The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- June 7, 1999

North Carolina Wesleyan pitchers toss whitewash for baseball crown

North Carolina Wesleyan's Sean Fleming and Buddy Hernandez combined for a six-hit shutout to lead the Bishops to a 1-0 win over St. Thomas (Minnesota) in the Division III Baseball Championship game June 1 at Salem, Virginia.

The title game was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel that also featured sterling defense and high drama.

The one thing the game lacked -- scoring -- was over early. North Carolina Wesleyan's Scott Robeson smacked a single to lead off the game. After a sacrifice moved Robeson to second, Jeremy Stewart singled him home. That was all the offense North Carolina Wesleyan's pitchers would need.

Fleming pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out three to win his second game of the series. Hernandez navigated the final two innings without allowing a run and earned the save. North Carolina Wesleyan ended both the eighth and ninth innings with double plays.

"I just tried to stay relaxed out there," said Fleming. "I didn't want to get too nervous. The run in the first inning helped me stay relaxed. It's a lot easier when you know the offense is behind you."

After issuing a walk to Ryan Hartung to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, Fleming was pulled in favor of Hernandez. A sacrifice moved Hartung to second and Hernandez walked Matt Faulken, giving St. Thomas runners on first and second with one out. Rich Swenson hit a comebacker that Hernandez turned into a double play, ending the threat.

The ninth was another adventure for Hernandez. St. Thomas loaded the bases with one out as Paul Rafferty doubled and Steve Aronson singled, putting runners at the corners. Jon Guion walked to load the bases, but Hernandez coaxed Brad Bonine to ground to third, starting the game-ending double play.

St. Thomas' Chris Olean kept the Tommies close, throwing a complete game, scattering 10 hits and allowing the only run of the game.

"I did not have my best stuff out there today, I just tried to throw strikes and let the guys behind me do the rest," Olean said. "It hurts to lose, but we played well."

The 1-0 championship-game score is the first in Division III history and just the third in all divisions. Southern California won 1-0 games to win titles in 1957 and 1972.

"We had a lot of determination today and did not want to let it slip away," said North Carolina Wesleyan coach Charlie Long. "Sean (Fleming) did an outstanding job today -- he got a lot of ground balls. That's his style, that's his key."

North Carolina Wesleyan, which did not lose a game in the NCAA tournament, won its second national championship and finished the season with a 42-9 record. The Bishops also claimed the title in 1989.

CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMARY

Regionals

Central Regional -- Carthage 15, Ripon 4; Aurora 8, Augustana (Ill.) 2; Simpson 6, Wartburg 4; Augustana (Ill.) 6, Ripon 5; Carthage 14, Wartburg 4; Aurora 8, Simpson 4; Aurora 6, Carthage 4; Augustana (Ill.) 1 Simpson 0; Carthage 5, Augustana (Ill.) 1; Aurora 5, Carthage 4. (Aurora advances.)

Mid-Atlantic Regional -- Wm. Paterson 8, Rowan 2; Montclair St. 8, Widener 3; Col. of New Jersey 3, Ursinus 1; Rowan 13, Widener 2; Wm. Paterson 6, Ursinus 0; Montclair St. 13, Col. of New Jersey 0; Wm. Paterson 6, Montclair St. 5; Col of New Jersey 5, Rowan 3 (10 inn.); Col. of New Jersey 11, Montclair St. 5. (Wm. Paterson advances.)

Mideast Regional -- Marietta 3, Rochester 2; Ohio Wesleyan 3, Allegheny 1; Wooster 9, Anderson (Ind.) 3; Allegheny 7, Rochester 5; Anderson (Ind.) 8, Marietta 7 (11 inn.); Ohio Wesleyan 7, Wooster 2; Marietta 10, Wooster 6; Anderson (Ind.) 6, Allegheny 4; Marietta 2, Ohio Wesleyan 1; Ohio Wesleyan 4, Anderson (Ind.) 2; Marietta 8, Ohio Wesleyan 4. (Marietta advances.)

Midwest Regional -- Wis.-Oshkosh 6, St. Scholastica 5, (11 inn.); St. Thomas (Minn.) 6, Wis. Stevens Point 0; St. Scholastica 4, Wis. Stevens Point 3; St. Thomas (Minn.) 3, Wis.-Oshkosh 2; St. Scholastica 5, Wis.-Oshkosh 4; Wis.-Oshkosh 5, St. Scholastica 4. [St. Thomas (Minn.) advances.]

New England Regional -- Brandeis 5, Bri'water (Mass.) 4; Southern Me. 5, Trinity (Conn.) 0; Amherst 11, Williams 4; Trinity (Conn.) 2, Bri'water (Mass.) 1; Brandeis 3, Williams 2; Southern Me. 10, Amherst 6; Amherst 6, Trinity (Conn.) 5; Brandeis 8, Southern Me. 7; Amherst 9, Southern Me. 1; Brandeis 11, Amherst 9. (Brandeis advances.)

New York Regional -- Ithaca 10, Rensselaer 6; Mt. St. Mary (N.Y.) 6, Cortland St. 1; Ithaca 6, Mt. St. Mary (N.Y.) 0; Cortland St. 6, Rensselaer 0; Cortland St. 4, Mt. St. Mary (N.Y.) 3; Cortland St. 8, Ithaca 3; Cortland St. 11, Ithaca 3. (Cortland St. advances.)

South Regional -- N.C. Wesleyan 6, Va. Wesleyan 5 (10 inn.); Bridgewater (Va.) 17, Methodist 6; Va. Wesleyan 6,. Methodist 1; N.C. Wesleyan 13, Bridgewater (Va.) 1; Va. Wesleyan 5, Bridgewater (Va.) 1; N.C. Wesleyan 8, Va. Wesleyan 1. (N.C. Wesleyan advances.)

West Regional -- Chapman 5, Sul Ross St. 1; Cal Lutheran 8, Southwestern (Tex.) 3; Southwestern (Tex.) 13, Sul Ross St. 4; Cal Lutheran 9, Chapman 8; Chapman 10, Southwestern (Tex.) 8; Cal Lutheran 5, Chapman 2. (Cal Lutheran advances.)

Championship

Game No. 1

Cal Lutheran -- 122 -- 010 -- 100 -- 7 -- 15 -- 4

Cortland St. -- 000 -- 000 -- 020 -- 2 -- 4 -- 0

Tom Canale; Chris DiScala, Chris Fuller (5), Anthony Sprague (8). W -- Canale. L -- DiScala.

Game No. 2

N.C. Wesleyan -- 010 -- 005 -- 101 -- 8 -- 13 -- 1

Brandeis -- 001 -- 000 -- 000 -- 1 -- 4 -- 3

Sean Fleming; Steve Wahlbrink, Bryan Haley (6), Mike Dowdy (8). W -- Fleming. L -- Wahlbrink.

Game No. 3

Wm. Paterson -- 300 -- 004 -- 000 -- 7 -- 13 -- 1

Aurora -- 000 -- 100 -- 000 -- 1 -- 7 -- 2

Shaun Stokes; Matt Deegan, Chris Webber (6), James Keathley (8), Rob Mass (9). W -- Stokes. L -- Deegan.

Game No. 4

St. Thomas

(Minn.) -- 000 -- 201 -- 100 -- 4 -- 10 -- 1

Marietta -- 000 -- 000 -- 010 -- 1 -- 7 -- 2

Chris Olean; Dave Bradley. W -- Olean. L -- Bradley.

Game No. 5

Cortland St. -- 301 -- 600 -- 200 -- 12 -- 15 -- 3

Brandeis -- 301 -- 000 -- 010 -- 5 -- 8 -- 3

Rich Jarer; Cliff Smith, Bryan Haley (4), Steve Wahlbrink (8). W -- Jarer. L -- Smith.

Game No. 6

Marietta -- 000 -- 020 -- 300 -- 5 -- 7 -- 3

Aurora -- 000 -- 100 -- 010 -- 2 -- 12 -- 3

Kris Buirley; Chris Phalzgraf, Josh Paddock (9). W -- Buirley. L -- Phalzgraf.

Game No. 7

N.C. Wesleyan -- 200 -- 102 -- 100 -- 6 -- 9 -- 0

Cal Lutheran -- 203 -- 000 -- 000 -- 5 -- 10 -- 2

Jayson Sigley, Jon Rardin (5), Buddy Hernandez (9); Adam Springston, Wayne Mahaffey (6). W -- Rardin. L -- Mahaffey. HR -- Jeremy Stewart (N.C. Wesleyan), Brad Smith (Cal Lutheran).

Game No. 8

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- 100 -- 125 -- 001 -- 10 -- 12 -- 3

Wm. Paterson -- 002 -- 100 -- 202 -- 7 -- 12 -- 3

Mike Honsa, Nathan Johnson (5), Tom Kelly (7), Mike Wilfahrt (9); Jason Messina, Mike Raab (6), Brian Lennox (8). W -- Johnson. L -- Messina. HR -- Ryan Hartung [St. Thomas (Minn.)], Dan Novak [(St. Thomas (Minn.)].

Game No. 9

Cal Lutheran -- 220 -- 000 -- 210 -- 7 -- 11 -- 1

Marietta -- 000 -- 000 -- 000 -- 0 -- 5 -- 1

Erik Kiszczak, David Gonzales (6); Matt DeSalvo, Mike Hall (2). W -- Kiszczak. L -- DeSalvo.

Game No. 10

Wm. Paterson -- 300 -- 310 -- 010 -- 8 -- 12 -- 1

Cortland St. -- 000 -- 002 -- 100 -- 3 -- 10 -- 0

Dan Snyder; Scott Brown, Chris Fuller (4), Mike Dempsey (7). W -- Snyder. L -- Brown.

Game No. 11

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- 020 -- 030 -- 000 -- 0 -- 5 -- 8 -- 4

N.C. Wesleyan -- 000 -- 040 -- 100 -- 1 -- 6 -- 11 -- 2

Brian Toov, Ryan Nelson (4), Mike Honsa (5) Adam Iten (10); James Pitney, Jon Rardin (5), Buddy Hernandez (7). W -- Hernandez. L -- Iten. HR -- Jeremy Stewart (N.C. Wesleyan).

Game No. 12

Cal Lutheran -- 020 -- 000 -- 000 -- 2 -- 5 -- 1

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- 310 -- 000 -- 00x -- 4 -- 4 -- 3

Brandt Childers, Andy Super (1), Wayne Mahaffey (6); Bryan Edstrom, Chris Olean (8). W -- Edstrom. L -- Childers.

Game No. 13

N.C. Wesleyan -- 000 -- 301 -- 010 -- 5 -- 11 -- 3

Wm. Paterson -- 000 -- 100 -- 020 -- 3 -- 10 -- 1

Jed Snead, Russ Fink (8); Jason Kalafut, Mike Raab (9). W -- Snead. L -- Kalafut.

Championship game

N.C. Wesleyan -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI

Scott Robeson, cf -- 4 -- 1 -- 2 -- 0

Andy Jones, 2b -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Jeremy Stewart, 3b -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1

David Capobianco, 1b -- 3 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Barry Blake, ss -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Nick Buonocore, dh -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Taylor Williams, lf -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Tim Autry, lf -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Tim Wright, rf -- 4 -- 0 -- 1 -- 0

Dan Salay, rf -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Brian Woolston, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Sean Fleming, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Buddy Hernandez, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Totals -- 3 -- 3 -- 1 -- 10 --

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- AB -- R -- H -- RBI

Ryan Hartung, 3b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Jake Mauer, 2b -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Matt Faulken, dh -- 3 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Rich Swenson, rf -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Dan Novak, c -- 3 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Paul Rafferty, 1b -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Ryan Benson, pr -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Steve Aronson, lf -- 4 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0

Jon Guion, ss -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Brad Bonine, cf -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Chris Olean, p -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Totals -- 29 -- 0 -- 6 -- 0

N.C. Wesleyan -- 100 -- 000 -- 000--1 -- 10 -- 0

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- 000 -- 000 -- 000--0 -- 6 -- 0

DP -- N.C. Wesleyan 3, St. Thomas (Minn.) 2. LOB -- N.C. Wesleyan 7, St. Thomas (Minn.) 9. 2B -- Wright, Rafferty. SB -- Aronson. CS -- Wright. SH -- Jones, Mauer.

N.C. Wesleyan -- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

Sean Fleming -- 7.0 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0 -- 3 -- 3

Buddy Hernandez -- 2.0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 --

St. Thomas (Minn.) -- IP -- H -- R -- ER -- BB -- SO

Chris Olean -- 9.0 -- 10 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1

W -- Fleming. L -- Olean. S -- Hernandez. HBP -- Guion by Fleming. T -- 2:35. A -- 366.