2006 NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional
2006 Tournament Statistics
Summary Stats
Team Stats
Individual Stats
Bowdoin
Middlebury
Salem State
St Joseph's (Maine)
Southern Maine
Westerrn New England
Wheaton
Wheaton Baseball Captures Program's First NCAA Regional Championship with 16-5 Win Over Southern Maine
Harwich, Mass. (May 20, 2006) - The Wheaton College baseball team defeated the University of Southern Maine, 16-5 today in the final day of the 2006 NCAA Division III Eastern College Athletic Conference Baseball Regional to move on to the College World Series in Grand Chute, Wisconsin beginning Friday, May 26.
With a perfect 3-0 record at the NCAA Division III New England Regional, the Wheaton Lyons advance to the eight-team national tournament at Fox Cities Stadium. With today's win, sixth-ranked Wheaton set a program record for most victories in a season with 38, improving to 38-8 overall. The Blue and White surpassed the 2002 team's 37-win total. Southern Maine, which was making its 16th appearance at an NCAA Tournament, finishes its season with an overall record of 32-17.
The Lyons, who advanced to their third regional final and sixth NCAA Tournament in the last seven seasons, trailed for the first time at Whitehouse Field after giving way to a pair of Husky runs in the top half of the first. Junior Ryan Bourque posted a two-run single in that frame, but Wheaton responded with four runs in the home half, including a two-run homer off the bat of sophomore Scott Guillerault for a 3-2 Lyon edge. The Guillerault home run was his 13th of the season, standing just one long ball shy of the program-record 14 hit by Damon Whalen in 2002.
Southern Maine put forward a rally attempt in the second by loading the bases on two hit batsmen and a walk, and eventually chased Wheaton sophomore starter Louie Bernardini but classmate Josh Moore came on in relief and was outstanding, setting down his first two batters on strikes and inducing a groundout to first to end the threat.
The Lyons extended their advantage to 7-2 in the third on the strength of back-to-back homers from junior hometown product Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) and sophomore Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester Regional). Junior Brandon Leonard plated two runs with a double to right to begin a four-run fifth, and top-seeded Wheaton put the game out of reach.
The hits continued to come and the Lyons ended the sixth with a commanding 16-3 lead. Southern Maine put two more on the board in the top of the seventh with Skeffington and Joe McGhee adding RBI singles, but the roar of the Lyons proved too much for the Huskies.
This will mark Wheaton’s first appearanace in the NCAA College World Series in the nine-year history of the program
2006 New England Regional All-Tournament Team
First Base - Alex Casnocha, Middlebury; Second Base - Jake Yagjian, Wheaton: Third Base - ; Shortstop - Rob Celentrano, Salem State; Chris McCann, Bowdoin; Outfield - Ryan Armstrong, Middlebury; Ryan Bourque, Southern Maine; Brendon Leonard, Wheaton; Utility - Chris Burleson, Southern Maine; Pitcher - Charlie Furbush, St. Joseph’s; Jason Connelly, Western New England; Chris Martin, Wheaton;Chris McDonough, Wheaton.
2006 Results
Salem State 8, Southern Maine 5
St Joseph (Maine) 9, Bowdoin 7
Western New England 14, Middlebury 2
Western New England 11, St Joseph (Maine) 10 (10)
Southern Maine 10, St Joseph (Maine) 0
Wheaton 6, Western New England 0
Southern Maine 12, Middlebury 10