The Lions of Lincoln University baseball program will open the 2019 season as a member of The East Coast Conference (ECC) for baseball. Lincoln, a member of the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, will compete in the ECC for baseball and soccer only because the CIAA stopped sponsoring baseball as a conference sport after the 2017 season.
The Lions played the 2018 baseball season as an NCAA Division II independent, now will be added as the ECC conference eighth baseball team and play in one of the toughest conferences and regions in Division II. The move was finalized in January 2018, will start conference play during the 2018-19 season.
The move benefits Lincoln geographically. When Lincoln played in the CIAA, conference rivals in Southern States, St. Augustine University and Winston Salem State University in the North Carolina’s and Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA. Nonconference games were schedule along the East Coast. Since becoming a member of the ECC, Lincoln’s conference and nonconference games will be played in the same region.
Lincoln has a high benchmark of student-athlete that excel academically. Four from the baseball program were on the academic and presidential honor rolls during this past 2018 season.
Lincoln baseball program completed the 2018 seasons winless going 0-25, but have a really good recruiting class coming into this season according to head baseball coach Anthony Plá. They are looking forward to this new chapter in the East Coast Conference.