DEMOREST, Ga. – The No. 6 Rhodes baseball team gears up for their second appearance in the NCAA Regionals, and first showing as the Regionals No. 1 seed.

The Lynx punched their ticket to the NCAA postseason when they won the Southern Athletic Association Conference Tournament for the first time in school history on May 3, downing Birmingham Southern College in a best of three game series in two game, 4-2 and 2-1. Rhodes has risen to its highest ranking in school history, ranked No. 6 in both the D3Baseball.com poll and the American Baseball Coaches Association poll.

Head coach Jeff Cleanthes and the Lynx have used special performances from several key players to make the 2015 season a record setting one. The Rhodes pitching staff has played a crucial role in the Lynx success this season. Daniel Morris leads the league with his 9-0 record this season, and boasts a 1.36 ERA.

Adam Putnam also posted nine wins this season, to sit atop the SAA leader board, with a 9-2 record and 1.47 ERA. Blake Glauben rounds out the Lynx starting staff, with a record of 6-3 this season and five saves, which is good enough for second best within the league, and a 2.36 ERA. The Rhodes pitching staff combines for a team ERA of 2.42, a statistic which leads the country as seen in the NCAA Leader Boards.

Off the hill, the Lynx have had success as well. Sophomore sensation Bill Munson currently leads the nation in stolen bases at 43 and stolen bases per game, with a 1.0 average. Fellow infielder Justin Genter is also amongst the nation's top base runners with his 23 total.

Offensively, the Lynx have enjoyed a balanced year with many players stepping up in any given game. Andrew Wallis, Bennett Notestein, David Balaguer and Ryan Olive pack the middle of the lineup and have collectively had a stellar season at the plate. Josh Keen and Marcus Moreland have also come up big for the Lynx at the dish, sparking the Lynx offense in critical situations.

Moreland has been a mainstay at the plate defensively, where he has caught a majority of the games for the Lynx. His defensive leadership and ability behind the dish have been integral in the Lynx success.

The Lynx secured the No. 1 seed in a loaded south region, and turn their focus to moving forward in the post season. Pacific Lutheran University is the no. 2 seed in the pod with a 30-12 mark and received an at-large selection. The Lutes currently rank No. 18 in the ABCA poll.

Familiar SAA foes Birmingham Southern College took the No. 3 seed, earning one of the at-large bids. The Panthers boast a record of 34-10, and are ranked No. 7 in the D3Baseball.com poll. The No. 4 seed, Marietta College earned a spot in NCAA post season play when they won the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Pioneers tallied a 28-16 mark over the course of 2015, and are ranked seventh in the Mideast Regional Ranking.

The No. 5 seed Emory University is no stranger to the Lynx, who faced the Eagles earlier in the season. Emory received an at-large selection as a member of the University Athletic Association and compiled a 26-12 record this season. The Eagles are receiving votes in both the D3Baseball.com poll as well as the ABCA poll.

The Lynx first round opponent is the No. 6 seeded Methodist University. The Monarchs earned an automatic bid to the post season with their USA South Athletic Conference championship. With a 32.8 record, the Monarchs are ranked No. 9 in the ABCA poll.

Rhodes will open regional play on May 13 at 11 a.m. against Methodist. All NCAA South Region games will be available on video broadcast and live stats.

ABCA Coaches Poll
D3Baseball.com Poll
NCAA Statistics
2015 NCAA Division III Baseball South Regional Website
Live Stats
Live Video