2002 NCAA Division III Baseball Mideast Regional
Tournament Statistics
Summary Stats
Team Stats
Individual Stats
Marietta College Pioneers advance to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium, Grand Chute, Wisconsin.
Marietta 7, Ohio Wesleyan 5
Marietta College is one goal shy of the perfect season. The Pioneers, who finished second in the nation last year, are returning to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships after a 7-5 victory over Ohio Wesleyan Sunday. The Pioneers went a perfect 3-0 to win the Regional Tournament at Marietta's Pioneer Park in front of 343 fans on a sunny, but chilly day. Now the Etta Express (37-7-1) is seeking its fourth national championship and its first since 1986.
The Pioneers' first-round opponent isn't set yet, but MC will be at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis., Friday. "The players and the assistant coaches deserve all of the credit," said Marietta coach Don Schaly. "They are the major reason why we are sitting here now preparing to go to Appleton."
Another reason is the second straight stellar performance by freshman pitcher Justin Papania (5-0), who has three wins against the Battling Bishops (35-13) this season. Papania allowed four runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He didn't allow a hit for nearly six innnings. "I don't know how I do it," said Papania, who did allow a three-run home run to Michael Hershberger."I was pitching off-speed again." Marietta catcher Jay Coakley, who was named to the all-tournament team, knew what worked. "(Ohio Wesleyan) tends to pound on any fastballs, so when we got into fastball counts we threw changeups," Coakley said. Schaly was simply pleased with Papania's showing. "He just goes out there and does it," he said. "He has so much composure for a freshman. It's just amazing the job the young man does." Sophomore Scott Stocker closed the door on OWU with one scoreless inning of relief for his first save of 2002. Junior Dan May threw 1 1/3 innings of relief allowing a run and two hits.
The Pioneers took a 7-0 lead into the seventh inning as they scored two runs in each of the second and third innings and then put up a three-spot in the sixth. All of Marietta's runs were charged to left-handed starter Michael Myers (5-2), who threw five innings and was pulled in the sixth. Nate Brown, the tournament MVP, paced the Marietta offensive attack by going 2 for 3 with one RBI. He also played stellar defense the entire tournament. "It was quite a shocker," said Brown about the MVP nod. "I knew I had a role to play on this team and I'm doing my best."
Senior Dusty Childress also made two outstanding defensive plays that kept the Bishops from rallying. For Childress, Coakley and Todd Yoder, this will be their third World Series experience. "It's a great feeling ... three's not too bad," said Childress, who had a single and two RBIs. The Pioneers' run to the championship was even more impressive considering preseason All-American pitcher Matt DeSalvo was lost to an injury early in the season. "They have overcome so much adversity," Schaly said. "They beat a really good Ohio Wesleyan team today. I mean it. Ohio Wesleyan is good enough to be going to Wisconsin."
OWU coach Roger Ingles agrees, but didn't feel his squad played up to its potential Sunday. "We hit the ball well ... they just had us played well and made all of the plays," Ingles said. "Dusty Childress killed us in all three games we played against them. I'm glad he's graduating." The Bishops managed just seven hits Sunday, while the Pioneers had eight.
2002 Mideast Regional All-Tournament Team
MVP - Nate Brown, Marietta
Pitcher - Curt Moenter, Ohio Wesleyan; Justin Papania, Marietta; Tyler Mott, Ohio Wesleyan; Catcher - Jay Caokley, Marietta; First Base - Drew Caravella, Ohio Wesleyan; Second Base - Dusty Childress, Marietta; Third Base - Brent Curtain, Marietta; Shortstop - Nate Brown, Marietta; Outfield - Derek Pauley, Marietta; Shaun Rice, Ohio Wesleyan; Joe Loudenslager, Ohio Wesleyan; Designated Hitter - Todd Yoder, Marietta.
Results