Chapman Is Among the Happy Returners

Chapman is back in the NCAA Division III World Series, and not a lot has changed from last year.

Five of the eight teams that played in last year’s series are back, including national champion Montclair State (N.J.), and runner-up St. Thomas (Minn.).

Cortland State (N.Y.) and Southern Maine also return to the tournament, which starts today at Fox Cities Stadium, the site of last year’s championship. The eight-team field also includes Illinois Wesleyan, Marietta (Ohio) and Salisbury State (Md.).

Last year, Chapman lost its first series game to Allegheny (Pa.), 4-2, but beat Southern Maine and Cortland State in the losers’ bracket. Chapman was eliminated on the second-to-last day of the tournament with a 4-3 loss to St. Thomas in 10 innings.

Chapman (37-9), ranked third in Division III, has relied on strong pitching to overcome some key graduation losses and win four more games than last year.

Montclair State (35-9) is ranked second and will face Chapman in the tournament’s opening game at 8 a.m. (PDT).

Pitcher Corey Hamman, the World Series MVP last year, and third baseman Craig Conway, the Division III Mid-Atlantic player of the year, lead Montclair State. Heis is hitting .445 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs.

The top-ranked team in Division III is Southern Maine (36-12). The Huskies’ team ERA of 5.13 is more than a full run worse than any other team in the tournament, but they have hit .345 and scored 441 runs in 48 games.

St. Thomas (35-9) is seeking its first national championship after finishing second each of the last two years. The Tommies were ranked No. 1 throughout April, but lost four of their first six games in May before rebounding in the postseason.

Cortland State (33-9) is making its fifth consecutive appearance in the World Series. The Red Dragons have a team ERA of 3.18 and an offense that is batting .342 and averages 9.5 runs per game.

Marietta (44-7-1) is making its 16th appearance in the championship but hasn’t won a title since 1986. The Pioneers are on a 26-game winning streak and have outscored opponents, 460-166, this season.

Illinois Wesleyan (37-13-1) and Salisbury State (31-11) each is making its first appearance in the World Series. Illinois Wesleyan is hitting .292, the only team in the field with a batting average under .300, but has won 18 of its last 19 games. Salisbury State, under first-year Coach Doug Fleetwood, relies on pitching and station-to-station offense. The Sea Gulls have hit only 23 home runs but have the best ERA among the eight teams, 2.73.