Chapman’s baseball team poses for a picture after winning the NCAA Division III title. (Photo courtesy Chapman athletics by Larry Radloff, d3 Photography)
Chapman University’s baseball team took home the top prize, the 2019 NCAA Division III national championship, after routing Birmingham-Southern College 11-0 in the second game of the best-of-three series Tuesday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
It marks Chapman’s first national championship since 2003.
Senior Mason Collins pitched a complete-game gem to help rally the Panthers. The veteran threw nine scoreless innings, allowing six hits while striking out four batters. Collins finished his Chapman career with a 9-4 season record and a national championship under his belt.
After coming back from an injury that kept him on the sidelines in game one and for the first six innings of game two, freshman Brad Shimabuku came in clutch to bat 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run scored.
The rookie knocked the first hit for Chapman, a two-run shot to right center that scored the Panthers’ second and third runs. He also laid out for a spectacular catch in center field, rallying his teammates to put up huge numbers in the eighth inning.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the seventh, Chapman blew the game open with an eight-spot in the bottom of the eighth inning. With runners on second and third, sophomore Henry Zeisler smacked a two-run double to left field to give Chapman a five-run lead.
Chapman scored its next six runs with two outs on the board. Shimabuku hit a big triple to left center to score one, followed by a single from senior Jarod Penniman to score Shimabuku. Junior Aaron Wong and senior Alex Tsuruda hit back-to-back doubles to score two more and freshman Drew Littwin knocked in the final run of the game on a base hit to right field.
Collins finished out the game by retiring the side, sending the Panthers charging on to the field in celebration.
Zeisler earned Most Outstanding Player of the World Series after dominating in the box. The first baseman hit .538 (14-for-26) in seven games with five RBI, three doubles, five walks and 10 runs scored.
-Courtesy Katie Bell, Chapman sports information
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