BASEBALL: MUSTANGS UP FOR SERIES SHOT.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

They found a back door into the NAIA baseball World Series, but The Master's College Mustangs don't want to let the opportunity slip away.

After losing last weekend's best-of-three sectional at Albertson College in Idaho, the Master's (35-13) qualified for the 10-team, double-elimination World Series as an at-large team. They'll face Birmingham Southern in the first round at 3 p.m. Friday at Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho.

``We're very gracious to have this opportunity and being allowed to keep playing,'' coach Monte Brooks said. ``This is our first World Series, and it's going to be a thrill. It's going to be a good experience.''

Right-hander Josh Higgins (12-4, 4.06 ERA) is the scheduled starter against Birmingham Southern. If the Mustangs win, they play again Monday at 7 p.m. If they lose, they play at 9 a.m. Saturday against either Lewis- Clark or Brewton-Parker of Georgia.

Birmingham Southern (46-18) won its sectional with an 8-7, 12-inning victory over Lambuth on Saturday. In the final inning, Birmingham Southern rallied to score two unearned runs. Right fielder Doug Bates (3 for 6, double, triple) started the inning with a single and scored the first run. Left fielder Justin Freeman singled in the winning run. David Driskoll pitched the last 9 2/3 innings for the victory, allowing six hits with three strikeouts.

``If we want to beat Birmingham Southern, we're going to have to be on all cylinders,'' Brooks said.

The Master's is without shortstop Ty Sager, who broke his finger diving for a ball in Game 2 of the regionals against Biola. He's missed four games, but he's hoping to return by Friday. Sager was batting .371 with 36 runs and eight stolen bases. His replacement, David Keesee, is batting .240 in 25 at-bats, and he's committed four errors in 51 innings.

``Losing Sager, that really hurts,'' Brooks said. ``He wasn't just an excellent hitter, he was a very good shortstop, too. Plus, he had good presence and leadership.''

On the bright side, right-hander Mike Ploharz (11-1, 3.336 ERA) is back after missing the Biola series for disciplinary reasons. He returned against Albertson and lost his first game of the season 5-1, but considering the two-week break between starts, Brooks was satisfied with Ploharz's performance.

``Mike actually pitched pretty good,'' Brooks said.

The sectionals ended on Saturday, but the team has remained in Idaho, partly because it's convenient and partly because the school semester is over. Brooks' parents live in nearby Meridian, where his father, Mo, is a coach at Stoney Brook High; they've been using the field for practice, and the elder Brooks even treated the players to a home-cooked steak dinner Monday.

Lewiston is five hours away, and the team plans to arrive there today.