2004 NCAA Division III Baseball Central Regional
2004 Tournament Statistics
Summary Stats
Team Stats
Carthage
Blackburn
Illinois Wesleyan
McMurry
Simpson
Unranked Spartans grab the role of Cinderella as Aurora advances to the Baseball Championship
BLOOMINGTON, Illinois - The Carthage College baseball team (37-11) lost to Aurora University (26-17), 21-4, in the championship game of the NCAA Division III Central Region Championship at Illinois Wesleyan University's Jack Horenberger Field. Aurora advances to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship in Grand Chute, Wis., where the Spartans will take on the State University of New York-Brockport in first-round play.
In Carthage's championship-game loss, Aurora took a 6-0 lead in a wild second inning. Carthage pitcher Adam Robinson hit three-straight batters to open the frame, before Aaron Thor delivered an RBI-single, and Dan Gregory hit a two-run single. Robinson then hit Jay Lavender for his fourth hit batter, a Carthage game record which also tied an NCAA Division III mark, before coach Augie Schmidt IV summoned Dan Lorum from the bullpen. Lorum surrendered an RBI-single to Brian Chelgren for a 4-0 Spartan lead before walking Brian Brandenburg to force in the fifth run. Lorum then hit Jason Smith, the fifth hit batter of the inning, to force in the sixth run before the Redmen turned an inning-ending double play. The five hit batters in the inning broke an NCAA Division III record of four set by nine other teams, and Aurora's Jason Smith was hit twice in the inning to tie another NCAA Division III mark.
The Redmen cut the lead to 6-3 in the third, as Adam Husing tripled in two runs and scored on Justin Hallock's infield grounder. Aurora erupted for nine runs in the bottom of third to take a 15-3 lead.
The Spartans scored on a Jay Lavender sacrifice fly and a Brian Chlegren single before Carthage changed pitchers after Dan Lorum hit Mark Brandenburg, Lorum's fourth hit batter, to force in a run. Jim Jungbauer replaced Lorum and gave up a two-run single to Kevin Morris, an RBI-double to Chris Forbes and a two-run Aaron Thor home run.
The Spartans went up, 20-3, in the seventh off reliever Dan Gassner. Carthage's Dave Nelson hit a solo home run in the eighth to make it 20-4, and Aurora tacked on a final run in the eighth for a 21-4 margin.
George Creviston (4-3) was the winning pitcher for the Spartans, and the loss went to Adam Robinson (5-2). Adam Robinson and Dan Lorum each hit four batters during their stints, Jim Jungbauer two and Dan Gassner one, as Carthage hit a total of 11 hit batters, breaking a school record of five set against Ripon College in 2002 and breaking an NCAA Division III mark set by Neumann College versus Wesley College in 1998.
2004 Central Regional All-Tournament Team
MVP - Kevin Morris, Aurora
Second Base - Adam Husing, Carthage; Outfield - Jay Lavender, Aurora; Dave Nelson, Carthage; Troy Hatten, Simpson; Cory Lapinski, Illinois Wesleyan; Designated Hitter - Kevin Morris, Aurora; Mike Donnenworth, Simpson; Utlity - Josh Lee, McMurry; Pitcher - Adam Hutten, Aurora; George Creviston, Aurora; Kyle Rensing, Blackburn.
2004 Results
Aurora 14, Illinois Wesleyan 7