baseball.com
May 29: Panthers meet the media, practice in Lincoln
June 2: Nommensen named to Regional All-Tourney Team

Photo Galleries
May 23: Panthers defeat Jacksonville State
May 24: Eastern wins OVC Tournament Title
May 29: Panthers meet the media, practice in Lincoln
May 30: Nebraska outlasts EIU in first-round slugfest