The NCAA News - News and Features

June 8, 1998

Tampa takes third title in the '90s with 6-1 win over Kennesaw State

Mike Valdes pitched his second straight complete-game victory and Ronnie Merrill went three-for-five with three runs batted in as second-ranked Tampa won its third Division II Baseball Championship of the 1990s with a 6-1 victory over top-ranked Kennesaw State May 30 at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Alabama.

Tampa, which finished with a 46-14 record, also won back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993.

Coach Terry Rupp never made a pitching change in Tampa's four-game sweep in Montgomery. Besides Valdes, Rick Burton allowed only seven hits and one run in a 5-1 victory over West Georgia, and Eric Busch blanked West Georgia, 10-0, with a seven hitter.

Tampa's trio had a collective earned-run average of 1.75.

Valdes struck out four and allowed only four hits in the title game as he posted his 15th win of the season. His lone loss was a 2-1 setback to Delta State in February. Kennesaw State's Pat McPhee broke up a perfect game with a solo home run in the fifth.

Merrill stroked a two-out, two-run single to center field in the fourth and added an RBI single in the sixth to give the Spartans a 6-1 lead.

Louis Martinez added three hits in Tampa's 14-hit attack, while Miguel Menendez added two hits. Catcher Angel Diaz, the most outstanding player in the 1997 championship, drove in Tampa's first two runs with a two-out single to left-center field in the third.

Merrill, who hit .529 for the series (9-for-17) with nine RBIs, one double and two stolen bases, was named the most outstanding player for the tournament.

Joining Merrill on the all-tournament team were second baseman Martinez; outfielder Erik Mirza; designated hitter Mike King; and pitcher Valdes from Tampa. Kennesaw State landed three players on the team--third baseman Nathan Cothran; outfielder Jason Jones; and pitcher Gary Bohannon. Other members of the team included catcher Matt Unger, Millersville; first baseman Ryan Brink, Millersville; and outfielder Todd Neal, St. Joseph's (Indiana).

The announced attendance of 3,853 was the largest crowd for a championship game since 1986 when 5,491 witnessed local favorite Troy State defeat Columbus State, 5-0.

Kennesaw State, which won a national-record 61 games this season, suffered only its fifth loss.

Game 1

Central Mo. St. -- 005 -- 000 -- 000--5 -- 12 -- 0

Tampa -- 044 -- 001 -- 00x -- 9 -- 12 -- 0

Rich Clover, Adam Cline (3) and Trevor Brandes; Mike Valdes and Angel Diaz. W--Valdes. L--Clover. HR-Nathan Lipowicz (Central Mo. St.), Matthew Stafford (Central Mo. St.), Dave Goodwin (Central Mo. St.)

Game 2

Cal St. Chico -- 000 -- 000 -- 110--2 -- 10 -- 3

West Ga. -- 210 -- 002 -- 00x--5 -- 8 -- 0

Josh Osborn, Jesus Moreno (8) and Casey Glynn; Brian Bradley and Jerry Whaley. W--Bradley. L--Osborn. HR--Whaley (West Ga.).

Game 3

Millersville -- 200 -- 110 -- 101--6 -- 15 -- 1

St. Joseph's (Ind.) -- 000 -- 000 -- 000--0 -- 5 -- 1

Timm Bromirski and Matt Unger; Jake Zajc, Ryan Reffitt (6), Michael Field (8) and Gabe Damato. W--Bromirski. L--Zajc. HR-Ryan Brink (Millersville), Shawn Hoffman (Millersville).

Game 4

New Haven -- 001 -- 500 -- 000--6 -- 12 -- 4

Kennesaw St. -- 021 -- 130 -- 00x--7 -- 11 -- 0

John Zullo, Chris Kuruc (6) and Eric Hernandez; Chris Bowen, Gary Bohannon (4) and Jason Barkwell. W--Bohannon. L--Zullo. HR-Jason Jones (Kennesaw St.).

Game 5

Cal St. Chico -- 000 -- 005 -- 305--13 -- 19 -- 6

Central Mo. St. -- 111 -- 212 -- 003--11 -- 11 -- 0

John-Eric Hernandez, Jesus Moreno (5), Jared Josephson (6), Brian Baisch (10), Dan Viveros (10) and Casey Glynn; Jeremy Luna, Greg Huff (6), Garett Dunning (8), Josh Reynolds (8) and Job Figueroa. W--Josephson. L--Reynolds. S-Viveros. HR-Rob Rehfeld (Cal St. Chico), Rich Gregory (Cal St. Chico), Dan Winterberg (Cal St. Chico), Luis Sanchez (Cal St. Chico), Ben Slemmer (Central Mo. St.), Matt Norfleet (Central Mo. St.), Rich Clover (Central Mo. St.).

Game 6

West Ga. -- 000 -- 000 -- 100--1 -- 7 -- 2

Tampa -- 001 -- 400 -- 00x--5 -- 7 -- 0

Ralph Suarez and Jerry Whaley; Rick Burton and Angel Diaz. W--Burton. L--Suarez. HR-T. J. Denham (West Ga.), Diaz (Tampa).

Game 7

Kennesaw St. -- 102 -- 101 -- 204--11 -- 13 -- 0

Millersville -- 003 -- 100 -- 000-- 4 -- 9 -- 5

Dusty Keppen, Gary Bohannon (5) and Jason Barkwell; Jason Bradley, Eric Eckert (7), George McClure (9) and Matt Unger. W--Bohannon. L--Bradley. HR-Jason Jones (Kennesaw St.), Rauf Tunali (Kennesaw St.), Scott Kuhn (Millersville).

Game 8

St. Joseph's (Ind.) -- 241 -- 041 -- 111--15 -- 19 -- 4

New Haven -- 000 -- 003 -- 000--3 -- 12 -- 3

Bill Draper, Quinn Chism (7), Craig Chmura (8), Chris Balcer (9) and Gabe Damato; Jason Scheets, John Zullo (2), Chris Kuruc (4), Cory Somerville (9) and Eric Hernandez. W--Draper. L--Scheets. HR-Brad Mesik [St. Joseph's (Ind.)].

Game 9

Millersville -- 200 -- 300 -- 000--5 -- 11 -- 0

Cal St. Chico -- 300 -- 030 -- 00x--6 -- 12 -- 3

Chris Bensing, George McClure (1) and Matt Unger; Eric Turner, Dan Viveros (8), Jesus Moreno (8), Jared Josephson (8) and Casey Glynn. W--Turner. L--McClure. S--Josephson. HR-Shawn Hoffman (Millersville).

Game 10

St. Joseph's (Ind.) -- 100 -- 000 -- 204--7 -- 14 -- 1

West Ga. -- 500 -- 000 -- 30x--8 -- 9 -- 2

Ryan Reffitt, Michael Field (7), Quinn Chism (8), Chris Balcer (8) and Gabe Damato; Juan Mendoza, Tedd Sims (8), Sean Hudgens (9) and Jerry Whaley. W--Mendoza. L--Reffitt. S--Hudgens. HR-Matt Stasch [St. Joseph's (Ind.)], Jeremy Kemp (West Ga.), Lee Bryson (West Ga.).

Game 11

Kennesaw St. -- 201 -- 080 -- 040--15 -- 19 -- 3

Cal St. Chico -- 000 -- 014 -- 000-- 5 -- 9 -- 1

Anthony Marini, Greg Perry (6), Mike Prokop (6) and Jason Barkwell; Josh Osborn, Jesus Moreno (5), John-Eric Hernandez (5), Keith Loitz (8) and Casey Glynn, Bryan Burchit. W--Marini. L--Osborn. S--Prokop. HR-Jason Jones (Kennesaw St.), Rauf Tunali (Kennesaw St.).

Game 12

Tampa -- 012 -- 112 -- 021--10 -- 10 -- 3

West Ga. -- 000 -- 000 -- 000-- 0 -- 7 -- 3

Eric Busch and Angel Diaz; Brian Bradley, Chris Sinclair (6), Sean Hudgens (8) and Jerry Whaley. W--Busch. L--Bradley. HR-Erik Mirza (Tampa), Mike King (Tampa) 2.

Championship game

Tampa -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI

Eric Sims, rf -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0

Ronnie Merrill, ss -- 5 -- 0 -- 3 -- 3

Erik Mirza, cf -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Angel Diaz, c -- 5 -- 0 -- 1 -- 2

Miguel Menendez, 1b -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Mike King, dh -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Matt Smith, 3b -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1

E. J. White, lf -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0

Louis Martinez, 2b -- 4 -- 3 -- 3 -- 0

Mike Valdes, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Totals -- 38 -- 6 -- 14 -- 6

Kennesaw St. -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI

Kevin Baldwin, 2b -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Seth LaFera, ss -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Nathan Cothran, 3b -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Jason Jones, lf -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Brannon Whatley, rf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Pat McPhee, dh -- 3 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1

Damon Santimauro, 1b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Rauf Tunali, cf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jason Barkwell, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Chris Bowen, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Gary Bohannon, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Totals -- 30 -- 1 -- 4 -- 1

Tampa -- 002 -- 202 -- 000--6 -- 14 -- 0

Kennesaw St. -- 000 -- 010 -- 000--1 -- 4 -- 1

E--LaFera. DP-Tampa 1, Kennesaw St. 3. LOB--Tampa 7, Kennesaw St. 3. 2B-Martinez, Barkwell. HR-Smith, McPhee. SB--Merrill. CS--King.

-- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

Valdes (Winner) -- 9.0 -- 4 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 -- 4

Bowen (Loser) -- 3.2 -- 7 -- 4 -- 2 -- 1 -- 0

Bohannon -- 5.1 -- 7 -- 2 -- 2 -- 1 -- 1

PB--Barkwell. T--2:15. A--3,853.