2002 NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional
Tournament Statistics
Summary Stats
Team Stats
Individual Stats
Brandeis
Eastern Conn State
Roger Williams
Suffolk
Tufts
Wheaton (Mass)
Eastern Connecticut advances out of the losers bracket with 4-2 win over Wheaton
HARWICH, Mass - Second-seeded Eastern Connecticut advanced to the NCAA Division III College World Series for the eighth time by sweeping a pair of contests from top-seeded Wheaton in championship round play of the 2002 NCAA Division III Baseball Regional hosted by the ECAC Monday afternoon at Whitehouse Field. The Warriors took the regional title with a dramatic 3-2 10 inning victory in the opening game of the day before notching a 4-2 triumph in the second championship contest.
Eastern Connecticut (35-10-1) took a 2-0 inning lead in the fifth inning of the nightcap on a two-run single by senior Justin Waz (Deep River, Conn.), but the Lyons (37-9-1) evened matters in the seventh when senior Chris Denorfia singled and scored on senior Damon Whalen's two-run homer to left, his 14th of the season. The Warriors took the lead for good in the eighth when junior Morgan Thompson scored on senior John Kubachka's fielder's choice grounder, and Eastern Connecticut added an insurance tally in the ninth when senior Jared Holowaty scored on freshman Tom Koch's suicide squeeze.
Sophomore Thomas Spirito picked up the win in relief for the Warriors in the championship contest to improve to 1-1 on the season, as sophomore Dwight Wildman collected two of the winners' seven hits in the nightcap. Denorfia went 3-for-4 in his final collegiate contest for Wheaton, as freshman Jon Jackson took the loss on the mound for the Lyons in falling to 2-1 on the year.
2002 New England Regional All-Tournament Team
MVP - Joey Serfass, Eastern Connecticut Stat
Pitcher - Joey Serfass, Eastern Connecticut State; Randy Newsom, Tufts; Catcher - Joe DeMartino, Wheaton ; First Base - Joshua Rosen, Roger Williams; Second Base - Morgan Thompson, Eastern Connecticut State; Third Base - Scott Beattie, Wheaton; Shortstop - Eugene Julien, Eastern Connecticut State; Outfield - Dwight Wildman, Eastern Connecticut State; Chris Denorfia, Wheaton; Dan Callahan, Tufts; Designated Hitter/Pitcher - Brian Shapiro, Tufts.
Results
Wheaton (Mass) 8, Roger Williams 6
Eastern Conn State 9, Suffolk 1
Suffolk 13, Roger Williams 12 (11)
Wheaton (Mass) 7, Eastern Conn State 4
Eastern Conn State 19, Tufts 2