Winning its third straight St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 14-3 win over Fontbonne University on May 12, the Webster University baseball team will make its seventh NCAA III Championships appearance in the last eight years.  Webster took control of the contest by striking early with a four-run first, then coasted to the victory at Glik Park in Highland, IL.

Webster won its sixth SLIAC Tournament in the last seven played (tournament rained out in 2008), and qualified for its seventh berth in the NCAAs since 2005.  The team now will wait to hear what regional it will land in, and its opponent.

Gorloks were all over the base paths in the tournament final.  Webster banged out 15 hits, had four walks, four hit batsmen, and STILL left 11 runners on base while scoring 14 runs.   Webster manufactured four runs in the first inning after the first two batters were retired.  Before the dust had settled in the inning, four different Gorloks drove in runs, one of them forced in by a walk and another forced in by a hit batsman.

Tom Henke (SR, Lindbergh HS), who was named the 2012 Tournament Most Valuable Player, was four for six with three RBIs, and three runs scored.  Henke was eight for 15 with seven RBIs and seven runs scored in the three games in the tournament,.  Mike Rainbolt (JR, Triton CC, IL) was two for four, with two RBIs, and two runs scored.  Dustin List (SR, Illini Central HS) was two for four with two RBIs.

Cody Hafeli (JR, Kankakee CC, IL) started for the Gorloks and went seven innings on the mound.  He allowed three runs, nine hits, walked none, and struck out seven to pick up his eighth win of the season   Hafeli improved to 8-1 on the year and is tied for the SLIAC lead in wins.  Senior Mike Gebhardt (St. Dominic's HS) pitched the final two innings, striking out four and giving up one hit and no runs.

In addition to Henke being named the MVP, other Gorloks selected for the SLIAC 2012 All-Tournament Team included: senior David Mueller (Westminster Christian Academy), freshman Isaac Behme (Harrisburg HS, IL), and Hafeli. 

Webster is 31-12 on the season.  This is the third straight season the Gorloks have broken the 30-win plateau and the fifth time in the last six years.  The 31 wins are the third most in a season in team history.