GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Being the lone newcomer among the eight teams playing in the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championships didn’t bother Kean University.

From throwing baby powder into the air on the first Cougar at-bat of each game in the tournament to good-luck statues and superstitions, the team played with a loose, devil-may-care attitude throughout the weekend.

And it won the Cougars a national championship.

For the first time in the program’s history and just its fifth appearance in the national tournament, the Kean Cougars (43-8) took home the biggest prize in Division III baseball with a 5-4, 10-inning victory over Emory University (43-10) on Tuesday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. It’s the second NCAA national title in any sport for Kean.

“No matter how much money you make, what position you’re in in life, you can’t buy these things,” said Kean coach Neil Ioviero. “You have to earn these. And no matter what they do for the rest of their lives, the memories they’ve created and garnered here will be with them the rest of their lives. No one could ever take this away.”

Of course, Ioviero wouldn’t call his team’s attitude this weekend “loose.”

“If you asked the question to them (the players), how do we practice, you’ll see that it’s not loose when we practice. We get on them like crazy. We create crazy, pressure situations. We make the biggest deal out of the littlest things,” Ioviero said. “We describe it to them like you study for a test. The teacher can throw whatever she wants at you, and you’re prepared. These guys play as if they’re prepared, and that creates that looseness, because they know they’re ready to go, they know those little things are going to matter.”

Like taking advantage of every situation thrown at them, including an unlikely ending to what turned out to be a classic championship game.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, leadoff hitter Joseph D’Andrea, who had already hit two triples in the game, reached base when a grounder snuck under the glove of Emory third baseman Frank Pfister. On a sacrifice bunt attempt, a throw from relief pitcher Rich Babb sailed into center field, advancing D’Andrea to third. An intentional walk loaded the bases, and after a flyout to short center field, an infield grounder to the shortstop by Perry Schatzow plated D’Andrea with the winning run.

The 10th inning provided an unlikely ending for Emory, a team that had committed just 70 errors with a .967 team fielding percentage before Tuesday’s game. Its .968 fielding percentage entering the championships was eighth-best in Division III baseball.

“That’s why we won games, we didn’t commit errors,” said Emory coach Mike Twardoski. “Frank Pfister is one of the best defensive third basemen in the country, and for that to happen to him, I’ll tell you right now, there’s nobody that feels any worse for making that than he does. He’s a gold glove in my mind … One thing about errors is that sometimes errors happen when you’re tired, and this team is tired.”

Emory was attempting to rally back after losing its opening game of the tournament, winning four games in three days to reach the final round. Meanwhile, Kean had the luxury of staying in the winner’s bracket throughout, winning three games in a row to earn a day off on Monday before playing Tuesday’s game.

But the two teams staged a back-and-forth championship tilt, just the fourth in the history of the Division III championships (and first since 1989) to go to extra innings.

Emory pitcher Ian Ganzer threw a solid nine-inning effort, striking out eight while walking two. Twardowski said that Ganzer threw 125 pitches before handing it off to reliever Babb to start the 10th. Babb was suffering from muscle strain in his arm, Twardowski said, but he added that he wasn’t going to keep the senior from playing.

“I cannot tell a team that works as hard as this team (does) that they’re not going to be able to have a chance to compete out there. It’s not the right thing to do,” Twardowski said.

Freshman pitcher Joe Bartlinski got the start for Kean and lasted four-and-a-third innings, allowing five hits and four runs while striking out four. Reliever Andrew Cupido, a junior, went five-and-two-thirds innings to get the win, striking out two while walking four and allowing three hits.

Kean jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning, when leadoff hitter Maikel De La Rosa hit a double to the left field corner, and was driven home on a single by Dan Mattonelli.

In the bottom of the third, D’Andrea launched a one-out triple to the right field corner, and came in on a sacrifice fly by Dan Mattonelli. Derek Gianakas followed that with a solo homer to deep left, his sixth blast of the year and 40th RBI.

Steve Bralver led off the Emory fourth inning with a solo homer to left, his fourth shot of the year. A single, hit batter and two stolen bases put runners on second and third with one out in the fifth for the Eagles, and a walk loaded the bases. Kean pulled starter Bartlinski in favor of Cupido, and a high chopper for a double over the third baseman’s head by Bralver plated two runs and tied the game at 3-3, and a sacrifice fly by Pfister gave the Eagles the lead.

“Other than that play (the double), there were ‘zeroes’ on the board the rest of the day,” Ioviero said of Cupido’s relief performance. “That’s one of the top three lineups we’ve faced all year.”

In the bottom of the fifth, De La Rosa reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error, and a bunt single by D’Andrea, plus another throwing error, plated De La Rosa to tie the game at 4-4. The teams played even baseball after that, leading to the extra-inning finish.

Kean put four players on the All-Tournament Team – D’Andrea, Schatzow, and pitchers Joseph Augustine and Daniel Zeffiro. Emory’s Bralver, Pfister, shortstop Brandon Custer and pitcher Jason Glushon also were named to the elite squad.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point pitcher/designated hitter Jordan Zimmerman, who pitched a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over Emory on Friday and hit a tournament-best .615 (8-for-13) with three doubles, two home runs and six RBI, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Chapman University outfielder Tyler Dean and Carthage College second baseman Steve Rucks also earned All-Tournament Team honors.

Tuesday’s championship game was played before 1,158 spectators, and the 24,872 in attendance throughout the weekend was the second-largest paid attendance in the 32-year history of the championship finals.

By Don Stoner
Augsburg College Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The inconspicuous line of relief pitcher Julian Smith was lost in the wake of Emory University’s victory on Monday.

The Eagles posted an 18-7 come-from-behind win, which included a 17-run outburst over two innings, over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-17) in an elimination game Monday at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Smith’s three earned runs on six hits during 3.2 innings of work doesn’t scream difference-maker, but upon closer review, it was his calm under pressure after flirting with disaster on more than one occasion that ultimately kept Emory (43-9) alive in the early going.

“That was a tough, tough spot we put Julian (Smith) in early,” said Emory head coach Mike Twardoski. “That he only allowed three runs in those first few innings was the key to our rally. It could have easily been six or seven runs in the first inning, and who knows, another run in the first may have made the difference in momentum and affected whether or not we came back and won this game. It was a clutch performance.”

After Emory starter Adam Genn failed to register an out in the first inning, Smith inherited a three-run deficit and loaded the bases before ending the inning without any further damage. A solo home run in the second was followed by a perfect third frame, before he reloaded the bases in the fourth. The damage was minimal though, as the junior right-hander allowed a run on a fielder’s choice and another on a sacrifice fly, before Will Gumm entered the game to retire the final hitter of the inning.

“Coach told me to be ready the day before and I anticipated that I was going to throw at some point in the game today,” Smith said. “They had a great lineup and I just tried to stay calm and let my teammates pick me up.”

UW-Stevens Point’s Jordan Zimmermann had pushed the Pointers past Emory earlier in the tournament when he limited the Eagles to one hit, drove in a run and scored a run in a 2-0 Pointer triumph. The junior did his best to try and extend his season, as he clubbed a two-run home run over the left field wall in the first inning off Genn and followed with a nearly identical solo shot in the third frame. Zimmermann, who was 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI, was the catalyst for UW-Stevens Point taking a 6-0 lead after four innings of play.

The lead wouldn’t make it to five innings, as the Pointers went from seemingly being in control of the contest to trailing after the Emory bats and momentum swung mightily in the sixth.

UW-Stevens Point starter Garrett Nix allowed two hits through four innings, but opened the fifth frame by allowing a walk, single and hit batsman to load the bases. Tyler Short got Emory on the board with a two-RBI single to left and after a wild pitch moved the runners up, Dan Molnar doubled home a runner. Steve Bravler walked and Joe Roth cut the lead to 6-5 with a two-RBI single to left-center field. The Pointers tried to shoot Roth as he attempted to steal second, but the throw was mishandled, allowing Bravler to score without a throw. Brandon Custer, who was preceded by another base on balls, put Emory up for good when he plated Roth with a single to right-center field.

“We never gave up as a team and we came back the right way,” Twardoski said. “We were taking pitches, getting clutch hits and forcing errors. All signs of a team that knows how to win. Baseball is game of momentum and you could feel us pushing on the door in the sixth and I really felt like it was ours for the taking after that.”

The wheels officially came off for the Pointers in the sixth inning, as a cavalcade of walks, past balls and errors led to 10 runs on four hits en route to a 17-6 Eagle advantage.

Both teams recorded 14 hits in the game, further emphasizing the Pointers’ woes, which included several wild pitches, a balk, three errors, eight walks and two hit batters.

“This was obviously far from out best game,” said UW-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom. “I don’t ever want to ever make excuses, but we saw a team that was mentally and emotionally exhausted and that fatigue showed through. I am really proud of these kids and what they accomplished the last few weeks. They have lifted our program to a championship level and didn’t go down without a fight.”

Roth, Molnar and Short paced the Emory offense, as all three players drove in three runs and scored three runs apiece. Gumm allowed four hits and one earned run in 2.1 innings on the mound to earn the win after relieving Smith.

Emory, which has rallied to win in 19 games this season, advanced to Tuesday’s title game against Kean University at noon. The Eagles, making their first appearance in the title game, will look to follow in the footsteps of 2004 national champion Chapman, which came from the loser’s bracket to win twice on the final day of play. Kean will need only one win over Emory to be crowned champs.

Matt Troha
Midwest Conference Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Kean University will square off with Emory University in the title game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship on Tuesday, May 29.

Kean (42-8) earned its place in the title game with a 7-4 win over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a winner’s bracket game on Sunday, and Emory (43-9) punched its ticket with an 18-7 victory over UW-Stevens Point in an elimination game on Monday.

The game has been moved up one hour and starts at noon Central time, due to the possibility of inclement weather in the area of Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. If Emory wins Tuesday’s first game, a second title game will follow 30 minutes after the completion of the initial contest.

Kean has been impressive in its first appearance in the finals, and the Cougars are making only their fifth appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship. Kean started with a 4-1 victory over Cortland State University on Friday. The Cougars then downed Chapman University 3-1 on Saturday before topping Stevens Point 7-4 on Sunday.

Emory is making its third appearance in the finals and is playing in the tournament for the ninth time. The Eagles, who have never finished higher than fifth in the finals, are the authors of a remarkable turnaround since picking up only one hit in a 2-0 loss to Stevens Point in their opening game on Friday.

The Eagles have now won four consecutive elimination games. Emory downed Eastern Connecticut State University 5-4 on Saturday and then beat Chapman 16-7 on Sunday before winning twice on Monday.

Emory rallied from a 6-0 deficit and pounded out 14 hits against the Pointers. Stevens Point (34-17) built its early advantage on the strength of Jordan Zimmermann’s two homers, a two-run blast in the first and a solo shot in the second.

The Eagles took a 7-6 lead in the fifth with seven runs, as Tyler Short and Joe Roth both had two-run singles in the frame.

Emory then blew the game wide open with 10 runs in the sixth. The Eagles had only four hits in the inning, but the Pointers walked four batters, hit another, committed two errors and had a passed ball. Dan Molnar had a two-run double for the Eagles, and Tommy Dugan and Steve Bralver both had run-scoring singles in the inning.

Emory started Monday with a 6-3 victory over Cortland State University in another elimination game. Dugan, Sam Cunningham and Brandon Custer all had two hits against the Red Dragons, and David Hissey drove in three runs.

The Eagles broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. Dugan and Bralver both had run-scoring singles in the inning. Jason Glushon pitched six innings to pick up the win and improve to 13-2 on the season, and Rich Babb worked the final three innings to get the save.

Travis Robinson went 3-for-3 to lead Cortland State, which finished fourth in the nation with a 42-7 record.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The hit parade continues for Emory University.

A day after putting 25 hits and 16 runs on the scoreboard in an elimination victory over Chapman University, the Eagles put together 10 hits and rallied in the middle innings for a 6-3 victory over the State University of New York-Cortland on Monday afternoon in an NCAA Division III Baseball Championship elimination game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Emory (42-9) remains alive in the tournament and faces the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-16) in an elimination game later today, with the victor advancing to Tuesday’s finals against Kean University (42-8). Cortland State finishes its season at 42-7. Tuesday’s title game has been moved up one hour and starts at noon Central time.

Trailing 1-0 going into the fourth inning – and after stranding five runners on base in the first three frames – Emory’s David Hissey uncorked a three-run homer to left field to give the Eagles the lead. The homer was Hissey’s first of the season.

After Cortland State scored twice in the top of the sixth to tie the game, the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the inning to take the lead back, on run-scoring singles by Tommy Dugan and Steve Bralver.

In the seventh, the Eagles added another run, as a single by Tyler Short plated pinch-runner Jake Ornstein.

Emory starter Jason Glushon improved to 13-2 with a six-inning effort, striking out seven, while reliever Rich Babb struck out three in three innings of work to get the save. Of the 10 strikeouts in the game, eight were called third strikes.

Glushon was coming off of just two days rest, after pitching eight innings in Emory’s opening game of the tournament, a 2-0 loss to Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday.

“I thought their pitcher did a really nice job on two days rest. It was pretty impressive to see,” said Cortland State coach Joe Brown.

Cortland State struck first in the game, as Matt Vitalone reached base on a throwing error in the second inning and came around to score on a one-out single to right by Steve Nickel.

In the sixth, a single by Mike Zaccardo and an opposite-field double to left by Dan Maycock gave the Red Dragons a threat, and a two-run triple to right-center by Travis Robinson tied the game at 3-3.

Cortland State starter Matt Tone, a freshman, struck out eight before being relieved after the leadoff hitter singled in the sixth inning. The Red Dragons used four relievers in the game, with Jason Hauck striking out two in two-and-a-third innings of work.

“I thought our freshman that we put out there was outstanding. That’s a tough stage to be on, and for him to go out there and do what he did,” Brown said. “I was very pleased with our bullpen that came out and performed under pressure, because that’s what it’s about at this time of year, is performing under pressure.”

By Don Stoner
Augsburg College Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The title game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship will begin earlier than scheduled due to the possibility of inclement weather on Tuesday, May 29.

The game, which features Kean University (42-8) against either the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-16) or Emory University (42-9), begins at noon (Central time) at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

A second championship game, if needed, will begin 30 minutes after the completion of the first contest.

Kean needs to win only once to claim its first national title. UW-Stevens Point or Emory must defeat the Cougars twice to win the championship, which also would be a first for both schools.

Kean is the lone unbeaten team left in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The Cougars earned their berth in the championship game with a 7-4 victory over UW-Stevens Point Sunday evening in a winner’s bracket contest.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The rookies are in the finals.

Kean University, making its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Baseball National Championship, will play for the national title on Tuesday, clinching a berth in the final set of games with a 7-4 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the final game of Sunday’s action at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

With the win, Kean (42-8) bypasses Monday’s two elimination games and advances directly to the final, where it only needs to win one of two possible games in order to claim its first national championship.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-16), the State University of New York-Cortland (42-6) and Emory University (41-9) will battle on Monday in elimination games for the right to join Kean in the final round. Cortland State and Emory will face off first at 12 noon, with the winner to face Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 3:30 p.m.

In Sunday’s two other games, Cortland State ended Carthage College’s (37-13) season with a 5-2 triumph, and Emory pounded out 25 hits in eliminating top-ranked Chapman University (41-8) 16-7.

Kean received its third straight solid starting pitching performance, as Colin Feneis struck out seven in seven innings of work, allowing just six hits. Brandon Aich pitched two innings of scoreless relief, striking out two, to score the save. Kevin O’Neill went 3-for-4 for the Cougars.

Cortland State used a 12-hit effort to claim the win over Carthage, including a two-out, two-run single by Steve Nickel in the first inning and a two-run single by Matt Vitalone as part of a three-run fifth inning. Both Vitalone and Nickel went 2-for-3, as did Anthony Coromato, who scored twice and had an RBI. Mike Zgorzelski struck out seven to pick up the win for the Red Dragons.

Emory built a 14-0 lead after three-and-a-half innings en route to the 16-7 win over Chapman. The Eagles scored seven runs on eight hits and a walk in the first inning, and sent 13 of their first 16 batters to the plate in the game. Frank Pfister went 4-for-4 with two doubles, four runs scored and three RBI for the Eagles, while Joe Roth went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBI.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – It wasn’t one thing Kean University did right Sunday night to beat the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, it was everything they did right.

The Cougars executed in all facets of the game in a winner’s bracket contest at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals and converted that into a 7-4 victory over the Pointers at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The win leaves Kean (42-8) as the lone unbeaten team left in the field, and the Cougars have to win only once on Tuesday to secure their first national championship.

“Somedays teams leave and wonder, ‘How the hell did those guys beat us?’ ” Kean head coach Mike Ioviero said.

“We stay on these kids and try to make every little thing better because you never know when that thing is going to come up.”

Kean, playing in the finals for the first time, did all the little and big things right to beat the Pointers (34-16), who will play an elimination game on Monday against Cortland State University or Emory University at 3:30 p.m.

“You have to play your best in a winner’s bracket game, and I felt we didn’t do that tonight,” said Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom, adding that Kean’s team speed and a lack of execution by the Pointers were keys to the contest.

“All the things that don’t seem like much at the time are huge factors when the game is on the line.”

The Cougars started to separate themselves from Stevens Point with a pair of runs in the sixth. Four hits in the inning helped Kean extend its lead to 5-2.

Aaron Richard, who finished 2-for-5, started the inning with a single, but Pointers starter Mike Thrun retired the next two batters. Ryan Clark, who drove in a game-high three runs, then singled to center to score Richard, who had stolen second. Kevin O’Neill followed with another single, and Maikel De La Rosa then singled to score Clark to make it 5-2. O’Neill had a game-high three hits and De La Rosa went 2-for-4.

Stevens Point trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the top of the seventh. A fielding error allowed lead-off batter Brandon Scheidler to reach and Stewart Larson followed with a single to put runners at first and second.

A balk moved both runners up, and Ryan Byrnes, who led the Pointers’ attack by going 2-for-4, followed with a single to left to score Scheidler. After a sacrifice bunt pushed Byrnes to second, Joel Hojnacki’s sacrifice fly scored Larson to cut the advantage to a single run.

Kean came right back in its half of the seventh to pump that lead back to three runs off reliever Travis Kempf.

Derek Gianakas and Aaron Richard led off with singles, and the runners moved up to second and third on a ground out. After a walk loaded the bases, Clark grounded to shortstop Justin Bushong, but all the Pointers got was the force out at second base. Clark beat the throw to first to stay out of the double play and Gianakas scored.

The Cougars then came up with another clutch hit, as O’Neill singled to right to score Richard and push the lead back to 7-4.

Ioviero then handed the ball to closer Brandon Aich, who worked two innings of hitless relief to pick up his fourth save of the season.

“He wants the ball in the biggest, tightest situations,” Ioviero said of Aich.

Colin Feneis worked seven innings, allowed six hits and only one earned run to move to 6-1 on the season. He struck out seven and walked one.

Stevens Point started the scoring in the top of the first when Tim Schlosser reached on a fielding error by the third baseman with one out. Zimmermann then stroked a double to center field to score Schlosser.

The Cougars countered in the bottom of the first with an unearned run of their own. With one out, Joseph D’Andrea reached on an infield single. The Pointers then misplayed Dan Mattonelli’s ground ball to put runners at the corners. Gianakas’ sacrifice fly scored D’Andrea to tie the game at 1-1.

Kean took a 2-1 lead in the third when De La Rosa started the inning with a single. After a balk and ground out moved De La Rosa to third, he scored on Mattonelli’s ground out.

The Pointers tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the fourth. Jordan Zimmermann walked to start the inning, and Adam Evanoff followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Zimmermann then scored, as Brandon Scheidler grounded into a double play.

The Cougars grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with Perry Schatzow’s one-out single starting the rally. Mike Shymanski followed with a double to put runners at second and third, and Clark’s ground out scored Schatzow to give Kean a 3-2 advantage.

By Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – After managing just seven hits in its first two games at the NCAA Division III National Championships, Emory University coach Mike Twardoski said that it was time for his team to get “back to basics.”

With a trip to the batting cages and a focus on fundamentals under its belt, Emory’s back-to-basics approach worked wonders for the team’s confidence on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

And 16 runs and 25 hits later, Emory’s confidence was boosted with a 16-7 victory over Chapman University in an elimination game, keeping the Eagles alive in the double-elimination tournament.

The Eagles (41-9) will face the State University of New York-Cortland (42-6) in an elimination game on Monday at noon. Chapman ended its season with a 41-8 record.

“We went back to the basics today,” Twardoski said. “We evaluated last night why we are not getting hits, and it’s just because we weren’t driving the ball the other way. We really got back to basics. We took batting practice (working on) really going the other way and opening up that part of the field, too ... Hopefully, this gets us going on a little roll with the bats.”

The roll began early and continued throughout Sunday’s game, as the Eagles pounded out their third 20-plus-hit effort of the season. Thirteen of the first 16 Emory batters in the game reached base on 12 hits, 11 runs and a walk in the first inning-plus against two Chapman pitchers.

Ten of the 11 Emory batters who saw action in the contest collected hits, with eight claiming multiple-hit performances.

“You’ve got to have mental strength to keep it going, and know that we’re playing the best teams in the country,” said Emory third baseman Frank Pfister, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored.

All eight Emory hits in the first inning were singles, as the Eagles played station-to-station baseball to produce a seven-run outburst. A double by Pfister and a two-run triple by Tommy Dugan helped produce four more runs in the second frame.

Emory built a 14-0 lead before Chapman mounted a rally of its own in the middle innings, scoring its seven runs in the middle four frames. But Emory scored twice in its final three innings to claim the nine-run victory.

“You want to keep the bats going as strong as you can from the first inning to the last inning, because you never know when a slump is going to happen,” Twardoski said. “That was an absolute confidence-booster for our hitters, who ... were not getting the hits that we normally do.”

In addition to Pfister’s four-hit performance, Joe Roth also had four hits for the Eagles, with a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Dan Molnar, Steve Bralver and Brandon Custer had three hits each.

“It was nice seeing us finally get strings of hits together,” Pfister said. “I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing all year, and that’s what worked really well in the regional. With our 1-2-3 guys getting on base every time, and the rest of the guys in the back of the lineup doing the job and knocking in runs, everybody was just smokin’ today. That’s a really nice thing for us to know that we can hit our way through wins just as well as pitch. It was a good day.”

Tyler Dean had two doubles for Chapman, while Patrick Ohail had two hits, including a triple. Tristan Phillips had two hits, and Ryan Cavan had a solo home run, to the deepest part of the ballpark in right-center, among his two hits.

“You’ve just got to give credit to Emory. They came out swinging the bats. They hit a lot of balls hard and they put us in a big hole,” said Chapman coach Tom Tereschuk. “We finally got them stopped and I was proud that our guys were able to regroup and mount some sort of a comeback.”

By Don Stoner
Augsburg College Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Apparently the less Mike Zgorzelski knows, the better.

Cortland State University head coach Joe Brown didn’t tell his starting pitcher that he would get the ball Sunday against Carthage College until about an hour before the start of an elimination game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

“We like to keep them guessing every now and then,” Brown said with a laugh in the wake of the Red Dragons’ 5-2 victory over Carthage.

Cortland State (42-6) advances to play either the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point or Kean University at noon on Monday. Carthage is eliminated from its sixth appearance in the finals and finishes its season with a 37-13 record.

“It felt all day like we were trying to squeeze water out of a rock,” Carthage head coach Augie Schmidt said. “Four hits is not going to win a lot of games.”

Zgorzelski went 5 2/3 innings, allowed only four hits, struck out seven and walked three to improve to 8-0 on the season.

“I just wanted to go out and compete,” Zgorzelski said. “Normally I worry about whether I’m going to have my good stuff. ... I didn’t care. I just wanted to compete.”

The Red Dragons staked Zgorzelski to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Carthage starter Chris Krepline. Anthony Coromato started the rally with a one-out double. After a walk to Mike Zaccardo, Dan Maycock’s ground ball hit Zaccardo. The umpire initially ruled the ball had not struck Zaccardo, but after a conference with the other umpires, Zaccardo was called out.

Matt Vitalone then walked to load the bases, but Carthage couldn’t escape the jam, as Steve Nickel singled over the head of shortstop Jose Alba to score two runs.

“This thing has been full of goofy plays, hasn’t it?” Schmidt asked the assembled media with a laugh. “Then it settled down and it was a good baseball game. We just didn’t have an answer for their pitcher.”

The Red Men came back in the top half of the second to trim the lead to 2-1 on Mike Hughes’ solo homer over the left-field fence.

Cortland State put some distance between themselves and the Red Men with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. After Joey Russo started the inning with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt, Coromato doubled down the left-field line to put the Red Dragons up 3-1. Zaccardo followed with a single to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout and stolen base, Vitalone singled to left field to score two runs and give Cortland State a 5-1 edge.

Carthage had a chance to get back into the game in the sixth, when the Red Men loaded the bases with consecutive singles by Steve Rucks, Tyler Yapp and David Hermes. Pinch-hitter Anthony Gragnani then struck out looking. After a balk scored Rucks, Zgorzelski then struck out Hughes looking.

After Zgorzelski went 2-0 on the next batter, Tyler Heegeman, the Red Dragons brought in Ryan Hooper in relief. He got Heegeman on a comebacker, and the inning was over.

“The next three guys, we didn’t get a good swing,” Schmidt said of the sixth inning. “That was a huge inning. That was a real turning point. We just needed to get a good hack.”

Hooper allowed only a one-out walk in the ninth, as he tossed 3 1/3 innings of hitless relief to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Schmidt refused to blame a possible emotional hangover from Saturday night’s 12-8 loss to UW-Stevens Point in an electric winner’s bracket.

“I think ‘want-to’ got in the way a little bit,” Schmidt said. “We pressed. You hit that elimination game and everyone wants to do a little bit extra.”

By Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director

Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Kean University remain unbeaten after second day of finals

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Kean University remained unbeaten after two very different games on Saturday evening at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-15) had to outlast fellow Wisconsin school Carthage College (37-12) 12-8 in the first winner’s bracket game on Saturday, while Kean (41-8) rode a complete-game, 11-strikeout effort by Joseph Augustine to claim a 3-1 win over Chapman University (41-7).

Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Kean will face off on Sunday at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing automatically to the final day of action on Tuesday, bypassing elimination games on Monday.

In the two elimination games on Saturday, Emory University (40-9) rallied past Eastern Connecticut State University (38-12) 5-4, and the State University of New York-Cortland (41-6) topped Marietta College (32-17) 9-3.

In addition to Sunday’s winner’s bracket game, there will also be two elimination games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. At 12 p.m., Cortland State will face Carthage, and at 3:30 p.m., Chapman will face Emory.

Kean’s Augustine threw 142 pitches en route to the complete-game victory over Chapman on Saturday, his sixth of the season and 14th of his career. The Cougars broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh, as Derek Gianakas tripled and scored on a single by Aaron Richard and added an insurance run in the eighth on a double-steal.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point rallied from a 4-2, second-inning deficit with a 13-hit effort, scoring eight runs in the middle three innings to pull away from Carthage. Justin Bushong went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Adam Evanoff and Brandon Scheidler had two hits apiece, with Scheidler scoring three runs and Evanoff scoring twice. Joel Hojnacki had two doubles and scored twice for the Pointers.

Emory took an early 2-0 lead on Eastern Connecticut State but fell behind 4-2 going into the seventh inning. But the Eagles scored twice in the seventh, on a run-scoring double by David Hissey and a throwing error, and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth, as a pinch-hit, RBI single by Tim Cournoyer plated Brandon Custer.

Cortland State also rallied for its elimination-round victory, overcoming a 3-2, fifth-inning deficit with seven runs in the last four innings. Mike Zgorzelski hit the first home run of the finals, a solo shot in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run. Steve Nickel, Matt Vitalone, Dan Maycock and Nick DeVito had two hits each for the Red Dragons, with Vitalone, Maycock and DeVito driving in two runs apiece.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The clash of the coasts proved to be worth the wait in the second winner’s bracket contest at the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

A two-hour rain delay and 20-run slugfest between UW-Stevens Point and Carthage pushed the start of Kean University (40-8) vs. Chapman University (41-6) to 10:30 p.m. and the end of the game to early Sunday morning, but those who stuck around witnessed a pair of solid performances from both starters as Kean edged Chapman 3-1.

Joseph Augustine earned the win for Kean, as the senior righty allowed one earned run on six hits with 11 strikeouts en route to his ninth victory and sixth complete game of the season.

“Augustine did a fantastic job to beat us today. We were able to do little against him. We got beat by a good team and a fantastic pitcher,” said Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk.

Kean struck first in the contest, as the tale of the tape failed to factor into the matchup between Cougar leadoff man Michael De La Rosa and Chapman starter Wayde Kitchens. The 5-foot-5, 125-pound De La Rosa took a pitch from the 6-5, 270-pound Kitchens up the middle in the first at-bat of the game for a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by the next hitter. After swiping third base, De La Rosa made it 1-0 in Kean’s favor when Dan Mattonelli plated him with a RBI single to left field.

Chapman responded with its lone run of the contest and tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth, as Tyler Dean scored from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Pearson.

The Cougars missed a golden opportunity in the fifth when Nick Nolan tripled with one out. Kean attempted to take the lead on a squeeze play, but the pitch was outside and Nolan was easily tagged out by Pearson at the plate.

The Cougars wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, as Derek Gianakas’ gapper to right-center field reached the wall. First basemen Aaron Richard followed with the game-winning hit, as his chopper up the middle snuck under Champman second basemen Kyle Redding’s glove and into center field to plate Gianakas and give the Cougars the 2-1 lead.

The Cougars added their insurance tally in the eighth, as Ryan Clark opened the inning with a walk. Clark moved to second on a passed ball and after Kevin O’Neill’s bunt single moved him to third, Chapman turned to its top pitcher out of the bullpen in Kurt Yacko. Yacko struck out the first hitter he faced, but Kean managed to make the score 3-1 without a batter putting the ball into play. Chapman made a play on O’Neill as he successfully stole second base, prompting Clark to race for home. The throw beat Clark to the plate, but he was safe after Pearson was unable to hang onto the ball.

Yacko worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth, leaving Chapman within striking distance heading into their final at-bat. Clark picked up his pitcher on the first at-bat of the inning, snagging a sharply hit ball to his left and rotating from his knees to shoot the runner at first. After an infield single, Augustine struck out the final two batters of the game to end the contest as the clock struck 1:31 a.m.

“I was having trouble spotting my fastball early in the game and used my slider to get first-pitch strikes. My curveball was my out pitch today and I was also able to use some timely changeups to keep their hitters off-balance,” said Augustine.

Kitchens, Augustine’s mound counterpart, threw seven innings, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

Kean will face UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. on Sunday with a berth in the tournament finals hanging in the balance.

Matt Troha
Midwest Conference Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point remains just one of two unbeaten teams at the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. The Pointers rallied to a 12-8 victory Saturday over Carthage College on soggy turf at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, snapping the Red Men’s school record 20-game win streak in the process.

“We’ve had a lot of games this year that we won that weren’t pretty,” admitted UW-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom. “We have had the habit of digging ourselves holes and making bad mistakes early. We’ve shown during our tourney run that we are a resilient group, and we stayed confident tonight and got it done.”

UWSP (34-15) will now wait to play on Sunday at 7 p.m. against the winner of Saturday’s late game between Chapman University (41-6) and Kean University (40-8). Meanwhile, the Red Men will lead off Sunday’s action at 12 noon in an elimination game against the State University of New York-Cortland (41-6).

The top of Carthage’s batting order tagged Pointers’ starting pitcher Garrett Nix for three earned runs in the first inning. Nix had faced just six Red Men hitters before being relieved by Brandon Hemstead, who eventually earned the victory on the mound.

“Jumping on opposing pitchers has been something we have been really good at this year,” said Carthage centerfielder Boe Baitinger, whose team was batting .352 entering the finals. “We were really focused early and hit the ball hard. I think we lost some of that focus as we got into their bullpen, and weren’t able to regain it after the momentum swung in their direction.”

UWSP got back to within one in the very next frame, as Justin Bushong’s two-out single bounced over the head of Carthage third baseman Tyler Yapp to plate a pair of runs. The Red Men extended their lead to 4-2 in the bottom half of the second and held it until Ryan Byrnes’ double to the right-center gap in the top of the fourth knotted the score. The Pointers then gained their first lead of the game, 5-4, on Joel Hojnacki’s two-out double down the left-field line two batters later.

The Pointers’ bats continued to give Hemstead a solid cushion by rattling off five more runs over the course of the next two innings. Brad Archambeau’s single up the middle, with the Carthage infield drawn in, scored Hojnacki to make the score 9-4.

“[Hemstead] came in and did a great job,” said Carthage head coach Augie Schmidt IV. He really shut us down for a while. We had been getting all the breaks lately, and you have to be lucky and get bounces when you win 20 in a row. You could feel the momentum shift as things started to go there way. I told my team after the game that the breaks had finally gone in another team’s direction.”

Carthage bounced back with three runs on four hits in the sixth inning and closed the gap further with another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 10-8. But the Pointers struck again in the eighth inning with a pair of RBI singles, while closer Matt Mehne worked to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Saturday marked the fifth time the two Wisconsin teams have met in the programs’ histories. The last time was in the 1997 NCAA Division III Finals, when Bloom was a junior pitcher for the Red Men. Carthage won that second round contest 12-1. With today’s win, UWSP now owns a 4-1 record over the Red Men, and it’s the first time in the school’s history that the Pointers have started out 2-0 in their three finals appearances (1997, 2006, 2007).

“I told our guys that Carthage is a solid program that prides itself on getting to the World Series and that we would need our best game to beat them,” said Bloom. “We learned some lessons last year on what it takes to win here, and (we) are satisfied that we beat a good team and are 2-0.”

By Lucas LeNoble Edgewood College Sports Information Director

Cortland State’s Mike Zgorzelski was an unlikely hero candidate entering the Red Dragon’s elimination contest against defending NCAA Division III Baseball Champion Marietta (32-17) at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis., on Saturday, May 26. Not that Zgorzelski, who entered with a 7-0 record and 3.06 ERA, hadn’t enjoyed a stellar season on the mound, but because he was starting in rightfield due to injuries and had just nine career at-bats at Cortland (41-6).

“Mike is a very good hitter and a solid baseball player and we have known that all along,” said Cortland head coach Joe Brown who continued, “We had hoped to get him more at-bats this season, but due to injuries on the pitching staff, he was too important to us to risk him getting injured playing the field. We didn’t have any doubts about sending him out there today.”

Brown’s confidence paid off on Zgorzelski’s tenth at-bat of the season, when he sent Nate Eschbaugh’s two-strike pitch over the leftfield wall. The solo homer in the top of the seventh inning, which followed a two-hour rain delay three innings earlier, lifted Cortland to a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish during an eventual 9-3 victory that ended Marietta’s title reign and extended the Red Dragon’s season.

“He (Eschbaugh) threw me two curveballs in a row for strikes and I figured a third was coming. I waited on it and hit it hard, but didn’t think it was going out. I just tried to hustle out of the box to make sure I had a double if it hit the wall,” said Zgorzelski of his home run.

Cortland got on the board in the top of the first inning when Steve Nickel singled to centerfield and a seemingly routine throw from the outfield found its way under the gloves of the Marietta pitcher and catcher, allowing Sean Caughey to score from second base. The Pioneers answered with a run in the second inning when Kristian DeJeet singled and came around to score on a fielders choice off the bat of Dominick Winters.

A heavy stream of rain began to pour in the top of the fourth inning and after Marietta recorded the third out, the game went into a 113-minute rain delay with Cortland leading 2-1.

Both teams’ starting pitchers returned to the mound after the delay, although neither pitched more than six innings.

“I don’t think the rain delay figured into the outcome of the game today,” said Marietta head coach Brian Brewer. “They are a very good team from a good conference and an excellent region. They got the extra base hits and timely hits and we didn’t. That was the difference in the game.”

Marietta’s second at-bat after the break produced a pair of runs, as centerfielder Tony Piconke’s RBI single up the middle allowed Ryan Eschbaugh to score from second base to knot the game at 2-2. Eschbaugh stole second two pitches later and designated hitter Tom Doty singled him home give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.

Nickel led off the Cortland sixth with a double and after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, came home to tie the game at 3-3 on a fielders choice from Dan Maycock. Maycock’s 64th RBI of the season set the stage for Zgorzelski to provide the game-winning run on his long ball the next inning.

“His (Zgorzelski) home run ignited us as an offense. We were pretty tight and a little nervous during the game, but that hit just made the pressure disappear and we just went up their looking to hit,” said Maycock.

Maycock would go on to drive in another run in the ninth inning, as Cortland broke the game open with three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth off seven hits.

Eschbaugh commented on Marietta’s season coming to an end, “It is a tough pill to swallow. We had a great run the past few seasons, but we certainly would have liked to play a few more games this weekend. But it was a great run.”

Cortland will face the loser of the UW-Stevens Point vs. Carthage matchup at noon on Sunday, May 27.

Matt Troha
Midwest Conference Sports Information Director

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – It was a question of mind over matter.

Tim Cournoyer just tried to relax. He told himself this at-bat was just like any other. The power of the mind worked, as Cournoyer stroked a key run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday to lift Emory University to a 5-4 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals.

“He gave me something on the outer half of the plate, and I was fortunate enough to hit a line drive,” Cournoyer said of Eastern reliever Jason LaVorgna.

Emory (40-9) advances to play the loser of the Chapman University-Kean University game at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

“I didn’t have to do anything (to get the team ready),” Emory head coach Mike Twardoski said. “The kids took a great batting practice. We took a great infield. They were relaxed. Maybe I was the most nervous guy out there.”

With the game tied at 4-4 heading to the bottom of the eighth, LaVorgna had come on in relief of Eastern starter Jimmy Jagodzinski, who allowed five hits and four runs, none earned, in seven innings. He struck out three and walked three.

Brandon Custer drew a lead-off walk and went to second on a balk. After a strikeout and a flyout, Cournoyer lined a ball just over the outstretched hand of Eastern shortstop Melvin Castillo. It looked like there might be a play at the plate, but Eric O’Toole’s throw to the plate was off-target.

Emory reliever Rich Babb, who came on in the top of the eighth, survived a lead-off single by Zack Thomas in the top of the ninth. He retired the next three batters in order to pick up the win.

“We haven’t played our best game yet, but we were able to come up with a win,” Twardoski said. “A lot of grit is the reason we won this.”

The Eagles jumped on Eastern (38-12) for two runs in the bottom of the first with the help of two throwing errors on third baseman Trey Bongiovanni. With runners at second and third and two out, Sam Cunningham stroked a two-run double to center field to put the Eagles on top.

“He did a heckuva job for us,” Eastern head coach Bill Holowaty said of Bongiovanni, who moved from pitcher to third base and took over the starting job about a month ago. “Here he is. He has to feel like the bum. You feel sorry for him, but if it weren’t for Trey Bongiovanni, we wouldn’t be here.”

The Warriors cut the lead in half in the top of the third when Matt Cooney reached on an error and stole second. Thomas’ single moved Cooney to third and he then scored on a double-play ground ball.

Eastern tied it in the fourth when the Warriors loaded the bases on singles from Randy Re and Shawn Gilblair and a fielding error. Tristan Hobbes’ sacrifice fly then scored Re to tie the game at 2-2.

The Warriors took the lead in the fifth with a pair of runs. Infield singles from Thomas and O’Toole and a ground out put runners at second and third. Gilblair then singled up the middle to score both runners and put the Warriors up 4-2.

That was all the Warriors would get off Emory starter Ian Ganzer, who allowed six hits and four runs, two earned, in seven innings.

Emory then rallied to tie the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. A throwing error allowed lead-off batter Zander Sotiriou to reach and David Hissey followed with a double to score Sotiriou and cut the lead to 4-3. Cooney fielded Dan Molnar’s bunt, but his throw to first was wild and that allowed Hissey to score and tie the game.

By Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director

The two Wisconsin schools in the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship will meet in an intra–state battle on Saturday, after they advanced with first–round victories to highlight Friday's action at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (33–15) opened the tournament with a 2–0 victory over Emory University (39–9), behind a one–hit, complete–game shutout by Pointer pitcher Jordan Zimmerman. The one–hitter was the first in the championship finals since Montclair State University's Dan Olsson one–hit Marietta College in 1984.

Carthage College (37–11), the other Wisconsin school, built an early 6–2 lead, then used a six–run seventh inning to pull away from Eastern Connecticut State University (38–11), en route to a 15–4 win. Carthage pitcher Jeff Livek struck out seven in a complete–game effort, while the Red Men pounded out 18 hits in the victory.

Carthage and Wisconsin–Stevens Point will meet in a winner's bracket game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The other winner's bracket game, at 7:45 p.m., will feature Chapman University (41–6) and Kean University (40–8), after both advanced with wins on Friday.

Chapman overcame a 4–2, fourth–inning deficit to rally past defending national champion Marietta College (32–16). Chapman pitcher Devin Drag improved to 16–0 on the season – the most victories by any Division III pitcher this season – while Kurt Yacko picked up his 10th save of the year in relief. Tyler Dean had two doubles and reached base all five times he was at the plate (two hits, two walks, one hit–by–pitch) on Friday.

The final game on Friday was a classic pitchers' duel, as both hurlers threw complete–game, 12–inning efforts – Daniel Zeffiro struck out nine for victorious Kean University, while Jimmy Dougher struck out six for the State University of New York–Cortland (40–6). Friday's final game went to 12 innings, as Kean scored three runs in the top of the 12th, keyed on a pinch–hit, two–run single by Eric Ammirata, to claim a 4–1 victory.

Saturday's play will begin at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium with two elimination games, as Emory faces Eastern Connecticut State at 10 a.m., and Marietta faces Cortland State at 1:15 p.m.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Eric Ammirata was scheduled to be the starting designated hitter Friday night for Kean University, but head coach Neil Ioviero had a hunch he might need him in a different role.

He was right.

Ammirata finally got into the game in the 12th inning as a pinch–hitter and produced a two–run single that sparked a 4–1 win for the Cougars over Cortland State University in an opening–round game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals.

"He's got that kind of magic," Ioviero said of Ammirata. "Everything he hits finds a hole. He was the right guy in the right place."

Kean (40–8) advances to play Chapman University in a winner's bracket game at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Cortland State (40–6), which has lost all four of its extra–inning contests this season, takes on Marietta in an elimination game at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.

The Cougars got their 12th inning rally started when Dan Mattonelli singled to lead off the frame. A throwing error by Cortland starting pitcher Jimmy Dougher on Dan Gianakas' bunt allowed both runners to be safe. Another bunt moved both runners up 90 feet, and Perry Schatzow was then intentionally walked to load the bases.

Ammirata then hit a high hopper that got over the head of first baseman Travis Robinson and two runners scored to put Kean up 3–1. A squeeze bunt by Ryan Clark plated Schatzow and the Cougars were ahead 4–1.

Ammirata's heroics helped deliver a victory for Kean starter Daniel Zeffiro, who pitched all 12 innings. He allowed four hits, struck out nine and walked five to go to 9–1 on the season. He allowed a one–out walk in the bottom of the 12th but then got Steve Nickel to hit into a game–ending 5–4–3 double play.

"When your two, three, four batters are 0–for–14, it's going to be tough to win a baseball game," Cortland State head coach Joe Brown said.

"(Zeffiro) handled our three, four, five batters exceptionally well. We didn't make enough adjustments."

Cortland starter Jimmy Dougher matched Zeffiro pitch for pitch and also went the distance. He gave up nine hits, struck out six and gave up one intentional walk.

"That's what you have to do in a game like this. You have to match the other pitcher," Ioviero said. "Danny was well–rested. He was ready for something like this. He was outstanding."

At one point, the two starting pitchers combined to retire 17 consecutive batters.

The Cougars grabbed a 1–0 lead in the top of the fourth when Aaron Richard doubled to start the rally. He then scored on Schatzow's single up the middle.

A fielding error started a rally for the Red Dragons that would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Vitalone reached on the error and moved to second on a bunt. After a ground out moved Vitalone to third, he scored on Nickel's single to left field.

Both teams had chances to win the game in the ninth, but both teams left that winning run stranded at third base.

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – There's no true relief for teams playing in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships until the final out of the championship game on Tuesday.

But after a battle like the one that Chapman University and Marietta College staged in the teams' opening game on Friday evening, the Chapman Panthers can feel at least a small sense of relief.

In a battle of two small–college heavyweights, Chapman claimed an 8–4 victory over defending national champion Marietta in the first–round contest at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

"I think it's real important to get that first win," said Chapman coach Tom Tereschuk. "It gives you confidence. You get to relax. Especially when you get that first win over a team like Marietta, I don't know if it's a sense of relief, but it is certainly a feeling that you've accomplished something and gotten off on the right foot. It makes you more eager, relaxed (and) confident about getting into the next game."

The win keeps Chapman (41–6) in the winner's bracket, where they will play on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. Meanwhile, Marietta (32–16) has to now face elimination games the rest of the way, the first coming on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

The Panthers rode the right arm of senior pitcher Devin Drag, one of the top pitchers in the nation, through seven–plus innings. Despite giving up 14 hits, Drag held the Pioneers to just four runs, striking out five while walking one.

"Devin just did a fantastic job of gutting it out and getting seven innings to get the 'W'," Tereschuk said. "He just kept battling, pitch–by–pitch, and got us deep in the game ... Devin kept making the pitches and he was just really a bulldog out there."

Drag improved to 16–0 on the season – the most wins of any Division III pitcher this season – and reliever Kurt Yacko earned his 10th save of the year with two innings of scoreless relief, collecting three strikeouts and retiring all six batters he faced.

By Tereschuk's estimation, Drag threw more than 114 pitches in his seven–plus innings of work, and lasting that deep into the game was a key to Chapman's fortunes.

"It's really important, because first of all, it sets a good tone for the entire team – that in the first game, if you throw a complete game ... or you get deep in the game, so that way we can keep winning and space our pitching out and get ourselves deep in the tournament," Drag said.

The Panthers had to overcome an early deficit, as the teams played even baseball early. Tied at 2–2 in the fourth inning, Marietta's Ryan Eschbaugh stroked a two–run double to right–center, giving the Pioneers the lead.

But Marietta battled back in the fifth, scoring three runs. Tyler Dean stroked his second double of the game, and 20th of the season, to drive in a run, and after an intentional walk to load the bases, Patrick Ohail hit a two–run single. Dean reached base all five times he came to the plate. In addition to his two doubles, he walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Marietta added insurance runs late, scoring a run on a double by Kyle Redding in the seventh and plating two runs on singles by Redding and Stuart Hyman in the eighth. Hyman went 3–for–4 with three RBI in the game, while Redding went 3–for–5 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Marietta starter Tim Knowlton struck out four in 5.1 innings of work, with Nate Eschbaugh and Tyler Penwell pitching in relief.

Danny Jones had three hits for the Pioneers, while Ryan Eschbaugh had a double and triple. Justin Merryman, Brennan Cribbins and Cameron Cimino also had two hits each.

Chapman took the lead in the opening inning, as a double by Hyman plated a run, but Marietta answered with a run–scoring double by Tony Piconke in the bottom of the frame. In the second, Marietta's Merryman doubled and scored on a single by Cimino, but Chapman answered with a run–scoring single by Hyman in the third.

By Don Stoner
Augsburg College Sports Information Director

Game #2 – Carthage College 15 • Eastern Connecticut State University 4

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – It was an offensive performance that left Carthage College coach Augie Schmidt flabbergasted.

"I never saw that comin'," said Schmidt, who watched his team pound out 18 hits en route to a 15–4 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in an opening–round game at the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals.

"After playing close games in the regional, I didn't get comfortable until there were two outs in the ninth. That's not how we play. We're used to playing close games."

Carthage (37–11) advances to play UW–Stevens Point in a winner's bracket game at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Eastern Connecticut (38–11) takes on Emory in an elimination game at 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

The Red Men, who have won a school–record 20 games, jumped on Eastern All–America pitcher Shawn Gilblair in the top of the first. Carthage scored three times, with Tyler Yapp picking up a run–scoring double and Chris Sajdak belting a two–run double.

Yapp, Sajdak and Steve Rucks had three hits apiece for the Red Men, and Rucks drove in three runs.

"It was a frustrating game for us," Eastern coach Bill Holowaty said. "I don't know why we came out and played like that. We were playing some very good baseball. You wouldn't be able to tell by today."

In addition to seeing its pitching staff hit hard by Carthage, the Warriors also committed five errors.

"We got out–pitched. We got outplayed today," Holowaty said.

The Warriors were able to battle back in the bottom of the first, as Melvin Castillo picked up a RBI single to trim the lead to 3–1.

The Red Men started to separate themselves from Eastern in the third by scoring three times. David Hermes, who picked up two hits and drove in three runs, smacked a two–run double down the left field line. David Wuis then drove in another run with a single to right field, and that was it for Gilblair.

"I just didn't have my best stuff," said Gilblair. "That was it."

Carthage starter Jeff Livek kept the Warriors off–balance all afternoon. He went the distance, allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked three.

"I was almost effectively wild," said Livek, who said he exclusively used his fastball and slider. "As long as I kept them guessing enough, they weren't able to sit on a pitch."

After Eastern cut the lead to 6–2 on Castillo's run–scoring groundout in the bottom of the third, Carthage really put the game away in the top of the seventh. Leading 7–2, the Red Men scored six times on five hits in the frame.

After an error, Tyler Creekmore's double and a walk loaded the bases, Boe Baitinger singled to drive in two runs. Rucks then picked up a two–run single to put Carthage up 11–2. Yapp followed with a run–scoring double, and Hermes then singled to score another run and the Red Men led 13–2.

Schmidt told his team it was the underdog and used that to his advantage before the game.

"I played that card," Schmidt said. "(Eastern Connecticut has) four All–Americans and the Player of the Year on the hill, nobody expects us to win."

Eastern added single runs in the seventh and ninth, and Carthage picked up two more in the eighth to finish the scoring.

The victory by Carthage creates a showdown between the two Wisconsin teams in the field of eight.

"I look forward to having two Wisconsin teams battling it out," Schmidt said. "It's going to be a great atmosphere."

Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director

A little over two months after returning from a broken jaw, UW–Stevens Point (33–15) junior pitcher Jordan Zimmermann opened the 2007 NCAA Division III World Series with a jaw–dropping performance, leading the Pointers to a 2–0 victory over Emory University (39–9). The contest opened play at the 2007 World Series, which will unfold at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis., over the course of the Memorial Day weekend.

The 6–2, 205–pound Zimmermann not only twirled the second one–hitter in NCAA Division III World Series history during a complete–game 10–strikeout performance, he also managed to out–hit the Eagles, going 3–for–3 with the game–winning RBI.

UW–Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom commented on Zimmermann's performance, "Championship baseball always comes down to pitching and we have one of the best in Jordan (Zimmermann). I have seen him throw a lot of great games, but this may have been the most complete and impressive."

Emory head coach Mike Twardoski echoed Bloom's sentiments, "You have to tip your hat to their pitcher (Zimmermann), we knew that runs were going to be at a premium today and he showed why he is going to be a high draft pick. He held us to one hit and had the game–winning RBI, but he also did a good job of slowing down our running game when we had chances."

Emory entered the game with 113 stolen bases in 143 attempts, but the Pointers turned a pair of potential opportunities into outs during the game.

Emory leadoff man David Hissey was thrown out by UW–Stevens Point catcher Ben Warwick trying to steal second after Hissey was hit by a pitch in the game's first at–bat.

The Eagles' best scoring chance came in the eighth inning when they put two runners on with one out, as Brandon Custer was hit by a pitch and Bo Schill drew a walk. Zimmermann promptly picked off the runner at first base for the second out of the inning and then induced a popout in foul territory down the third–base line to end the threat.

"He (Zimmermann) has a good pickoff move, but there is never any excuse for getting picked off. The stolen base attempt was the right call, their catcher just made a perfect throw," added Twardoski.

Brad Archambeau led off the game for the Pointers by reaching base on a fielding error and came around to score when Zimmermann's double to the gap in left field rolled to the wall.

The Pointers added an insurance tally in the fourth, as Ryan Byrnes plated Zimmermann with a sacrifice fly to right field. The winning pitcher had managed to beat a throw to third base on a sacrifice bunt two batters earlier.

Frank Pfister registered Emory's lone hit in the contest, finding the hole between third base and short to open the fifth inning.

"All my pitches were working well today, especially my changeup against their lefties," said Zimmermann who continued, "This performance ranks among the best in my career. I have had a few no–hitters, but never against a team of this caliber on a stage like this."

Jason Glushon took the loss for Emory, as the senior allowed one earned run on eight hits during a complete–game effort.

Zimmermann joins Dan Olsson of Montclair State as the only other player to record a one–hitter in NCAA Division III World Series history. Olsson edged future major leaguer Terry Mulholland and his Marietta teammates in 1984.

UW–Stevens Point will face the winner of Carthage College and Eastern Connecticut State University at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday (May 26).

Emory, whose lone losing streak of the season peaked at three games, will play an elimination contest against the loser of the Carthage vs. Eastern Connecticut matchup at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Two teams will have the home–field advantage when the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship gets under way Friday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Carthage College and the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point are the two Wisconsin representatives in the field of eight teams. This marks only the second time in the eight–year history of the finals at Fox Cities Stadium that a pair of Wisconsin teams have qualified. Host school UW–Oshkosh and Lakeland College both participated in 2002.

Carthage (36–11), champion of the Bloomington, Ill., Regional, is arguably the hottest team in Division III. The Red Men have won a school–record 19 games for coach Augie Schmidt. UW–Stevens Point (32–15) returns to the finals for the second consecutive season under head coach Pat Bloom. The Pointers knocked off Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW–Oshkosh in the title game of the Wisconsin Rapids Regional.

Stevens Point opens the tournament at 10:00 a.m. Friday by taking on Emory University (39–8). The Atlanta, Ga., school is one of seven schools in the field to have played in the finals here before. Emory is making its third appearance in Appleton.

Eastern Connecticut State University (38–10) faces Carthage in the 1:15 p.m. game on Friday. The Warriors ran roughshod over the field to win the Harwich, Mass., Regional. Eastern's closest game was a three–run victory, and the Warriors beat Keene State College 18–3 in the title game. Eastern is playing in Appleton for the fifth time in eight years and took the title here in 2002.

Defending national champion Marietta College (32–15) takes on another former champ, Chapman University (40–6), at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Marietta, which won the Strongsville, Ohio, Regional, is looking for its fifth national title and is attempting to be the first team to win back–to–back crowns since Rowan University did it in 1978 and 1979. Chapman, which won the Orange, Calif., Regional on its home turf, has made Appleton its home away from home. The Panthers are playing in the finals here for the sixth time and won the title in 2003.

The lone newcomer to Fox Cities Stadium is Kean University (39–8), which is making its first finals appearance. Kean got a dramatic extra–inning victory over Johns Hopkins University to win the Boyertown, Pa., Regional. Kean takes on the State University of New York–Cortland (40–5) in the 7:45 p.m. game on Friday, and the Red Dragons are no strangers to Fox Cities Stadium. Cortland, champions of the Auburn, N.Y., Regional, is making its fourth trip to Appleton and has the longest active streak in the nation of 15 straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.

APPLETON, Wis. –– Donations will be taken for the Bluffton College baseball team memorial fund during the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The baseball championship, being hosted by Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, begins Friday and concludes with Tuesday's championship game.

The Bluffton baseball team was involved in a bus accident early March 2, in Atlanta, Ga. The bus, carrying 35 student–athletes, coaches and bus drivers, was on its way to Sarasota, Fla., for the Beavers' doubleheader with Eastern Mennonite University. The team was then scheduled to go to Fort Myers, Fla., to participate in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

Seven passengers were killed in the crash. The victims were Bluffton student–athletes Zachary Arend, David Betts, Scott Harmon, Cody Holp and Tyler Williams and bus driver Jerome Niemeyer, and his wife, Jean Niemeyer.

The Bluffton baseball team voted unanimously to continue its season, and on March 30, the Beavers took the field, wearing black uniforms to honor their fallen teammates.

The memorial fund will enable the college to make enhancements to recently renamed Bluffton University Memorial Field and establish a permanent memorial to the victims.

Lawrence University, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and the residents of the Fox Valley region, along with the entire NCAA Division III baseball community, extend their thoughts and sympathy to the Bluffton University family and all of those affected by this tragic accident.