2004 NCAA Division III Baseball Mideast Regional
2004 Tournament Statistics
Summary Stats
Team Stats
Individual Stats
Albion
Heidelberg
Manchester
Wooster
Manchester runs the table as they advance to the 2004 Division III Championship
WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster’s ninth-inning rally fell just short, as Manchester College third baseman Eric Screeton, who had committed an error earlier in the ninth, fielded a grounder and cleanly threw it to second for a game-ending force play, which capped the Spartans’ 7-6 win and perfect run through the NCAA Div. III Regional Tournament at Wooster’s Art Murray Field.
The Spartans (35-10) brought a 7-4 lead into the top of the ninth. Jared Kurtz, who was the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player, maybe feeling a case of the nerves walked the Scots’ No. 8 hitter, Drew Wippich, on four-straight pitches to start the ninth. Kurtz struck out the next hitter, brining up leadoff man Luke Ullman, who had a hard single to center, which gave Wooster runners on first and second with one out. Then, senior Matt Miller swung at Kurtz’s first offering and grounded it to third for what appeared to be a potential double play. Instead, the ball hit Screeton in the chest and bounced into shallow left, loading the bases for the Scots with just one out. Next up, Jake Frank drove a single to left-center, which plated Wippich and Ullman to bring Wooster within one, still with just one out and runners on first and second. Kurtz, though, forced the Scots’ clean-up hitter into an infield pop-up and Screeton redeemed himself on the final play, giving Manchester its third win in as many games at the four-team regional.
Wooster (37-10) took an early 2-0 lead after its half of the third inning, scoring once in the first on a leadoff homer by Ullman and once in the third on a Mark Lucas RBI single, however, the Scots also left a runner on base each frame. The Spartans’ bats came alive in their half of the third, after Wooster starter Reilly Enos had faced the minimum through the first two innings. Brock Treesh doubled and Greg Hollenbaugh scored him on a single to right field, followed by a Scot error that put runners on the corners with zero outs. Hollenbaugh came home on a sacrifice fly, and Screeton produced an RBI double to give Manchester a lead that it would not relinquish.
The Spartans put up another three-spot in the fourth inning, with help from the Wooster defense. Manchester loaded the bases with two outs, and then scored three runs on one play, which began with a bunt single by Scott Tarnowski to the right side just out of the reach of the pitcher. Miller gloved the ball and attempted to scoop it over to first, but it got by the first baseman. Miller then chased it down and gunned it towards home as the second run was trying to score, but the throw was off-line, which allowed the bases to clear, with the exception of Tarnowski, who was thrown out going to third base.
Miller did make up for his errors the very next inning with a two-run homer — his eighth of the season — to left field that brought the Scots right back within striking distance.
It remained 6-4 until the Spartans scored what turned out to be a very important insurance run in the eighth inning on a Ryan Carr bloop single to left field.
Earning the decision was starter Dan Sprunger (8-2), a left-hander who went the first five innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Kurtz, the starting catcher, then worked the final four innings on the mound for his sixth save.
2004 Mideast Regional All-Tournament Team
MVP- Jared Kurtz, Manchester
Catcher - Mark Jucas, Wooster; Second Base - Ryan Seal, Manchester; Matt Miller, Wooster; Kyle Leatherman, Heidelberg; Shortstop - Luke Ullman, Wooster; Outfield - Chris Trott, Albion; Brock Treesh, Manchester; Utility - Jared Kurtz, Manchester; Designated Hitter - John Cropper, Heidelberg; Pitcher - Tyler Wolf, Manchester.
2004 Results