The Luther College baseball team qualified for the NCAA III National Tournament thanks to a 4-2 victory over Coe College in the championship game of the American Rivers Conference Tournament this afternoon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The championship game was being played at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex on the campus of Mount Mercy University. Both teams entered today's game with one loss and the winner would earn the league's automatic berth to the national tournament.

Luther never trailed scoring twice in the third and adding two insurance runs in the seventh. Coe, the top-seed of the tournament, scored once in the sixth and bottom of the eighth.

Luke Plunkett drove in Luther's first run in the third. Kelby Johnson drove in two runs, one in the third and one in the seventh. Noah Sebben led-off the seventh with a solo shot over the left field fence. Seven finished the game 3-for-3 and scored twice. Aiden Michna also had a multiple hit game going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Nick DuFoe (7-1), who led the Norse to an opening tournament win over Wartburg College three days ago, took the ball this afternoon and was credited with his second win of the tournament. DuFoe pitched six innings and allowed one run on six hits, did not issue a walk and struck out one. Nate Loch was credited with the save throwing the final 1 2/3 innings. Loch did not allow a run on one hit, walked one and struck out one. Collin Chalmers pitched in the middle for 1 1/3 and allowed one run on two hits, walked two and struck out three.

The tournament championship was the third for the Norse (2007, 2016, 2021) and third under the direction of Head Coach Bryan Nikkel. The Norse will enter the national tournament with a record of 31-14. What regional the Norse will be playing in next weekend will be announced at 10:50 p.m. CST tonight on NCAA.com.