The SUNY Cortland baseball team earned its 15th NCAA Division III World Series trip overall and its first since 2016 by defeating Tufts, 13-2, in the championship game of the Auburn, N.Y. Regional Monday afternoon. The Red Dragons (31-7) will face Salisbury University (Md.) (29-4) during the opening day of competition Friday, June 4 at 7:45 p.m. Central (8:45 p.m. Eastern) at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
The eight-team tournament potentially runs until Wednesday, June 9. The Series consists of two four-team, double-elimination pools. The two bracket winners will play a best-of-three series to determine the national champion. The other teams in Cortland's pool, Rowan (N.J.) (29-4) and Wheaton (Mass.) (20-5), will play at 4:30 p.m. Central (5:30 p.m. Eastern). The Cortland/Salisbury and Rowan/Wheaton winners and losers, respectively, will play on Saturday. Bracket play continues Sunday and, if needed, Monday, and the championship series will start on either Monday or Tuesday.
 
The other four-team bracket features first-round matchups Washington-St. Louis (32-4) versus Johns Hopkins (15-4) and St. Thomas (Minn.) (34-8) versus Adrian (Mich.) (36-8).
 
Cortland is one of three schools in the field to have previously won a national title. The Red Dragons won the crown in 2015. St. Thomas was the national champion in both 2001 and 2009, and Rowan (when previously known as Glassboro State) won back-to-back titles in 1978 and 1979.
 
Cortland's 15 World Series appearances are the most by any Division III school since the division first adopted an eight-team field in 1991. In addition to their 2015 national title and second-place finishes in 2005 and 2010, the Red Dragons also finished third or tied for third in 1997, 1998 and 2016, fourth in 2007 and 2012, and tied for fifth in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2014.
 
Salisbury is making its sixth World Series showing and its first since back-to-back appearances in 2014 and 2015. St. Thomas is in its seventh Series, and first since 2014, while Johns Hopkins is in for the fifth time, including the 2019 season when the championship was last held (the 2020 season was canceled in mid-March). Wheaton is in the Series for the fourth time, with the last coming in 2017, and Rowan is playing in its seventh series (four as Glassboro St. in 1977-79 and 1984, as well as back-to-back in 2004-05). Adrian's previous Series appearance came in 2008, and Washington-St. Louis is making its first ever Series showing.
 
Cortland, led by 22nd-year head coach Joe Brown, was seeded second in the six-team Auburn Regional. The Red Dragons lost to fifth-seeded Tufts, 21-17, to start regional play, but rebounded to post 3-0 shutout wins over top-seeded Eastern Connecticut and fourth-seeded Mitchell, then beat Tufts twice, 6-4 and 13-2, on Sunday and Monday to win the title.
 
NCAA Division III Baseball World Series; June 4-9, 2021; Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 
FRIDAY, JUNE 4 (All times Central)
Game 1 (Bracket 1) - 10 a.m. – Washington University in St. Louis (32-4) vs. Johns Hopkins University (Md.) (15-4)
Game 2 (Bracket 1) - 1:15 p.m. – University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (34-8) vs. Adrian College (Mich.) (36-8)
Game 3 (Bracket 2) - 4:30 p.m. – Rowan University (N.J.) (29-4) vs. Wheaton College (Mass.) (20-5)
Game 4 (Bracket 2) - 7:45 p.m. – Salisbury University (Md.) (29-4) vs. SUNY Cortland (31-7)
 
SATURDAY, JUNE 5
Game 5 (B1) - 10 a.m. - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
Game 6 (B1) - 1:15 p.m. - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Game 7 (B2) - 4:30 p.m. - Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4
Game 8 (B2) - 7:45 p.m. - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
 
SUNDAY, JUNE 6
Game 9 (B1) - 10 a.m. - Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6
Game 10 (B2) - 1:15 p.m. - Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8
Game 11 (B1) - 4:30 p.m. - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 9
Game 12 (B2) - 7:45 p.m. - Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10
 
If no "if necessary" games are needed for either bracket:
 
Monday, June 7:
Game 13 - 12 p.m. – Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (first game of best-of-three championship series)
 
Tuesday, June 8:
Game 14 - 11 a.m. - second game of best-of-three championship series
Game 15 - (30 min. after Game 14) - third game of best-of-three championship series, if necessary
 
If one bracket needs an "if necessary" game:
 
Monday, June 7:
Game 13 - 12 p.m. – Bracket 1 or Bracket 2 "if necessary" game
 
Tuesday, June 8:
Game 14 - 11 a.m. – Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (first game of best-of-three championship series)
Game 15 - (30 min. after Game 14) - second game of best-of-three championship series
 
Wednesday, June 9:
Game 16 - 11 a.m. - third game of best-of-three championship series, if necessary
 
If both brackets need an "if necessary" game:
 
Monday, June 7:
Game 13 - 12 p.m. – Bracket 1 "if necessary" game
Game 14 - 3:30 p.m. – Bracket 2 "if necessary" game
 
Tuesday, June 8:
Game 15 - 11 a.m. – Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner (first game of best-of-three championship series)
Game 16 - (30 min. after Game 14) - second game of best-of-three championship series
 
Wednesday, June 9:
Game 17 - 11 a.m. - third game of best-of-three championship series, if necessary