North Greenville University’s 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship baseball team was recognized on the floor of the South Carolina House of Representatives in Columbia on April 27. District 17 Representative Mike Burns welcomed the team to the historic State Capitol, recalling a run that ended in the program’s first national title.
“(NGU’s) baseball team was 54-10 last year, went through undefeated in the World Series in Cary, N.C., and brought the NCAA Division II National Title home to South Carolina, and specifically to Tigerville,” Burns said.
Burns recognized members of the North Greenville coaching staff, including head coach Landon Powell, who was named Division II National Coach of the Year in 2022. He also recognized right-handed pitcher Reece Fields, who took home Most Valuable Player honors for NGU during the 2022 World Series, and John Michael Faile, who was a Triple Crown winner in Conference Carolinas in 2022, leading the league in batting average (.427), home runs (16) and RBI (86).
Powell was appreciative of the recognition. “Any time you get to re-live the National Championship and remember those days, it’s special — but to get to do it at the state capitol with so much history, it’s a moment these guys will always remember,” he said.