MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's surging baseball team went 10-1 down the stretch to secure the fourth and final spot in this week's Midwest Conference Tournament in Appleton, Wis.
 
Led by second-year head coach Robbie Dombrowski, the No. 4 seed Rams (23-16) ride the hot streak into Friday's first-round game against No. 1 seed and host Lawrence (30-9) at 10 a.m. at Whiting Field. Fans can watch the game here.
 
Friday's other opening-round matchup pits No. 2 seed Chicago (17-22) against No. 3 seed Beloit (21-5) at 10 a.m. at Don Hawkins Field.
 
The first-round losers meet in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. at Don Hawkins Field. The first-round winners play at 2:30 p.m. at Whiting Field, concluding Friday's action.
 
The tournament continues Saturday with games at Whiting Field at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. (if necessary). The champion earns the MWC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
The Rams are making their first postseason appearance since 2019, when they won four consecutive elimination games to claim the tournament crown. Cornell qualified four straight years from 2014-17.
 
The Rams dropped all three games against Lawrence in a home series March 29-30. They went 1-2 against Beloit and won last weekend's Chicago series, 2-1.
 
Cornell finished 13-11 in MWC regular-season play, regrouping from a 4-10 start. The Rams have already broken the school record for runs scored in a season (310). They rank third in the MWC in batting average (.307) and pitching earned run average (5.04).
 
Junior shortstop Kale Rose heads Cornell's potent lineup with a .392 batting average and team-high 41 RBIs. Junior newcomer Sean Alvarez is hitting .381 with 25 extra-base hits and a school-record 50 runs scored. Cade Parks is batting .360 in his first season on the Hilltop.
 
Right-hander Vince Tinajero (5-0) has been exceptional since his move from catcher to pitcher midseason. The junior has not allowed an earned run in 25.2 innings this spring. Cameron Anderson (2-2) and Jake Schope (3-3) share team-high honors with 54 strikeouts.
 
Like the Rams, Lawrence won 10 of its final 11 games and concluded MWC play with a 20-3 record. The Vikings are hitting a league-best .334 and rank No. 3 nationally with 70 home runs.
 
Beloit is the defending MWC Tournament champion. Chicago returns to the four-team field for the third consecutive year.    
 
Tournament Schedule
At Appleton, Wis. (Lawrence University)
Friday, May 10
Game 1, 10 a.m. – #1 Lawrence vs. #4 Cornell (Whiting Field)
Game 2, 10 a.m. – #2 Chicago vs. #3 Beloit (Don Hawkins Field)
Game 3, 2:30 p.m. – Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (Don Hawkins Field)
Game 4, 2:30 p.m. – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (Whiting Field)
 
Saturday, May 11
Game 5, 9 a.m. – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser (Whiting Field)
Game 6, 12 p.m. – Championship: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner (Whiting Field)
Game 7, 3 p.m. – Second Championship (if necessary)