By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – It has been a special season for the Birmingham-Southern baseball team in 2019, and it just got even more special as the team recently clinched a spot in the Division III College World Series, which will kick off May 31 and go through the first week of June.

With the Panthers’ trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, three former county players will also get the experience of a lifetime when they take the field in the DIII College World Series.

Former Spain Park standout Tyler Wise, former Briarwood standout Cole Steadman and former Helena standout Robbie Lively will all earned the opportunity to lead the Panthers to the 2019 National Championship.

Remarkably, Wise and Steadman are the team’s best two players and will be key in helping BSC to a title.

As a senior, Wise is the team leader at the plate with a batting average of .354. He also leads the team in hits with 74, runs with 48 and RBIs with 54, while adding six home runs. Of his 74 hits, seven have been doubles and he also has a team-leading five triples.

Playing catcher, he’s one of the team’s biggest key in Cedar Rapids.

Steadman is the team’s second best hitter. With just nine less at-bats than Wise at 200, he is batting .340 this season with 68 hits this season, including a team-leading 12 doubles. He also has 31 RBIs, which is third on the team, 41 runs scored and 10 stolen bases out of 12 attempts.

Impressively, Steadman is just a sophomore and already the team’s second best player at the plate, while also being a solid defender in the outfield.

Lively, who is a transfer from Southern Union, is now a junior at Birmingham-Southern and has been a strong relief pitcher throughout the season.

While his overall record is 0-2 on the season, he actually leads the team in appearances with 20 and has four saves on the season which ranks second on the team.

In 25 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed 32 hits and 23 runs, but only 12 of those runs have been earned after taking over in difficult situations at times.

He has an overall ERA of 4.21and has posted 21 strikeouts in his time on the mound.

Whatever the outcome at the end of the College World Series, Wise has left his mark on the Panthers, while Steadman and Lively are set to gain valuable experience ahead of their returns in 2020.