MARIETTA, Ohio – Ohio State vs. Michigan. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Marietta College vs. Heidelberg University. In the last several years the rivalry between the Pioneers and the Student Princes has developed into one of the best in Division III baseball.
Heidelberg invades Don Schaly Stadium tomorrow (April 14) for a 1 p.m. Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader. The games are the focal point of the 14th annual Community Day.
Started in 1999, the annual Community Day has grown into one of the most anticipated events in the City of Marietta. Run by the students in Marietta College's Sports Marketing class, the event features an array of activities from face painting, a bouncy house, interactive games and free Community Day T-shirts, hotdogs, Pepsi products, Sno-cones and ice cream.
Admission to the baseball games is free of charge and there will be a 50/50 raffle and plenty of free prizes given out each half inning. Thanks to one of the many generous corporate sponsors, fans are permitted to keep any foul balls that leave the field of play.
The No. 1 ranked Etta Express is currently 20-4 overall and in first place in the OAC standings with a 7-1 record. Heidelberg comes to town sporting a 16-11 record and is tied for second place in the OAC at 5-3.
The OAC regular season champion has come from this rivalry in each of the last six seasons. The Pioneers won five of the six games played against the Student Princes last season. The two schools split the regular season series in Tiffin with Marietta winning game one, 12-0, and Heidelberg posting an 8-6 win in the second game.
The Etta Express took two games from Heidelberg in the OAC Tournament and the NCAA Mideast Regional, including the championship game of each.
The NCAA has recognized the growing rivalry between the two schools, as Saturday's matchup is one of four Division III contests vying for the Division III Game of the Week. Pioneer fans are encouraged to vote for the Marietta/Heidelberg games at the Division III Facebook page (
www.facebook.com/NCAADivisionIII).
The other games under consideration are Fredonia at Cortland State, Linfield at Chapman and Guilford at Bridgewater.
