The NCAA News - News and Features

May 11, 1998

Division II Baseball

Dominant Owls seek crown

Event: 1998 Division II Baseball Championship.

Overview: Top-ranked Kennesaw State (50-3) has dominated its competition, winning 17 straight and 47 of its last 48 contests. The Owls' pitching staff, led by Chris Bowen, who is 9-1 with a 1.53 ERA, leads the nation with a 2.43 team ERA. No. 2 starter Dusty Keppen is among the nation's leaders with eight victories and a 2.72 ERA, while Anthony Marini is 7-1 with a 2.83 ERA. Offensively, junior leftfielder Jason Jones is hitting .388 and leads the team with 19 home runs and 84 runs batted in. The Owls' other top hitter is Nathan Cothran, who is hitting .399 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs .... Central Oklahoma (32-12) has had to retool with a new cast of players after finishing runner-up to Cal State Chico last year. The Bronchos, who are near the top of the chart with a .378 team batting average, average almost 11 runs per game and have stolen a school-record 146 bases. First baseman Zac Zanowiak leads the team with a .455 average and 41 RBIs, and second baseman Justin Knowles is hitting .422 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Daryl Williamson leads the pitching staff with a 9-2 record, while Jeff Baty, who started last year's championship game, is 5-1 with a 4.75 ERA .... Central Missouri State (31-6) has as much power as any team in the country, and it also has a team batting average of .390. The Mules have hit a school-record 73 home runs in 37 games; the old record was 71 in 62 games. Shortstop Ben Slemmer, first baseman/third baseman Dave Goodwin and designated hitter/first baseman Brayden Whitney provide a formidable trio in the middle of the lineup. Slemmer is hitting .373 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs, Goodwin is .496 with 13 homers and 60 RBIs, and Whitney weighs in with a .500 batting average, seven home runs and 48 RBIs .... Other contenders include Delta State, Indianapolis, North Alabama and Tampa.

Field: Thirty-two teams will be selected at large May 10.

Dates and sites: Regional competition will be conducted May 14-16 at on-campus sites. The eight regional champions will advance to the double-elimination championship finals May 23-30 at Montgomery, Alabama, where Valdosta State will serve as host.

Television: The championship game will be televised live by Fox Sports (SportsSouth) at 5:45 p.m. Central time, May 30.

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1221 for bracket/schedule and 5020 for results. Scores and pairings from regional competition will appear in the May 25 issue of The NCAA News, and championship results will be published June 8.