(Courtesy Chris Nelson/GoArgos.com)

CARY, N.C. – History was made at the USA Baseball National Training Complex on Saturday in Cary, N.C., as the University of West Florida baseball team won its first-ever national championship in a 12-2 win over Winona State.  The Argonauts surged ahead with four runs in the first and ran away with the win to claim the trophy.  The national championship is the first baseball title in school history and the sixth across all sports at UWF.

Senior Daniel Vargas-Vila (Jacksonville, Fla./Wallace State CC-Dothan) (16-1) won his 16th game of the year and allowed just two runs in eight innings.  The right-hander earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament, earning two wins and allowing just two runs in 16 innings.  Vargas-Vila was relieved by senior closer Shane Waller (Bryceville, Fla./Northwest Florida State), who struck out the side in the ninth and clinched UWF’s first-ever baseball national championship.

Winona State starter Kodey Simon (8-3) received the loss, allowing seven runs, three earned, in four innings.  The Argonauts rallied for five more runs off four Warrior pitchers over the final five innings.

Read More: GoArgos.com

The victory is the first national title for the USI baseball program and the second national championship for the University. The first team national championship for the Screaming Eagles came in 1995 by the men’s basketball team.

USI won 42 of its last 49 games on its way to the title and went 13-2 in the post-season (GLVC and NCAA II Tournaments).

The Triton struck first in the opening frame with a pair of runs to lead 2-0. The Eagles bounced back with three runs in the top of the third. Senior rightfielder Caleb Ehmke (Waterloo, Illinois) cut the deficit in half, crossing the plate with USI’s first run when sophomore shortstop Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) reached on a fielder’s choice.

USI took the lead for good, 3-2, on a two-run, bases-loaded, double by junior designated hitter Todd Martin (Rockport, Indiana).

The Eagles increased the margin to three with a pair of tallies in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Vance. Vance’s three RBIs gave him the USI single-season record of 70 on the season, passing the 68 by teammate and junior catcher Dylan Mooney (St. Charles, Missouri) this year. Mooney was the first to pass the school record of 64 which was set by Jason Krack in 1994.

Vance drove in junior first baseman Adam Enright (Hammond, Indiana) and junior center-fielder Justin Blinn (Vincennes, Indiana), who had singled and doubled to start the fourth.

USI upped the advantage to 6-2 when Martin scored from third when UCSD right-hander Guido Knudson balked. Martin had opened the seventh with a walk and advanced to third on a single by senior shortstop Wandy Rosario (Boston, Massachusetts) and a fielder’s choice by junior leftfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana).

The  six runs were all junior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana) needed. Leach (12-1) got the Eagles through seven innings (and one batter in the eighth), allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks. The 12 wins also ties Leach with junior right-hander Taylor Dennis (Covington, Indiana) for the USI single-season record for wins.

Junior right-hander Dan Marcacci (Jupiter, Florida) came on to relieve Leach in the eighth and go the final six outs.

Dennis, who won his 12^th on Friday over Georgia College and State University to get the Eagles to the title game, was named the championship series Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the NCAA II National Championship Series All-Tournament team by Blinn, Vance, Rosario, Martin, and senior third baseman Wes Fink (Clarksville, Tennessee).

– Courtesy Southern Indiana Athletics

Kelvin Clark hit three of the home runs, a two-run shot in the Mocs’ six-run third inning, a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run blast in the eighth.  Trae Gore had a pair of homers, one in the third and one in the eighth.  Wade Kirkland hit a solo homer in the fourth.

The top three batters in the Moccasin lineup – Gore, Colin Kaline and Clark – each had three hits in the game (going 9-15), combined to score seven runs and drive in seven.  Tony Mitchell had a pair of hits and drove in two runs.

The six-run third inning gave Moccasin starter Eddie Sipple all the runs he needed to earn his fifth win without a loss this season.  He pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out 11, walking one and scattering six hits.  Daniel Tillman worked the final two innings, striking out four.

Sunday’s home run barrage raised the Moccasins’ season total to 36 in 23 games.  Now owning a five-game winning streak, the Moccasins (21-2) play Minn.-Duluth Wednesday night at 7 at Henley Field.

Lynn finishes the season with a record of 46-16, while Emporia State closes with a 49-14 mark.

Kahnle was among five Lynn players selected to the All-Tournament Team, joined by Wright, Crowe, Flores and MacDougall. Graham, Lane and White represented Emporia State on the All-Tournament Team. Also selected were Spencer Sobol of Belmont Abbey, Daniel Pembroke of Dowling and Josh Tanner of UC San Diego.

Both Lynn and Emporia State entered the championship game unbeaten in the National Finals. Lynn, which posted a 4-0 record in the South Regional, became the first team since Tampa in 2006 to go through the entire NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament without a loss.

Saturday’s contest marked the fifth time in the 42-year history of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship that the title game was decided by one run. The combined three runs tied for the lowest scoring national championship game. Cal State Northridge defeated Nichols State 2-1 in 1970, the third year of the championship.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy NCAA.com

LIFE IS GRAND: Grand Valley State rose to No. 1 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll for the first time in school history after putting together a 21-2 mark to open the season for the best start in program history. The Lakers went 5-0 last week led by rightfielder Cody Grice’s offensive production, and senior left-hander Andre Benjamin’s prowess on the mound. The Lakers look to extend their 13-game winning streak at No. 12 Ashland in a GLIAC doubleheader on March 25.

MILLER TIME: Minnesota State’s Danny Miller set a school record with 11 consecutive hits in the first three games against Northern State last weekend, surpassing the previous mark of 10 by Jason Pfingsten set in 1996. The Mavericks have won six straight games, and currently are tied with Wayne State for first place in the NSIC standings after the first weekend of league play.

MILES AHEAD: Nova Southeastern junior Miles Mikolas garnered Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after stifling then-No. 12 Tampa’s offense in a 5-1 complete-game victory last week. The Sharks took two of three games from Tampa after beginning the week with a win over Franklin Pierce, and vaulted up 11 spots to No. 10 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll for their recent success.

EAGLE FLIES: Southern Indiana’s Alex Thieroff not only turned an incredible week at the plate for the Screaming Eagles, but capped off a four-game series versus Drury with a victory on the mound. The Eagles have won eight of their last nine games, and broke into the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll at No. 22 for their efforts.

NOTABLE: Mansfield head coach Harry Hillson recorded his 700th career victory with a 14-13 win against Wilmington University on March 18, becoming only the third head coach in Pennsylvania collegiate baseball history to reach the milestone. He has coached the Mountaineers for 23 seasons … Merrimack freshman right-hander Chris Pinette tossed the first no-hitter in school history as he struck out three batters in a 4-0 victory against Philadelphia on March 21. The Norwood, Mass., native retired the final 12 batters faced, and walked only one hitter in the outing. He was named Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Week for his achievement.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy of NCAA.com

Joining Delta State in the top five are defending national champion Mount Olive College, Tampa University, Central Missouri State University, and fellow Gulf South Conference member Ouachita Baptist University. The GSC was also represented in the poll by Southern Arkansas University (No. 8), and the University of West Alabama (No. 9).

The Statesmen (48-11) claimed their 11th Gulf South Conference championship last season, but were upended in the NCAA South Central Region title game by Ouachita Baptist.

Delta State returns five starters off last year’s club, led by all-American second baseman Clay Sartain. The senior from Horn Lake was a unanimous all-Gulf South Conference and all-Region pick last season after batting .390 with 22 doubles, 10 home runs, and 62 RBIs. Joining Sartain in the middle of the lineup will be all-GSC and all-Region selection Devin Goodwin at shortstop. The pitching staff will look to all-GSC and all-Region starter Korey Cunningham this year. Senior Levi Bishop returns as one of the top closers in the nation.

The Statesmen pitching staff also returns seniors Marcus Wilson (RHP) and Joey Haston (RHP), junior Cody Kelley (RHP) and sophomore Nathan Hardy (RHP).

Delta State’s coaching staff also assembled one of the top recruiting classes in the nation last season. With competition at a fierce level at third base, catcher, and in left and right fields, the new-look Statesmen offense will certainly be able to hit in 2009.

The schedule features several key in-region non-conference games with national powerhouses, including Florida Southern, West Alabama, Montevallo, and West Florida.

– Courtesy of GoStatesmen.com

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Mount Olive finishes the season with a 58-6 record, including a perfect 4-0 mark in its first appearance in the National Finals. The Trojans won 24 of their final 26 games.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster at the post-game press conference. “This is what you dream of.”

Hodges was among five Trojans named to the All-Tournament Team, joining shortstop David Cooper, third baseman Rich Racobaldo and outfielders Jesse Lancaster and Alex Vertcnik. Ouachita Baptist pitcher Steve Smith, who went 1-0 with a save in three appearances, was named Most Outstanding Player.

Saturday’s contest was a rematch of the first round, won by Mount Olive 6-5 as Harrison’s two-out walk-off bases-loaded rbi-single capped a four-run ninth inning.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy of Mt. Olive Athletics

Top-ranked Mt. Olive (54-6) won the South Atlantic Regional over #10 South Carolina-Aiken and will play #26 Ouachita Baptist (47-14) who defeated Delta State who was also ranked #1 nationally for the South Central Region title. They will be joined by Sonoma State (West Region), Shippensburg (North Atlantic Region), #23 Central Missouri (Central Region), #21 Franklin Pierce (Northeast Region), and Ashland (North Central Region).

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