1996 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
Tournament Statistics
Team Statistics
Records
William Paterson defeats Cal Lutheran 6-5 to win the 1996 Division III Baseball Championship
Another homer sparks William Paterson in III baseball
We all felt in the dugout that all we needed was something to ignite the flame....I'm happy for our kids. They play with a lot of heart. The comeback shows you the type of kids we have in the program. They bend but they don't break. They have fight. This win is tremendously satisfying." - Jeff Albies, head coach, William Paterson
Salem VA -- Just like in 1992, when the same two teams played in the championship game, a three-run home run by William Paterson proved to be the key hit in a Pioneer victory over Cal Lutheran.
It wasn't actually the game-winner like it was four years ago, but an eighth-inning, three-run shot to right field by Mark DeMenna ignited a William Paterson comeback and propelled the Pioneers to a 6-5 victory and their second Division III Baseball Championship title.
In 1992, first baseman Ralph Perdomo hit a dramatic three-run homer in the ninth inning to lift William Paterson to its first title in a 3-1 victory over Cal Lutheran.
Cal Lutheran scored three times in the top of the first inning. Catcher Tom McGee tripled home Rick Work, who was hit by a pitch. After Mike Young was hit by a pitch, Robert Nichols singled, scoring McGee. Young stole home to cap the first inning scoring.
In the third, the Kingsmen stretched their lead to 5-1 when Young followed an Adam Rauch single with a two-run home run to left field.
Pitching then dominated the game until Cal Lutheran hurler Erik Kiszczak opened the fateful eighth inning by hitting William Paterson catcher Dan Egbert. After Mike Scher walked, DeMenna connected for his first and only home run of the series to pull the Pioneers within one run. Cal Lutheran head coach Marty Slimak left Kiszczak in the game, but he could not hold the lead.
"We felt all year long that we could get here," Slimak said. "We believed we could win the whole thing. Today, we did the right things early. We got a few good breaks early, and sometimes that's all you need. But they got the breaks late in the game."
The comeback continued with one-out singles by Paul Bumbaco and Brian Kelly. The runners advanced to second and third following an error by Nichols in center field. First baseman Greg Cimilucca then delivered the game-winning blow with a single to left that scored both Bumbaco and Kelly.
"We all felt in the dugout that all we needed was something to ignite the flame," Albies said. "Hitting is contagious. When you have runners in scoring position to win the game, those men (on defense) get nervous and the momentum switches to the offense."
DeMenna was voted the tournament's most outstanding player. The sophomore outfielder hit .500 (11 for 22) with six runs scored, one home run and six runs batted in over five games.
1996 All Tournament Team
MVP - Mark DeMenna, William Paterson
Catcher - Chuck Anderson, Wisconsin-Oshkosh; First Base - Kevin O'Leary, Bridgewater State (Mass); Second Base - Jim Martorana, Bridgewater State (Mass); Third Base - Brian Lindner, William Paterson; Shortstop - Paul Bumbaco, William Paterson; Outfield - Anthony Palombizio, Methodist; Adam Rauch, Cal Lutheran; Mark DeMenna, William Paterson; Designated Hitter - Tom McGee, Cal Lutheran; Pitcher - Edwardo Gomez, William Paterson; Richard Bell, Cal Lutheran.
1996 Tournament Results
William Paterson 12, Bridgewater State (Mass) 4
Wisconsin-Oshkosh 4, Cal Lutheran 0
Bridgewater State (Mass) 5, Marietta 3
William Paterson 2, Upper Iowa 1 (10)
Wisconsin-Oshkosh 11, Methodist 5
Bridgewater State (Mass) 10, Methodist 4
William Paterson 6, Wisconsin-Oshkosh 1
Bridgewater State (Mass) 9, Wisconsin-Oshkosh 7
Cal Lutheran 3, William Paterson 2
Regional Playoff Results
Central Regional at Kenosha, Wisconsin: Game 1: Upper Iowa 6, MacMurray 4; Game 2: Aurora 3, Carthage 2; Game 3: MacMurray 8, Carthage 2; Game 4: Upper Iowa 8, Aurora 2; Game 5: MacMurray 7, Aurora 4; Game 6: Upper Iowa 18, MacMurray 5. Upper Iowa advances
Mid-Atlantic Regional at Sussex, New Jersey: Game 1: William Paterson 13, Amherst 7; Game 2: Montclair State 5, Fairleigh Dickinson 2; Game 3: Rowan 6, York 3; Game 4: Amherst 16, Fairleigh Dickinson 4; Game 5: William Paterson 6, York 3; Game 6: Rowan 3, Montclair State 2 (10); Game 7: William Paterson 9, Rowan 1; Game 8: Montclair State 13, Amherst 12; Game 9: Montclair State 10, Rowan 7; Game 10: William Paterson 9, Montclair State 4. William Paterson advances
Mideast Regional, at Marietta, Ohio: Game 1: Ohio Wesleyan 10, Rose-Hulman 2; Game 2: Marietta 9, Allegheny 1; Game 3: Marietta 7, Ohio Wesleyan 6; Game 4: Allegheny 12, Rose-Hulman 9; Game 5: Allegheny 9, Ohio Wesleyan 2; Game 6: Allegheny 13, Marietta 9; Game 7: Marietta 19, Allegheny 15. Marietta advances
Midwest Regional at Oshkosh, Wisconsin: Game 1: Wisconsin-Oshkosh 10, Wisconsin-River Falls 7; Game 2: St. Thomas (Minn) 5, Southwestern (Texas) 1; Game 3: Wisconsin-Oshkosh 6, St. Thomas (Minn) 5; Game 4: Southwestern (Texas) 6, Wisconsin-River Falls 5; Game 5: St. Thomas (Minn) 7, Southwestern (Texas) 3; Game 6: Wisconsin-Oshkosh 21, St. Thomas (Minn) 10. Wisconsin-Oshkosh advances
New England Regional at Gorham, Maine: Game 1: Bridgewater State (Mass.) 6, Brandeis 2; Game 2: Southern Maine 4, Eastern Conn State 3; Game 3: Eastern Conn State 3, Brandeis 2; Game 4: Bridgewater State (Mass) 9, Southern Maine 2; Game 5: Eastern Conn State 4, Southern Maine 2; Game 6: Bridgewater State (Mass) 16, Eastern Conn State 12 (10). Bridgewater State (Mass) advances
New York Regional Troy, New York: Game 1: Cortland State 5, Oswego State 3; Game 2: Rensselaer 6, John Jay 2; Game 3: Rensselaer 7, Cortland State 2; Game 4: Oswego State 2, John Jay 1; Game 5: Cortland State 7, Oswego State 6; Game 6: Rensselaer 10, Cortland State 9 (11). Rensselaer advances
South Regional at Fayetteville, North Carolina: Game 1: Ferrum 4, Emory 3 (11); Game 2: Methodist 8, Millsaps 7; Game 3: Methodist 13, Ferrum 8; Game 4: Millsaps 12, Emory 8; Game 5: Ferrum 14, Millsaps 13; Game 6: Methodist 8, Ferrum 4. Methodist advances
West Regional at Thousand Oaks, California: Game 1: Claremont Mudd Scripps 17, Cal Lutheran 4 ; Game 2: Cal Lutheran 15, Claremont Mudd Scripps 3; Game 3: Cal Lutheran 13, Claremont Mudd Scripps 3; Game 4: laremont Mudd Scripps 8, Cal Lutheran 3; Game 5: Cal Lutheran 8, Claremont Mudd Scripps 0. Cal Lutheran advances