AD3I Discontinues Operation
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- After 13 years of operation, the Association of Division III Independents has announced that it will discontinue operating beginning with the 2019-20 season.
The decision was reached due to a lack of participants, as the AD3I was slated to have just three member institutions for the 2019-20 season, only two of which fielded men's and women's teams. The Sabercats were just one of two AD3I baseball teams during the 2019 spring season, which did not conclude with All-Independent awards due to the lack of member schools.
Discussions of Maranatha joining another NCAA conference or association are ongoing. In the meantime, MBU maintains its status as an NCAA DIII school while still competing in the NCCAA DII as a dually-affiliated member.
"We are saddened by the lack of membership and the loss of the AD3I," said MBU Athletic Director, Rob Thompson. "Many of our student-athletes benefitted from well-deserved recognition through the AD3I. But the association provided little more than recognition, and its demise won't impact MBU in any other way."
The transition has no bearing on the Sabercats' schedules, as the AD3I hosted neither conference nor postseason play.
Maranatha ends its AD3I tenure with the following accolades:
| Award | Number | Note |
| AD3I 1st Team All-Independents | 93 | |
| AD3I Player of the Year Awards | 6 | Includes only outright Player of the Year awards |
| AD3I Major Conference Awards | 13 | Includes positional awards and Co-Players of the Year |
| AD3I Coaches of the Year | 6 |
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