Trojans Win MCC Tournament Championship
May 06, 2009
The Taylor University baseball team captured the 2009 Mid-Central College Conference Baseball Tournament championship late Wednesday with a 13-4 victory over Bethel College.
The school record 36th win of the season for Taylor sends the Trojans to their first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1969.
"This championship is a great accomplishment by a group of guys that have worked so hard to make it happen," said Taylor head coach Kyle Gould. "We had a very disappointing loss on this field a year ago that would have sent us on to the Regional Tournament. I really think this (2009) season started that night. I can't put into words how hard these guys worked these last 12 months."
Starting pitcher Travis Tomaszewski recorded the win for Taylor after throwing eight innings and allowing just three runs on eight hits. The freshman stays a perfect 5-0 on the season.
"Travis was awesome tonight and gave us a great chance to win," Gould said. "Our pitching was great throughout the whole tournament."
MCC Player of the Year, Michael Kraynak, led the Trojans at the plate with a 3-for-5 outing, including two doubles and two RBIs.
"Different guys have stepped up for us this entire tournament," said Gould. "No matter what happened, through injuries, tough times, and an eight-hour rain delay today-the team handled it extremely well."
Taylor (36-17) put two runs on the board in the first inning started by a Matt Maple walk and a double to deep left field by Kraynak. Ryne Otis grounded out, but drove in Maple for the first run of the game. Senior Cassidy Emery followed up with a single that drove in Kraynak to give Taylor a 2-0 lead.
After he allowed just one hit through three innings, Tomaszewski gave up two hits and two walks in the top of the fourth inning, but worked his way out of the jam and surrendered just one run.
Leading off the bottom half of the fourth, Otis hit his seventh home run of the season to ignite an eight-run inning for the Trojans. Emery sent a double to left field and the hit parade continued. Before Bethel could record the first out of the inning, Taylor had pounded out six hits, scored seven runs, and knocked out two Bethel pitchers on their way to a 10-1 advantage.
With one out in the fifth inning, Taylor went up 11-1 on a single by Taylor's all-time hits leader, Paul Passiales that drove in Michael Nassar for his second run of the game.
Bethel came up with its biggest inning of the night when three straight hits turned into two runs for the Pilots. Nassar made a spectacular diving stop and throw from his spot at third base to end the inning and prevent any further damage.
Taylor plated its final two runs of the game on a Taylor Kinzer two-RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
Bethel made a final threat in the top of the ninth inning, but a pickoff at first base of a Pilot base runner by Taylor catcher Paul Passiales ended the game.
"We played a very competitive schedule to prepare us for our conference season and this postseason," said Gould, who coached the Trojans in seven games against ranked opponents this season. "It didn't matter who we were playing. These guys have just made plays all season long."
Next up for Taylor is the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round on May 12-15, where they will play in one of nine double-elimination tournaments being held across the country.
The nine tournament winners, along with host Lewis-Clark State, will then advance to the 53rd Annual Avista-NAIA World Series on May 22-29 in Lewiston, Idaho.
The final Top 25 poll, along with the National Championship qualifiers, will be announced by 3 p.m. EST on Friday, May 8 at www.naia.org. Taylor's destination for opening round play will also be released on the NAIA website by 7 p.m. EST on Friday.
Click here for complete NAIA National Tournament coverage on the NAIA website.