Sunday, May 3, 2009
Game 1 - #24 Wayne State 16 Minnesota, Crookston 0
Game 2 - #24 Wayne State 19 Minnesota, Crookston 7
It was a record setting day for the Wayne State baseball team in several ways Sunday. First, the Wildcats clinched a sixth straight Northern Sun Conference regular season championship with a sweep at Minnesota, Crookston 16-0 and 19-7. Second, WSC pitchers John Snyder and Reid Lancaster combined on a no-hitter, the third in school history, in the 16-0 win. And third, WSC head coach John Manganaro picked up his 500th career win in the 19-7 win that officially clinched the Wildcats’ sixth straight NSIC title. WSC is now 39-11 overall and 27-4 in NSIC play, giving the Wildcats the most wins ever for a Northern Sun Conference baseball team in league play, surpassing the 2007 WSC team that was 25-5 in league games.
In the first contest, the story of the game was the combined no-hit effort by Wayne State’s John Snyder and Reid Lancaster. Snyder improved to 7-1 on the season by pitching 5 1/3 innings, striking out three without issuing a walk or hit. Lancaster then finished the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking one batter. It was the third no-hitter in school history but the first combined no-hitter. Pat Coghlan no-hit Minnesota Morris in 1999 in a 8-0 win over the Cougars on April 20, 1999 and then Brady Borner struck out 15 batters in a 22-0 no-hit win over Minnesota Morris in the 2001 season on April 13, 2001.
Wayne State had 15 hits, including five homers in the win. Junior outfielder Joe Wendte went 3 for 4 with two homers, four runs scored and eight RBI’s, believed to be a single-game RBI record for the Wildcats. Wendte had a three-run homer in the fourth and a grand slam blast in the seventh to go with an RBI single in the third inning. Senior designated hitter Alex Koch was 4 for 5 with five RBI’s and two homers as well. Koch had a two-run double in the third, a solo homer in the fifth inning and a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Justin Hemauer was 2 for 3 with a homer and three runs scored while Mike Bisenius and Nick Bidroski also added two hits apiece in the win.
The second game saw Wendte and Koch drive in five runs each with the Wildcats pounding out five more homers in a 19-7 win that clinched the NSIC title while giving Coach Manganaro his 500th win. Eric Bond, Wendte, Koch, Bisenius and Brandon Polk all homered for WSC in the win. Polk finished 3 for 4 with three RBI’s and three runs scored to lead a balanced 15-hit attack for WSC. Koch and Wendte were each 2 for 3 with three runs scored and five RBI’s while Hemauer added two hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot in the win.
Reliever Matt Meier (5-0) picked up the win for the Wildcats, working 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Tom Doran. Meier was charged with two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Doran pitched the first 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Trenton Lee worked the final inning, allowing one hit with two strikeouts.
Coach John Manganaro collects his 500th career win in his 17th year as head coach of the Wildcat program. Manganaro is now 500-305-1, good for a .620 winning percentage as Wildcat mentor.
Wayne State will be the top-seed for the 2009 Northern Sun Conference Baseball Tournament that will be played in St. Cloud, Minnesota Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10. Pairings and game times for the tournament will be announced Sunday evening following the conclusion of Sunday’s regular season games.