http://www.d3sports.com RSS Feed for www.d3sports.com en-us D3sports.com RSS Software 1.1 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:15:00 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/07/03/6718/heisey-a-future-all-star.html Triple-A Louisville outfielder Chris Heisey was selected to participate in the All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis.

"It's tough to have a better week than what Chris had," said Bryan Engle, Messiah head baseball coach. "Both (being promoted and being named to the Futures Game) are huge. Chris has continued to climb the ladder within the Reds organization, and he's now a step away (from the major leagues). Talent-wise, he's right there. You're the next door neighbor to the big-league team. And I don't mean that geographically."

It's been a dominating season for Heisey who made the jump to the top minor league team in the Cincinnati Red's organization last week. Heisey was the Carolina Mudcat's top batter, batting .347 with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .426 on-base percentage in 71 games before his promotion. In six games for the Louisville Bats, Heisey has continues his hot hitting with a .348 (8-23) batting average in six games.

:fsv:right:box:The 24-year-old Heisey, a 17th-round selection by the Reds in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, was ranked at or near the top of the Southern League in numerous offensive categories before his promotion. Heisey has led the Southern League batting race for several weeks, while appearing in the top five in a multitude of other offensive categories. Prior to being sent to Louisville, Heisey was fourth in home runs (13), first in hits (94), second in on-base percentage (.426), first in slugging (.572), second in extra base hits (33), and first in runs scored (54).

The 11th annual XM All-Star Futures Game, which pits the best Minor League prospects from the United States against the best from the rest of the world, will be held at Busch Stadium on Sunday, July 12, at 2 p.m. ET. The Futures Game rosters are selected by Baseball America, the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com and all 30 major league clubs. Every major league organization must be represented by at least one player, but no club is allowed to send more than two. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:22:59 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/07/03/6718/heisey-a-future-all-star.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/25/6709/cowart-a-hit-with-monarchs.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- It is past midnight and still the lights remain off as Lake Erie Monarch's Alex Cowart gets his first at-bat of the game. It is a night game by the start time but you cannot tell by the light at 1 a.m., it is the Midnight Sun Game. With Cowart at the plate, the Alaska Goldpanners close out a 6-3 win but that does not dampen Cowarts enthusiasm about the game that many consider a must see for every baseball fan. "It is exciting," said Cowart. "There is a ton of people here, maybe 3,000." By the time the game started, Cowart's prediction was off by only 500 as 3,500 squeezed in Growden Field for the 104th Midnight Sun Game.

The Monarch's of the Great Lakes League, have traveled north to spend two weeks playing teams in the Alaska League and Fairbanks is their last stop on the tour. Joining Cowart are Heidleberg players Brian Koehl, Ricky Lizcano, as they test themselves against D-I and D-II competition and leaving the aluminum bats behind in favor of traditional wood bats. "It is a lot tougher than I am use to," said Cowart. The pitchers throw faster in this league."

Hampered by an elbow injury, the D3baseball.com All-American outfielder is spending less time in the field and more as the teams designated hitter. "It [the elbow] started hurting before the regional," said Cowart. "I have a little pain but everything is good. I just got to rest it."

:fsv:left:box:As his elbow heals, Cowart is looking forward to next year and Adrian's chances for the 2010 National Championship trophy. "We have great expectations next year." "We are losing [Todd] Meyers, a great leader, but we have Ryan Domschot, Nick VanDike and Nate Sarkissian coming back and I think we can win it all." You can see the fire in his eyes when Cowart says, "It is not enough to finish in the top 25, we want to get back to the Championship and win it."

Around the Bases: Forest City right-handed pitcher and Lynchburg Hornet, Bryan Breedlove threw a complete Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:30:13 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/25/6709/cowart-a-hit-with-monarchs.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6675/back-to-the-top.html Dan Leslie singled through the left side with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning, bringing Matt Olson home with the winning run and giving St. Thomas its second Division III baseball national championship as the Tommies beat Wooster 3-2. Second game photo gallery.

Despite a heroic performance by Wooster starter Mark Miller, who went the full 11-1/3 innings for the Scots, allowing just three runs, it was Brandon Stone who was the true pitching hero of the second game. He made his first appearance since the MIAC tournament and came up with seven innings of three-hit, shutout relief to earn the win. Scoreboard.

:google:leftt:box:It was a tournament where the fundamentals mattered, Pat Coleman writes, and the Tommies and Scots each made the little things count. Also, there were more moments to remember in Appleton than one could count.

Championships toolbar: Follow D3baseball.com on Twitter | D3baseball.com All-American team | Monday's front page | Sunday's front page | Saturday's front page | Friday's front page

St. Thomas took a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth in the first game with yet another suicide squeeze and Tommies ace Matt Schuld made it stand up in the bottom half to send the 2009 Division III baseball season to one final deciding game. Wooster had rallied with three runs to tie it up in the bottom of the eighth at the Division III baseball championship. First game photo gallery.

St. Thomas scored on a Louie Salmen squeeze bunt in the top of the fourth and added a run on catcher Brady Field's single to take a 2-0 lead. Wooster answered in the bottom of the fifth when Shane Swearingen's double brought home Michael DeBord. The Tommies added two more in the top of the seventh. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:04:00 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6675/back-to-the-top.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/28/6711/carthage-shococked-by-schissel-death.html Carthage pitcher Sam Schissel died on June 27 at his home in Somers, Wis., following a 10-day illness with flu or pneumonia-like symptoms. The left-handed pitcher, who would have celebrated his 19h birthday on June 28, sat out the 2009 season after transferring from the University of Minnesota in January 2009.

Schissel was named 2008 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association first-team all-state and first-team All-Southeast Conference on a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 state-championship team. He compiled an 8-0 record with a 1.88 earned run average in 15 appearances and eight starts. Schissel attended Park High School in Racine, Wis., his junior year and was named first-team all-conference with a 3-2 mark and a 1.33 ERA.

"Sam was a very talented pitcher, a great competitor, and we considered him a part of us," said Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV. "For a kid who never played in the program, he touched a Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:57:46 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/28/6711/carthage-shococked-by-schissel-death.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/17/6707/.html This summer, D3baseball.com will follow some D-III players as they wind their way through the summer playing a little summer baseball. In our first installment, we have this update on Chapman outfielder John Semel.

By Travis Cross

When most college students are at the beach or in an office completing an internship over the summer, a few athletes get the opportunity to play summer baseball. No class, no responsibility except coming to the park to play every day. John Semel, a D3baseball.com All-American from Chapman, is one of these lucky few.

Semel plays for the Green Bay Bullfrogs in the Northwoods League; at least for now. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 26th round on June 10th, finding out the news just after his team had taken the field for batting practice. He's currently undecided on his future, as he still has two years remaining in his NCAA eligibility.

:google:right:box:The Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:24:41 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/17/6707/.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/15/6698/2009-division-iii-draftees.html Nineteen players were selected in the 2009 MLB draft from Division III schools.

Robert Whitenack, RHP, SUNY-Old Westbury
Chicago Cubs, eighth round, No. 260 overall
Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 185
Bats: Right. Throws: Right
Hometown: North Massapequa, N.Y.

Whitenack was the first-ever Panther to be drafted by a major league team and was the first Division III player taken in the 2009 draft.

A junior, Whitenack appeared in 35 games the past three seasons, making 24 starts including six complete games and three shutouts. On April 28, 2008, against Polytechnic, he tossed a 14-strikeout no-hitter in an 11-0 victory.

:google:right:box:This season he posted a 2.81 ERA in leading the Panthers to a program-best 27-13 record. In 67.1 innings he posted a career-high 5-2 record, registering 79 strikeouts and holding the opposition to a .190 batting average. For his career, Whitenack went 12-10 with a 3.03 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 183.1 innings.

Whitenack finished his collegiate career as Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:43:00 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/15/6698/2009-division-iii-draftees.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/15/6701/ncac-commissioner-dies-of-a-heart-attack.html Dennis Collins, commissioner of the North Coast Athletic Conference passed away suddenly, Sunday, June 14, from a heart attack.

Collins became the conference's first and only commissioner when the league began its first playing season in 1984. For 25 years, he led one of the most successful conferences in all three divisions of the NCAA.

He was a respected national leader and has served as president of the NCAA Division III Commissioners Association, a group he helped to organize in 1989. From 1992-96, he served as a member of the NCAA Council, the national association's equivalent of a board of directors. In the same period, he chaired the NCAA Dist. IV Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, served on the Division Special Restructuring Taskforce and in 1999, completed a six-year term on the NCAA Interpretations Committee. He was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Award from the Div. III Commissioners' Association in 2006. He was a Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:02:29 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/15/6701/ncac-commissioner-dies-of-a-heart-attack.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/09/6690/mlb-draft-starts-today.html Old Westbury's ace, junior Robert Whitenack became the first D-III player selected in the 2009 MLB first-year player draft. Whitenack, an eighth round selection by the Chicago Cubs, was the 260th overall selection in the MLB first-year player draft. Whitenack, the ECAC Pitcher of the Year, led the Panthers to a program-best, 27-13 overall record (13-3 Skyline) in 2009. Check out all 19 draft picks from 2009.

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It would be six more rounds before Whitenack would have some company and it would come from another team in the New York region. The Minnesota Twins made Matt Tone, Cortland State the second D-III player taken, No. 432 overall.

:fsv:left:box:Jack Walker, Concordia (Ill.) was the first position player drafted. Walker, a standout third baseman for the Cougars was drafted in the 20th round by the Washington Nationals. Other players drafted in the late rounds on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:56:28 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/09/6690/mlb-draft-starts-today.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/08/6689/frostburg-to-join-cac-in-july-2010.html Frostburg State has accepted an invitation to become a member of the Capital Athletic Conference, it was announced by Frostburg State President Jonathan Gibralter and Capital Athletic Conference Commissioner Tom Byrnes. Frostburg will become an official member of the league on July 1, 2010, and start athletic competition that fall.

Frostburg State will be the seventh school playing baseball in the CAC, joining Salisbury, St. Mary's (Md), Stevenson, York, Mary Washington, and Wesley. Frostburg State is currently a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, which encompasses schools primarily from western Pennsylvania and western New York and remain in AMCC for the 2009-10 athletic year.

"Entry into the CAC represents a new era for Frostburg State Athletics that will improve our competitiveness and expand our range of sports," Gibralter said. "In addition, the schools that represent the CAC are in our recruitment area, making it easier for Frostburg State to attract Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:26:48 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/08/6689/frostburg-to-join-cac-in-july-2010.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/06/6685/uw-la-crosse-plans-to-eliminate-baseball.html The UW-La Crosse plans to eliminate baseball and men's tennis later this year.

UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow broke the news on Friday. "Regrettably, I am writing now to let you know that we are moving to discontinue our baseball and men's tennis programs. I use the phrase 'moving to' because WIAC rules require us to discuss any plans to delete a sport with the WIAC commissioner and chancellors before formally ending a program. Next Wednesday the WIAC chancellors group will confer by telephone and at that point I will provide my colleagues with formal notification of our plans," said Gow.

"As bad as I feel, we are part of the institution, we are part of the state and we are on the table to be discussed for elimination like any unit on campus," said Joe Baker, UW-La Crosse's athletic director. UW-La Crosse has to make $400,000 in cuts because of Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:36:33 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/06/06/6685/uw-la-crosse-plans-to-eliminate-baseball.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6676/lets-play-two-tommies-force-final-game.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- In a game for the ages, St. Thomas walked off in the 12th inning with a 3-2 win over Wooster to win the 2009 NCAA D-III Baseball Championship. St. Thomas became the first team since 2003 to force a second championship game with a 6-4 win earlier in the day.

"We consider ourselves very fortunate and lucky as [Wooster] was very good also," said St. Thomas coach Dennis Denning. "You want to play in big games. We finished at the end of the year playing in the biggest game of the year and won two."

In a tournament that seemed to be missing a memorable head-to-head pitching performance, the championship game did not disappoint. Mark Miller pitched a complete game for the Scots, giving up 12 hits over 11-plus innings and look the loss. "For three years [Miller] has done a phenomenal job and had Wed, 27 May 2009 23:08:26 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6676/lets-play-two-tommies-force-final-game.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6677/little-things-add-up-for-tommies.html By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- From the first day of practice in the winter, coaches stress the fundamentals of baseball.

If you've played the game, coached the game, or followed it closely you know the drill: Baseball's so-called little things include hitting behind the runner, getting bunts down, throwing to the right base on balls hit to the outfield or hitting the cutoff man.

Here in Appleton, a lot of the little things didn't happen. Early on in the championships, seemingly basic plays were at issue, such as retiring the batter who's trying to sacrifice. Trinity (Conn.) and Farmingdale State each went two-and-out, committing seven errors apiece.

:google:right:box:"Certainly from a defensive standpoint, we not only didn't throw, we didn't catch either," Bantams coach Bill Decker said after his team committed six errors in an opening-round loss to Kean.

But when the dust settled, the two most fundamentally sound teams were left standing, Thu, 28 May 2009 22:30:30 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/26/6677/little-things-add-up-for-tommies.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6672/st-thomas-bounces-back-with-win.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- St. Thomas shook off a loss last night to stay alive in the 2009 NCAA D-III Baseball Championship with a 3-1 win over Carthage. St. Thomas (39-13) will play the winner of the Wooster-Chapman game at noon on Tuesday. Carthage ends their season with a 38-9 record.

"It is weird how baseball works," said Carthage head coach Augie Schimdt. "We played our best game today and lost."

Both starters, St. Thomas' John Licht and Carthage's Andy Pucher, were effective from the first pitch. Licht scattered seven hits for the complete game win. Pucher went 6.1 innings giving up three runs on four hits to take the loss. Pitcher Bryan Kieffer finished the game for the Red Men.

"Licht gave us a complete game to keep everyone [our bullpen] ready," St. Thomas coach Dennis Denning said. "He was ahead in the count and accurate with this fastball. Licht Mon, 25 May 2009 16:12:23 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6672/st-thomas-bounces-back-with-win.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6668/wooster-stays-unbeaten.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Wooster defeated St. Thomas, 3-0, at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship to advance the title game on Tuesday. Before Wooster plays for the title, the Scots will face Chapman at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. St. Thomas faces Carthage in an elimination game at noon.

Wooster, which will play for the national championship for the first time since finishing second in 1997, got a great pitching performance from Matt DeGrand. DeGrand went seven innings, allowing only three hits while striking out three and walking none.

"Great college baseball game," said Wooster head coach Tim Pettorini. "Matt just pitched tremendously. He was throwing three pitches for strikes and really controlling the strike zone. You have to against them. He kept them off balance and really pitched a phenomenal game."

:google:right:box:DeGrand gave credit to assistant coach Mon, 25 May 2009 00:43:58 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6668/wooster-stays-unbeaten.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6669/pair-of-unlikely-aces-come-up-big.html By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- In order to get to the championship game of a double-elimination, eight-team tournament, a team needs, among other things, strong pitching performances.

And unless a team comes into Appleton with three healthy aces, that means at least one pitching performance can be deemed an unlikely one.

Sunday night's winner's bracket final delivered not one, but two such pitchers.

Matt DeGrand, the No. 4 starter for Wooster, hadn't started a game since April 23, hadn't thrown six innings since April 5 and had only two seven-inning appearances all season.

:fsv:right:box:And Dan Leslie, who got the call for St. Thomas, had pitched in just one game all season. It was a big one, a complete-game victory against St. Olaf in the Midwest Regional clincher, but otherwise, Leslie has been the Tommies' third baseman.

DeGrand, a junior right-hander, is a standout outside linebacker for the Scots football team as Mon, 25 May 2009 11:14:38 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6669/pair-of-unlikely-aces-come-up-big.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6671/bats-bats-and-more-bats.html Wooster swung the bats early and often, defeating Chapman 11-7 and ensuring that St. Thomas will have to beat the Scots twice on Tuesday to win the 2009 Division III baseball national championship. Photo gallery.

Sean Karpen went 2-for-3 with three walks and Luke Sutton went 3-for-3 to keep the Scots perfect in Appleton. Jordan Sigman got the start for the Panthers and gave up six runs, four earned, before being knocked out of the game without recording an out in the second.

Chapman was unable to use its ace in the championships round, as he is still nursing an undiagnosed injury. Jim Dixon and Pat Coleman sat down with Wayde Kitchens following the Panthers' elimination.

Freshman John Licht carried St. Thomas, guaranteeing the Tommies one more day in Appleton. He threw a complete game, limiting Carthage to seven hits and one walk while striking out six as St. Thomas won 3-1. Photo Wed, 27 May 2009 22:37:53 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6671/bats-bats-and-more-bats.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6673/wooster-offense-too-much-for-chapman.html In a Jekyll and Hyde day, it was pitching in the early game and offense in the late contest. Wooster's offense took control of the game from the first swing as the Scots roll into the Championship game with a 11-7 win over Chapman. With the win, Wooster will face St. Thomas at noon on Tuesday in the 2009 NCAA D-III championship game. The Tommies will have to defeat the Scots twice to claim their second national championship in baseball, while Wooster only needs one win for a Walnut and Bronze trophy of their own.

"Were excited to be in the position we are in," said Wooster head coach Tim Pettorini. "We wanted this game bad, you have to give our kids credit."

Wooster scored in the first four innings to build a 11-4 lead. Sean Karpen's performance was a highlight in Wooster's fast start. The Wooster centerfielder was 2-2 with a Tue, 26 May 2009 12:19:53 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6673/wooster-offense-too-much-for-chapman.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6674/.html Wayde Kitchens came into the season as a D3baseball.com All-American and left the season as a D3baseball.com All-American.

But he was injured and could not pitch in the Division III baseball championships.

"We had to play the last half of the season without him," said Chapman coach Tom Tereschuk. "It doesn't seem to be anything that requires any surgery. He kept trying to get back, but he's kind of back to square one.

"He is going to continue to do whatever he can to help the team and we'll just see."

:google:left:box:Those sorts of things included being the Panthers' de facto bullpen coach, shagging foul balls and coaching first base.

D3baseball.com's Jim Dixon and Pat Coleman sat down with the Chapman ace following the team's elimination from the tournament. Hear Kitchens' take on his injury, his pro ball hopes and his favorite career memories in a D3baseball.com podcast with Wayde Kitchens. Mon, 25 May 2009 20:59:34 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/25/6674/.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6663/tommies-pound-way-past-shenandoah.html By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Shenandoah starter Josh Simons walked two batters who were trying to sacrifice.

Center fielder Kevin Brashears chased down a ball in the gap, only to have the fly ball hit off his head.

First baseman Greg Van Sickler and pitcher Bryce Sears got their signals crossed, allowing Matt McQuillan to reach on an infield grounder. The next batter, Matt Olson, singled to score two and Roy Larson followed with a bomb to left field to score three.

"He was throwing in the low 90s. Unfortunately he couldn't get anything below the belt," said Shenandoah coach Kevin Anderson. "His curve ball was elevated and he had trouble in the zone. By far that was the worst start of his career. Unfortunately it was in the College World Series."

The list of things that went wrong for Shenandoah on Saturday night was long. St. Thomas scored in each of the Mon, 25 May 2009 00:25:43 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6663/tommies-pound-way-past-shenandoah.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6664/an-arms-race-to-the-end.html Matt DeGrand and Justin McDowell combined on a four-hitter and Wooster guaranteed itself a spot in the championship game with a 3-0 win against St. Thomas on Sunday night. Photo gallery.

It was a great performance for a pitcher who hadn't started since April 23. DeGrand worked to rebuild his fastball after being dropped from the rotation, the pitcher said after the game.

Wooster remained undefeated at 3-0 in the championships and will play Chapman at 3:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, after St. Thomas and Carthage meet in an elimination game at noon CDT. Monday's schedule.

In earlier Sunday action, catcher Mike Hughes hit a shot to left-center field in the 11th inning to lift Carthage past Shenandoah 9-8 in an elimination game. Photo gallery.

Down 6-1 to Carthage after an inning and a half, and with its closer on the mound to start the game, Shenandoah nonetheless rallied to tie and send it Tue, 26 May 2009 10:46:45 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6664/an-arms-race-to-the-end.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6665/semel-runs-then-shuts-door-on-kean.html By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Chapman ran wild on Kean starter Joe Bartlinski before Ryan Prechtl chased him with a two-run bomb as the Panthers defeated the Cougars 7-5 in an elimination game on Sunday afternoon at the Division III baseball championships.

John Semel closed the door, striking out four and allowing one run in three innings for his ninth save.

Chapman got on the board in the bottom of the second as second baseman Tyler Hadzinsky reached with a two-out single and came around on a double off the left-center field wall by catcher Joe Lehman. The Panthers got another two-out run in the fourth when Hadzinsky singled, stole second and third and came home on a throwing error by Kean catcher Mike Manganiello. A third two-out run in the fifth inning, started by a single and a stolen base from Semel, gave Chapman a 3-0 lead.

:google:right:box:"With two outs Mon, 25 May 2009 00:26:21 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6665/semel-runs-then-shuts-door-on-kean.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6666/.html Grand Chute, Wisc. -- Carthage built a lead over Shenanadoah and let it slip away by the end of regulation. Mike Hughes' home run in the 11th inning decided the game, sending Shenandoah (38-10) back to Winchester, Virginia and giving Carthage (39-8) another game in the 2009 NCAA D-III Baseball Championship. Carthage will face St. Thomas at a time to be determined.

"Anytime you get a big lead and it slips away, it is so hard to get that dang momentum back," said Carthage head coach Augie Schmidt. "Until Hughes hit his home run we could not get over the hump."

Carthage started the scoring in the first. Chris Shannon walked and moved to third on John Lequia's double. After a Mike Hughes walk, Dave Roberts' single off of the glove of the Shenandoah's first baseman broght in Shannon and Lequia for a 2-0 lead. Shenandoah came back with a run Mon, 25 May 2009 00:24:52 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/24/6666/.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6658/tommies-open-with-a-bang.html GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- St. Thomas exploded for five runs in the fifth inning and Matt Schuld threw a complete-game five-hitter as the Tommies defeated Chapman 9-1 in Friday's final opening-round game at Time Warner Cable Field.

The Tommies move on to face Shenandoah in a winner's bracket game Saturday evening, while Chapman plays Saturday afternoon against Farmingdale State in an elimination game.

St. Thomas got the scoring going early. Leadoff batter Matt McQuillan reached on a single to right and moved to third on a double down the left-field line by Matt Olson. Roy Larson brought the first run home with a sacrifice fly, and Dan Leslie knocked a grounder through the hole at third base to bring the second run home.

:google:right:box:Chapman wasted an opportunity in the third inning. Joe Lehman led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Ryan Hall. But Ryan Prechtl popped up to second. Sat, 23 May 2009 01:08:00 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6658/tommies-open-with-a-bang.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6659/facing-elimination.html "In Division III especially, if you don't beat yourself, you're going to win a lot of ballgames."

That's how St. Thomas coach Dennis Denning put it late Saturday night after his Tommies turned three double plays and played error-free baseball in beating Shenandoah 16-5. Photo gallery.

The Tommies continue on to face fellow unbeaten Wooster, which crushed Kean 14-1 in Saturday's other winner's bracket game. Photo gallery.

The Tommies chased Hornets starter Josh Simons after the first three batters reached in the third inning, then opened up a 16-2 lead after six innings before coasting the rest of the way.

Mark Miller threw seven shutout innings in Wooster's win and Stu Beath, Zack Vesco and Shane Swearingen had three hits apiece for the Scots.

Division III baseball hasn't had a repeat champion in 30 years, and we'll have to wait at least one more year before we see another.

Trinity (Conn.) saw its title defense end Mon, 25 May 2009 13:18:40 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6659/facing-elimination.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6660/bantams-bounced-on-red-mens-slam.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- After Friday's lackluster day of baseball, Carthage and Trinity (Conn.) changed that in the first game on the second day of the 2009 NCAA D-III Baseball Championship. Carthage escaped from two bases-loaded jams and found the big hit in John Lequia's grand slam to advance in the losers bracket with a 10-1 win over Trinity. The loss ends Trinity's title defense and makes the Bantams the third team in three years to go 0-2 in Appleton the year after winning the national championship.

Both starting pitchers were in control through the first four innings as the Bantams' Derek Anderson and the Red Men's Jord Jaehne-Llanas matched goose eggs on the scoreboard.

:google:left:box:Trinity had the advantage at the plate but were unable to find the clutch hit to break the tie. In the second inning, with runners on first and second with one out, Kevin Mortimer Sun, 24 May 2009 17:01:24 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6660/bantams-bounced-on-red-mens-slam.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6661/farmingdales-tourney-trip-a-short-one.html By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- By the time Farmingdale State adjusted to being in the Division III baseball championships, it was all over. The first-time World Series participant found itself bounced from the postseason on Saturday afternoon, losing to Chapman 4-2.

Chapman starting pitcher Matt Irsfeld threw a complete-game six-hitter, retiring the final nine batters in order to salvage an afternoon in which the Panthers never got it going offensively, scoring just two earned runs.

"The key to this win was Matt going out there and doing a great job from start to finish," said Chapman coach Tom Tereschuk. "We didn't do a lot for him offensively to give him slack."

What Chapman (31-17) did do was take advantage of Farmingdale's mistakes. The Panthers scored in the bottom half of the seventh after a pair of sacrifice attempts Farmingdale was unable to take advantage of. Ryan Hall was hit by a pitch Sun, 24 May 2009 17:03:51 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6661/farmingdales-tourney-trip-a-short-one.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6662/single-runs-add-up-for-wooster.html By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Wooster stayed unbeaten in two games with a 12-1 win over Kean. Wooster scored in six innings while Mark Miller pitched shutout seven innings for the Scot's. Wooster will face the winner of the St.Thomas/Shenandoah game later tonight while Kean falls to face Chapman in an elimination game.

"We knew we would have to play our best against them," said Wooster head coach Tim Pettorini. "We felt this was our best game of the year. I hope we have another in us tomorrow." Kean head coach Neil Ioviero agreed. "There wasn't much stopping them, we got beat by a better team."

Wooster got on board first as they built a 2-0 lead. In the first inning, John Warren singled and moved to third on Stu Beath's double down the right line. Warren then scored on on a Matt Groezinger sacrifice fly. The Scots added to their Thu, 28 May 2009 18:26:45 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/23/6662/single-runs-add-up-for-wooster.html http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/22/6654/live-from-wisconsin.html GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Kean survived a Trinity (Conn.) rally to win 8-5 and Wooster put four on the board in the sixth inning of our opening game and cruised to an 8-1 win against Carthage. Sean Karpen went deep twice and added a two-run double to pace the Scots, who touched up Red Men starter Mario Perez for six runs in 5-1/3 innings. Photo galleries from Carthage-Wooster, Kean-Trinity, Shenandoah-Farmingdale State and St. Thomas-Chapman.

Pedro Rivera got the start for Kean, while D3baseball.com Pitcher of the Year Jeremiah Bayer labored through eight and a third innings, allowing eight runs, though just four of them were earned thanks to six Bantam errors. Kean took advantage of four Trinity errors to put up six runs in the first seven trips to the plate, giving the Cougars a 6-2 lead. Trinity rallied with three in the bottom of the seventh on four walks Sun, 24 May 2009 12:39:34 EDT http://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2009/05/22/6654/live-from-wisconsin.html