Rowan University's Josh Schwartz wasn't intimidated to face national Player of the Year Brady Endl of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday (May 28). In fact, he was looking forward to it.

Schwartz got the best of Endl and led Rowan to an 8-2 victory in its opening game at the NCAA Division III Championship at Fox Cities Stadium. Rowan advances to face either George Fox University or Salisbury University Saturday (May 29) at 7:45 p.m. UW-Whitewater faces the loser of the George Fox-Salisbury game at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.

"I love it," Schwartz said of facing Endl. "He's a really good ballplayer, and you want to put yourself up against the best."

Schwartz, Rowan's lefty ace and a first-team All-American, went the distance, allowing seven hits while striking out 10 and walking three to improve to 13-0 on the season.

Schwartz got some late-inning heroics from Rowan's offense, as the Profs pulled away for the win. Nick Urbanovich belted a two-run single in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie, and the Profs hit two two-run homers in the eighth to seal the victory.

The Profs knocked Endl, who was named the American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Player of the Year on Friday, out of the game with their two-run seventh inning. Endl, who fell to 10-2 on the season, went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.

"He's a big-time power pitcher," Rowan head coach John Cole said of Endl. "He's a pro prospect. He's their heart and soul. He's their best player. To get him out of there, that's an emotional lift for us."

The Warhawks (37-8) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on Eric Stangel's run-scoring single. However, UW-Whitewater had three hits in the inning and a hit batsman but couldn't get the key hit to break the inning open.

"They didn't put us away, and we've been very good late in games," Cole said. "We've just been on a roll late in games."

Schwartz made the Warhawks pay for not knocking him out early. UW-Whitewater managed only two hits after the second inning.

"I think we had our chances," UW-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich said. "We didn't take advantage of them too well."

Rowan (41-6) tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning. Jimmy Starkey, who was 3-for-4, started the inning with a single to center field. After a bunt moved him to second, Bryan Ciconte singled to center field to score Starkey.

"We feel if we keep it close - we feel when (Schwartz is) on the mound, we've got a pretty chance to win," Cole said.

Starkey and Brent Dempsey started the seventh for Rowan with singles and Ciconte walked to load the bases. Urbanovich, who went 3-for-5, then delivered a two-run single to put the Profs up 3-1.

Rowan put some distance between itself and the Warhawks in the eighth. Matt Enuco doubled, and Starkey followed with a run-scoring single. Dempsey then belted a two-run homer to left. Following a walk to Roger Turley, Ciconte also smacked a two-run homer to left to complete the scoring.