CARY, N.C. - West Chester University (45-10) will play for the school's very first national championship in baseball Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Delta State at the U.S. Baseball Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The game can be seen live via web stream on NCAA.com. Barnaby's of America in West Chester will also air the web stream on it's projector upstairs on the second floor Saturday night. Fans in West Chester, who cannot get down to Cary for the game, can watch the web stream at Barnaby's on High Street in the borough.
The Golden Rams (45-10) advanced to the championship game by beating Chico State, 4-0, last Saturday in the opening round and then topping Southern New Hampshire, 13-7, in the second round, before edging Catawba, 2-1, in the semifinals on Thursday night. Josh Heyne's walk-off sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and nobody out sent West Chester to Saturday's title game.
Delta State (49-14) reached the finals after an improbable comeback in its final two at bats against Minnesota-Mankato on Friday morning. The Statesmen trailed, 5-0, heading into the bottom of the eighth, but scored five runs in the eighth and then got the game-winner in the ninth to complete the comback. Delta State defeated St. Mary's (Texas), 4-1, in its opening game of the series, then defeated Catawba, 6-5, on Tuesday in the second round. The Statesmen dropped a 1-0 decision to Minnesota State-Mankato on Thursday, before Friday's miraculous comeback.
West Chester will throw sophomore right-hander Joe Gunkel (9-1) in the championship game. He took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the Rams' series opening victory over Chico State. He tossed a complete-game one-hitter against the Wildcats. Mankato's starter was TBA at press time.
Jack Provine is hitting .444 (4-for-9) with a home run and team-leading four RBI in West Chester's three games at the Division II College World Series. Mike Raimo is hitting .385 (5-for-13) four runs scored as well.
No school from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has won a national championship. West Chester is just the second school to reach the championship game, joining Mansfield's squad from 1992 that fell to Tampa in the finals.
