PRAIRIE VIEW - Sometimes, the beauty of the postseason is that it gives every team a clean slate and puts the field on equal footing.

It doesn't matter what you've done before then, or what your record is entering a tournament, or what so-called experts expect of you. Ultimately, the games still have to be played.

The 2012 Prairie View A&M baseball team is a pretty good example of that. Despite owning the No. 2 seed in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division and being defined by strong fielding and solid pitching through the year, the Panthers entered that season's SWAC Baseball Tournament on a bit of a slump, having dropped seven of their past 11 games. This included a five-game skid that was sparked by a sweep at the hands of division champion and tournament host Southern, who finished runner-up in the 2011 tournament and expected different results this time out.

As fate would have it, Southern wouldn't be waiting to play spoiler for the Panthers. With the Jaguars having their own matters to attend to – more on that in a bit – the Panthers immediately made a statement. Prairie View opened the tournament by shellacking Alabama State with 11 runs in a seventh inning that ultimately powered PVAMU to a 14-4 run-rule win over the East's third seed.

Next up? The East's top seed Jackson State, who pushed aside Texas Southern 7-0 in the opening round. This time, Jackson State found itself on the wrong end – or right, depending on who you ask – of another shutout. Prairie View A&M's Dominiq Harris and Evan Richard drove in a run each, and eventual all-tournament performer Stef Hernandez outdueled Jackson State ace and SWAC Pitcher of the Year Quintavious Drains to lead PVAMU to a 2-0 victory.

Remember what was said about how the postseason gives every team a clean slate? Round three was proof of it, as Texas Southern bounced Jackson State with a resounding 11-1 victory and upended PVAMU 2-0 to force a win-or-go-home scenario between the Texas teams.

On the other side of the bracket, Cinderella had come to the ball in the form of Mississippi Valley State, who upset Southern in a comeback fashion to open the tournament and nipped defending champion Alcorn State 7-6 in extra innings. The East's fourth seed ultimately punched their ticket to the finals with another tight win over the Jaguars.

The Panthers then brought every bit of drama to the diamond in the semifinals, spotting their arch-rivals four runs only to mount a furious comeback and advance to the finals with an 8-5 win.

Fortunately, the clock struck midnight on the Delta Devils in the championship game. After scoreless innings early, the Panthers asserted themselves with steady offense and effective pitching by Derrick Mitchell. Though Mississippi Valley flashed the resilience that had come to define their tournament run with a 3-run spurt in the eighth, the Panthers just wouldn't be denied. Reliever Daniel Castillo settled down and retired MVSU in order to bring the title back to The Hill for the first time since 2007.

With the win, Panthers skipper Waskyla Cullivan – a member of PVAMU's two prior championship clubs – was named the conference's coach of the year. Senior Evan Richard – the Panthers' lone representative on that year's all-conference teams – earned Tournament MVP honors after hitting .385 with five RBI and providing elite defense behind the dish and management of the pitching staff.

Joining Richard on the All-Tournament team were Castillo, Hernandez and shortstop James Fontenot.

So while the Panthers may not have taken the All-SWAC headlines in 2012, or wowed teams with exceptional statistics… they stood on top of the conference mountain when it was all said and done.

That's all that matters at the end of the day, and on that day ... Prairie View A&M baseball was all that mattered in the SWAC.