After storming through the first three games of the NCAA Division III National Championship, Linfield College is one win away from bringing home its first title since the school joined the NCAA in 1996. The top-ranked Wildcats are in the hands of a World Series champion in his own right, with head coach Scott Brosius and his trio of rings he earned with the New York Yankees at the helm of the program.
The Wildcats won the NAIA National Championship in 1966 and 1971 under legendary head coaches Roy Helser and Ad Rutschman respectively. But the 2013 squad might be the best to ever wear purple and red. The Wildcats have won more games than any other team in the past (41), achieved a No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history and have three d3baseball.com first team All-Americans.
Linfield defeated Ithaca College in game one of the eight-team double-elimination tournament on Friday, but the Bombers returned the favor to the Wildcats on Monday afternoon with a 6-4 victory that kept them alive. The loss was Linfield’s first of the tournament and had little impact on the Wildcats’ path as they ensured themselves an appearance in the title game with a victory on Sunday over the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats will turn to their ace and the Division III National Pitcher of the Year in sophomore Chris Haddeland. The right-hander has been sensational all season, posting a record of 14-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 117 innings pitched. Offensively, the Wildcats rely on a pair of all-Americans, senior Tim Wilson and junior Jake Wylie, as their catalysts. Wilson is hitting .408 out of the leadoff spot with four home runs, 32 RBI, 61 runs scored and 31 stolen bases. Wylie hits in the middle of the lineup at a clip of .399 with eight home runs and 66 RBI. Two other juniors, Kramer Lindell and Nick Fisher, have combined for 10 home runs and 85 RBI while hitting .390 and .374, respectively. Senior Kyle Chamberlain handles the majority of the catching duties for the Wildcats and is the only member of the team with experience in the National Finals as he was a part of the 2010 team that finished third in the country.
The keys to the Wildcats’ success have been their even-keel mentality, ability to capitalize on opportunities and win tight ball games. Brosius’ experience certainly helps their cause as well. After attending Linfield for three years, Brosius was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. He went to the Yankees in 1998, won the World Series Most Valuable Player award that year and proceeded to win two more championships in the next two years, mixing in a Gold Glove award and an All-Star Game appearance. Brosius called it a career after losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in dramatic fashion in game seven of the 2001 Fall Classic and decided to return to McMinnville, Oregon and complete the final year of his degree. In addition to his duties with the Wildcats, Brosius coaches the team USA-Under 18 squad, which has captured a pair of gold medals in the past three years at international tournaments. Plain and simple, Brosius just knows how to win, and he has Linfield nine innings away from the ultimate title across Division III baseball.
The weight attached to Tuesday’s championship game seems daunting, but when the Wildcats take the field in Appleton, Wisconsin at 2:30 Central Time, they will treat the game just like any other on their schedule and the rest will take care of itself.
Watch Live: http://www.linfield.edu/sports/teampage.php?sport=bb
Tournament Home: http://www.d3baseball.com/playoffs/2013/daily-tournament-schedule
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